Mike Bleech Outdoors Columnist

How do you determine which fish is most popular among Warren area anglers?

During April and May it would appear that stocked trout are our most popular sport fish. But it depends on where you are looking. Go to Chautauqua Lake and it might appear that the majority of anglers in the region are chasing crappie.

Then comes walleye season right about now and out come those who appear to be the most serious anglers in the region based on the amount of money spent on boats, fishing rods and reels and electronics are walleye fans. Which, of course, is short for fanatics.

Smallmouth bass also have a strong following of true fans. You will see them starting by late April on Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay, there for the trophy size bass. During June and until late fall they will appear at the Allegheny River, Chautauqua Lake and several smaller waterways in the region.

Yellow perch have a good following, better that one might expect. Where they are usually seen is on the ice. Presque Isle Bay is world class ice fishing for perch, as is Lake Erie on open water during summer. But among anglers residing in Warren County, perch do not belong in a discussion of the most popular fish among local anglers. Nor does steelhead and salmon fishing, though both are highly regarded as they should be.

Amazing as it would seem to most freshwater anglers in North America, we have still more very good fisheries close enough for a day of fishing. There are muskellunge, really good muskellunge, northern pike, channel catfish, flathead catfish, largemouth bass, sunfish, even burbot.

But which fish is most popular?

We could base this on the number of anglers who pursue each sport fish. We could base it on man-hours. Since I am writing this, I get to choose. And I choose desirability.

If area anglers had a choice of which fish they would most like to catch at any time of the year, I believe that the majority would answer, “Walleye”, with a gleam in their eyes.

Note that I would not be among those who would make this answer. My answer would change from time to time, but most often crappie would be my first choice. So the top rating of walleye is not my own choice, although walleye probably would most often be my second choice, and occasionally my first choice.

The Allegheny Reservoir was last surveyed by Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission biologists in spring, 2014, unless is it going on now. The 2014 survey employed gill net, trap net and boat electro-fishing. A major goal in this survey is determining whether quality fishery criteria are being met for fish stocked by the PFBC: walleye, muskellunge and channel catfish. Various measurements are taken to determine growth rates. Catch rates for sampling, expressed in catch-per-unit-effort, will be described in this column using the terms used in the survey report from the biologists involved.

Electro-fishing, done at night, took place three consecutive days in March, a three different locations: Willow Bay, Upper Kinzua Arm and near the dam. Catch rate overall was 8.52 walleye per hour. This revealed a “good” population according to the report.

Walleye were caught in considerably larger numbers than any other species during spring gill netting in mid-April. This was the first gill net sampling since 2009, however, gill netting has been the long term sampling method since 1977 at the Allegheny Reservoir. That first gill net survey happened as the reservoir was approaching all-time high numbers. Walleye from 9 inches to 29 inches in length were captured in gill nets during the 2014 survey. A large number measured from 12 inches to 17 inches, indicating an “encouraging” outlook for walleye anglers in the future, which is now.

Overall walleye catch was the 5th highest on record. The catch rate of 34.25 walleye per 100 gill net hours was the fourth highest on record. The long-term, 1991 to 2014, mean average catch rate was 27.45 walleye per 100 gill net hours.

Trap netting was performed in late April. Though not targeted for walleye specifically, a typical number for this sampling method were caught.

During the past couple of years, my observation has been a bump-up in the walleye catch, and seasonally a small increase in size perhaps. Expect a good 2017 for walleye fishing on the Allegheny Reservoir. This may not be highly noticeable, but better is better, and the walleye are there.