some good knowledge from maumee tackle

[West Basin]

Great info, rscotfish. Thanks!

I will add two things. First a bit technical, is using scales to age fish is as much an art as a science. It takes years of practice to get good at it. I've done walleye scale aging and believe me it can drive you nuts developing an "eye' (pun intended) for it, get real good at it, and I learned from an expert. Using fish Otoliths (small bones in a fish's head) are generally more accurate than scales, but you have to kill the fish so this methods isn't used as much.

Second, I've seen the variation in year 1 and year 2 size. You can get a large range from the same body of water, even a relatively small reservoir, to the point where some fish it's hard to tell which year class they belong to (not very common, though).

One thing for sure in Lake Erie is the walleye fishing this year and forward for several years is going to be great as far as the ability to catch limits. The huge abundance of the smaller walleye means fishing will be good pretty much all over as opposed to typical years where on any given day only one or a few places were producing good catches. Fishing success should be more widespread and get better each week that passes as more year 3 and a few year 2 (late in the season) walleye reach the 15 inch minimum length. It also means in general catching larger walleye will be more difficult (except in the Spring) since the smaller fish will get to the bait before the larger ones. You'll have to spend more time figuring out a system that works to catch bigger walleye, and probably also fish different locations (deeper water and farther east), although I've heard the number of short walleye being caught is about the same down Cleveland way as it is in the Western Basin.