# Is the Western Basin done for the summer ?



## Weekender#1 (Mar 25, 2006)

With the fourth of July upon us and the walleye fishing disappointing at best over the weekend and the season, I have to wonder is the Western basin done for the summer on the most part. 
I have not had as bad a year on the most part for walleye in the western basin since I can remember maybe the 80's. Have the fish moved to the central basin early not due to the heat but the muddy water this spring, or are we just plain out of fish. 
With the money the fishery has supplied don't we think it is about time to start stocking fingerling Walleye or Saugeye in Erie.


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## bocajemma (Dec 29, 2008)

only one comment. Bad, and unstable weather = poor fishing = the sky is falling. Nothing more than that.


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## ErieRider (Mar 23, 2010)

Weekender#1 said:


> With the fourth of July upon us and the walleye fishing disappointing at best over the weekend and the season, I have to wonder is the Western basin done for the summer on the most part.
> I have not had as bad a year on the most part for walleye in the western basin since I can remember maybe the 80's. Have the fish moved to the central basin early not due to the heat but the muddy water this spring, or are we just plain out of fish.
> With the money the fishery has supplied don't we think it is about time to start stocking fingerling Walleye or Saugeye in Erie.


I believe the stocking has been studied and studied by the state and deemed not sustainable in Lake Erie. (to many variables inc. money and to big in size) As far as the fish being gone, I think I agree with the other poster. just a real bad run of real bad weather. It is the worse I have seen in as far back as I can remember


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## hearttxp (Dec 21, 2004)

Hmm ? Well weather was bad Thursday -Sat And catches where low ! But yesterday wasnt bad 3 people fishing 14 Walleyes ! Over the line ! But not bad ! Heard of other Drift and Casters who had somewhere around 10 in Ohio waters ? So it is what it is !


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## ErieRider (Mar 23, 2010)

just a follow up on the stocking comment. This is from John Hagemen, who is regarded as one of the top, if not top person who studies Lake Erie and its fish. This response was from John, in an article about the stocking of Saginaw Bay and attempting the same on Erie:

Obviously, Saginaw Bay is much smaller than Lake Erie, so they are proposing to stock about 5 million fingerling walleyes per year, until natural reproduction recovers to the point that it exceeds the numbers of stocked fish. They estimate that it takes $44,000 for every million fingerlings produced.

So if Ohio DOW were to stock the annual crop of walleyes needed to produce a healthy year class, or 224 million fingerlings, and could do it for the same price, it would cost $44,000 X 224 = $9,856,000 per year.


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## NorthSouthOhioFisherman (May 7, 2007)

I think we are yet to see the smaller far west fish. Trollers are still whackin em but its not a drifters year. I think we will see a good run of July fish but only time will tell. I know there are a bonus 900,000 eyes in there saved by mother nature this spring!


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## Hook N Book (Apr 7, 2004)

It will depend on the water temp. With all the rain this spring and not to many continued hot days they will stick around like they did 5-6 years ago. You might have to go to deeper water and the fish will be around.


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## BeerBatter (Aug 1, 2006)

Seems like they taste alot better when there harder to catch.


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## capt S (Sep 5, 2007)

Yep the western basin has no walleye in it. you better start fishing in the central basin. I caught the last western basin walleye yesterday as it was tring to leave.


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## WATER FOX (May 7, 2008)

The first 2 weeks in July has the highest catch rate per angler hour.I guess we will see.Last August we was catching walleye on the entrance of Turtle Creek we will see!!!


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## Hook N Book (Apr 7, 2004)

That's way too much infomation...


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## rod bender bob (May 19, 2004)

I agree the fish are pretty well gone, that's why the trollers are whacking them every time we get some stable weather. We have huge mayfly hatches right now, constant storm fronts (and cold fronts) and guys can't catch fish so the fish must be gone  We hear this cr ap everytime the weather leads to tough fishing. It has been proven time and time again that stocking Lake Erie is a waste of time. Not only are the numbers impossible, introducing another strain is not very wise management when we have a strain of eyes that are NATIVE. Read the discussion board at Sea Grant and you'll get a better understanding of the old lady. Oh, buy the way, Erie was pretty well dead (according to posters in 2002) and then WOW we had the hatch of 2003!!!


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## hearttxp (Dec 21, 2004)

Well I didnt fish today But saw a Great Catch of 28 Walleyes On the fish cleaning table From one of the guys here ! The other had a limit of Bass along with 7 eyes ! Not sure what the 3rd boat from here did ?? Also No trollers here !


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## Weekender#1 (Mar 25, 2006)

I am not contending that the lake is dead. But back in the mid to late 70's the lake was proclaimed to be dead and nothing would or could bring it back. We have gone through many cycles of up and down fishing since. The constant that helped every year was walleye being hatched at many of the state hatcheries. No it did not fill the lake up with Walleye but it pushed the volume. If it is 10% increase every year, what is wrong with that. Our DNR would rather hire more badges than do something for the sportsman. Like what has cash returns better than a ticket book. In Michigan every county maintains a pond, where they raise walleye fry most go to Saginaw bay but the county gets to stock some of what they raise in local waters/lakes. It is like a fund raiser but the public gets the proceeds not a few in the top of the non profit gig. Just something to think about. I see that most of the positive stuff here is from charter capts but no photos of the 28-30 fish catches. Now some will surface from 5 years ago. It is what it is.


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## Kodiak50 (Apr 26, 2010)

Here is a pic of a thirty plus fish day june 14 and 16,2011.
Three of us only caught 18 on the 15th.


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## sander (Oct 30, 2008)

Weekender, regarding your statement, "_The constant that helped every year was walleye being hatched at many of the state hatcheries. No it did not fill the lake up with Walleye but it pushed the volume._"

There certainly can't be documentation for this. Ohio hasn't dabbled in Lake Erie walleye stocking since at least the '60s, when they learned that stocking resulted in no discernible improvement, and when stocking ceased there was no noticeable decline in the adult population. All production of walleye fry from Ohio hatcheries goes to inland lakes.

Stocking works best for lakes with good habitat but inadequate reproduction, or in the case of steelhead, a limited put-and-take fishery. In a lake the size of Erie, even a poor hatch is typically larger than all the fry an entire state could muster, even if most of the budget was redirected to new hatcheries. And all the forces working against the survival of naturally produced fry are even more detrimental to the more delicate hatchery-produced fry.


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## Jim Stedke (Dec 5, 2005)

Weekender, Please get your facts straight before stating info that just is not correct.


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## ErieGoldSportfishing (Feb 5, 2009)

Weekender#1 said:


> I am not contending that the lake is dead. But back in the mid to late 70's the lake was proclaimed to be dead and nothing would or could bring it back. We have gone through many cycles of up and down fishing since. The constant that helped every year was walleye being hatched at many of the state hatcheries. No it did not fill the lake up with Walleye but it pushed the volume. If it is 10% increase every year, what is wrong with that. Our DNR would rather hire more badges than do something for the sportsman. Like what has cash returns better than a ticket book. In Michigan every county maintains a pond, where they raise walleye fry most go to Saginaw bay but the county gets to stock some of what they raise in local waters/lakes. It is like a fund raiser but the public gets the proceeds not a few in the top of the non profit gig. Just something to think about. I see that most of the positive stuff here is from charter capts but no photos of the 28-30 fish catches. Now some will surface from 5 years ago. It is what it is.


Is this a joke? Holy cow..... how can anyone with even the least bit of common sense not laugh? Apparently Weekender has been so busy looking for the 7 last remaining walleyes in the western basin to notice the much larger issues facing the state of Ohio. 

It always amazes me how quickly people fall into the deep end after a bad day of fishing.


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## robertj298 (Feb 23, 2009)

I am a bass fisherman so I have to laugh at this. Most bass fishermen I know fish for the sport of it and practice catch and release. Most walleye fishermen practice catch and keep as many as the law will allow and then complain about how theres not many walleye to fish for lol


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## Muskarp (Feb 5, 2007)

robertj298 said:


> I am a bass fisherman so I have to laugh at this. Most bass fishermen I know fish for the sport of it and practice catch and release. Most walleye fishermen practice catch and keep as many as the law will allow and then complain about how theres not many walleye to fish for lol


That's pretty funny right there. 

Because bass fisherman don't complain. Do they?


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## Hook N Book (Apr 7, 2004)

Muskarp said:


> That's pretty funny right there.
> 
> Because bass fisherman don't complain. Do they?


They only complain when someone takes a legal limit of Bass for the skillet but have no problem taking that same limit that the law allows for walleye...!


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## Wishin4Fishin (Feb 24, 2011)

Robertj,

You may be a "bass fisherman" but you're obviously not a outdoorsman or you would look at the big picture of the fishery as a whole pie and not just "your" slice.


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## robertj298 (Feb 23, 2009)

Wishin4Fishin said:


> Robertj,
> 
> You may be a "bass fisherman" but you're obviously not a outdoorsman or you would look at the big picture of the fishery as a whole pie and not just "your" slice.


I am looking at the whole slice. What I see now with walleyes is what I used to see with bass. Guys holding up huge stringers of large bass. You don't see that now days but you do see huge boards filled with large walleyes .If I want fish for dinner one night I'll keep a couple of bass or whatever I catch but I don't keep the larger fish or don't keep limit after limit until my freezer is full


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## wakina (May 30, 2007)

Weekender#1 said:


> I am not contending that the lake is dead. But back in the mid to late 70's the lake was proclaimed to be dead and nothing would or could bring it back. We have gone through many cycles of up and down fishing since. The constant that helped every year was walleye being hatched at many of the state hatcheries. No it did not fill the lake up with Walleye but it pushed the volume. If it is 10% increase every year, what is wrong with that. Our DNR would rather hire more badges than do something for the sportsman. Like what has cash returns better than a ticket book. In Michigan every county maintains a pond, where they raise walleye fry most go to Saginaw bay but the county gets to stock some of what they raise in local waters/lakes. It is like a fund raiser but the public gets the proceeds not a few in the top of the non profit gig. Just something to think about. I see that most of the positive stuff here is from charter capts but no photos of the 28-30 fish catches. Now some will surface from 5 years ago. It is what it is.


I for one am happy with the job the ODNR is doing with the walleyes and other species of fish in Ohio's lakes both inland and Erie. You mentioned you like Michigans approach to their management of walleyes better than Ohios. Maybe that is where you should fish then, if as you claim Michigan has such a better and more productive management system for walleyes in Saginaw Bay than the ODNR does for the walleyes in the waters of Erie. That way you would not be supporting the people you believe are not very savy about walleye management when you purchase your Ohio fishing licence and you would then maybe spare the rest of us your opinions about the ODNR. as well as all the others who respect the work, efforts and success of the ODNR,


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## rod bender bob (May 19, 2004)

You can't compare bass to walleyes. Walleyes number in the millions, are broadcast spawners and are commercial fish. Bass DON'T number in the millions, build little nest for spawning and are not commercially targeted (at least as primary targets). People have been fishing and keeping walleyes on Lake Erie for eons and it is still one of the best walleye fisheries in the world. We have this conversation every year (except when we have a mega hatch like 2003 and EVERYONE can catch fish) because people who can't catch fish under tough conditions always claim there are no fish. The fishing is picking up and as soon as the weather stabilizes and the fly hatch diminishes the catch will pick up. Watch the July catches. So, if you don't want to keep fish, fine. I want to keep walleye and people who STUDY the situation constantly say I can.

PS Weekender -- fishing was NOT BAD in the 70s; you need to do just a tiny bit of research if you want to make statements like that LOL Or, you could talk to Sander he'll tell you all you need to know about Lake Erie and it's walleyes!




robertj298 said:


> I am looking at the whole slice. What I see now with walleyes is what I used to see with bass. Guys holding up huge stringers of large bass. You don't see that now days but you do see huge boards filled with large walleyes .If I want fish for dinner one night I'll keep a couple of bass or whatever I catch but I don't keep the larger fish or don't keep limit after limit until my freezer is full


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## HOCKEY (Jan 27, 2008)

last sunday we got 17 right off the west side off island, buddy
got 18 off crane creek, charter all had 25 plus walleyes with some with limits by turn around, you just got to troll.


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## boatnut (Nov 22, 2006)

HOCKEY said:


> last sunday we got 17 right off the west side off island, buddy
> got 18 off crane creek, charter all had 25 plus walleyes with some with limits by turn around, you just got to troll.


ya mean like this?


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## ErieGoldSportfishing (Feb 5, 2009)

Weekender#1 said:


> I am not contending that the lake is dead. But back in the mid to late 70's the lake was proclaimed to be dead and nothing would or could bring it back.


Were you born yet in the mid to late 70's? I cut my walleye fishing teeth on Lake Erie during the early to mid 70's and she was far from dead. Matter of fact, I'd have to say those were the "good old days" when a teenager like me could trade manual labor for a ride on a family friend's boat and expect to catch a 10 fish walleye limit then fun fish for bass around the islands and handle 20-50 smallmouth all in the same day. It was a much different lake back then and those of us who have changed with the times are enjoying some pretty good fishing today.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

capt S said:


> Yep the western basin has no walleye in it. you better start fishing in the central basin. I caught the last western basin walleye yesterday as it was tring to leave.


hey dude
the fish are not in the central basin, i havent caught 1 fish there this year. send them over to michigan waters where they stock them. just in case i get to go fishing this year. ooops i wasnt going to let it slip i havent went fishing yet.LOL.

a bad day fishing is a bad day fishing. there will be many more good days fishing in the western basin this year. july can be one of the best months of the year. bad weather and the hatch always screw up the fishing. but stable july weather and no more bugs and the fishing will return.
sherman


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## eatemup (Mar 21, 2011)

Weather sure has plyed a toll on erie this year. By the way they stocked lake erie in 67,68,69, and 1970, About 1972 first commercial netter showed up in Canada. The volume of walleyes in the mid 70s was climbing fast. Then with great hatches in late 70s and 80s the lake was set for sportsman and canadian netters. Lake erie is still alive but dwindling fast under our noses. Its one big political war now. Maybe they will cut us down to 5 walleyes next year, big deal those who love to fish are still going to fish but it wont solve the problem with netting and the pollution.


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## lskater (Mar 19, 2007)

I've only fished 5 times this year which is pathetic. Hope to get out tomorrow evening and test the waters. Hopefully I will find some active Eyes to shoot down the "done" therory. Ma Nature owes us a good July.


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## LEfriend (Jun 14, 2009)

lskater said:


> I've only fished 5 times this year which is pathetic. Hope to get out tomorrow evening and test the waters. Hopefully I will find some active Eyes to shoot down the "done" therory. Ma Nature owes us a good July.


Only five for me too Terry and worse yet, only 3 times out on my own boat. Like I told you on the phone:

_*2011 Formula for Depression *_= 

[(dock fee+boat payments + winter storage + repairs + gas + insurance) divided by (Number Trips)] divided by (total fish caught) = $Cost per Fish

Under no circumstances should you let your wife see that number this year!


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## roger23 (Mar 7, 2007)

lskater said:


> I've only fished 5 times this year which is pathetic. Hope to get out tomorrow evening and test the waters. Hopefully I will find some active Eyes to shoot down the "done" therory. Ma Nature owes us a good July.


Looks like we will be Perch-N early again this year,,it has sucked for us this year,


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## bocajemma (Dec 29, 2008)

eatemup said:


> Weather sure has plyed a toll on erie this year. By the way they stocked lake erie in 67,68,69, and 1970, About 1972 first commercial netter showed up in Canada. The volume of walleyes in the mid 70s was climbing fast. Then with great hatches in late 70s and 80s the lake was set for sportsman and canadian netters. Lake erie is still alive but dwindling fast under our noses. Its one big political war now. Maybe they will cut us down to 5 walleyes next year, big deal those who love to fish are still going to fish but it wont solve the problem with netting and the pollution.


Such horrible misinformation. Express your opinions as much as you want to, but please stop spreading false information. The walleye population in the late 70's was half of what it is now. It wasn't till the mid 80's there were great hatches. The stocking did absolutely next to nothing to increase the walleye population. It was just good old mother nature herself.


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## fishingguy (Jan 5, 2006)

My father and I ran a charter boat from 78 to 81. We launched out of anchor point. The walleye fishing was the best I have experienced in my lifetime.. I am now 57. Marriage and responsibility found me in Texas after that so I never got to experience the fishing through the rest of the 80's. We would have 6 people on the boat almost daily, and 60 fish limits were normal. Only when August rolled around did the fishing get tough. There were some excellent hatches in the early and mid 70's. I wouldn't put a lot of stock in that chart you posted.


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## eatemup (Mar 21, 2011)

that is a nice chart in my opinion. Wow we lost 80 million walleyes pretty quick. I think fisherman were alote better fisherman then versus now. That fact is stocking did help lake erie which were milked out of Hoover reservoir ( had friends that were in charge of raising fry for lake erie during late 60s and 70s. Are you willing to buy a sportsman tag for an exta 5 bucks to help stock lake erie then have Canadians net them? Same deal with salmon up in Michigan. Its a Political war! At this point if they do nothing and we do not have a natural hatch walleye fishing as we know it will be DONE! not an opinion


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## lskater (Mar 19, 2007)

lskater said:


> I've only fished 5 times this year which is pathetic. Hope to get out tomorrow evening and test the waters. Hopefully I will find some active Eyes to shoot down the "done" therory. Ma Nature owes us a good July.


Well my crew fell apart at the last minute so for the 1st time since about 1974 I didn't catch a Eye in June. So I guess the west end of the lake is really dead! JK


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## wakina (May 30, 2007)

eatemup said:


> that is a nice chart in my opinion. Wow we lost 80 million walleyes pretty quick. I think fisherman were alote better fisherman then versus now. That fact is stocking did help lake erie which were milked out of Hoover reservoir ( had friends that were in charge of raising fry for lake erie during late 60s and 70s. Are you willing to buy a sportsman tag for an exta 5 bucks to help stock lake erie then have Canadians net them? Same deal with salmon up in Michigan. Its a Political war! At this point if they do nothing and we do not have a natural hatch walleye fishing as we know it will be DONE! not an opinion



Please post your sources for the information that you posted. Where can we view the records for this great stocking of Hoover walleyes into lake Erie that were raised by those friends that you had. Stop with the BS and post facts that can be verified. Your say so does not make it a fact and neither does the say so of those friends that you had.

First you have to have 80 million walleyes in order to lose 80 milion walleyes! Where on that chart is there a line that represents 80 million walleyes? I can't seem to find it. Where does it show that we were totally out of walleyes during the time frame that chart represents that would support your statement that we lost 80 million walleye pretty quick? I can't seem to find that either.


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## eatemup (Mar 21, 2011)

sorry no charts no names. Showing a chart doesnt make it factual either. Im with FishingGuy the charts dont mean alote. Wheres the facts that stocking wont help lake erie alote of poeple have said it. I thought there might be some old timers on here that was a part of the stocking in the 60s or a witness to the helicopters that flew bags of walleye fry around islands. Its funny why Knight said that if we have to stock then Ohio wasnt going to do it alone ( which I agree with).


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## bocajemma (Dec 29, 2008)

eatemup said:


> sorry no charts no names. Showing a chart doesnt make it factual either. Im with FishingGuy the charts dont mean alote. Wheres the facts that stocking wont help lake erie alote of poeple have said it. I thought there might be some old timers on here that was a part of the stocking in the 60s or a witness to the helicopters that flew bags of walleye fry around islands. Its funny why Knight said that if we have to stock then Ohio wasnt going to do it alone ( which I agree with).


Just and FYI that chart is from the ODNR and is the basis of the walleye management program for Lake Erie. And yes, I know it does not make it "factual", but it does make it the most factual information we have based upon scientific estimations. "Perception is reality". I hate that saying with a passion, but in some cases it holds true. From what you recall during your charter boat days the walleye population was fantastic in the late 70's regardless of if it was actually or not. You have no evidence to the fact except that you remember cathing 60 fish limits. No evidence we provide to the contrary will change your perception, as well as no evidence that we provide about stocking, or closing the spawn to fishing will change your perception. If you think that the ODNR does not care and is not doing absolutely everything in thier power to protect and improve the walleye fishery and you think you have the answers I recommend that you join the ODNR team and fix whatever you think is broken. I on the other hand believe that the ODNR is doing anything and everything they can. You have to remember that the ODNR is actually a business and their business relies directly upon their ability to sustain the fish and wildlife in Ohio to generate revenue. No fish/wildlife or low levels of fish/wildlife thier revenue takes a huge hit. The collapse of the walleye population in Lake Erie would be devestating to all, and none moreso than the ODNR. If you think you can do a better job, please do so.


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## BFG (Mar 29, 2006)

Save your phalangeal cartilage and stop responding to this guy....

Helicopters w/ walleye fry....LMAO...........


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## eatemup (Mar 21, 2011)

Sorry guys didnt mean to make ya mad. The 60 walleye charter in the 70s was brought up by someone else not me but I have no reason not to believe him. I think the odnr are doing what they can do with the funds they have. I dont put the blame on them. If stocking walleyes isnt the answer then I dont no what is the answer. If It wasnt for the 03 hatch western basin businesses and alote of charter fleets would be done by now. But the Canadians would still be netting what was left. Good fishin to you guys I hope the best for mother erie!


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## homerun (Nov 22, 2009)

The fish are still in the Western Basin and probably will be until later than normal. 2 days ago we boxed 42 walleye which weighted 215 lbs, over 5 pounds per fish and were done by 1:00 with no culling. It's just been a poor year so far but will pick up.


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## wakina (May 30, 2007)

07-01-2011, 08:35 AM 
Weekender#1 
Senior Member



Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Findlay
Posts: 849 
iTrader: 0 / 0% 
DNR 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You are a suck up ! 


You PM'd me to say this? 
I copied and pasted your PM into this post so the whole OGF community could read it. It is my private message that you had delivered to my private message box and I am entitled to do with it what I want. So I posted it above. Were you or are you ashamed to post your PM message to me on the open forum? 
You made some pretty brash statements about our ODNR in your post and I replied to it just like I felt. Fact is that you do not know what tough walleye fishing is! I would trade the 70's for the 60's any day of the week, the 70's produced 10 fish limits on a regular basis and they were large fish not the 18 to 24 inch fish that thrills so many today. So your statement about the lake being proclaimed dead in the 70's does not hold water. If you think fishing for walleyes is tough now you should have tried your hand at it in the 60's, ask some of the older more experienced walleye guys on here and get the straight scoop about the 60's. You really need to educate yourself better about the history of walleye fishing in and on Lake Erie and stop bashing those who are really trying to help stabilize the population of walleyes in lake Erie.


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## wakina (May 30, 2007)

eatemup said:


> sorry no charts no names. Showing a chart doesnt make it factual either. Im with FishingGuy the charts dont mean alote. Wheres the facts that stocking wont help lake erie alote of poeple have said it. I thought there might be some old timers on here that was a part of the stocking in the 60s or a witness to the helicopters that flew bags of walleye fry around islands. Its funny why Knight said that if we have to stock then Ohio wasnt going to do it alone ( which I agree with).



This is a long thread/discussion on the matter, there are posts in this thread that relate directly to the stocking of Lake Erie and the methods used, where the fry were raised and approximate dates of those stockings and were posted by a fisheries biologist of the ODNR's Sandusky Office. Check it out!

http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/community/showthread.php?t=166838&highlight=let+the+nursery+rest


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## Buckeye Ron (Feb 3, 2005)

Here is a report from the western Basin
Finally the walleye moved in to K-can-Crane Creek area. Trolling Hot & Tots 35 feet back (13-14) feet of water, also trolling deep little rippers 50 feet back again (13-14 feet of water) The north of West Sister walleye trolling bite continues, worm harnesses expecially with watermellon blades was the ticket. Jets and spoons (watermellon, superman, pink hooker) good too north of island. Perch fishing spotty, some can catchem some struggle, just like walleye fishing has been, north of B-can and Niagara is the word. Thanks for bearing with us this holiday weekend fishing reports will be off and on with the amount of customers we have in store. Bank fishing has been really good too, weather has been too good not to go fishing, catfish, bass, best bite. Captain Dave from Happy Hooker 

Ron


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## Weekender#1 (Mar 25, 2006)

Hey Walkina I was being pretty kind with the private message to you which has no restrictions on what I would have to say. But looking at it again and not wanting to make a personal attack. So I will say some people are pretty thin skinned and if some are perturbed by a personal message that is that simple. Kind of like 2 guys in a wheelchair beating each other with cane's, pretty darn lame. 
So if the DNR is so well on top of their game what has happened to Grand Lake Saint Mary, do you think this has happened over night. This is Ohio's largest inland Lake so it is certainly on their map. Maybe if we hired more professionals not more ticket writers the state would have been more pro-active on issues like this. But what is a better investment a ticket book or someone sitting at a desk, easy choice. 
All I can give you Walkina is don't drink the Kool-Aid but from your words you have already had a big jug of it. Did I say suck up, sorry, so sorry.


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## BFG (Mar 29, 2006)

> So if the DNR is so well on top of their game what has happened to Grand Lake Saint Mary, do you think this has happened over night. This is Ohio's largest inland Lake so it is certainly on their map.


GLSM accomplished the purpose for which it was created....anyone who thinks that place was ever going to be more than an sediment/sludge accumulation pit for that part of the state was sadly mistaken. 

I'm surprised it took as long as it did to get in the shape that it is today. Sad...yes...poor management? Nah...I mean, when you flush your toilet, it does go "somewhere"...and all of those in that watershed who make their living off the land knew where the run-off would go. But why would they care...since their land now drained quick and the soil is so very fertile? 

You cannot compare GLSM management to that of Lake Erie in my opinion. Apples to oranges...


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## ErieGoldSportfishing (Feb 5, 2009)

Weekender#1 said:


> Hey Walkina I was being pretty kind with the private message to you which has no restrictions on what I would have to say. But looking at it again and not wanting to make a personal attack. So I will say some people are pretty thin skinned and if some are perturbed by a personal message that is that simple. Kind of like 2 guys in a wheelchair beating each other with cane's, pretty darn lame.
> So if the DNR is so well on top of their game what has happened to Grand Lake Saint Mary, do you think this has happened over night. This is Ohio's largest inland Lake so it is certainly on their map. Maybe if we hired more professionals not more ticket writers the state would have been more pro-active on issues like this. But what is a better investment a ticket book or someone sitting at a desk, easy choice.
> All I can give you Walkina is don't drink the Kool-Aid but from your words you have already had a big jug of it. Did I say suck up, sorry, so sorry.


OK did I miss something? When did the ODNR increase the enforcement staff aka "ticket writers"? 

My understanding is if the nutrient and sunlight levels are high enough, there are few bodies of water that won't bloom with microsystis algae. GLSM, Lake Erie, and many other bodies of water suffered phenomenal blooms last year for several reasons, few of which are controllable by the ODNR's "non-ticket writers" or any other agency, even if they had several years to work on it.......which by the way many state and federal agencies have been for decades. With the 2nd year in a row of record spring rainfalls, which translate into huge volumes of runoff into respective watersheds, we could very well see the same scenario this summer. We may have to get the ODNR to hire Jesus or God himself to put a stop to these algae blooms!


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## FSHNERIE (Mar 5, 2005)

Won't be long......Tic....Toc......


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## wakina (May 30, 2007)

GoBuckeyes85 said:


> OK did I miss something? When did the ODNR increase the enforcement staff aka "ticket writers"?
> 
> My understanding is if the nutrient and sunlight levels are high enough, there are few bodies of water that won't bloom with microsystis algae. GLSM, Lake Erie, and many other bodies of water suffered phenomenal blooms last year for several reasons, few of which are controllable by the ODNR's "non-ticket writers" or any other agency, even if they had several years to work on it.......which by the way many state and federal agencies have been for decades. With the 2nd year in a row of record spring rainfalls, which translate into huge volumes of runoff into respective watersheds, we could very well see the same scenario this summer. We may have to get the ODNR to hire Jesus or God himself to put a stop to these algae blooms!


Very well said!

Weekender#1 is in his own little world so you can't post the truth and expect any type of legitimate answer.


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## wakina (May 30, 2007)

Weekender#1 said:


> Hey Walkina I was being pretty kind with the private message to you which has no restrictions on what I would have to say. But looking at it again and not wanting to make a personal attack. So I will say some people are pretty thin skinned and if some are perturbed by a personal message that is that simple. Kind of like 2 guys in a wheelchair beating each other with cane's, pretty darn lame.
> So if the DNR is so well on top of their game what has happened to Grand Lake Saint Mary, do you think this has happened over night. This is Ohio's largest inland Lake so it is certainly on their map. Maybe if we hired more professionals not more ticket writers the state would have been more pro-active on issues like this. But what is a better investment a ticket book or someone sitting at a desk, easy choice.
> All I can give you Walkina is don't drink the Kool-Aid but from your words you have already had a big jug of it. Did I say suck up, sorry, so sorry.



And you are the one who is not making personal attacks? I only posted what you had written to me so others could determine what your intent is/was!
End of subject as you have proved my point.


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## rod bender bob (May 19, 2004)

Weekender you don't know what you are writing about so give it up until you are willing to do a bit of research.




Weekender#1 said:


> Hey Walkina I was being pretty kind with the private message to you which has no restrictions on what I would have to say. But looking at it again and not wanting to make a personal attack. So I will say some people are pretty thin skinned and if some are perturbed by a personal message that is that simple. Kind of like 2 guys in a wheelchair beating each other with cane's, pretty darn lame.
> So if the DNR is so well on top of their game what has happened to Grand Lake Saint Mary, do you think this has happened over night. This is Ohio's largest inland Lake so it is certainly on their map. Maybe if we hired more professionals not more ticket writers the state would have been more pro-active on issues like this. But what is a better investment a ticket book or someone sitting at a desk, easy choice.
> All I can give you Walkina is don't drink the Kool-Aid but from your words you have already had a big jug of it. Did I say suck up, sorry, so sorry.


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## AEFISHING (Apr 25, 2004)

We hammered them out past West Sister this morning and was back at the dock at 10am. I love when the bite is that good.


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## Steel Cranium (Aug 22, 2005)

fishingguy said:


> My father and I ran a charter boat from 78 to 81. We launched out of anchor point. The walleye fishing was the best I have experienced in my lifetime.. I am now 57. Marriage and responsibility found me in Texas after that so I never got to experience the fishing through the rest of the 80's. We would have 6 people on the boat almost daily, and 60 fish limits were normal. Only when August rolled around did the fishing get tough. There were some excellent hatches in the early and mid 70's. I wouldn't put a lot of stock in that chart you posted.


It was such a different lake back in the 70s and early 80s. Many guys didn't troll since they really didn't have to. The shoreline night bite in the spring and fall was much better back then as well. Lasted later in the year and more multi-fish nights. I had one spring from edgewater (mostly from the two-tier "government pier") where we caught walleye from shore nearly every night we went. The water had more color and depth in the bays back then. Was much more consistent than it is now, from shore. I wonder how the catch rates would have fared in the late 70s if they had the luxury of GPS and advanced trolling methods. I don't recall seeing many planer boards back then. Most of our trolling was flatlines when we tired from casting.


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## Weekender#1 (Mar 25, 2006)

I am sorry to have started this post, I just ment to get opinions on, western basin walleye and have they moved east as they do every year about this time. Then U guys get me going and push my buttons, damn more blood pressure pills, ur killen me. 
I have been a non-believer in more uniforms make a safer society, I believe it is the other way around. But I am just a jerk, but I do enjoy fishing and I hope you are out catching a few today, even you Walkapedia. 
I have to work. But I am still right in my own mind, you just have not thought it out ! 
The other night I was going to make some charts and post them, they would get legs too, as I sit here and laugh. I got to go to work.


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## ErieGoldSportfishing (Feb 5, 2009)

Hey Weekend sorry about your blood pressure but most of the response your opinion generated was done so in the spirit of correcting some horrible misinformation. You are without a doubt entitled to your opinion. But when it's based on a negative attitude towards law enforcement rather than science and you post it on a forum that is frequented by a folks who keep up with with the science of Lake Erie, you have to expect a negative response. I have a lot of opinions but I keep many of them to myself.

I'm obviously not the only person that isn't satisfied with just going out and catching fish. There are lots of OGFers like me who take great interest in reading reports on past and ongoing studies or talk to and ask L.E. biologists questions. We have a need to better understand what makes the target of our favorite past time tick. That is the stuff my understanding and opinions of Lake Erie are based on.


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