Page 7 - Mid America Boating - September/October 2024 issue
P. 7

Erie submitted in 2023, however, the walleye   really didn’t begin until May from the Mille
      was easily the star, with 1,073 walleye topping   Lacs walleye factory in Minnesota to the wide
      the 34-inch mark and submitted for the annual   waters of Lake Erie. While Minnesota enforced
      award. In a bit of a surprise in last year’s Fish   a closed spring season, Ohio fishermen and
      Ohio standings. For Lake Erie, freshwater   a handful of fishing guides waited until the
      drum, or sheepshead, (810, 36 inches) finished   spring spawn was well over before they started
      second, followed by channel catfish (687, 38   fishing for them, since they were reputedly
      inches); yellow perch (324, 15.5 inches); white   more interested in spawning than feeding.
      bass (247, 19 inches); smallmouth bass (152,   And in August, many fishermen subscribed
      23.75 inches); steelhead trout (115, 35 inches);   to the myth that walleye fishing was tough
      and largemouth bass (78, 24.5 inches).   because the fish lost their needle sharp teeth
        Having written about Lake Erie’s walleye   at that time of year.
      fishing for more than a half century, I’ve   In the early 1980s, television star Babe
      chronicled the amazing recovery of Lake Erie’s   Winkelman of Minnesota wanted to film a
      walleye fishery over the last few decades.   show on April 20 — it was my birthday —                                                                  7     [     MID-AMERICA BOATING     ]     SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024
      These days, Lake Erie’s walleye population is   out of Floro’s Marina on the Toussaint River,
      not only outstanding, but rated by the Ohio   near the Davis Besse Nuclear Plant and the
      Division of Wildlife to be the best in the world.  Niagara Reef Complex. It seemed far too early,
        Port Clinton has laid claim to being the   but for Minnesota fishermen, early season
      Walleye Capitol of the World.         meant came when the winter ice retreated,
        Ohio’s favorite fish deserves the latest   and casting lead-head jigs would catch them.
      efforts to finally be elected as the Ohio   Winkelman wanted to promote the Fuzz E
      State Fish.                           Grubb jig he’d just purchased with his legion
        As Lake Erie and its tributaries continue to   of TV fans, but none of the Lake Erie charter
      become environmentally friendly for fish and   boats were in operation yet. Winkelman had
      fishermen, and walleye have been extensively   talked the legendary guide Jim Fofrich of
      protected from commercial harvest in Ohio   Toledo into having his son, Jim Jr., skipper his
      waters, the walleye hatches over the last 10   Single Spin fishing boat for a short trip to the
      years have been consistently exceptional.  nearby spawning reefs.
        Travis Hartman, the head of Lake Erie   We were the only boat at Floro’s docks or
      Fisheries Management, said the Great Lakes   on Lake Erie on a fine spring day. The Single
      Fishery Commission’s annual estimates   Spin had yet to be outfitted with sonar, radio
      pinpoint the Lake Erie walleye population at   or compass, but the reefs were easy to find.
      89 million adult fish. That doesn’t include the   Not expecting much, I tied a Fuzz E Grubb
      millions of youngsters that have yet to reach   jig on 6-pound test line and made the first   National walleye tournaments on Lake Erie generate a lot of attention because
      the legal size limit, which in Ohio is 15 inches,   cast as the camera crew set up. A couple of   of the excellent fishing and plenty of chances to weigh in trophy walleye. Despite
      which could push the walleye numbers to   seconds later I saw my fishing line jump, and   windy weather, John Hoyer of Keosauqua, Iowa, weighed a two-day limit of 10
      more than 100 million.                set the hook on a nice walleye. It was the   walleye totaling 64 pounds, 10 ounces to win $116,926 in a National Walleye Tour
        Long ago, Ohio’s unofficial walleye season   See Rally around the walleye on page 8  event last spring. Photo by D’Arcy Patrick Egan

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