Anyone think the ice will melt by the second week in April Im starting to get a little nervous.
Printable View
Anyone think the ice will melt by the second week in April Im starting to get a little nervous.
I am starting to doubt it myself looking at the 10 day forecast. nothing to get nervouse about though. the fish don't have a calendar so until the water temperatures get to 40 degrees the fish wont be spawning.
Dont bet that water temp is the deciding factor for the spawn . The past 2 trips we have caught males that have been milting and females that spewed eggs when brought through the hole . The water temp down on the bottom in 28ft of water was 38 degrees on Sunday.
like you said no calender , but no thermometer either . As you can tell where the fish have been caught in the past 10 days, they are in the spawning areas just waiting for the mood to be right .
Not saying at all, that all of them were ready but some for sure were .
Dale
Something to consider? River run off & ice shifting east. Doesn't need to melt. Just move & river water is warmer than lake. Just gotta hope launches open but current should do that for us. No need to run out far anymore. Buddy limited in 14 fow today.
Yeah, its definitely a debate to be had whether its water temp, what the calendar says, or a combination of both that determines when the fish spawn. Me personally, i compare it to deer and the rut. Peak breeding is always around the 15th of November based on moonphases and the amount of sunlight. Yes, a cold snap going into the first couple weeks of November always helps matters, but nonetheless, the deer will be breeding at that time. The same goes with fishing. I beleive with it being soo cold and the lake being ice covered, the fish will be moving into the maumee maybe a hair later than normal, but wont be that much of a difference. Just go out and fish and you'll have to find out for yourself. just my oppinion thanks
the vast majority of the spawn will happen when the water temps are between 40-45 in the spawning areas not 28ft of water. 28ft of water would be considered staging areas for the spawn. of course this is not an exact thing as some will spawn sooner and some will spawn later but the vast majority will be with those water temps. of course you are going to see females full of eggs and will drop eggs if you pull then thru the ice. they are ready to spawn at any moment now. males are males. they know the time is soon and they are more than ready to do what they do. not surprised you would see them milting now.
The longer days(more daylight) draws them near into the staging areas, water temps of 40 to 45 at or near the surface as walleyes are broadcast spawner's and spawn on or near the surface, and the full moon will really set them off once the right temps are reached. If you get out shortly before daylight during the jig bite you will hear them breaking water and especially there is more spawning activity during the full moon but once it starts breaking day the spawning activity slows to almost a standstill until dark again.
Warmer temps earlier this week, with gale force winds today, along with insulating snow coverage...with melting run off this weekend... should start breaking up the western basin pretty good.
The latest satellite pic shows a lot of open water east of the islands, so there is room for anything that breaks up to get past the islands with the right winds.
North and northwest winds today, so it's going to pile up on our shores and open the Canadian side. Then, we just need a good southwest and west winds to push it out of here.
The monthly forecast shows warmer temps coming, so I do believe that we will be fishing out of boats by the second week in April.
Hoping so anyway...fingers crossed. :)
Capt Juls: I hope you are right but with the amount of ice that was made this winter there may be a delay in the thaw in the marinas and boat ramps even if the lake would be fishable! Most ramp areas and marinas in the western basin within a couple of miles of the reefs are protected and don't receive the water flow and the resulting water current to help with melting the ice. I am talking from Magee East to Toussaint River, most are in harbors and man made areas out of the water flow of the main creeks and rivers.
Yes, I can see those ramps staying iced in longer. I'm over here in Port Clinton and a few of the ramps have a better chance of opening up sooner.
If this wind does break up the ice and it starts to break up on the south shore due to the water rising under it the whole area along the West Lakeshore Drive could become treacherous. As a youngster and as a teenager I personally saw ice pushed up on old route 2 what is now West Lakeshore Drive so bad that it had to be move with dozers and end loaders so traffic could pass. Never underestimate mother nature.
Well, that would suck, because that's the way I go into town. lolQuote:
Originally Posted by wakina
I suppose I could take RT2 in if I have to.
I would like to see the ice mountains...:)
I dont think this wind is going to do anything to the ice . It is still frozen solid across the Western basin all the way to Canada . No room for it to be able to move this year. Earlier we had a few days with gust over 40 mph for the SW and the ice didnt budge . We have had open water East of Kellys pretty much all winter long as this is the norm for Erie .
No one has really seen ice like this since 79 so no one really knows for sure what and when the ice will go bad .
With the rivers having so many ice jams in them , it will restrict the flows out to the lake until some of them are gone . The last warm up we had took like 2-3 weeks before seeing any dirty water that had come out of the rivers due to the ice jam problem in the rivers . Another reason the runoff will not be as bad is the fact that the ground is still frozen .
Dont get me wrong as I love the boating season as well , but think we are looking at a good month to get rid of the ice in both the lake and channels to have enough room to fish out there .
The shore ice will go bad before any of the other ice and air boats will be the only means of fishing at that point for a couple of weeks .
Like I said you never know with this much ice still out there but this is just my thinking .
Dale
Did this ice breaking actually take place? If so the ice had or has room to move and work!
http://community.walleye.com/showthread.php?t=7413
I guess we'll see what's what on the next sunny day, when we can see a good satellite pick of the lake, and make our assessments then. :)
it did not as the Maumee Channel is considered a secondary Channel . You can keep up with the Breakers on boatnerd.com
Dale
3 buddies and I will be out tomorrow to see first hand . Thats the only way .
Dale
This is my 1st post,but have been reading the forum all winter.Fishin has been exceptional for most this yr,congrads! A lot of debate about takin so many HAWGS! I can see both sides of the conversaion,I guess time will tell. We like to fish just after the spawn,when the EYES are in transition,and getting in on slammin some crappies!!! Anyway I found it interesting seeing the current river conditions on (2014 Maumee river walleye run fishing report) by Dr Walleye. Recent pics of the river,and his report!Loooks like an era of EYE fishin I have never seen b4.I am not a local of Lake Erie,so my opinion is just that.I cannot see this years spawn or run,being one where the fishing is going to be as gr8 as the ice has provided. Good luck to all,have fun and enjoy what the lake provides!!I am so ready to get out on the lake and other spots,to relax and fish!! Thanx to all for the reports(tho I don't ice fish) and mostly enjoyed the pics!!!
The spawn has to do with three main factors; calendar (season), water temp, and amount of daylight...
Being that we are on daylight savings in Ohio still, they are now getting more daylight on the water because we just turned our clocks ahead 1 hour last week... If we ever go off of daylight savings in Ohio I don't know what that would do to the spawn!
-Matt
Another 3 man limit out of Magee. Ice has not shifted or busted up but is getting very soft. About a foot thick today in 22 ft with about 7 of it being white ice.
Slow and easy is the only way out there right now. Stopped and drilled holes about every 100 yards. Lots of guys still running without a care .Not a wise thing to do this late in the season . More and more guys on foot as well travling lite.
2 of the females today were releasing eggs as well.
Dale
Another 3 man limit out of Magee. Ice has not shifted or busted up but is getting very soft. About a foot thick today in 22 ft with about 7 of it being white ice.
Slow and easy is the only way out there right now. Stopped and drilled holes about every 100 yards. Lots of guys still running without a care .Not a wise thing to do this late in the season . More and more guys on foot as well travling lite.
2 of the females today were releasing eggs as well.
Dale
wow only a foot thick, loosing ice quicker than I would have guessed. Suppose to be close to 50* degrees tomorrow and forecasted 30SW gusts isn't gonna help any....Quote:
Originally Posted by Lakeerieguy
I have a feeling the jig bite from the boat will be a short window dodging ice bergs.....
Here's yesterday's satellite pic...
http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/web...e.143.250m.jpg
Thanks for the report Dale. :)