walleye and perch limits 2017 increase!

[wakina]

Total Allowable Catch(TAC) is an agreed upon number of maximum harvest levels for the whole of Lake Erie. That TAC is then broken down further into the number that is allowed in each of the areas that are under the jurisdiction of the States of Ohio, Michigan, Pa, New York and the Providence of Ontario. It is based upon the scientific approach to determining the total population of the desired species of fish(Perch and Walleyes).

The ODNR has to wait until the TAC figures are released before they can set the daily creel limits for the upcoming season. That is why they usually wait until the calendar has ran out on the 4 fish limit during the spawn before releasing the current years daily limits. It gives the Lake Erie committee the needed time to set the TAC for the coming year, then after those numbers are released the ODNR can either leave the limit the same or reduce the limit if the Ohio Quota falls under a certain level. In reality the ODNRs hands are tied and they must follow the law as written, they do not have any options on this subject it has already been predetermined.

The daily bag limit for walleyes is set in stone and is law as it was passed by the state legislature. It is determine by the amount of the TAC that is allotted to Ohio by the GLFC(Great Lakes Fish Commission). As written the maximum number of Walleyes allowed in Ohio cannot exceed 6 per day during the regular season and 4 per day during the spawn. The daily limit can and will be reduced in direct relation to the TAC(Quota) allotted to Ohio. Those numbers have been predetermined and if the numbers fall into any of the lower brackets the limits will be reduced accordingly. Here is a copy of the chart that was released when the law as it is today was written. It was originally a proposal and it was adopted into the law by the state Legislature.



I can never remember when Ohio has reached their TAC quota allotment on Walleyes. Ontario on the other hand almost always reach their quotas of the TAC for both species simply because their side is geared more to the Commercial Fishing industry for both perch and walleyes. Ohio allows the use of trap nets for the commercial harvest of Perch but walleyes are totally off limits to the commercial fishing industry in the Ohio waters of lake Erie.