Ohio fisheries experts report this year’s Lake Erie walleye reproduction is better than originally estimated, but projections still point to a reduced walleye daily bag limit for 2011.
There is a possibility the Ohio bag limit could remain at six walleye per day.Ohio fisheries experts report this year’s Lake Erie walleye reproduction is better than originally estimated, but projections still point to a reduced walleye daily bag limit for 2011.
“I hope we don’t have to make cuts as drastic as early assessments suggested,” said Roger Knight, the Lake Erie fisheries head for the Ohio Division of Wildlife. “Fishermen should not be surprised if the Ohio walleye bag limit for 2011 is as low as three fish per day.”
Sport anglers won’t know the exact Ohio bag limit until March. The Lake Erie Committee of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission must first set a TAC, or total allowable catch, of Lake Erie walleye, for Ontario and the states surrounding Lake Erie. That decision will be made at the LEC meetings on March 21-25 in Ypsilanti, Mich.
There is a possibility the Ohio bag limit could remain at six fish per day, said Knight, but that is the least likely scenario.
Ohio trawl net surveys to assess the success of the spring spawning season are complete. With low oxygen levels at about 35 percent of the survey sites, the original estimate of this year’s hatch was about 50 percent of an average hatch. Factoring in the oxygen problems, the 2010 hatch is now rated average, better than the 2008 and 2009 hatches.
The walleye hatched this year are not considered when setting catch limits for 2011. Only walleye of catchable size are used to determine the TAC. In 2010, the walleye TAC was 2.20 million fish, 10 percent lower than 2009’s TAC of 2.45 million fish. Ohio’s share was 51 percent of the TAC, or 1.124 million walleye. Ohio and Ontario are now completing gill net surveys of Lake Erie walleye stocks to determine the adult population. The numbers will be crunched through February, and presented at the LEC meetings in March.
How many walleye? Anglers always want to know how many walleye are swimming in Lake Erie. When the total allowable catch is set for Ohio, Ontario, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York each March, it allows sport and commercial anglers lakewide to take 10 to 20 percent of the lakewide population.
If the experts set the TAC at 1.5 million walleye, there should be a walleye population of 15 million to 30 million walleye swimming in Lake Erie. When the 2003 walleye class reached catchable size in 2005, the population shot up from about 20 million to 60 million fish.
Black powder results: Black powder rifle hunters killed 512 deer during the recent six-day primitive weapons season at three public hunting areas in southeast Ohio. It was an increase from the 474 deer checked in 2009.
Hunters help hungry: The local chapter of Safari Club International is already gathering venison from successful deer hunters to supply local food pantries and kitchens. The ground venison must be processed into 2-pound packages and dropped off at Hall Brothers Meats, 27040 Cook Road, Olmsted Falls; and Brian’s Deer Cutting, 3462 West 128th St., Cleveland.
For information, call Brian Foster (216-337-0623) or Mike Samsel, (216-241-0333).
Hunters wanting to donate an entire deer can contact the Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry program, which is subsidized by the Ohio Division of Wildlife. To find a local contact, visit fhsh.org or call 1-800-WILDLIFE.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: degan@plaind.com, 216-999-5158