WCO Report for Erie County 06/16/2009: Erie area, PA,
WCO Report Posted: June 16, 2009

Cant find the Perch?...Try a Little Bass Fishing

Reports for Walleye and Perch have varied greatly over the last few weeks. Locating fish can be difficult, but it is important to note that the Lake temperatures are still relatively cold and the fishing should pick up as water temperatures hit the mid sixties. For now, the best reports for perch have been in 40-42 feet of water north of Trout Run and off the Point at Presque Isle in similar depths. A fair number of perch limits have been reported with many of good size. Again, a good rule of thumb when perching, is to change locations if you haven't had a strike in 15 or 20 minutes.

Walleye angling has been sporadic with the large numbers of migrating walleye still mostly in the East Basin of Lake Erie. Reports from the Islands in the Eastern Basin have been excellent with water temperatures there in the mid 60's. Savvy anglers in our area have brought in limits, many of them targeting the shallow areas west of Walnut Creek in 30 to 35' of water. Bass fishing remains good to excellent along the Lake Shore in 25-30 feet of water, especially in any area where there is any kind of structure. Current Lake Erie water temperatures are 66 degrees off Toledo, 62 degrees off Cleveland, and 57 degrees off the Port of Erie.

Walnut Creek Marina Memorial Wall from Christie Ferrier:
The wall is filling up!!! We still have room however, for Memorials, or a Birthday or Anniversary gift. The pavers are wonderful and meaningful gifts for those of you who have friends or family who are hard to buy for...consider a paver as a long, lasting gift which they can enjoy seeing for many years to come!

There are only 3 of the large capstones left on the garden side of the wall. These are much larger than the pavers and can be yours for $325.00 each. If you have not been to the Walnut Creek Marina in awhile, stop and see the garden and the wall and see what some of the pavers say. It is touching and very interesting.

When the Administration Office is open, you may pick up a brochure in the office or get in touch with me at the addresses below. The money from the sale of any paver or capstone goes in to a fund at the Erie Community Foundation to pay for upkeep and maintenance of the garden and wall into perpetuity.

Christie Ferrier - 814-474-2577---email: cbfbeach@mac.com

Reporting a Boating Accident:
If a boating accident occurs, it must be reported in writing by the boat operator or owner to the Fish & Boat Commission when:
A person dies or disappears.
A person is injured and requires advanced medical treatment beyond first aid.
Damage to the boat and other property totals more than $2,000, or there is a complete loss of the vessel.
There is an accident report form in the back of the PA Boating Handbook, or one can be downloaded from the Commission's web site, or one can be obtained from any Commission regional law enforcement office as well as the Walnut Creek Access Office.

Anchoring Made Easy

Although a lowering anchoring is relatively simple operation, many people tend to over look a few simple procedures that are necessary to assure that their vessel is secure. Several things that affect anchoring are water depth, length of the anchor line, wind, type of bottom structure, type and size of the boat, and the type of anchor.

It is generally pretty easy to spot a novice boater attempting to anchor. He will typically be the one standing in the boat swinging the anchor line in an attempt to throw the anchor as far from the boat as he possibly can in a style that could only be bettered by a cowboy roping a calf. Typically this effort is rarely successful in securing the boat and is an unsafe practice as well.

Anchors hold best when the pull of the rode (fancy nautical term for line) on the anchor is as near to horizontal as possible. The holding power of an anchor increases as the scope ratio increases. A ratio of 7:1 is standard; 10:1 is better in rough water. For example, if boating in eight feet of water and the bow is two feet above the waterline, 70 feet of rode is recommended. Boaters should carry at least two anchors (not required, but recommended). A smaller, lighter anchor is good for use in calm weather and for positioning a boat, and a larger anchor is best for bad weather or when anchoring overnight. Boats should never be anchored from the stern (back of the boat), especially in current or high wind.

To anchor properly, the boat should be headed bow into the wind or current. The engine is then reversed or the boat is allowed to back off. When the boat starts to go backward through the water, the anchor is lowered from the bow (front of the boat). As the line goes over the side of the boat, no one should be standing on any part of it. The end of the anchor rode (called the bitter end) must be secured to the boat. When about a third of the rode is out, the rode is tied off to a forward cleat to make the anchor dig into the bottom. Once the anchor digs in, the remaining rode is let out. A sight bearing is then taken on some stationary objects to make certain that the anchor is not dragging on the bottom. Typically, the best sight bearings are stationary points on land if close enough to shore. Do not use other boats for sight bearings.

Arguably, the best anchor, or at least the most popular on Lake Erie is the Danforth anchor. This type of anchor has 2 blades that pivot and when dragged horizontally along the bottom, will do a good job digging in. Danforth anchors come in a variety of sizes for most boats

Local Weather:

Wednesday Night...Cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows around 60. South winds 15 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Thursday...Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower 70s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.

Thursday Night...Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 60s. West winds 10 to 15 mph... Becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Friday...Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 70s. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Friday Night...Cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 60s. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Saturday...Showers likely. Highs in the lower 70s. Chance of rain 60 percent.

Saturday Night...Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers. Lows around 60.

Sunday...Partly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers. Highs in the mid 70s.

Sunday Night...Partly cloudy. Lows around 60.

Monday...Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 70s.

Monday Night...Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 60s.

Tuesday...Partly sunny with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s. Chance of rain 30 percent