December 1st, 2010
West Erie County, DWCO Randy Leighton, rglerie@msn.com
Conditions:
An all day soaker Tuesday brought the the Lake Erie Tributary levels up to high muddy conditions again, but we may see some clearing by the weekend based on this weeks weather forecasts. Possible snow and much colder temperatures in the forecast. Catches have been good with anglers doing very well at the mouth of Trout and Godfrey Runs. The rain triggered some action at the Walnut Creek Marina basin with a good number taken over the past few days on shiners and tipped jigs. With the on and off rainfall, Crooked creek has been productive and less crowded than the access areas. Current Lake Erie water temperature off Erie is 45 degrees. Area tribs were flowing and muddy as of late Tuesday afternoon. Current West County trib conditions were very high, muddy, and flowing hard as of Tuesday evening.Area Reminders:
Anglers are reminded that fishing at the mouth of Godfrey Run is "walk in only" from the top of the hill and like Trout Run, anglers are not permitted to fish within 50 yards of the mouth between 10:00 PM and 5:00 AM the following day. The parking lot across from the Struechan Flats area off Elk Valley road is privately owned and closed to parking. Anglers should park on the opposite side in the larger parking area off Sterritania Road. Waters north of the bridge on Abel's Road crossing Crooked Creek are state controlled nursery waters and fishing is not permitted. Anglers fishing under the bridge or anywhere in the this area are not permitted to drift their lines north of the bridge.
Pennsylvania Steelhead Association Meeting Reminder:
The Pennsylvania Steelhead Association will be holding their monthly meeting on Wednesday December 10th at the American Legion Post on West 12th street (route 5 near the Airport) at 7:00 PM. The public is welcome.
Winter Fishing Tips: Fish feed less aggressively as the water temperatures drop and will often wait for the food source to come to them, so you need to get your fly or bait close to feeding fish. This means reading the water and presenting your fly or other bait where the fish are holding. During the winter, fish typically hold in areas with less current than during warmer periods of the year. Look for places that offer fish haven from the faster currents but still near faster water that will carry food. The heads of pools, areas with drop offs and rocks, side channels and eddies are all good target areas during the winter months.
Simple Method for Curing Skein at Home:
Fresh skein can make excellent winter time bait. When removing roe from a fish keep away from water. A quick rinse is ok to remove blood but will require a drying process to remove the extra moisture. Never freeze eggs in water for later use. Always cure roe as soon as possible. Roe will keep in a refrigerator sealed in Ziploc bag for up to a week before curing, but it is recommended that curing be done as soon as possible for better quality. Place roe in the refrigerator in paper towels over night to drain
Unwrap and place on news paper in
Cover with borax (get into seams of skeins)
To have colored eggs mix in a small package of sugar free Jell-O (Optional step) or buy Procure instead of borax. Dry food coloring can be added to the dry powder to get desired shades.
Cut Into bait size pieces
Cover in borax
Spread out individual baits on newspaper
Let air dry until crust has appeared on one side
Flip over baits until the form crust on top side again
Place in container and cover with fresh borax
Label and date the container
Freeze or place in refrigerator up to two months
If frozen, a quick zap in the microwave can be used to thaw. Local Weather Wednesday...Snow showers. Snow accumulation around an inch. Much cooler with highs in the upper 30s. West winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 80 percent. Wednesday Night...Snow showers. Colder with lows in the mid 20s. Southwest winds 15 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 90 percent. Thursday...Snow showers. Highs in the lower 30s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 90 percent. Thursday Night...Snow showers likely. Lows in the mid 20s. Chance of snow 70 percent. Friday...Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow showers. Highs in the mid 30s. Friday Night...Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow showers. Lows in the upper 20s. Saturday...Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow. Highs in the lower 30s. Saturday Night...Cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow showers. Lows in the mid 20s. Sunday...Cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow showers. Highs in the mid 30s. Sunday Night...Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow showers. Lows in the mid 20s. Monday...Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow showers. Highs in the lower 30s.
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