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October 23rd, 2007 West Erie County, DWCO Randy Leighton, WCO Brook Tolbert Conditions: Tuesday morning brought an all day soaker to the area bringing the area tribs to rock and roll levels. As of late Tuesday, the tribs were flowing high and muddy. Enough rain has fallen to trigger steelhead movement. Just how far they move will remain to be seen as the rain subsides and the trib levels drop. Early weekend forecasts are calling for a good chance of additional rain all of which may be the catalyst we need to get the steelhead season really rolling. Walleye have essentially disappeared but Yellow Perch fishing may still be good at times as lake conditions permit. It will be scattered and slowly wind down as the lake temperatures drop. Trolling the mouths along the shoreline continues to produce steelhead. Be sure to check wind and weather reports before venturing out on the lake. Cold fronts often move quickly and conditions can change in the blink of an eye this time of year. Fall Smallmouth fishing in Presque Isle Bay can be productive as fish try to fatten up or winter. Try salted 3 or 4" salted tube jigs, small spinners, night crawlers and shiners. Current Lake Erie water temperature off the Port of Erie is 59 degrees. Current tributary conditions as of Tuesday afternoon were high and flowing hard. Law Enforcement: Area officers have been busy with a number of high profile cases in addition to the routine steelhead season violations and have literally been working around the clock to keep things in order around the area. Illegal drugs on Commission property and poaching were among many. Early Sunday morning found two out of state individuals quietly loading their night's catch into their vehicle near the Manchester Hole. They did well...a total of 33 steelhead were confiscated estimated at over 200 Lbs.. of fish. They were hiding some of the largest weighted treble hooks we've seen in this area and coupled with the saltwater rods and reels they were using, it probably didn't take them long to fill the garbage bags they were using for transport. Fines for these greedy individuals totaled over $1000.00. Both individuals went to the trouble of buying 3 day tourist licenses although one elected not to purchase a Lake Erie Stamp or a Trout Stamp...guess he wasn't thinking. When it was all said and done, one of the individuals was very upset at Officer Tolbert and I that we would not return his snagging hooks. Although its easy to make light of a situation like this after the fact, area anglers should realize that many successful apprehensions like this happen throughout the course of Steelhead season and many of these high profile cases go unnoticed with little publicity. Do we get them all?...no not always, but rest assured we are out there among them and getting more and more. PFBC Law enforcement coverage is strong in the Erie area and individuals like this are aggressively sought out. Individuals involved in such activities are always charged the maximum penalties allowed by law. If you see violations of our fishing regulations or of state or local laws, never try to take matters into your own hands. You can however, alert local PFBC officers or personnel at the Walnut Creek Access office of any misbehavior. Such information is always welcome and is very often helpful in finding those violators that ruin the sport. If you elect to report a violation or a problem, try to provide good descriptions, location, vehicle descriptions and license numbers. The more information..the better. Remember, providing law enforcement with such information is only helping to protect everyone's fishing privileges now and in the future. "Turn in a Poacher" cards with contact phone numbers are available at the Walnut Creek Access Office and most local bait shops. License Information: Wednesday Night...Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 30s. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Thursday...Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 50s. East winds 5 to 10 mph. Thursday Night...Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 40s. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Friday...Partly sunny with a 40 percent chance of showers. Highs in the upper 50s. Friday Night...Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers. Lows in the lower 50s. Saturday...Showers likely. Highs in the lower 60s. Chance of rain 60 percent. Saturday Night...Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers. Lows in the upper 40s. Sunday...Cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers. Highs in the lower 50s. Sunday Night...Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain showers. Lows in the upper 30s. Monday...Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 50s. Monday Night...Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 30s. Tuesday...Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 50s |
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