The Fishing Line - May 14th Edition 

Freshwater Fishing, Fisheries Management, and Boating News and Information

This Week's Topics:

• Virtual Meeting: Status of Lake Erie & Upper Niagara River Fisheries
• Lake Ontario Preyfish Survey Successfully Completed
• Lake Erie Angler Survey
• Comment Period Open for Striped Bass Circle Hook Requirements
• Fishing Tip of the Week

Virtual Meeting: Status of Lake Erie & Upper Niagara River Fisheries

Interested in learning the latest and greatest on New York's Lake Erie and Upper Niagara River fisheries? Tune in virtually for a meeting on Thursday, May 20, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This unique opportunity gives anglers the chance to interact directly with DEC biologists who study these world-class resources. 

Biologists will cover:

• Updates on the area’s warm and cold water fisheries
• 2021 fishing forecast
• Emerging management issues
• Lake Erie basin research update
• 30-minute Q&A online chat session.

Click now to access the meeting on May 20th from 7 pm. to 8:30 p.m.

Lake Ontario Preyfish Survey Successfully Completed

The Lake Ontario spring preyfish survey was successfully completed in April 2021. The survey is a cooperative effort to between the USGS Great Lakes Science Center (R/V Kaho), DEC (R/V Seth Green), and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (R/V Ontario Explorer). Over 245 bottom trawls were collected in U.S. and Canadian waters to assess the preyfish population in Lake Ontario. Results from the survey will be available in summer 2021.

*R/V = Research Vessel

Lake Erie Angler Survey

For the first time ever the Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit began its open lake angler survey in April instead of May to document the yellow perch fishery that seems to start earlier every year. Those who braved the conditions were rewarded with an average of 29 perch harvested per boat trip and a catch rate of 2.25 fish per hour in April, which are both well above the time series averages (13.5 perch harvested per boat trip; 1.49 perch caught per hour) for the survey. Over 17,000 angler hours were spent targeting yellow perch in April, nearly matching the total effort from May through October last year. Even with the great April perch fishing, only about 3 percent of interviewed anglers got their limit. Anglers were also out targeting pre-spawn smallmouth bass with solid success in April, catching bass at a rate of 1.15 fish per hour, which is slightly above the time series average (1.06 bass caught per hour).

Comment Period Open for Striped Bass Circle Hook Requirements

Effective April 21, 2021, anglers are required to use non-offset (inline) circle hooks when recreational fishing for striped bass with bait, which is defined as any whole or part of a marine or aquatic organism or terrestrial invertebrate. The full text of the regulation is available on DEC's website. The public comment period is open from May 12 through June 28, 2021.

• A non-offset (inline) circle hook means the point and barb of the hook are in the same plane as the shank and the tip of the hook is turned perpendicularly back toward the shank.
• Bait is defined as any whole or part of a marine or aquatic organism or terrestrial invertebrate, both live or dead.
• Circle hooks are not required when fishing with an artificial lure, whether or not they are tipped with bait as previously described.
• Some examples of artificial lure exemptions include pork rinds on bucktail jigs, eel skin plugs, tube and worm, and any man-made flies.

Submit written public comments through June 28, 2021, to:
Carol Hoffman
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Division of Marine Resources
205 N. Belle Mead Road, Suite 1, East Setauket, NY 11733
Email: FW.Marine@dec.ny.gov

Visit Recreational Saltwater Fishing Regulations for current regulations in effect.    

Fishing Tip of the Week

When fishing for walleye with a jig, if you seem to be missing a lot of bites try tipping the jig with a piece of worm, a leech, or one of the many styles of synthetic bait products. Having "meat" on your jig will often help with hooking fish as they are likely to hold onto it longer.

More Information, visit DEC's Fishing for Walleye webpage.