Throughout most of western Pennsylvania, aquatic game species vie for anglers' attention. In recent weeks, the 'eyes have it.
It's no surprise the walleye bite on the Middle Allegheny is explosive near the Fourth of July. But as far south as Cross Creek Lake, Washington County, where walleye are generally spotty, two 20-inchers were pulled out last week.
Good walleye catch rates were reported at dam tailraces and tributary mouths on the Lower Allegheny River. Last week below Lock and Dam No. 2 at Aspinwall, two Monroeville night anglers boated six keepers including one 20-inch walleye and released another half dozen.
To the north on the big lake, walleye anglers are following sonar marks from Presque Isle to the Ohio state line. Sizes are generally nominal but a 31-incher was reported in late June. The number of hookups is high _ in recent weeks 40 to 70 fish days were not uncommon. Most were taken by trolling or drifting worm harnesses or trolling deep diving lures in 45-65 feet of water, although some walleye were caught as shallow as 10 feet.
But just south of the state's northwest corner, tight-lipped walleye have frustrated anglers who are throwing everything at them. Until last week, most walleye anglers in the Pymatuning, Conneaut, Wilhelm region of Crawford and Mercer counties were striking out too often using crawler harnesses, deep-running stickbaits, spoons, spinners ... everything. The bite appeared to be picking up last week.
Not surprisingly, experienced anglers surmise that the site-specific hot and cold walleye fishing is weather related.
"It all starts at the bottom of the food chain," said Robert Miller of Pittsburgh Downriggers. "And those creatures are the most affected by abnormal weather."
During two consecutive warm winters there was little to no ice-over on many western Pennsylvania waterways. No spring thaw, no ice-out, no distinct passage from a mild winter to a so-far tepid spring. Waters that never reached their normal cold point warmed earlier. Various zooplankton and macroinvertebrates, the premise holds, therefore developed earlier, or in some areas later than usual, resulting in higher or lower populations of the baitfish that feed the walleye.
Among the first fish to spawn, sometimes before the ice has completely melted from the surface or around a shoreline, walleye are one of the first gamefish to be impacted by abnormal winter-spring weather.
Rivers are more complex. Based on food availability, baitfish develop at different rates in south-facing pools, tributary mouths, shady riffles, shallow rock bars, weedy banks and slow, deep potholes. Jeff Knapp, an outdoors writer and Keystone Connection fishing guide who frequently fishes the Middle Allegheny, said anglers who find the baitfish, hellgrammites and crayfish will find the walleye.
"It's been an odd year," he said. "So much high water and (the river) going up and down. In Franklin it (was recently) 2 feet higher than normal."
When the water is clear to stained _ not muddy _ he fishes riffle areas and tail-outs where the current picks up at depths of 1 to 5 feet.
"I like about a 5-inch suspending jerkbait, minnow-shaped shallow running bomber or nice big stick bait in the 4 to 5 inch range," he said. "I anchor the boat or drift slowly and swing it like a wet fly. They often hit at the end of a swing on the dangle."
Walleye that have found food mean business. Knapp said he advises clients to be ready to set the hook on the first cast.
"You don't want to be hanging up in there. These fish are aggressive _ they're in there to look for something to eat," he said. "You don't have to go deep. They will move up for bait."
Although walleye and sauger are native to the Ohio River watershed and Lake Erie, they've been extensively stocked for recreational fishing throughout the state. Since the 1990s or earlier the state Fish and Boat Commission has stocked walleye, muskies and channel catfish as a remedy for sick impoundments over-populated with invasive gizzard shad and gobies.
Generally this year, macroinvertebrates in impoundments south of I-80 and "lake effect" weather developed earlier. At Youghiogheny River Dam on the Pennsylvania-Maryland line, roving schools of walleye are hanging at 10 to 15 feet.
Lake Arthur, Butler County, was once among the state's best walleye waters. In recent years the fishery has lost some of its shine due to competition with other predators and changes to the state's walleye stocking schedule. Walleye anglers jigging in submerged creek channels or trolling crawler harnesses occasionally pull out a prize.
But there's little good news from Crawford County and Ashtabula County, Ohio, where the Pymatuning Lake Association holds its annual May walleye competition.
"The contest was pretty poor, the worst we've ever had," said Mike Tullai, the group's secretary. "We had 96 boats. Only 14 boats brought in fish. The fewest before that was 35."
Some veteran anglers, he said, fished for eight hours and caught one walleye. Some of the catches, however, were big and fat. One tournament walleye weighed in at nearly 6 pounds.
"Fish and Boat did a trapping survey in April. There are some really big walleye in there," said Tullai.
The problem, he speculates, is the weather.
"You cut open a walleye and it's filled with gizzard shad," he said. "We didn't get a good winter freeze-over the last couple of years, so we didn't a big spring fish kill that usually gets rid of a lot of shad. Two years of that and the lake is full of them, and the walleye are full of them. They're never hungry. It's hard to get a hit."
Lake Erie's Pennsylvania waters didn't get a good freeze, either, but the resultant baitfish boom has been a gift to a huge year-class of sublegal walleye. Big fish are few, but anglers are reeling in 'eyes by the score.
"It's prime time for walleye in Pennsylvania's section of the lake," said Miller, of Pittsburgh Downriggers. "The food base is there, the temperature is there. Walleye are in their feeding frenzy period right now. They're very accessible."
In another couple of years, expect that whopping Lake Erie walleye year-class that is now 11 to 13 inches to reach legal size. In five years, anglers may need to bring bigger nets.
