WCO Report for Erie County 11/26/03: Erie area, PA,
WCO Report Posted: November 25, 2003

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Posted by DWCO Randy Leighton on November 25, 2003 at 22:29:36:

WEST ERIE COUNTY, DWCO Randy Leighton

Conditions:
Trib conditions have been good to excellent with just enough precipitation to keep flow and color good in most areas. Catches have been good near the mouth at Elk Creek with seemingly a good number of fish moving in. Crowds have not been excessive at the Elk Creek Access. The Manchester Hole is loaded with fish when there is elbow room. Catches have been spotty along the Wall and in the Basin at the Walnut Creek Access area although the Project waters continue to produce good numbers of fish. Fish are holding at both the railroad tube areas on Walnut and Elk Creeks. With a little color in the tribs now, egg sacs (pink is very popular), skein, and jigs are all good choices. A little color in the tribs also affords the opportunity to increase line strength to land that big one. The Holiday weekend weather appears be shaping up for good fishing although temperatures are starting to get cold at night. Ice has not been a problem yet but bring along the insulated waders. Lake Erie water temperature as of this writing is 49 degrees as of this writing.

Worth Mentioning Again:
With deer season next week wearing a little fluorescent orange in the more remote areas of the tribs may help to distinguish you from a hunter's prey.

Law Enforcement:
Area officers have been extremely busy 24 hours a day 7 days a week. This past weekend yielded 81 citations including several groups of poachers on Walnut Creek. Sometimes we hear that we are not around when needed, however, anglers can rest assured that law enforcement presense is strong this year and producing results. Poaching, netting, and snagging violators are being caught and prosecuted. Anglers wishing to assist us in these efforts with any helpful information are advised to contact area officers when a violation is observed and never to attempt to take matters into their own hands. Frankly, you just don't know who you may be dealing with. Area bait shops, local sportsmen's clubs, and the Walnut Creek Access office now have free wallet size cards available with contact numbers for reporting violations. These cards are free of charge.
Violations in our area can be reported as follows:
WCO Brook Tolbert: (814) 566-7869
WCO Thomas Edwards: (814) 572-0066
WCO Mark Kerr: (814) 572-0078
Walnut Creek Access Office: (814) 833-2464

Don't Eat Too Much:
Area Officers and local PFBC employees would like to wish everyone a wonderful holiday and the best of luck to area hunters for a safe and productive deer season.

Holiday Shopping:
With th official start of the Holiday shopping season this weekend, consider all that the PFBC has to offer to supplement your gift list. Fishing licenses make great gifts for the young angler who has turned 16 as will a lifetime license for the retired angler. Licenses can also be the incentive needed to get that spouse out on the water (If so desired). The PFBC also has an extensive list of publications and gift items available for purchase on line at our outdoor shop at
http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Fish_Boat/pfbchom2.html. Many of our publications are also available at the Walnut Creek Access office as well.

Third in a Series of Local Tributary Descriptions, Crooked Creek:
Crooked Creek is the third largest of the western creeks and holds a good population of steelhead. Its mouth is located east of Holiday Road (Township Road 342) and Virginia's Beach, and north of Camp Fitch. Exiting Interstate 90 at the East Springfield exit (Exit 2; Route 215) and traveling north on Route 215 will take you to the lower reaches of Crooked Creek. Turning east from Route 215 onto either Route 20 or Route 5 will take you over the creek. Crooked Creek is an approved trout water, and is stocked from its mouth upstream to Glosky Road off Lexington Road (the second road south of Interstate 90).

The area from the Ables Road bridge south to Happy Valley Road is the most popular area to fish. This area flows mostly through woods and has a reasonably good flow rate. Above Route 5 there a portions of the creek that are narrow and brushy.

Because it flows through farm fields, after rain or a snow melt Crooked Creek is often the first creek to discolor and the last to clear. It can also be low and slow when the conditions at Elk and Walnut are better. Crooked Creek frequently does not experience the fishing pressure Elk and Walnut receive.

There is a good fishable area at the mouth, but you must park a distance west of the mouth and walk along the lake shore to get to the mouth of the creek. Drive to the very end of Holliday Road to the Virginia's Beach Campground. Park along the roadway just south of the No Parking signs. Although there are cottages and a road going east toward the creek, you cannot get all the way to the creek on this road without running into posted property. You must walk down to the lakeshore and walk along the beach to the mouth. You can fish at the mouth and a short distance upstream to where it is posted. Upstream are nursery waters in which you cannot fish. The nursery waters extend through Camp Fitch and up to the first bridge at Ables Road.

The first upstream access point is at the Ables Road bridge. You can fish from the bridge upstream; downstream is the nursery waters where fishing is prohibited. There is also very limited parking along the East side of Holiday Road between Ables Road and the railroad tracks at a small pull-off as you are heading down the hill. A trail will take you down to the creek.

The next access point is at the Conrail tracks. You can park along the tracks and walk down to the creek. It is very difficult to get through the tubes here and you may have to walk up and over the tracks to access the other side. You can also park on Route 5 just east of the creek and walk down to the creek and fish either upstream or downstream (although going downstream you will hit the Conrail tubes quickly).

There is limited parking available at the Happy Valley Road bridge and you can fish upstream or downstream from here. The next access point is at the Route 20 bridge. Although you can fish upstream or down, it is brushy upstream and the creek branches off a short distance upstream from Route 20. You can fish the West branch by parking at the intersection of Tubbs and Springfield Roads.

The upper-most access points are south of Route 90. The first access is at the Springfield Road bridge. Here there is a tube under the road, a significant waterfall at the tube, and a sizable pool just below the waterfall. The upper-most access point is at the Glosky Road bridge, which is a short distance upstream from the Springfield Road bridge.

Tributary descriptions provided by www.FishERIE.com, a www.FishUSA regional site.

Local Weather:

Wednesday night
Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 30s. South winds 5 to 15 mph.
Thanksgiving
Cloudy early, then rain likely from late morning on. Highs in the lower 50s. South winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.
Thursday night
Cloudy. Rain likely early. Scattered snow showers developing after midnight. Breezy. Lows in the lower 30s. West winds 10 to 20 mph increasing to 15 to 25 mph. Chance of precipitation 60 percent.
Friday
Snow showers likely. Breezy. Highs in the mid 30s. Chance of snow 60 percent.
Friday night
Snow showers likely. Breezy. Lows in the mid 20s. Chance of snow 60 percent.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy. A chance of snow showers in the morning. Highs in the mid 30s. Chance of snow 40 percent.
Saturday night
Mostly cloudy. A chance of snow showers late. Breezy. Lows in the lower 30s. Chance of snow 40 percent.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy. A chance of snow or rain showers in the morning. Breezy. Highs in the lower 40s. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.
Sunday night
Mostly cloudy. Lows in the lower 30s.
Monday
Mostly cloudy. A chance of snow showers in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 40s. Chance of snow 30 percent.
Monday night
Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers. Lows in the upper 20s. Chance of snow 30 percent.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy. A chance of snow showers in the morning. Highs in the lower 40s. Chance of snow 30 percent.




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