GREAT OUTDOORS: Walleyes and more walleyes on my mind

Lake Erie fisheries biologists and industry stakeholders met this week to discuss 2024 Total Allowable Catch limits (TAC) for walleye and yellow perch management goals.The binational Lake Erie Committee of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission announced Lake Erie's TAC for walleye to be 12.858 million fish. The lakewide population is estimated to be 72.1 million fish, ages 2 and above. The committee includes fishery managers from Michigan, New York, Ohio, Ontario and Pennsylvania — the five jurisdictions that share the lake. Based upon the amount of walleye habitat in each of the jurisdictions, Ohio will be entitled to 6.572 million fish, Ontario 5.536 million fish and Michigan 0.750 million fish in the Western and Central basins of the lake. Walleye tourneys beginOn March 30, the first Lake Erie Walleye Trail fishing tournament is scheduled to occur at the Magee East Marina and Campgrounds (419-607-6089), 10481 State Route 2 in Oak Harbor. Fishing may occur anywhere in Lake Erie or its attached tributaries with all legal fishing methods. Any walleye of legal size (minimum 15 inches) are eligible to be weighed. Culling of live fish is allowed with the weigh-in of the team's best five fish beginning outside of the Magee East General Store at 3:30 p.m. The public is welcome to attend the weigh-in in person or view it on the Lake Erie Walleye Trail Facebook page and at its web site. Registration for this event ends at 11:59 p.m. on March 27. The family friendly tournament is open to all LEWT members. Ccheduled backup weather dates are April 6 or April 7. One year, they had to postpone this one due to the marina still being frozen, but if it gets postponed it will more likely be due to high winds or storms. On April 20, the second LEWT event is a jigging-casting-drifting only tournament with no trolling allowed. It is being hosted by Bays Edge Bait and Tackle at 5359 East Bayshore Road, Port Clinton, with an April 21 weather date. Weigh-in begins at 2:30 p.m. in the Bays Edge Bait and Tackle shop parking lot. To join LEWT, register for tournaments, or to see more details, go to LakeErieWalleyeTrail.com. Rivers full of walleyes Even before the March 14 storms dumped rain across the region and raised rivers by 3 to 4 feet in a manner of a couple of days, there were walleyes concentrated in the downtown Fremont area of the Sandusky River. With a somewhat cooler water temperature, the numbers in the Maumee River had been fewer at mid-month, but high numbers moved in after the river flow increased. After a few days when anglers could only fish along the edges, both streams are at normal levels but muddy. Higher catches are now being seen on the Maumee than the spottier success reported in recent days on the Sandusky. Jigs dressed with two-toned rubber red body/green tails have been popular on both streams. The spawning run typically peaks in the Sandusky River in the first half of April and in the Maumee during the second half, based upon my observations during the 2015-2017 spring runs while serving as the Ohio Division of Wildlife's Creel Clerk on these streams. Walleye fishing trip A free drawing for two anglers to win a May 10 Bill Lewis Lures "Dream Walleye Fishing Trip" with Mark and Jake Romanack, hosts of World Fishing Network and Sportsman Channel's Fishing 4-1-1 TV, will be held April 30.Winners of the fishing trip, hosted by Erie Gold Sport Fishing charter captain Eric Hirzel, will also receive overnight lodging, tackle and license (if needed) and selected Bill Lewis, Big Bite Baits and Steel Shad lures in a package valued at $1,500.Register by April 27 at www.baits.com/walleye-fishing-trip-giveaway.