walleye hatch the last three years

I could not be happier with the amount of small fish we have been catching!! We must have had some really good hatches the last 2 years!! And now we're starting to catch this years young of the year while were perch fishing and finding them in our minnow buckets!! I believe this to be a very good sign for the future of Lake Erie!!

I know I haven't been on here much but if anybody needs any help staying on the fish please feel free to give me a call!! 614.327.7144.
I would be more than happy to help you!!

Thanks Jim. I appreciate all of the info that you (and others) share. I haven't been up since early June but I'm bringing up a work buddy and his kid this weekend. Cant decide where to start with so many "so-so" programs being shared and the growing Algae plume.... Might be calling ya.

I agree with captain Jim. I am glad we are catching more short fish this year. Makes for a better future as far as the walleye fishing goes.

As I was heading for Canada on Monday we passed the DNR trawl boat heading west. After talking to a few people, the early reports say the nets are stuffed full of walleye at the same spots they trawl every year. Seems that the ice covering the lake may have something to do with a good hatch. I think that over this past weekend of throwing back prob over 100 walleye undersize with more being in the 8 to 10 range, we are in for a great future on Erie. The other statement was the hatch is so much better than the 2003 hatch ! Maybe get back to the 80s style of catching with a spinning rod and an Erie Dearie type lure.

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Originally Posted by gregnwtf

As I was heading for Canada on Monday we passed the DNR trawl boat heading west. After talking to a few people, the early reports say the nets are stuffed full of walleye at the same spots they trawl every year. Seems that the ice covering the lake may have something to do with a good hatch. I think that over this past weekend of throwing back prob over 100 walleye undersize with more being in the 8 to 10 range, we are in for a great future on Erie. The other statement was the hatch is so much better than the 2003 hatch ! Maybe get back to the 80s style of catching with a spinning rod and an Erie Dearie type lure.

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I agree with everyone here and it would be amazing to have a hatch that was "so much better than the 2003 hatch"! But who made that statement? It would be hard to match the 03 hatch let alone be much better.....but hey, I sure hope that's the case.

No way the 2014 hatch (6-9") walleye is even close to the 2013 hatch. It is actually average based on trawl data. I caught over 230 small walleye in 2014. This year about 30. Next best count since 2004, but way below that hatch. Also, you actually catching 2015 fish?? They should still be minnows based on growth rate.

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Originally Posted by bobd47fish

No way the 2014 hatch (6-9") walleye is even close to the 2013 hatch. It is actually average based on trawl data. I caught over 230 small walleye in 2014. This year about 30. Next best count since 2004, but way below that hatch. Also, you actually catching 2015 fish?? They should still be minnows based on growth rate.

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Hell there has been several days out west here that we have caught more then 30 of the little ones in 1 trip. Also have been catching 10-12 of the 14.75 inch per trip.

After reading the whole thread 3 times I believe the reference to better than the 2003 hatch is pointed to the 2015 hatch. Like gregnwtf stated the ODNR survey net boats are out there getting a feel of what is going on with the 2015 hatch and recruitment. It is not unusual to catch fingerling walleyes 3" to 4" long while perch fishing in August and later.

The survey results are tabulated after the late August Trawls but their research is not limited to just that one specific time frame even if the official numbers that they use are limited to that August time frame. I believe the total number per hector Acre would have to be well above the 350 threshold to beat the 2003 hatch. Reports that I have gotten seems to indicate that it may very well be a fact! But at this time I am not being supportive of those reports as in the past similar reports have turned out to be way over estimated. So if the reports turn out to be as good as indicated great but please don't blame me for posting what little bit of information I have if they are not. In other words don't count on those reports being accurate just yet.

Here is a little bit more information about the hatches and recruitments!

http://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/archive/...p?topic=1569.0