Cormorants / wind forecast

FYI - Have a buddy hunting Magee Marsh this morning (I couldn't go) so I decided to check the local Lake web cams. Holly Toledo! I watched the Catawba web cam from 7:50am to about 8am, only because the flights of Cormorants flying north to south, just off the water, nearly never stopped. It was nearly a solid line of flights. I'd estimate the number at around 20,000. No joke. Then I switched to the Port Clinton camera. Same thing, long line of Cormorant flights going west along the shoreline, although it only lasted about 15 seconds. I only watched for about 30 seconds. This is probably the largest number of Cormorants I've ever seen on the Lake, and I saw the huge flocks back in the late 1980's early 1990's before the Feds did the first big cull. It's possible a lot of these are migrants from up north.

Wind forecast doesn't look good the rest of the week. Unless it moves up 6-8 hours from the present forecast, the only day to get out will probably be Sunday or maybe Saturday early evening. At least Saturday and Sunday the direction is forecast from the SE or S.

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Originally Posted by West Basin

FYI - Have a buddy hunting Magee Marsh this morning (I couldn't go) so I decided to check the local Lake web cams. Holly Toledo! I watched the Catawba web cam from 7:50am to about 8am, only because the flights of Cormorants flying north to south, just off the water, nearly never stopped. It was nearly a solid line of flights. I'd estimate the number at around 20,000. No joke. Then I switched to the Port Clinton camera. Same thing, long line of Cormorant flights going west along the shoreline, although it only lasted about 15 seconds. I only watched for about 30 seconds. This is probably the largest number of Cormorants I've ever seen on the Lake, and I saw the huge flocks back in the late 1980's early 1990's before the Feds did the first big cull. It's possible a lot of these are migrants from up north.

Wind forecast doesn't look good the rest of the week. Unless it moves up 6-8 hours from the present forecast, the only day to get out will probably be Sunday or maybe Saturday early evening. At least Saturday and Sunday the direction is forecast from the SE or S.

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I don't know where they are coming from but I witnessed the same thing a couple years ago while perch fishing off the Catawba Cliffs. It was really amazing.

I hunted Pickerel Creek on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. We saw a lot of cormorants but nothing like you describe. That said, I would love either another culling or an open season on those pests.

We were casting on mill point on east side of Pelee on Sept 16th.Saw a nonstop line of cormorants flying low in a line headed north.Assume they all came off middle island.Watched nonstop line for at least 20 min.Had to be thousands of birds in that flock.

I'm from mid Ohio so never heard of this bird before. Just read the bird can eat 1.5 pounds of fish a day and can dive 150 feet.

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Originally Posted by badboards

I'm from mid Ohio so never heard of this bird before. Just read the bird can eat 1.5 pounds of fish a day and can dive 150 feet.

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A few years ago there was a story about authorities catching one and cutting it open. Found DOZENS of swallowed perch in its stomach. They're a nuisance and a half

Wasn't sure what a cormorant was, so I looked up. Crazy Interesting Fact that can be hard on the fishery: Cormorants are expert divers. Some dive as deep as 45 metres (150 feet). They speed along underwater via their webbed feet, using their wings as rudders. Some colonies of cormorants have been observed herding fish for more efficient hunting.

Saw the same thing back on October 4th....we were out in front of the state ramp at Catawba, and watched thousands fly in and land by Clinton Reef, and that area. Then, a while later...they flew back northeast. The line of them flying in last about 20 minutes. I've seen it before, but my crew had never seen that many before.

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Originally Posted by markle

Wasn't sure what a cormorant was, so I looked up. Crazy Interesting Fact that can be hard on the fishery: Cormorants are expert divers. Some dive as deep as 45 metres (150 feet). They speed along underwater via their webbed feet, using their wings as rudders. Some colonies of cormorants have been observed herding fish for more efficient hunting.

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They are excellent fisherbirds...have had them in my pond. Almost cleaned out my bluegill population in a couple months and that was just two birds !! Took necessary steps to stop them and my bluegill population us comming back slowly. When ever I see one, I do whatever I can to get them out of the area...

I found a little one on the side of the road here in Columbus I took it back to the shop at the time I was not familiar with the bird so did not really know what it was, we kept it in a tire test tank for a couple of days till it was stronger it loved the soft craws I had left over from small mouth fishing , after it was strong enough to put back in the lake I dropped it off at a local reservoir here in Columbus, they are pretty cool birds can dive and swim under water . I also have watched the line of birds that seem to stretch for miles as they fly by in perfect formation. certainly, a marvel of God's creation!

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Originally Posted by airshot

They are excellent fisherbirds...have had them in my pond. Almost cleaned out my bluegill population in a couple months and that was just two birds !! Took necessary steps to stop them and my bluegill population us comming back slowly. When ever I see one, I do whatever I can to get them out of the area...

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I'm pretty sure you can "hunt" them in MI and North of the border. For some reason, they're protected in the buckeye state and it's ridiculous

Someone will certainly correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that they are federally protected. Never understood why.

Cormorants are under federal protection. Be careful.

I hope your buddy had some success at Magee this morning although I don 't think it was possible. i was there looking around about ten days ago and it was dry with no ducks . I don't understand what the managers are doing over there. You have to have water to have ducks. A Magee marsh hunt just isn't the same as it once was.
As for the cormorants, this is staging time . They will be migrating soon. they will leave one morning soon and fly south by the thousands. I've always wonder how they communicate. One of em must say lets go guys and they all take off at once. which one is in charge? Don't know.

Buddy and freind had a good hunt at Magee. 8 ducks and a goose. From what I've heard there are more ducks down this time of year (mid-October) than there have been in years.

Water levels are down. I took the sailboat from West Harbor to Port Clinton on Sunday. I noticed a lot of exposed areas in the entrance channel of West Harbor that weren't exposed back in July. Same with some areas along Sandusky Bay on the drive home. West Harbor water level at the dock is noticablly lower. Same in Port Clinton. You can see it on the beach at Port Clinton, exposed areas that weren't back in the summer. You have to wonder if we are on a downward trend in Erie water levels. During the big West wind blow last week I read on NOAA that the west end of the Lake was near low water datum. That wouldn't have been possible a few years ago when the water levels were so high, record levels and near.

MICH. DNR told me 3 yrs ago those birds where wrecking the perch fishing in the U.P. Saw a pic. of one cut open must have had 50 perch fingerling in it's belly. " no lead pellets "