WEST ERIE COUNTY, DWCO Randy Leighton, WCO Brook Tolbert Conditions: Winter weather struck again early this week bring snow and very cold temperatures to the area. Early morning anglers are starting to find slush and ice along the tributary shorelines. Water levels are good, which helps to prolong ice up. Water color is good and fishing has been been productive in many areas for those hearty anglers willing to brave the elements. Anglers will find plenty of elbow room and often times some of the best steelhead fishing of the year during the colder months as long as the ice holds off. The Walnut Creek marina basin is nearly frozen over although the Project waters and nearly all of Elk Creek were ice free as of Tuesday afternoon. Minnows (shiners) both live and salted along with egg sacs and single eggs are great winter choices along with the sucker spawn patterns in white, chartreuse, peach, and pink. Wooly buggers in olive, black and brown are good drifting choices as well. Slow reacting fish will often turn on to a skillfully worked micro jig tipped with a single maggot or a plastic worm drifted or bounced off the bottom. Current Lake Erie water temperature as of this writing is 37 degrees off Toledo, 40 degrees off Cleveland, and 41 degrees off Erie. The West Count tributaries were flowing well and clear to deep green in color Tuesday afternoon. Support Your Local Sportsmen's Clubs: The next Pennsylvania Steelhead Association meeting is Wednesday December 14th at 7 PM. Meetings are held in the main banquet room on the ground floor the American Legion Post 773 at 4109 West 12th Street, Erie, PA. 16505. This is on the south side of West 12th street (route 5), just east of the Erie Airport. Food and legal beverages are offered at reasonable prices. The public is welcome. Winter Fishing Tip: Fish feed less aggressively as the water temperatures drop and will often wait for the food source to come to them, so you need to get your fly or bait close to feeding fish. This means reading the water and presenting your fly or other bait where the fish are holding. During the winter, fish typically hold in areas with less current than during warmer periods of the year. Look for places that offer fish haven from the faster currents but still near faster water that will carry food. The heads of pools, areas with drop offs and rocks, side channels and eddies are all good target areas during the winter months. Local Weather: Wednesday Night Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow showers. Cold with lows around 17. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph... Becoming west 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Thursday Mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 20s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Thursday Night Snow likely. Snow accumulation likely. Lows around 15. South winds around 10 mph...Becoming southeast after midnight. Chance of snow 70 percent. Friday Mostly cloudy. Snow likely in the morning...Then a chance of snow in the afternoon. Highs around 30. Chance of snow 60 percent. Friday Night Mostly cloudy. Lows in the lower 20s. Saturday Mostly cloudy in the morning, Then becoming partly cloudy. A 30 percent chance of snow showers. Highs in the lower 30s. Saturday Night Partly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow showers. Lows in the mid 20s. Sunday Partly cloudy in the morning, Then becoming mostly cloudy. A 30 percent chance of snow showers. Highs in the mid 30s. Sunday Night Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow showers. Lows in the mid 20s. Monday Mostly cloudy. Highs in the mid 30s. Monday Night Mostly cloudy. Lows in the upper 20s. Tuesday Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower 30s.
|
(71.116.35.160)