NORTH COAST CHARTER BOAT ASSOCIATION INFORMATION

Guest Speaker:  Kevin Kayle from the Fairport Fisheries Unit spoke:  2011 was the wettest year in the last 129 years.  Excessive turbidity in the western basin, sewer overflow, and high overflow from the Detroit and Maumee Rivers in April and May followed by hot temperatures all contributed to the Blue-Green Algae bloom.  This caused to walleye to move to the eastern basin.  Microcystis from the algae creates toxins.  So far the toxins are not found in fish flesh.  Walleye harvest and effort was down 28%; license sales down 9%, charter fishing down 21%; and Walleye harvest was down 58%.  Perch harvest was down overall 36% with the central basin down 10% and the east central down 2%.  Hatches of both walleye and perch for 2011 were lower than normal.  2010 hatches were not too bad and the fish are growing fast.  A status report will be available at the end of March at www.odnr.com .  Asian Carp currently are not found in the Great Lakes.