Walleye spawn wrecked?

[captpierre]

Was wondering with the horrific winds we had whether the walleye spawn  will have failed this spring on windy shorelines. 

[OhioFisherman]

https://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/fishing/freshwater-tips/walleye/walleye-spawn2.htm

Two of the best known spawning areas here  on Lake Erie are the Sandusky and Maumee rivers. Wind isn't usually a factor, spring rains and siltation seem to be more of an issue.

[jimmer]

I don't think we will every really know unless you track the year classes. Not really sure how many shore spawners there are, many spawn in Bobcaygeon.

[kickingfrog]

Even with all the stress we put on a fishery a few hours of high winds isn't going to do squat.

[Sinker]

^^ what he said. 

[Old Ironmaker]

Water levels are a factor greater than a single weather incident. Low levels are spawn killers for some fish but, water was so high last spring I didn't see a single SM bed out back here.

[G.mech]

According to my resident marine biologist (I raised one of my own), the biggest problem with this year's spawn is the very late return to warm water temperatures.  When the fish have to wait too long for their preferred spawning temperatures (44-48 deg F), they tend to either re-absorb the eggs or  spawn very poor quality, non-viable eggs.  If the fish do spawn while the water is still too cold, the incubation period is extended and the eggs are more prone to predation, sedimentation, and wind.  I know the water temps in the Great Lakes were around 3 weeks behind this year which he says doesn't bode well for this year's hatch.  Good thing we've have some great hatches in recent years to make up.  

Edited May 8, 2018 by G.mech

[Old Ironmaker]

Water temps here have behind even after to mild winters, 2016 and 2017. The 2 previous terrible winters Erie didn't hit 70F until July if I can remember that long ago. Last year was the best Walleye fishing for a very long time.  They were all small compared to the average Pic. 2.5 to 4 pounds. I don't know what that means, missed a few Marine Biology classes, actually missed them all. G. Mech maybe you can ask your in house expert about the abundant but smaller fish last year. We could limit out in a few hours if we wanted almost every time we went out. There were days we didn't go out because we had limits in the fridge. I have never eaten so much Walleye. We didn't catch a single Perch here all year, had to go to Simcoe for Perch.

[G.mech]

40 minutes ago, Old Ironmaker said:

.  They were all small compared to the average Pic. 2.5 to 4 pounds. I don't know what that means, missed a few Marine Biology classes, actually missed them all. G. Mech maybe you can ask your in house expert about the abundant but smaller fish last year. 

The smallest ones we were seeing in vast numbers in the Western basin last year are mainly the 2015 year fish.  '15 was by far the best hatch since 2003 according to the reports I have read and '14 was very good too.  I think the 3-4 lb'ers you were getting in the East were likely 14's.  The '03 fish kept us busy for years and the 14's & '15's will be getting to an ideal size this year so it should be very good.  I know the Detroit River is jammed full of small walleye (a.ka. 'smalleye') in the last two years so I think the fishing is going to be very good on Erie for a while at least.   

Edited May 8, 2018 by G.mech

[OhioFisherman]

http://ohiodnr.gov/news/post/2018-lake-erie-sport-fishing-outlook-shares-great-news-for-anglers

Here is the fishing forecast they are giving here in Ohio for Lake Erie.

[Old Ironmaker]

11 hours ago, G.mech said:

The smallest ones we were seeing in vast numbers in the Western basin last year are mainly the 2015 year fish.  '15 was by far the best hatch since 2003 according to the reports I have read and '14 was very good too.  I think the 3-4 lb'ers you were getting in the East were likely 14's.  The '03 fish kept us busy for years and the 14's & '15's will be getting to an ideal size this year so it should be very good.  I know the Detroit River is jammed full of small walleye (a.ka. 'smalleye') in the last two years so I think the fishing is going to be very good on Erie for a while at least.   

Thanks for the info G. Mech. We actually towed the boats to Burwell to get any fish last year, really not that far from Nanticoke. They were on fire every time we went out except 1 morning. For a joke I said to buddy reach into the bottom of your box and tie on the most ridiculous lure you would ever use for Walleye long lining. He tied on a little Fat Shad used for Largemouth and I tied a jig and a 6" rubber worm. We both got fish, left them on and got more fish. I tied on a tube and didn't get a one, no big surprise. What a summer here. I never thought I would ever say I was sick of eating Pics, I got close.

[Old Ironmaker]

11 hours ago, OhioFisherman said:

http://ohiodnr.gov/news/post/2018-lake-erie-sport-fishing-outlook-shares-great-news-for-anglers

Here is the fishing forecast they are giving here in Ohio for Lake Erie.

Interesting read. Ohio has a 4 fish Pic limit at certain times and only 30 Perch. And that conservation is without a commercial fishery. Or is there still commercial fishing in Ohio?

What do you consider White Bass? I have been told they are Silver Bass and also told they are White Perch, not the same 2 fish. Black Bass up north and around here are Largemouth not Small mouth. 2 countries separated by a common language.

[OhioFisherman]

10 hours ago, Old Ironmaker said:

Interesting read. Ohio has a 4 fish Pic limit at certain times and only 30 Perch. And that conservation is without a commercial fishery. Or is there still commercial fishing in Ohio?

What do you consider White Bass? I have been told they are Silver Bass and also told they are White Perch, not the same 2 fish. Black Bass up north and around here are Largemouth not Small mouth. 2 countries separated by a common language.

Old, to the best of my knowledge commercial fishing for walleye is still a no-no here, they still allow netting perch I believe though, rough fish like carp and buffalo are fair game.

Our limits have changed a number of times over the years, I think they now set them by the harvest and future outlook numbers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_bass

http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/fish/white-bass

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_perch

http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/fish/white-perch

To me white perch look more yellowish than the white bass, and Lake Erie silver bass are sheephead! LOL

I am not sure how the black bass term came to be, here we go bass fishing, and it's either for largies or smallies, sometimes both, but I don't hear people calling them ( either species ) black bass, green fish or bronze!

LOL, ya the common language thing can be confusing, even here in the States.

[mrpike]

Last weekend the walleye fishing just sucked down in Hay Bay  . We tried everything. Heard some had luck jigging.  Only seen two small walleye come in to camp. 

[Old Ironmaker]

9 hours ago, OhioFisherman said:

Old, to the best of my knowledge commercial fishing for walleye is still a no-no here, they still allow netting perch I believe though, rough fish like carp and buffalo are fair game.

Our limits have changed a number of times over the years, I think they now set them by the harvest and future outlook numbers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_bass

http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/fish/white-bass

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_perch

http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/fish/white-perch

To me white perch look more yellowish than the white bass, and Lake Erie silver bass are sheephead! LOL

I am not sure how the black bass term came to be, here we go bass fishing, and it's either for largies or smallies, sometimes both, but I don't hear people calling them ( either species ) black bass, green fish or bronze!

LOL, ya the common language thing can be confusing, even here in the States.

No our Silvers aren't Farm Animals. They are very nice mild flakey fish, day 1 and 2 they were great, if you waited to day 3 or froze then you wouldn't recognize the taste, they would go off. There were days we cleaned hundreds before we realized they were only good fresh. What we cal White Perch here are not the same fish. Very subtle difference.  

[OhioFisherman]

I can recall my dad's bil and another of his fishing buddies stopping by the house one day when I was  a little kid, they had gone to the Sandusky River for the walleye run but it had tailed off and all they had caught was white bass. Those were the biggest average sized white bass I had ever seen, then and now, they all had to be 14+ inches.

Dad was into crappie perch and bluegill, we rarely kept white bass.

[Old Ironmaker]

10 hours ago, mrpike said:

Last weekend the walleye fishing just sucked down in Hay Bay  . We tried everything. Heard some had luck jigging.  Only seen two small walleye come in to camp. 

Hay Bay is open already for Pics? It wasn't until the 2rd Saturday of May when we used to fish there in the 80's. It was the 1st place for Walleye opening in Ont. then and the first region to have a 4 fish limit if I'm right. I'll have to take a look.

Edited May 10, 2018 by Old Ironmaker

[Garnet]

Now the Kawrathas you need to look at each lake on how important shoal spawning is.

Take Tri lakes and Chemong in particular the main spawning river are miles away

so lot's of shoal spawning and some do make the migration. Rice has 3 main fast water

spawning rivers but also has the perfect shore spawning areas so it's like 60/40 for fast water.

Scugog has almost zero fast water spawn and until the crash put out tremendous numbers

all shore spawn.

So my 1st concern is how many 11-12 inch fish I catch from last years high water and hope this

years high water trump any late spawn for wind events.