Quote Originally Posted by Eyezcrazy View Post
I have been fishing the lake for over 25 years and I don't remember seeing this many short walleye since the monster 2003 class. I don't think they predicted the 2011 hatch to be this strong but everyone I talk to said they are tossing back nearly as many shorts as they are keeping. How do you guys think the number of small walleye compares to the 2003 hatch? At any rate it looks like we will have some decent fish in the next couple of years.

1+ year old walleyes caught= 10 1/2"
2+ year old walleyes caught= 14 1/4"
3+ year old walleyes caught= 17 1/4"
4+ year old walleyes caught= 18 7/8"
5+ year old walleyes caught= 20 1/4"
6+ year old walleyes caught= 21 1/4"
7+ year old walleyes caught= 22 3/4"
8+ year old walleyes caught= 24 1/4"
9+ year old walleyes caught= 26 1/4"
10+ year old walleyes caught=27 1/2"
The number of shorts in late 2004 and into 2005 was at a ratio of at least 10 to 1 in the western basin (maybe higher). The walleye population of adult breeders was very low and keepers were hard to come by. So it would be very hard for a good comparison of the ratio shorts that are being caught now to what was caught back then.

I do know that shorts no matter what year they are hatched are very aggressive and are always hungry in there 2nd and 3rd summers.

Here is a thread from 01/01/2012 that has the opinions of a few of us older lake Erie guys and our thoughts on the 2011 hatch at the end of 2011. I sure hope these guys thoughts and observations are/were correct.

http://community.walleye.com/showthr...8215#post18215

There will be no fishing reports from me this year as my boats 5.7L engine went south forever and its replacement looks like a winter project at this point.