Eyes r Bitin

[205]

With this unusually unseasonal season, the river eyes are on 4 those wanting to get some action. Reports from most of the dams north of Marietta have good numbers of fish waiting to be jerked.:D

[Links r Us]

a lil' c n' p from the Eye site :D

I just read a "great" Allegheny report on the WC news feed --


Fishing: Mild water temperatures produced some real-hot Walleye catches!

Sunday, January 29, 2006
By Deborah Weisberg

Prime conditions on the Allegheny River have triggered some of the finest walleye action in years.

The Highland Park Dam, Clinton and other hot spots have sizzled this winter and anglers who are regulars at those spots say the best may be yet to come.

"I expect to catch a 13 or 14 pounder before the season goes out," said Ed Lightner of Shaler, who released a 12-pound, 3-ounce walleye last week along with a dozen others ranging from 10 pounds, 1 ounce to 4 1/2 pounds. He caught trophy-size sauger and a 3-pound, 5-ounce saugeye.

"I didn't expect big fish this early," he said. "Usually it's February and March. But I've been catching big walleye since November when I caught a 5 1/2-pound walleye. It's been good, rain or shine, high water, low water ... it doesn't seem to matter."

Aside from the cyclical nature of the river, which seems to peak every three years, anglers can chalk up the good fishing to mild water temperatures and a bounty of forage, said Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission biologist Rick Lorson.

"Normally, temperatures are lower than what they are now and there is a lot of ice flow in the river this time of year," he said. "With water temperatures up a few degrees, fish are more actively going to the tailrace of the dams and the mouths of the tributaries and feeding before the spawn."

There is plenty to help them beef up, Lorson said, since the rivers have been loaded with shad, their main prey, since last year. Lengthening periods of daylight also send cues to fish.

"But the strongest factor by far is water temperature," Lorson said. "If the temperature drops, walleye activity will slow along with it."

Lightner said he measured water temperature on Jan. 16 -- when he caught his largest fish -- at 37 degrees, about four degrees above normal. He was catching walleye in mostly shallow water on chartreuse jigs and minnows.

"Six to 10 feet is where the big walleyes are, especially when they're getting ready to spawn," he said.

While the classic winter presentation is to jig a minnow off the side of a boat, Lightner prefers casting, either jigs and minnows or hair jigs in chartreuse, black and orange or white.

"I find it more challenging to cast a jig 30 yards from the boat and work it back real slow," he said. "I'll fan cast all around the boat. It lets me cover more water."

He puts a stinger hook on his jig for short strikers. "Nine times out of 10, the walleye'll eat your jig," he said, "and the saugers are the ones that'll nip at the tail. They'll take the stinger hook."

The day Lightner caught his best walleye, it was overcast and so windy there were whitecaps on the water.

"Fish were hitting really hard," he said. "But I've also caught them under blue skies and bright sunshine, which disproves the theory that conditions have to be miserable. There are just certain times of the month when they'll feed for days at a time and then for days they won't."

And the strike is usually subtle, said Lightner, who fishes six and a half foot medium action and medium-heavy action rods with six- or eight-pound Spider wire super monofilament.

"You might feel just a little resistance and think you're snagged, but it could be a nice fish. You've got to set the hook -- hard -- even if you feel just a little tick."

Big fish in the river now reflect a variety of strong year classes dating back six to eight years and even longer, when conditions allowed for high survival of walleye fry, Lorson said. Spawning generally begins when water temperatures reach the mid-40 degree mark in late winter and early spring, though fish migrate to the gravelly shoals below dams and at creek mouths all winter.

Both males and females feed heavily "to get into the best possible shape for the spawn," Lorson said. That typically occurs from March to May, though warmer than normal water could trigger an early spawn. Even if it began before the season ended, Lorson said, it wouldn't adversely affect the walleye fishery, "since it doesn't take all of the spawners to sustain a population."

The Allegheny River typically yields some of the most impressive walleye catches in the state, including Lake Erie. In March 2003, Lightner caught a 13-pound, 12-ounce walleye at the Highland Park Dam.

"I know the river runs in three year cycles and I have a wall full of photos to prove it," he said. In 2001, he caught an 11 1/2 pounder, which was one of the largest anywhere in the state that year.

The state record walleye is a 17-pound, 9-ounce Allegheny Reservoir specimen.

hang-a-hog 205!!!

[205]

Hellova hole up there Ray if u ever git the urge. Wonder why the BIG walleye pros dont have a tourney up there? The BIG bass guys did, and Im sure Pittsburg would accomodate. Its a good fishery thats not heard much about. From the point up the Allegheny to the first 2 locks (Ive been to are great), the first dam below on the Ohio is where I hear they get the bigguns. And its only a few miles up the Monongehela to the first dam there. Talked to a DNR biologist that said they shocked a state record here last spring. Would sure separate the men from the boys in a tourney. Gettin reports from Salt Fork that they are knockin the saugeye. Just got back from the creek and seined a nice bucketfull of big shiners and chubs. If the weather holds another day or so, I hope to be floating near Cambridge. Anything going on yer way? :)

[bill dowler]

hey 205, when are ya ready....me and jody took the boat yesterday, had a 100 fish day easily....fished the bank today, bigger fish are movin in.....we are starting to use bigger baits..... the old dnr buddies was up your way i heard, they shocked up over 2000 fish in your chamber.... at least they are running your fish out too....wont be long till they chase ours out.....weather looks bad......ready to go whenever.....do ya think the perch are hittin in little lake erie?:whistle:

[205]

Hey Billy, Talked to a buddy yesterday, that said they just got back a day or so ago from the perch pond. Told him I didnt want to hear it. Said they got 70 bigguns. :shhh: Snows comin back, so the yotes might have to take the hit next week. ;)

[Links r Us]

Hey Billy, Talked to a buddy yesterday, that said they just got back a day or so ago from the perch pond. Told him I didnt want to hear it. Said they got 70 bigguns. :shhh: Snows comin back, so the yotes might have to take the hit next week. ;)

'Taint Fair!!! :bash:

Your right in the middle of all the action 205 :D

[Links r Us]

Russell ~ your OS PM box is full so I went over to WC & sent you a PM

>-later Gator...

[205]

goter Links, left reply on WC. And thx bill dowler for shocking report :yikes: ot to let Ray in on what they do down here as far as the shocking goes. Turns the fishing right off afterwards. Wouldnt u think there would be a better way the DNR could do their research than shocking. Wonder how many fish THEY kill each year?:rant:

[Links r Us]

I think the DNR uses gill-nets for R & D on Erie ~ heheh ...that's a 100% more 'shocking to the Eyes than on the river ---w/a zero return rate on Erie -- But they need the info to manage & it sounds like you have some mighty heathy fish down your way!

Here's a lil' ditty I just came across... Wagner recently released a 53-inch muskie in the middle Allegheny River.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will begin the process of over-hauling muskie creel, size and season limits at its winter board meeting tomorrow and Tuesday in Harrisburg. The board also will consider lifting seasons on northern pike and revamping its management of timber rattlesnakes, copperheads and other reptiles.

For muskie management, two options are on the table, though both would remove the season on muskie fishing, so that harvesting would be allowed year-round.

One proposal calls for creel limits of one a day, at least 36 inches, except on half a dozen "trophy" lakes that would have 45-inch minimums. They would include Lake Arthur (Butler County), Rose Valley Lake (Lycoming County), Cowanesque Reservoir (Tioga County), Marsh Creek Lake (Chester County), Susquehanna River (Fabridam to 1.3 miles downstream) and Loyalhanna Lake (Westmoreland County).

The proposed alternative is a 40-inch minimum on all inland waters, statewide, and no special regulation waters. Currently, anglers can harvest two muskie a day of at least 30 inches, from mid-June through mid-March.

Although anglers in a muskie focus group helped the commission craft the proposed changes, not all muskie specialists support removing the season.

"Handling big females during the spawn can harm them, even when they are released," said muskie guide Howard Wagner of Fombell near Zelienople. "Cleaner water has put natural reproduction on the upswing, something the commission must not know. There's a ton of natural reproduction up around Foxburg [on the Allegheny] and elsewhere."

Wagner recently released a 53-inch muskie in the middle Allegheny River near Oil City and a 54 1/2 incher in the same general area four years ago. As for size limits, he said a 40-inch minimum is the better of the two options. "Once a muskie hits 40 inches, its chances of reaching 50 are good anyway," he said, "although there's too much harvesting of 50-inch fish."

As for pike and pickerel changes, the board also will consider removing seasons on northern pike and pickerel. Size and creel limits would remain unchanged for pike, while those for pickerel would go to four a day, at least 18 inches, from the current six a day of at least 15 inches.

All proposed changes, which we go into effect in 2007, would be put out for public comment before a final board vote is taken later this year.

Though a vote isn't expected until summer, the board is being asked to allow for additional public comment on a package of changes aimed at protecting almost two dozen species of herptefauna, including the timber rattlesnake and the northern copperhead They and the eastern massassaugua rattlesnake comprise the state's three venomous snake species.

The massassaugua is endangered and therefore off-limits to hunters. But timber rattlesnakes and copperheads can still be hunted despite concerns that wanton killing, over-collection by hobbyists and loss of habitat have caused a drop in their numbers.

In other northeast and Midwest states, timber rattlesnakes are rare, endangered or extirpated, and they may be heading that way in Pennsylvania, where they are listed as a candidate species. Though harvesting of timbers rattlesnakes is limited to just one a year with special permitting, the commission has proposed putting a 42-inch size minimum on the snakes to protect females.

It also is proposing that special permits be issued for copperheads and that "taking" be reduced from two to one a day. The commission is considering tighter regulation of hobbyists and breeders, and a ban on snake sacking contests, which are still popular in some rural areas. Snake hunting fees would go from $5 to $50 for individuals and from $25 to $100 for group hunts. The commission sells more than 1,180 snake hunting permits a year.

Other changes in reptile and amphibian management include reducing daily creel limits on green frogs to 10 and bullfrogs to 15. That is half the current limit on each.

(For the complete agenda, visit www.fish.state.pa.us)