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S.O.N.S. of LAKE ERIE,
SAVE OUR NATIVE SPECIES, INC.
PO BOX 3605
ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA 16508
TIME DATED MATERIAL
A not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization
NONPROFIT ORG.
US POSTAGE PAID
ERIE PA
PERMIT NO. 480
North East Marina
11950 East Lake Road
North East, Pa. 16428
“The Bucket” published monthly
by the S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie
Richard A. “Mickey” McMahon
Proprietor
• TRANSIENT DOCKAGE
• BOATING SUPPLIES
• NAUTICAL CHARTS
• BOOKS AND GIFT ITEMS
454-3676
34 STATE ST - ERIE - PA - 16507
(814) 874-0698
219
NO GENERAL
MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
UNTIL SEPTEMBER.
GOOD FISHING!!
814.450.4152 or 814.838.0300
www.porterieboatworks.com
Erie’s Largest Full Service Boat Repair
GEM CITY
OUTDOORSMEN
CLUB
6701 Van Camp Rd.
Fairview, PA
814- 474-3126
814- 474-2492
since 1967
(814)459-0666
The City of Erie
City Hall
Paid for by Friends of
Dave Brennan
Silkscreen Unlimited
1701 West 8th St
Erie, PA 16505
814.453.4543
800.724.1683
fax 814.455.3911
www.silkscreenunlimited.com
Screen Printing • Embroidery • Advertising Specialty
Promotional Products & Awards
626 State St, Rm. 104
Erie, PA 16501-1128
814-870-1291
dbrennan@erie.pa.us
317 Peninsula Dr. • Erie, PA 16505
(814) 838-2850
West End Hardware, LLC
1912 Liberty Street
Erie, PA 16502
Jeff Earll, Jr.
Phone: 814/452-2342
Fax: 814/461-1289
Cell: 814/881-4569
westendhardware@truevalue.net
Presque Isle Passage
CAMPGROUND
Just 500 feet N of I-90 (Exit 18)
Full Hookups • Pull-Thru Sites
30 & 50 AMP Service • Modern Restrooms
Laundry Facilities
Cabins • Store • Rec Room
ULTRACRAFT
FISHING
BOATS
MISTY
HARBOR
PONTOON
BOATS
814/833-3233
713 West 26th Street
Phone 455-1007
www.thomasleeprinting.com
JOHN FRIES
3027 WEST 12th ST • ERIE, PA 16505-3892
(814) 833-7749
DRAFT WAGON perfect for
Graduations • Stags • Weddings
USED CARS & TRUCKS
Jeffrey Howell
Owner
owners
City Council Member
AUTO SALES, INC.
1500 West 12th Street
Erie, PA 16501
Gary & Dottie
Heubel
Tohatsu Outboard
David A. Brennan
Port Erie Boat Works
Ken Handman, Owner
2730 W 12th St. • Erie, PA 16505
Recent South winds have
caused the Lake to roll over and anglers are starting to
find the perch in 35-40 ft of water off of Shade’s Beach
and Walnut Creek.
1540 West 26th St.
Erie, PA 16508
ONLY $70 PER SEASON FOR S.O.N.S. MEMBERS
WOLVERINE PARK MARINA
& SHIP’S STORE
Fishing Report:
BEST LITTLE
LURE HOUSE
IN PA
UNLIMITED ON-THE-WATER TOWING
24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE
LICENSED - INSURED - ACCREDITED
Beals-McMahon
Painting
“A Replenishing Species”
Presque Isle Auto
Paint & Collision
(814) 453-6387
VHF CH 16
34 STATE ST
ERIE, PA 16507
DOCKAGE - STORAGE
TACKLE - BAIT - ICE
SERVICE - GASOLINE
FISHING LICENSES
BOAT SALES
(814) 725-8244
Fax (814) 725-2957
Volume 11 • Issue 6
JUNE 2014
814/825-3456
www.lakeshoretowing.com
North East Marine
Services, Inc.
John Fries Paul Fries Bill Goodwill
John (Scotty) Szkotnicki
• Specializing in Automotive Repair •
• Tune ups and Carburetor Service •
• Fuel Injection Cleaning • Dayton Tires •
• Towing Service • PA State Inspection •
Erie’s New Perch Fishing Head Boat
“The O’Danny O”
Get $3 off with this coupon
Docked in the East Slip, foot of State St
Bait included
Call 814-450-3571 for more info
On line at http://Tinytimfishing.com
PETER S. HOWARD
CAI,AARE, S/CRPA
Realtor • Appraiser • Auctioneer
Lake Erie Custom Charters
Office (716) 769-7300
Fax (716) 769-7341
Cell (716) 499-7447
Toll Free 1 (888) 876-4999
The ultimate Lake Erie experience...
Welcome aboard!
6821 West Lake Road
Fairview, PA 16415
814-474-5623
10438 Main St, #1 Alexander Findley Square
PO Box 496, Findley Lake, NY 14736-0496
findleylakeproperty@gmail.com
www.findleylake-property.com
12 East Dobbins Landing Erie, PA 16507
(814) 459-4440 • Fax (814) 459-4441
ABigImagination@aol.com
We are here for the fishing community.
We strive to keep emerald shiners on hand every day.
We offer a broad selection of fishing tackle.
We offer ice and various items at our concession area.
We offer on the water dock-side boat parking.
We are going to be your preferred Bait & Tackle center.
Edinboro outdoors
Sporting Goods
Ken
Chernicky
Buy • Sell • Trade
Jim
Buschak
211 Mill Street • Edinboro, PA 16412
(814) 734-4727 • (814) 734-4927
www.edinborooutdoors.com
Monday, Friday, 9 - 8 • Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, 9 - 6 • Saturday, 9 - 5
814/452-1717
814/452-1804 (fax)
Boat Prop
Repair
www.anchormarineltd.com
Five State Street • Erie, PA 16507
James R. Manges
President
anchormarine@anchormarineltd.com
Party
Boat
Fishing
Aboard
$32 Adults • $27 Seniors • $22 Kids
$3 off with this coupon
All bait is included
details: 814/881-7611
www.EdwardJohnPerchFishing.com
WORKING TO IMPROVE FISHING AND THE FISHERY OF LAKE ERIE FOR 31 YEARS SINCE 1981
The
Official Publication of the S.O.N.S.
VOLUME 11 • ISSUE # 6
JUNE 2014
Bucket
S.O.N.S. PHONE NUMBER 814-453-2270 (ALSO FAX NUMBER)
sonslakeri @aol.com • www.sonsoflakeerie.org
ANGLER INSTRUCTOR COURSE
REMINDER
that the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission will be
providing a free Fishing Skills Instructor workshop on
Saturday July 19th from 10:00am to 8:00pm at the Tom
Ridge Environmental Center. If you are interested, call
Chad Foster at the above number or call Jerry Skrypzak at
814-452-6291
For more information you can download
the Fishing Skills Instructor handbook at
http://fishandboat.com/education/fsi/handbookfsi.pdf
PFBC HIGHLIGHTS BEST STATE
WALLEYE WATERS
With the start of the statewide walleye season, the toughest choice
for anglers may be deciding where to cast their lines. Recent
sampling surveys by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
continue to show high-quality walleye fisheries in waters across
the state. In terms of angler demand, walleye rank fourth behind
trout, black bass and panfish among species targeted by anglers
in Pennsylvania.
FUND ESTABLISHED
TO SUPPORT BUOY
Dr. Jeanette Schnarrs, director of the Regional Science Consortium
addressed our members at our May General Membership
meeting. She provided an update on the deployment of the
weather buoy into Lake Erie. The RSC is the lead agency and
recipient of the grant for the NOAA weather buoy. Dr. Schnarrs
answered members’ questions and provided a demonstration as
well as access information to the buoy’s web site which can be
accessed at http://wqdatalive.com/public/55 or palakeeriebuoy.
com and clicking on the Near Shore Buoy link.
She also explained the need to provide continuing support and
maintenance for the buoy. It will be necessary to take the buoy out
of the Lake in November. It will then be recalibrated and upgraded.
A fund has been established in order to cover these expenses.
Dr. Schnarrs was surprised when S.O.N.S. Treasurer Terry
Pfeffer and President Jerry Skrypzak brought out a ceremonial
check in the amount of $3000 for the buoy maintenance fund and
presented it to her.
The donation from the S.O.N.S. will hopefully be the catalyst to
other fishing clubs, yacht clubs, boaters groups and others to
follow our lead and do the same.
Here’s the list:
Large Reservoirs > 500 acres - Lake Wallenpaupack, Pymatuning
Reservoir, Raystown Lake, Lake Erie
Medium Reservoirs 50 - 500 acres - Gordon Lake, Lake
Somerset, Struble Lake
Flowing waters - Allegheny River (Section 22), French Creek,
Tulpehocken Creek (Blue Marsh Lake tail-race)
Boat: 17 ½ ft Sylvan, walk through windshield, ready for the water,
call 814-453-3740
Boat: 19’ Lowe with walk through bow, 84 hp and 9.9 hp Evinrude
outboards, with trailer, Humminbird fish finder, and assorted gear.
Total hours used – 25, in show room condition asking $10,000 call
814-474-5482
Two Man Ice Hut and gear $150 call 814-474-5482
Old photographs of Erie’s Waterfront-Ships, Boats, Buildings,
Fishing and Fishermen, Railroads, etc. Call Jerry at 814-452-6291.
I would like to borrow and scan them for my slide presentations.
If you would like to have a 2014 S.O.N.S.
member pin, you can pick one up at one of
the upcoming events or our meetings. If you
would like one mailed to you, send $2.00 to
the S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie PO Box 3605 Erie,
PA to cover mailing costs.
JOIN
A
FRIEND
TODAY!
MAIL TO: S.O.N.S., PO BOX 3605, ERIE, PA 16508
RECORD OF MEMBERSHIP
Name
Address
City
 Renew  New
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
Phone
2014
_______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________
$5.00 ADULT
State
Date
___________
Zip ________________
_______________________________
$4.00 SR. CITIZEN (over 65)
$3.00 JR. (under 16)
S.O.N.S.
HATCHERY
COMPLETES
ITS 29th
SEASON
1. Gannon University intern
Becca Ford and SONS
Vo l u n t e e r S a m B r a d y
just completed adding 10
quarts of walleye eggs to
the hatching jars at the
SONS hatchery on April
22 that were acquired
from the PFBC hatchery
at Linesville, PA. Days
passed and the eggs
began to develop. Becca
Ford took samples of the
eggs during this period and
examined them under a
microscope. The eggs then
began to hatch.
2. An open house at the
hatchery was held on
Saturday May 10th which
attracted many visitors.
On Monday May 13th,
fourteen SONS volunteers
began to siphon the tiny
walleye into buckets for
transport out onto the bay.
Becca watches Larry as
he operates the siphon
hoses.
3. Buckets of walleye fry
are carried out to Gerry
Vollentine’s boat where
they are carefully stocked
around Presque Isle Bay.
For Sale:
WANTED:
2014 MEMBERSHIP PIN
Dr. Jeanette Schnarrs (L) is all smiles when she is presented with a
check by SONS Pres. Jerry Skrypzak (Cntr) and Treas. Terry Pfeffer
(R) for future expenses for maintenance to the Lake Erie Weather Buoy
4. The hatchery crew L to
R- Joe Springer, Hatchery
Manager-Bob Zawadzki,
Don Tombaugh, Jim Mattson, Jack Klapthor, Larry Lipinski and Rich
Smith. Not in this photo were Gerry Vollentine, Tom Foye, Linda
Graham, and Chuck Miller who were out stocking fish when the photo
was taken.
5. Becca Ford showed our members some of the photos of the developing
walleye that she recorded while studying our hatchery operation during
her internship with us.
6. The sixth panel shows a few photos of the developing walleye that
she recorded through a microscope.
YOUTH FIELD DAY SET
The annual Youth Field Day has been scheduled
by the Gem City Outdoorsmen Club at 6701
Van Camp Rd. on Saturday August 23, 2014
from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. There is no charge.
All youth are invited. The kids can experience
shooting, fishing, casting and a whole lot of other
activities. All equipment will be provided. All boys
and girls must be accompanied by a parent.
The kids must pre-register beginning June 27th
by calling 814-432-3187 after 6:00 PM
If you have any questions you can call Todd
Zonna at 814-734-1593 or Ron Bolash at 814459-1778.
The S.O.N.S. have been a co-sponsor of this
event for many years. We also provide the
fishing experience. We will need volunteers.
See below.
SCOUTS REFURBISH PRESQUE ISLE
STRUCTURES
S.O.N.S. GET TO TRY
NEW LURE
KIDS LEARN TO FISH THEN
GIVE DONATION TO THE S.O.N.S.
Eagle Scout candidate Erich Shuhart of Troop 133 from St. Boniface Church
organized 20 fellow scouts and adult advisors to refinish the boardwalk and
pontoon boat station in the lagoons and also the floating fishing platform on
Waterworks Pond. Erich submitted the project in order to achieve the rank
of Eagle Scout.
In an effort to solve the problem of
the scarcity of emerald shiners during
the summer months, Chuck Lee, Troy
and Tyler Wadding and Jim Kocsis
have developed an artificial bait that
works pretty good as a substitute
for live minnows. They donated over
700 of their new lure to the S.O.N.S.
All of our members who attended
our May meeting were given free
samples of the new lure along with
jig head hooks. The plastic lures
come in several colors with shiny
flecks molded into the body. Below
is a photo of the new artificial bait.
On Friday May 16th, 2014 ten students from the Charter School of Excellence got
together with nine of our volunteers to learn how to fish at the floating fishing platform
on Waterworks Pond on Presque Isle State Park. The day was cool and sunny. The
trout started biting when the sun came out after burning through an early fog. Twentyfour nice brown trout were caught as well as hundreds of tiny blue gills. A warmouth,
which is an endangered species, was also reeled in.
The scouts started the work at the park on October 13, 2013 at the pontoon
boat station. Inclement weather closed the project until this spring when the
scouts went back to work on April 27th when the work at the lagoons was
completed. Work was started on the platform on Waterworks Pond April 30th
and completed on May 23. Close to 100 man hours were spent to complete
the work.
The S.O.N.S. was asked to sponsor the project by providing funds to purchase
the necessary materials and tools to do the job. Since the majority of our work
with kids takes place at the fishing platform on Waterworks Pond, it seemed
fitting that we should support Erich and his fellow scouts.
VOLUNTEERS SAVE THE DATE,
MONDAY AUGUST 4th IS YOUR
ANNUAL PICNIC. SEE MORE
DETAILS IN THE JULY BUCKET
SONS Volunteers pose with faculty and kids
from the Charter School of Excellence after a fun day of fishing.
The kids and the school staff shared their picnic lunch with our volunteers. More fishing
was done after lunch. As the session reached its close, one of the students presented
us with a $30.00 donation which they had raised at the school through a fund raiser.
Many thanks to Achille, Ana, Alex, Narad, Amanda, Ashley, Ian, Amthony, Sarah and
Greg. More thanks to Mrs. Viglione, Ms Ross and Ms Deb for your great work.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Thurs June 26 10:00-2:00 Cabin # 3
Millcreek Summer Rec. Program Day 2
Volunteers needed
Monday June 30 11:30-1:30 WW Pond
Edinboro YMCA Summer Camp Volunteers
needed
GOOD FISHING PREDICTED
FOR THIS SUMMER
Thurs July 10 10:00-2:00 Cabin # 3
Millcreek Summer Rec. Program Day 3
Volunteers needed
Senior biologist for the PFBC’s Lake Erie Unit, Chuck Murray, was the featured
speaker at our May meeting. Chuck presented a Power Piont show that had slides
illustrating the conditions of the Lake Erie fishery with a special focus on perch,
walleye, smallmouth bass, steelhead, brown and lake trout.
Wed July 2 10-1 Liberty Pier Neighborhood
Art house and kids from Early Connections
Volunteers Needed
Wed July 16 10-2 PISP WW Pond Mt
Carmel Summer Camp kids Volunteers
needed
Sat July 26 10-2 Discover Presque Isle
Family Fishing at WW Pond Volunteers
Needed
Wed. July 30 10:00-2 Waterworks Pond
Villa Summer Camp Volunteers Needed
Thurs Aug. 7 10:00-2:00 Cabin # 3
Millcreek Summer Rec. Program Day 4
Volunteers needed
Sat Aug 23 8-4 Gem City Outdoorsmen
Club, Youth Field Days, Volunteers
Needed
Tues Aug 12 10-12 WW Pond Corry YMCA
Day Camp Volunteers Needed
Tues Aug 19 5-8pm Free Family Fishing
at Liberty Pier, part of 8 Great Tuesdays
Volunteers needed
(Top Left) Erich Shuhart and fellow scouts at work at the lagoons,
(Bottom Left) scouts at work on Waterworks Pond.
(Right) Erich Shuhart and his Dad checking out the completed work.
WATERFORD
LIONS CLUB
SUPPORTS
THE S.O.N.S.
Doug Smith (Right) from
the Waterford Lions Club
presented a check for
$250 to SONS Pres. Jerry
Skrypzak (Right) at the
May 19th General Membership Meeting.
Chuck discussed the quotas for perch and walleye as set by the Bi-National Lake
Erie Committee. Lake wide walleye quotas will stay the same but there was a
9% lakewide decrease in quotas recommended for perch. In 2013 the quota
for PA waters was .949 million pounds. The quota for perch in PA waters was
set a .850 million pounds a 10% reduction. The quota values are not significant
because our total harvest has not even been close in recent years. There has
been decent recruitment (hatches) of perch in recent years. Most perch are
caught off of Walnut Creek.
Walleye on the other hand had its last best hatch in 2003. Many of these fish are
still around and will be caught this summer.
Chuck Murray Predicts: Perch should provide very good fishing in 2014 and
beyond – could see lots of small fish. Walleye abundance is declining, but catch
rates should be “average” in 2014 – trophy and young fish available. Smallmouth
bass fishing remains good and is improving. Brown trout numbers should continue
to increase.
WINNER CHOOSES ATV
ATV Winner, Miranda Winkler (center) takes
ownership of her new Polaris ATV at Alex
Motor Sports which she won in our annual
“Fin and Fur Drawing which was held on
Sunday April 13th at our Ice Out Party.
Miranda chose the ATV and upgraded to
the Polaris model. Posing with her is Brian
Alexandrowicz (L) from Alex Motor Sports
and SONS Director Bob Zawadzki (R), the
Fin and Fur Raffle chairman.