Oddball catches through Lake Erie's ice

One of the great things about our Great Lake is the variety of fish found within its waters. When fishing for walleyes through the ice on Lake Erie, it is possible to see varieties of fish that are not normally seen in the summer. This is because of a seasonal influx of cool water fish species that are usually confined to the eastern half of the lake, except when spawning here.Examples of Lake Erie's cool water fish species that I have seen taken through the ice include Steelhead trout, Lake whitefish, Burbot, Smelt, Lake sturgeon, Silver chub, Lake trout and Sea lamprey.Common warm-water fish include White Bass and White Perch, Smallmouth Bass, Freshwater Drum (Sheepshead), Channel Catfish, Carp and Yellow Perch.The biggest Yellow perch that I ever saw from Lake Erie measured 15 ¼ inches — a full ¾ inches longer than Ohio's 14 ½ state record — an oddball in size only. Even though it was longer, records are based upon weight.Caught in February, it was lighter (2.25 pounds) than the heavier current state record (2.75 pounds) that was caught later in the season (April) when the eggs were further developed and larger.I saw a Lake Trout and Burbot both caught on the same day in 1988 near South Bass Island. Every winter there are also reports of Lake Sturgeon hooked and sometimes landed depending upon its size.A few Muskie are caught each winter, likely migrants from Lake St. Clair, including a line-breaker already hooked this winter. Quillback Suckers and Carp are other species that I have seen caught.One winter, while fishing along the dock in front of the discharge pipe of the Put-in-Bay State Fish Hatchery catching a few small Yellow Perch and Crappies, I set the hook on what I expected was another delicately biting crappie.Instead, my ice rod broke at the handle from the weight of a 22-inch steelhead, which I successfully landed by pulling the line in by hand. It became the guest of honor for dinner that evening.Lake Whitefish are also caught almost every winter, especially around the Rattles, usually all during the span of a few days. They spawn around some of Lake Erie's Western Basin Reefs and Islands in the late fall.White bass and white perch are regular customers, with white perch proving to be effective bait-stealers in cold water, too. White bass have a fine flavor coming through the icy cold water and fight proportionately harder than most walleyes. Be sure to trim off the red muscle layer and eat them fresh.Last winter, there was a strong run of Channel Catfish, which could be coaxed into biting during mid-February. Once again, when taken through cold water, they are superb on the dinner plate — firmer fleshed and milder than those landed in the summer.Sometimes, a walleye or steelhead is caught with a Sea Lamprey attached, as they continue to increase in Lake Erie, based upon scarring data documented by Ohio's fisheries biologists.Back in the early 1980s, I would occasionally see a Sauger. Closely related to walleyes, they are distinguished by round, black spots on their dorsal fins, a brown and white body color, scales on their entire cheeks and no white along the lower edge of their tail fin.A couple of delicate bites one winter resulted in a couple of large minnows called Silver Chubs to become hooked. They do not have any use as a food fish and were released unharmed, having been listed until the late 80s as an endangered species in Lake Erie.I have only seen a few freshwater drum caught through the ice and am convinced that they must not feed too often in the winter. Hordes of them swam past my underwater camera one day last winter.I have only seen one Smallmouth Bass ever caught through the ice in the Bass Islands, an area that is certainly home to huge populations. It is likely because of their habit of forming dense schools over the deepest edge of rocky structures, which are generally avoided because of thinner ice over them.The oddest catch sometimes encountered by ice fishermen around the Islands sports four legs, a slimy brown body, black spots and a flattened tail. They are usually greeted with a yell when landed. But, it is not a 4-legged fish, but a large, underwater salamander called a mudpuppy.I like ice fishing on Lake Erie — you never know what you'll catch!