2007 Lake Erie Forecast

by Captain Phil Cadez

 

When I was writing the 2006 forecast for Lake Erie I was excited by the information that was given to me by the Ohio Division of Wildlife biologists. The information concluded that the 2003 Walleye hatch was the 3^rd largest on record. Fishing in 2005 it was apparent that the 2003 hatch was fantastic because on our charters we would throw back 50 - 100  13” Walleye. Even the Perch fisherman were catching these small Walleye.

 

2006 started off with a bang and limit catches of 17 to 19 inch Walleye were taken in April without much trouble. Even the biologists couldn’t determine how many million Walleye were in Lake Erie. As the Jacks full of milt were on the reefs it appeared to be teaming with fish. These fish easily fell to the anglers jigs. The fishermen that witnessed this comeback miracle were in awe. The 2003 hatch was a godsend to replenish Lake Erie with had so many years of tough fishing.

 

With so many million Walleye in Lake Erie more private and charter boats began casting instead of trolling. Most anglers prefer casting for Walleye because it is more fun and requires a higher level of expertise. When the charter boats had found large schools of Walleye the casting action hot and heavy on many days. The charter boats were limiting in a short time.

 

“Walleye Weapons” were the most popular casting lures. In April and May purple beads became very popular. Over all the best producing blade color was gold with different colored beads. The beads ranged from gold, chartreuse, red, silver, purple and pear. This simple spinner lure along with a ¾ oz. egg sinker and a half night crawler made it easy to produce Walleye.

 

In mid May when the water began warming up large schools of Walleye were caught close to the shoreline from Toledo to Marblehead. Big packs of private boat and charters were spotted sometimes a few hundred yards off shore. Limits could be caught in a very short time. A few charters ran 2 and 3 trips a day with limits.

 

Travis Hartman a Marine Biologist, for the Ohio Division of Wildlife stationed at Sandusky supplied me with the following information. In 2006 there were more than 1,750,000 Walleye caught in Lake Erie. This was the first time the million mark was surpassed since 1998. The private boats averaged .7 Walleye per angler per hour. The charters averaged 1.2 Walleye per angler per hour. The fall Walleye catch was the best in years. Many 8 to 12 pound Walleye were caught between Cedar Point and Vermilion in early November. Night fishing off lighted docks and piers near Kelley’s Island and marinas of Marblehead and Catawba were very productive.

 

Because of the enormous amount of food for the Walleye they grow very fast in Lake Erie. 2007 will bring great catches of the 2003 hatch which will average 17 to 21 inches. Many of the young adult Walleye will weight over 3 pounds. All the local anglers are looking forward to probably the best fishing outlook in many years.

 

The ice fishing was great this past winter with quality Walleye caught between 3 - 6 pounds.

As the ice broke up anglers were anticipating an early spring, but mother nature changed their plans with many cold fronts and high winds that kept the waters in the 30's and murky.  Fishing really did not get good until mid-April as the water went over 40 degrees the fish were on  the reefs and humps and were spawning.  Great catches were caught at this time on the jacks which averaged 3 pounds and above.

 

For those readers who haven’t been out to Lake Erie this would be the best year to enjoy the greatest Walleye fishing in the world. Fishermen that had some tough fishing years ago should try and make it back to enjoy a better experience. The 2003 hatch was recorded as Lake Erie’s third largest on record. Plan ahead and bring a safe seaworthy boat for a big lake. If you don’t have a boat get some friends together and secure a charter with a local experienced guide. Don’t wait too long to book your trip. Many guides still have weekend dates available. Check Yahoo and type in “Lake Erie Charters” and decide who you might be comfortable booking with. Lake Erie.com will get you more information on lodging, charters, marinas etc. You can always check my website for updated fishing reports at www.cadez-charters.com.

 

Good Fishin !!!