walleye and perch limits 2017 increase!

[West Basin]

Here is some added information for all, straight from ODW.

The Ohio fishery (walleye) population is estimated by two main methods; a yearlong creel survey and fall trawl surveys. The creel survey is several ODW employees (usually college students or recent fisheries graduates) who travel the shoreline in zones or sections and ask fisherman when they return from fishing how many walleye they caught and hours fished. The trawl survey is run in the late summer and fall. They run the trawls yearly in preset locations and count the YOY (young of year) walleye they catch in the net.

The commercial fishery is also included. They are required to keep records of their catch. Not applicable for Ohio for walleye as we have no walleye commercial fishery.

The data from these sources and others is combined with data from all the Lake Erie partners (Ontario, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York) in the Great Lakes Fishery Commission ( http://www.glfc.org/ ) and using scientific fisheries formulas they come up with a Lake wide population number. From this estimate the overall Lake harvest and individual member quotas are then determined for the season.

Each partner sets how they want to allocate their allowance. Some, like Ontario, allocate most of it to commercial fishing. Ohio on the other hand allocates our allowance completely to the recreational fishery.

The yearly limit for the allocation change is 20%, meaning no matter what the data says the allowable harvest can’t go up or down by more than 20% of last years allowance.

The walleye daily bag limits were done legislatively because the commission thought that was the best way to standardize the process. Legislatively it can be raised if circumstances warrant so, but it would take some time to do so (legislature vote). This is more of a long term act, not something that would probably happen as a result of one or probably even two year's population estimates.

Lake Erie walleye management plan 2015-2019:
http://www.glfc.org/lakecom/lec/LEC_...gment_plan.pdf

Lake Erie Walleye Task Group:
http://www.glfc.org/lakecom/lec/WTG.htm

Lake Erie Yellow Perch Task Group:
http://www.glfc.org/lakecom/lec/YPTG.htm