Submitted Photo
While the Lake Erie water temperature is still only 35 degrees, the Lake Erie yellow perch are biting near Cattaraugus Creek, say Rob Ebersole, left, Bernie Feldmann, center, and John Woelfle, right.

In the world of early spring fishing — or should we say late winter fishing — the lack of ice on Lake Erie and Chautauqua Lake has allowed boaters with fishing rods early access to favored spring waterways. Mother Nature has been variable and unpredictable, but that’s no problem for anglers with quick-pack habits and a 4-wheel drive vehicle.

Several anglers have been visiting Lake Erie from Cattaraugus Creek access to find small schools of yellow perch roaming the flats in 57 to 63 feet of water between Sunset Bay and Evangola State Park.

“Using live minnows, we fished from standard double hook rigs with a sinker on the bottom and a third hook attached to the sinker eye,” local angler Rob Ebersole said. “We boated some beautiful yellow perch.”

Ebersole was fishing with friends the day before the snowstorm blew in last weekend. With the lake already at 35 degrees and so far ahead of schedule for March, it is unlikely to freeze this year. That could be good or bad for the walleye population, but experts indicate that the walleyes will be unaffected. We have some nasty weather forecast for this weekend, but the spring weather is coming to stay very soon.

At Chautauqua Lake, the early bite for spring crappie is also in progress from shore and boats. In Lake Erie and Chautauqua Lake, and most other New York state waterways. Walleye season will close Friday to protect the walleye through their spawning cycle. The female walleye are carrying thousands of eggs right now, so it is essential to maintain the walleye fishery in our waterways, especially in the smaller Chautauqua Lake and similar smaller lakes. A burgeoning walleye fishery exists at Chautauqua Lake and has yet to be discovered by many nonlocal anglers. Besides protecting walleye, March 15 also marks the close of the state fishing season for northern pike, pickerel and tiger musky.

Unrelated, but on the discussion of losers and winners that matter, are the millions of National Rifle Association members and firearm owners across the country that lost millions of dollars in civil suit court proceedings for corruption brought to light by state Attorney General Letitia James. The court found that NRA Chief Financial Officer Wayne LaPierre and NRA Treasurer Woody Phillips will have to pay $7.4 million in total for findings regarding their corruption. While NRA members are embarrassed by this loss from their NRA leadership, on the good side of member news, LaPierre and Phillips are paying the $7.4 million to the NRA — not to New York state. Should members say, “Thank you, Letitia James?” While news agencies are touting this as a victory for Letitia James, in reality, James did the NRA members a favor of sorts with the final judgment on the funding being returned to the NRA. It seems to many onlookers that this could be touted as a victory for the NRA. The real win for NRA members over all this is that James failed in her goal to dissolve the NRA as an organization. James opened this case in 2020 in NYS because the NRA is registered as a not-for-profit organization in New York. In overview, the misspending by the NRA leadership forced the cutback to longstanding programs that have been the core of the NRA: firearm safety training for young and old, and law enforcement. The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the Gun Owners of America and the Second Amendment Foundation) have taken up the slack regarding private citizen firearm owner rights and firearm safety education programs.

CALENDAR

Friday: New York state fishing seasons close for walleye, northern pike, pickerel and tiger musky

March 19: Children-In-The-Stream-Youth 4H Fly Fishing Program, free, SUNY Fredonia Rockefeller Art Center — Costello Room, 7-8:30 p.m., Info: Alberto Rey: 716-410-7003.

March 31: Last day for New York state coyote hunting season. Season will open again on Oct. 1.

NOTE: Submit Calendar items to forrestfisher35@yahoo.com.