Record Hatch
Lake Erie walleye fishermen welcome near-record hatch in Western Basin By James F. McCarty, The Plain Dealer jmccarty@plaind.com CLEVELAND, Ohio - Lake Erie appeared to have solidified its crown as the Walleye Capital of the World this week with news that the walleye hatch in the Western Basin this spring could be ranked as the second-largest in the lake's history, and the largest in 15 years. Those were the preliminary findings of an August survey conducted at 40 locations by the Ohio Division of Wildlife. The yellow perch hatch counts also were strong and well above average year numbers, the agency announced. The walleye survey report could hardly have come at a better time for the fleet of 650 or so fishing charter boat captains whose businesses have suffered in recent years in the wake of Lake Erie's annual, harmful algal blooms. "Oh boy, yes, it's like a gift has fallen from heaven here," said Captain Dave Spangler, skipper of Dr. Bugs Charters out of Oak Harbor, and vice president of the Lake Erie Charter Boat Association. "With the amount of first-year walleye hatching this year, combined with the large walleye classes of 2014 and 2015, this is going to give us a real good look for at least the next 20 years down the road," Spangler said. Retired Plain Dealer outdoors writer D'Arcy Egan, who lives in Marblehead, was equally impressed by the survey news. "It's a pretty amazing graphic," Egan said. "I never thought I'd see [...]