December 9th, 1998
Western Basin Area
The action in the Western Basin of Lake Erie
has been hot and cold.
The shore hot spots have been the Huron Pier
and Nickle Plate in Huron,
Marblehead (the western rocks) and Lakeside Pier.
Good catches are
coming off the shore of South Bass Island.
Some nights they bite. Other nights they don't
bite. The key is to
BE THERE and stick it out. Sometimes its dusk,
10:00 pm, 11:45pm or
even later before they bite. If there is no Northeast
wind, get out
there and give it a try.
The key casting from shore is to use Husky jerk
baits, Rattle Traps or
any shad-like or stic bait.These are doing the
trick. For us the rattle
traps in electic silver/blue has been hot in
the bigger 3/4 oz size.
Some are trolling. If you troll use stick type
baits that work the first
ten feet of water. During the day, drifting and
trolling spinners off
bottom bouncers can be the ticket.
Also, the perch a BITING! BIG PERCH! Off the Catawaba
Yatch club bouy
12"+ fish are very common. It's a short run out
of Catawaba state
park launch area. It will only take you an hour
or less to get your
limit.
Good fishing. The Whaler Fishing team.
November 29, 1998
Huron, OH City Pier
hello anglers
Fished at the huron pier last night caught a limit in about a hour the
fishing was great ,i have to say
it was one of the best times i had there,all
the fish was between 8 to 12 pound range with the biggest was 31
and a half inches.but be prepared, fishing is
elbow to elbow have plenty of husky jerks on hand blue and
silver seems to be the best color.see ya on the
peir Jeff [email protected]
November 1, 1998
Western Basin Lake Erie
Fished five miles out from the Huron, O. Light
on October 25th. Fishing was phenomenal.
Caught 15 walleyes between 2 of us. The
largest was 9lb. 8oz. and 8 lb. 12
oz., with many in the 7 - 8 lb range. None
under 5 lb. Trolled wire line
in 42 ft. of water, using Walleye Divers in Tennessee
Shad and Black and
Silver colors.
Keith Jones & Dan Wadsword, [email protected]
October 22, 1998
Western Basin Lake Erie
Windy and chilly weather including heavy rain
last Wednesday has kept most anglers off Lake Erie the past week.
However, walleye fishing 2-3 miles off the Huron lighthouse was reported
excellent last weekend for those anglers who did get out. A number
of limit catches were reported and fish that are being taken are large
fish. This area first became a hot spot for late fall walleye several
years ago. Anglers are fishing various methods including casting
weight forward spinners tipped with nightcrawlers and trolling with crankbaits.
Catches are in 30-40 feet of water. Walleye should continue to move
closer to shore as the fall weather progresses.
Little yellow perch activity was reported the
past week due to inclimate weather. However excellent fall perch
fishing can last into November as long as the weather cooperates.
Anglers should keep in mind that most marinas close November 1st.
Floating docks at the major public access areas are usually pulled from
water sometime in November. Prior to the past week anglers were catching
yellow perch at numerous traditional perch locations at the far western
end of the lake and Sandusky Bay. Fish are averaging 7 1/2 inches.
October 22, 1998
Western Basin Lake Erie
The walleye fishing in the Western Basin can
only be said to be
SLOW! However, on Monday (October 19) the bite
erupted about five
miles north of Huron. In a matter of a couple
hours limit catches
were being reported! Boats flocked out of Huron
to take part in the
action.
Bottom bouncers with worm harnesses, casting
harnesses and weight
forward spinners were all producing. Today, Tuesday,
things have slowed
up. The water Monday was clearing, but with an
increasing wind things
are now getting dirty again.
The 'night bite' has not started yet. The Clevelander,
out of Huron, has
been running night charters, but as of now they
have not had much
success. Look for this to change in the next
few weeks. The fish will
start moving in and the big bite will then be
on.
If you want to catch perch, they are biting with
a passion. From the
range bouy's, to south of Green Island, east
of Kelley's Island, off
Cedar Point light and the bell bouy, off Huron
and off The Castle; the
action has been hot. On Saturday it only took
45 minutes for us to
catch our limit. The fish finder showed 3 feet
of solid fish on the
bottom!
A trick to catching these fish are to use a 5.5
to 6 ft. medium/light
graphite rod, with Fireline (or a similiar line)
and then use
'Bear Paws' to attach your snelled hooks. We
are using a number 4
gold True Turn hooks. It's larger size enables
double hook the minnow,
(run the hook through the minnow's back and then
through the minnow's
head and exposing the barb).
Here's the set-up. Tie on a swivel snap, attach
a snelled hook to the
swivel and a 1 oz. sinker. They about a foot
up the line from the swivel
attach your second snelled hook to your Fireline
via a 'Bear Paw'.
This set-up will out produce any other ring 4
to 1. It doesn't have a
bunch of wire and is a very natural presentation.
Try it and you'll
soon find this smiple rig worked wonders. The
fireline and graphite rod
ensue that any bite you'll be sure to feel.
Good fishing! The Pro-V Fishing Team
October 14, 1998
Western Basin Lake Erie
Weather conditions have been limiting the past
couple of weeks. When weather is good, fishing for walleye, bass,
and perch have been very good. Water temperature is 67 degrees.
Most western basin anglers are fishing for yellow perch. Perch fishing
has been excellent at the Toledo water intake, Catawba Island, Green Island,
Rattlesnake Island, Starve Island, Marblehead and Cedarpoint areas as well
as Sandusky Bay. Further east good location include nearshore areas
off Huron, Vermilion and Lorain. Fish are averaging 7 1/2 inches
with some larger and smaller fish taken. Anglers are using
perch spreaders tipped with shiners.
Walleye fishing has been good 4-6 miles off of
Huron with good numbers taken on some days. A number of charter captains
have moved their operations to Huron to take advantage of this Fall walleye
fishery that has been available off of Huron the past several years.
Anglers are casting weight forward spinners tipped with night crawlers
as well as trolling with downriggers and dipsey's with crankbaits.
Catches are usually in 30-40 feet of waters. Walleye catches have
also been reported off of Crib and Toussaint Reef.
Smallmouth Bass fishing continues to be good
when anglers can get out onto the lake. Best areas have been around
the Bass islands and Ruggles Crib and Toussaint reef. Anglers are
drifting live bait and casting tube jigs over rocky areas in 15-25 feet
of water. Most catches measure 13-17 inches.
October 6, 1998
Western Basin Lake Erie
Two of us caught our limit in about 2 Hrs. Sunday
and 2 1/2 hrs. Monday.
We were fishing 1/2 mile north of Green Island.
Most fish were 7 to 8
in. Several were 9 or so. We also caught perch
east of Kelly,s Fri
afternoon. Fish were bigger there. Started later
and caught 35 before we
changed to smallmouth. There were 50 boats out
there and I suspect they
were all doing well. The gobies were thick on
Kelly shoal. I checked to
see what they were feeding on and found them
full of zebra mussel,s
Later, Ron
September 24, 1998
Western Basin Lake Erie
In the western basin the water temperature is
72 degrees. Most anglers are targeting yellow perch and many limit
catches have been reported. Best areas include the water intake at
Toledo, Catawba Island, Green Island, Rattlesnake Island, Starve Island,
Marblehead and Cedar Point areas as well as Sandusky Bay. Further
East good location include nearshore areas off of Huron, Vermilion and
Lorain. Anglers are using crappie rigs and perch spreaders tipped
with shiners. Fish are being caught in 25-35 feet of water.
Many fish are in the 7-9 inch range.
Walleye fishing off Kelly's Island to Huron can
be excellent in the Fall. Anglers should use all methods available
to find these fish. Catches are usually in 35-40 feet of water.
Smallmouth Bass fishing has been good around
the Bass islands and Ruggles Reef. Anglers are drifting live bait
and casting tube jigs over rocky areas in 15-25 feet of water. Most
fish are 13-17 inches.
September 16, 1998
Western Basin Lake Erie
Windy weather conditions the past several days
has limited fishing somewhat. Fishing is very good when the weather
cooperates. Yellow perch fishing is in full gear. Anglers are
encouraged to release small perch in the 5-7 inch range. These small
fish are from the 1996 year class. Many larger perch are available
in the fishery. Anglers should use a #4 hook or larger hook when
targeting yellow perch, to keep from catching the smaller perch.
Western basin water temperature is 74 degrees. Most western basin
anglers are now fishing for yellow perch and limit catches are common.
Good spots are Toledo water intake, Catawba Island, Green Island, Rattlesnake
Island, Starve Island, Marblehead, Cedar Point and Sandusky Bay.
Points further east include nearshore areas off Huron, Vermilion and Lorain.
Anglers are using crappie rigs and perch spreaders tipped with shiners.
Fish are in 25-35 feet of water. Small fish are dominating the fishery.
Many fish are in the 7-9 feet of water.
The walleye fishing has been fair with the best
locations been the sand bar area off of Lorain Harbor and Vermilion.
Anglers are trolling with planer boards with deep diving lures and
with dipsey divers with spinners or spoons. Most catches are in 30-35
feet of water. Fish are in the 16-22 inch range.
Smallmouth bass fishing has been good around
the bass islands and at Ruggles Reef. Bass anglers are
drifting softcraws over rocky area in 20-25 feet of waters. Most
fish are in the 13-17 inch range.
August 30, 1998
Western Basin Lake Erie
Western basin water temperature is 76 degrees.
Most anglers are now targeting yellow perch and the fishing has been very
good. Many location producing limit catches including many traditional
hot spots such as Catawba Island, Toledo water intake, Green Island, Rattlesnake
Island, Starve Island, Marblehead, and Cedar Point areas and Sandusky Bay.
Further points east good locations include nearshore from Huron, Vermilion
and Lorain. Anglers are using Crappie rigs and Perch spreaders tipped
with shiners. Fish are being caught in 25-35 feet of water.
Small fish are dominating the catch and are 7-9 inch range.
Walleye fishing continues to be good. Best locations are North
and North West of the Bass Islands especially North Bass Island.
Other good locations include the sandbar area of Lorain Harbor and Vermilion.
Anglers are using weight forward spinners and mayfly rigs with worms
as well as trolling planer boards, deep diving lures and downriggers with
spinners or spoons. Most catches are in 30-35 feet of water.
Most fish are 16-22 inches.
August 23, 1998
Western Basin Lake Erie
Western basin water temperature is 76 degrees.
Walleye fishing was good the past week with some limit catches. The
best spot was north of North Bass Island. Other productive locations
were northwest of Rattlesnake island, north of the reef complex and the
sandbar of of Lorain Harbor and Vermilion. Anglers are using weight
forward spinners and mayfly rigs with worms and trolling with planer boards
and deep diving lures and spoons and worm harnesses. Most fish are
in 30-35 feet of water. Most fish are 13-14 inches and some in the
16-22 inches.
Perch fishing is good with many locations producing
fish. Many of the traditional western basin perch fishing areas include
the Toledo water intake, Catawba island, Green Island, Rattlesnake Island,
Starve Island, Marblehead, Cedar Point and Sandusky Bay. Points further
east include nearshore from Huron, Vermilion and Lorain. Anglers
are catching fish in 25-35 feet of water using perch and crappie spreaders
w/shiners. Small fish are dominating the fishery. Many fish
are in the 7-9 inch range. Fish from the 1996 strong year class now
measure 5-7 inches. Anglers are urged to use a #4 or larger sized
hook to conserve the 1996 year class.
August 10, 1998
Western Basin, Canadian Waters
In the western end of lake Erie, walleye action
continued to be good with many boats catching their limit.
Fish were predominately in the 16-20” range. The best fishing
occurred in the area fronting Leamington extending south to the Pelee
Passage Shipping Channel. Purple, purple/white, chartreuse,
worm harnesses fished off planer boards worked best.
Crank baits and weight forward Erie Dearies tipped with worms also caught
fish. Walleye were also caught in the Kingsville Cedar Island
area on purple, purple/white, black weight forward Erie
Dearies and worm harnesses. Some anglers used stinger hooks to improve
their chances with light biting walleye.
There was some smallmouth bass activity in the
Leamington Kingsville area in 8’ of water crayfish. Anglers fishing for
bass caught them by drifting minnows and tube jibs with considerable
effort.
August 8, 1998
Western Basin, Canadian Waters
I am a Canadian living in near Colchester just
wanting to tell you that I
was out on August 4th and the 'eyes were really
aggressive as the skies were overcast and the
water a little bit stained.
My fishing buddy and I were out about 2 miles
west of
the tip of Point Pelee in 35-37 feet of water.
You should add this area
to your hot spots list as there is a huge school
of fish there
and has been for the past 2 or so weeks.
The water was very calm and we
had to troll, (with very long line) erie dearies
and hot'n tots
were doing the trick that day. I
enjoy your site and check up on the
western basin alot, keep up the good work.
August 7, 1998
General Western Basin
Walleye fishing in the Western Basin of Lake
Erie has tapered off some but
still remains good in the area North East of
Niagra Reef to North Bass Island
in 31 to 33 ft. of water. There also has been
a pretty good bite at the
canadian line between "F"
can and the North Bass Island bouy. We are still
uthe "BUG or WEAPON " as it
is reffered to and it works well either casting
with a slow retrieve or
dragging it. Last week we fished the Canadian
waters for about a week in
preparation for a small walleye tournament our
team was in and the fishing was
excellent in the area between East Sister, North
Harbor Island, Hen Island,
Big and little chicks and of course Wagon Wheel
off Pelee Island. If you have
never tried fisging canada try it sometime you'll
be supprised to find there
is not much boat traffic and the walleye are
much bigger and real
fighters.Small mouth bass are all around Pelee
and so take some soft craws or
lead head jigs and salt impregnated tails and
have yourself a great day of
fishing on the western basin of Lake Erie in
Canada. Licenses are available at
west dock and south dock for $10.00 canadian
money. ** Be sure to get a chart
to take with you as there is areas that are dangerous
for navagation so keep a
watchful eye near Big Chick and Little Chick
and Chichenolee Reef *** Perch
fishing is well on its way and should be another
great year in the ohio waters
of Lake Erie. Remember there is a 30 fish limit
per person per day. It is in
our opinion that this limit has helped the Perch
population re- stock itself
to give us all some excellent perch sportfishing
for many years to come. At
the dock Capt Ron
<A HREF="http://www.walleye.com/schaser.htm">
http://www.walleye.com/schaser.htm</A>
August 3, 1998
Western Basin, Canadian Waters
Walleye action continued hot in the western
end of lake Erie with many boats catching their limit. Fish
were predominately in the 16-20” range. The best fishing occurred
in the area fronting Colchester extending south from the Grecian Shoal
to the shipping channel and from 1-2 miles east and west of Colchester.
Anglers getting out first thing in the morning were limiting out in 2 ½
hours . Those going out for the afternoon fish found fishing harder
which could have been a function of sunlight in the shallow western basin.
Purple, purple/white, chartreuse, worm harnesses fished
off planer boards worked best. Crank baits and weight forward Erie
Dearies tipped with worms also caught fish. Walleye were also
caught in the Point Pelee to Cedar Island area on purple, black weight
forward Erie Dearies. Some anglers were using stinger hooks
to increase their chances on light biting walleye.
After a lull of a couple of weeks, smallies
were starting to school up again in 18-35’ of water where pinhead emerald
shiners baitfish were concentrated. Anglers fishing for bass
caught them by drifting minnows and tube jibs with lots of effort.
Anglers picked up some yellow perch which
were schooled up at the same 18’ contour where bass and bait
fish were located.
August 1, 1998
General Western Basin
Fishing in Western Basin of Lake Erie continues
to be excellent, in between thunderstorms. Western Lake Erie water
temperature is 75 degrees. Best locations are the areas 5 miles west
of the Bass Islands, North of the Reef Complex and South of Middle Sister
Island (SEE
HOT SPOTS MAP). Also, off Sawmill
Creek is good, as is the area 7 miles north of Vermilion and the Ruggles
Reef area. Anglers are using weight forward spinners with worms,
mayfly imitating rigs with worms and trolling with deep diving lures.
Many anglers are trolling with planer boards and downriggers. Most
fish are 13-14 inches and in the 16-22 inch range. Yellow Perch anglers
are also starting to make some good catches. Perch are 6 1/2 to 7
1/2 inches long. Anglerers are using crappie rigs and perch spreaders
with shiners. Anglers are reminded of the 30 fish daily bag limit.
---Ohio Division of Wildlife report. This
report can also be heard by dialing toll free at 1 888 466-5347.
July 25, 1998
General Western Basin
The Sunchaser has split this past week fishing
both Ohio and Canadian waters
of Lake Erie. We have seen walleye fishing continue
to be excellent in the
area of west-sister island to the north some
days a little west and then a
little east. Our trips to canada have been for
walleye and small mouth bass.
The numbers are less but the fish much bigger
with walleye in the 20 to 29 in
and smallies in the 16 to 22 in range and jumpin
all the way in. At the dock
aboard the<A HREF="http://www.walleye.com/schaser.htm">
Sunchaser</A> Capt.
Ron
July 21, 1998
General Western Basin
Hot ! Hot! Hot! Thats the report for the western
basin walleye fishing in
July! We have seen the stable weather and warm
water in the mid 70s along with
just enough stain in the water to keep the eyes
on the "bite". There is a
school of walleye from north bass island to the
east to westsister / middle
sister to the west and north.Pick your favorite
and get fishin and catchin. We
have been using the "BUG" or "WEAPON" as its
reffered to and its producing
lots of walleye. Most bait shops have some version
of it with one or two
snelled hooks, we use the one hook style in fir
tiger or hammered gold. It
works ! get it try it and just the tip of a worm
to the heart ring and the KEY
is slow retrieve steady. Take advantage of this
great fishing and get your son
or
daughter, family or friends out on Lake Erie
the Walleye Capital of the World
!!!
At the dock aboard the SUNCHASER Capt. Ron
July 17, 1998
General Western Basin
Western Basin water temperature is 75 degrees.
Walleye fishing in wester Lake Erie has been fantastic the past three weeks.
The best areas have been the areas south of middle sister island and west
to west sister Island to the Toledo Shipping Channel (SEE
HOT SPOTS MAP). Many limit catches have been reported.
Other productive areas include north of the Reef Complex area, Ruggles
Reef and the sand bar off of Lorain Harbor. Anglers are fishing in
30-35 feet of water and catching fish up and down the water column.
Mayfly imitating rigs (flipping harnesses) tipped with a piece of
nightcrawler are very popular. Anglers are also using weight forward
spinners with worms and trolling deep diving lures. Many anglers
are also trolling with planer boards and down riggers.
Most fish are in the 13-14 inch range and 16-22
inch range. Smallmouth bass fishing has slowed down. Many anglers
are beginning to catch more perch, most in the 7-9 inch range.
July 14, 1998
Islands Area
Fishing is still very good. Most active
spot
is in that triangle between West Sister Island, North Bass and Middle Sister
Islands. Most of the charters are working in that area. Approximately
12 miles out due north of the Toussaint river. About 10 miles north
of Wild Wings Marina on a 10 degree heading. (SEE
HOT SPOTS MAP) There
catching fish on the other side of West Sister as well. A good pack
of boats just south of East Sister as well. Size is excellent.
Fish are averaging 2-2 1/2 pounds a piece. Getting some very nice
fish out there. Also getting quite a few of the 14 inchers as well.
Captain John Lesniewicz, Teal
Point Lodge & Charters.
July 14, 1998
Canadian Waters Of Lake Erie
GENERAL
Anglers in the east continued to report relatively
good walleye fishing this week. Boats returning to Port Colborne and Port
Maitland reported steady catches of large walleye with some boats limiting
out. Yellow perch were a welcome addition to anglers creels in Inner Long
Point Bay this week. Perch in the 10-12 inch range were picked up near
Pottahawk Bar using a variety of live baits including minnows and worms.
Bass fishing in the inner bay has slowed down somewhat with fish heading
to deeper and cooler waters. Central basin anglers reported fewer walleye
this week but plenty of rainbow trout along with the odd salmon and brown
trout picking up the slack. Walleye fishing has been excellent in the western
basin with most action coming off of Colchester and between the East and
Middle Sister Islands.
WESTERN LAKE ERIE
Anglers reported excellent walleye catches this
week in the western basin with boats commonly returning with their limits
of fish. Most fishermen were concentrating their efforts off of Colchester
near the helicopter pad or between the Middle and East Sister Islands.
Look for walleye near the bottom in 35 feet of water. Drifting or casting
with worm harnesses and Erie Dearies are your best bets here. Bass anglers
reported tough conditions this week with most boats having to work a bit
harder to find fish. Look for bass to be holding near under water structure
in 18-25 feet of water. Areas such as the Grecian Shoal and Colchester
Reef have produced some nice catches of bass. Most fish are coming
off of crayfish and other live bait along with salt tubes and small twister
tails.
July 12, 1998
Western Basin
The last two weeks fishing for walleye have been excellent. Best
areas have been remains the area south
of Middle Sister Island and West to West Sister Island to the Toledo Shipping
Channel. Many limit catches have been reported. Other productive
spots have been North of the Reef Complex, Ruggles Reef and the sand bar
off of Lorain Harbor. Mayfly imitating rigs, also referred to as
flipping harnesses are the preferred method. Anglers are also using
weight forwards with worms as well as planer boards. Anglers are
catching many walleyes in the 13-14 inch range and 18-22 inch range.
Smallmouth bass fishing has slowed down, but anglers are still catching
some fish. Best areas continue to be from Ruggles Reef to Vermilion
and around the Bass Islands and Kelly's Island area. Bass anglers
are using leaded hair jigs, plastic worms and deep diving lures in 12-15
feet of water.
July 12 1998
Islands Area
Fished the sister triangle on July 10 and 11..Pitching
erie dearies and flip n harnesses.Friday`s catch was 140 walleyes.50 -50
mix with 95 % of eyes coming off the harnesses,good chop 2
to 4 footers, and the best item was only 4 or 5 other boats out there,saturday
caught 80 walleyes with again 95% coming off harnesses,a few 25 inchers,
but most keepers were 16 to 22 inch fish,lost the breeze and the fish would
then just hit in spurts! Saturday, hundreds of boats there which
may have spooked the fish! Fished aboard the *Little King* Captained by
Skip Bynak (419) 734-2014,report submitted by Kevin Miller Somerset Pa
(eyecatcher)
July 11 1998
Islands Area
Today North winds 3-5 footers, we did real
well. Most of the head boats are up here. One to 5 miles north
of C-Can. North of Niagara. Five miles East North-East of West
Sister Island, mid-way between West Sister and Middle Bass Island.
Figure about in the center of that triangle out there. Looks great
for weekend. Weather looks. If the winds die down a little,
should be super, probably till Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.
Captain John Lesniewicz, Teal
Point Lodge & Charters
July 9, 1998
Islands Area
Since the storm, weather's been great.
Winds just eneogh to move the boats along. Doesn't get much better
than this. This is the Lake Erie that everyone wishes for and hopes
for. We're limiting out in 4 hours or less. Fish are excellent
quality. They're coming a little closer to shore. Did real
well today, just a mile the other side of C-Can. That's the closest
we've been to shore in 5-6 days. It's starting to light up just about
anyway. The'll be over on Niagara in no-time, about mid-month.
Don't know how long this is going to last, but this is great.
Captain John Lesniewicz, Teal
Point Lodge & Charters
July 6, 1998
Islands Area
The fishing is excellent, probably the best fishing
we've had in a good 8 years. Mix of large fish and 2 year olds.
Very active fish in the area North-East of West Sister Island. There
are other areas that are producing but that's probably the best area in
the lake. All the head boats from Port Clinton are strung out in
that area (SEE HOT SPOTS
MAP). It looks like it's good just about anywhere in the West
Sister area North-East toward Middle Sister and then on down the line toward
East Sister.
Fishing is just generally good just about anyway.
There is a lot of perch in the area. You can anchor and easily take
a limit of perch. Fishin is the best its been all summer long this
year and for a good many years and Lake Erie is as gets right now.
Captain John Lesniewicz, Teal
Point Lodge & Charters
July 6, 1998
Canadian Waters Of Lake Erie
GENERAL
Strong winds kept mid-water anglers at bay for
much of the week. When the weather cooperated western basin fisherman were
rewarded with increasing walleye catches along with good catches of bass
and sheephead. Fishing was generally good in the central basin with most
boats returning with a mix of walleye and rainbow trout. Long Point area
anglers continue to pick up trout and salmon off the end of long point
whereas the inner bay flats are the place to be if you’re after bass. Walleye
have also been a main stay for anglers in the Port Colborne area with increasing
catches of 6-9 pound fish being taken approximately 7 miles from
shore.
WESTERN LAKE ERIE
Western basin anglers reported increasing walleye
catches this week with catches of over 20 fish per boat being reported.
Fish are being taken in the vicinity of East Sister and Pelee Islands,
Union Waterworks and off of Holiday Beach near Colchester. Look for
fish near break points such as underwater humps and reefs or along drop
offs near points. Favorite techniques include casting with Erie Dearies
and trolling deep diving crank baits behind planer boards. With a surface
water temperature of over 70 degrees Fahrenheit, bass in the western basin
have moved to deeper water. Anglers reported fish holding near structure
in 22-27 feet of water this week.
July 3, 1998
Bolles Harbor, Michigan Area
I was out on the 2nd of July in 23-25 feet of
water. I caught 37 Fish! Quite a few throwbacks yet ended up
with a nice limit of fish. I was using 2oz. bottom
bouncers with 36" harnesses. Perch colored. I did notice a
considerable of fish being caught by all the
boats in that area. Casting was effective as well as running
boards or Dipsys.
I ran 110 degrees from Bolles Harbor and was
out 4-5 miles.
Lots of fish in that area!
June 29, 1998
Canadian Waters Of Lake Erie
GENERAL
June 20, 1998
Islands area
Sunny skies and flat water---tough bite!!!
Just a couple of guys from Indiana that love
to fish Erie, we started
out at 6:30 Ohio time in around K can to see
if any 'eyes were in or
still hanging around. Nothing, so we moved
out, stopping every time the
Lowrance showed a couple more feet of depth--more
nothing. Then we saw
the boats lining up further north and joined
them and picked up four
small 'eyes. So we headed on over to west
of West Sister at about
11:30, where we had picked up some fish Thursday,
the 18th. It was
about that time the breeze began to shift and
the lake laid down FLAT.
We had plently of time to put on sunscreen (absolutely
necessary), as
the bite laid down flat, too. At about
1:30, with the four small fish
in the cooler, we were headed back when we saw
a couple party boats and
some smaller boats just east of B can, so we
tried there and caught one
more small 'eye. The other boats left,
and the breeze came up and we
dirfted over a school of mostly sheephead--fast
action, with a walleye
every so often. Small school--we drifeted
it four passes and came off
at 5:30 with our limit--six nice ones and 14
small. They are evidently
still there--you just gotta' look (and a little
bit of luck always
helps! Good luck!
The Fishin' Musician
June 13, 1998
Islands area
Western basin, west of West Sister. windy
but clear in early A.M. Fish on
early, mostly small fish. Some on weight
forward spinners, others on
harnesses with bottom bouncers. Almost
all on harnesses by end of day. 60
fish by 2:00 PM-mostly smaller fish, some nice-sized.
Job well done by
Captain Clyde Jeffries, The Hero Charter Service.
June 10, 1998
Islands area
The walleye fishing in the Islands, Sandusky,
Huron, Vermillion and
Lorain areas has been spotty at best.
On Saturday, 104 fisherman participated in a
walleye tournament out of
the Huron Yatch Club. This contest has some of
the finest charter
captains in the area participating. Last year
some 10 lb.+ fish were
taken and most had limit catches of fish 23"
to 30".
Not so this year. The results were only 12 walleye
were checked in! The
largest fish was only 18.25 inches! The biggest
non-walleye was a 27"
catfish. Was the fishing tough, you bet.
This lack of a solid bite has continued through
Monday. The water is
generally murky. Clean water is tough to find.
Even Put-in-Bay was
a pea green and dirty on Monday night.
One group reported 'slamming' the walleyes off
Green Island on Saturday.
The got into a school of high feeding eyes. However,
the fish were
throw backs - 6" to 8" fish.
A few fish are being taken out in the Triangle
and near F Can on the
border. Also, 7 miles off of Lorian are some
nice fish, but of late
they too have not cooperated. Huron too, has
nice fishing setting in
38' to 41' of water of Sawmill Creek, but no
consistant bite.
The schools of walleye have left Sandusky Bay.
A few resident fish
remain but they are not cooperating.
The storms are due to roll in Tuesday and be
here til mid-day Friday.
This should further complicate matters.
Also, the mayfly hatcxh should get underway and
according the Division
of Wildlife, it should peak June 23. This could
be a record hatch yaer.
This will get walleye on the feed but not necessarily
biting for the
angler.
Remedy, downsize crawer harnesses and use a half
of a night crawler.
This has worked well. The 'Weapon" has been a
good harness for this
purpose if you can't tie your own.
Keep at it. The fish are there and will eventually
go on the bite.
Good fishing.
Team Whaler Fishing Group
June 7, 1998
Islands area
TUFF BITE ! WE FISHED SATURDAY WEST NORTH WEST
OF THE TREES AND HAD A TUFF
TIME GETTING THE EYES TO CO-OPERATE. OUR LOWRANCE
X-70A SHOWED THE FISH
STACKED FROM 18 FT TO THE BOTTOM. THE BEST THING
WE HAD GOING FOR US WAS THE
DRAGGERS.WE TRIED CASTING WEIGHT FORWARDS AND
ONLY CAUGHT A FEW. WE DECIDED TO
GO LOOKIN AND WOUNS UP HEADIND NORTH EAST TOWARDS
EAST SISTER AND MARKED SOME
NICE FISH AND STOPPPED TO TRY IT. WE DID GET
SOME 20 INCH + WALLEYES.IT WAS A
BEAUTIFUL DAY WITH LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS OUT
OO THE WEST NORTH WEST. ABOARD
THE SUNCHASER , CAPT. RON LAMONT
June 5, 1998
Islands area
THE SUNCHASER WENT BACK TO OUR PREVIOUS DGPS
NUMBERS FROM EARLY IN THE WEEK
WEST OF THE SHIPPING CHANNEL. WELL OUR DAY HAD
A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING
STARTED, ERIE CAN HUMBLE YOU AT TIMES WHEN YOU
THINK YOU HAVE IT FIGURED OUT.
WE FISHED THE TOP AND BOTTOM AND JUST PICKED
A FEW. SO WERE OUTTA HERE AND OFF
TO FIND THE THE BIG SCHOOL THAT OBVIOUSLY SCATTERED
AFTER THREE DAYS OF GOOD
BITE. WE WORKED OUR WAY BACK EAST TO WEST SISTER
ISLAND AND TO OUR SUPPRISE WE FOUND A NICE SCHOOL
OF WALLEYE THAT WE COULD GET
INTO. THE BITE STARTED LATE 11:00 FOR US AND
WE
FISHED AN HOUR OR SO AND BEAT IT BACK TO PORT.
MY PARTNER TOOK ANOTHER CHARTER
OUT FOR A P.M. TRIP AND WENT BACK TO THE SAME
NUMBERS AND DID PRETTY GOOD WITH
ABOUT HALF A LIMIT. AT THE DOCK CAPT. RON LAMONT
ABOARD THE SUNCHASER.
June 3, 1998
Islands area
Sunday, May 31st saw some very strong storms
cross the Western basin, making
the water off colored and turning the "bite"
off. Double D charters got us
on the lake early Monday morning, June 1st, but
the off colored water around
West Sister made the bite very, very slow.
Captain DJ made the big move to
the west and found "green" water west of the
Ditch. The bite was on again.
Eyes were a mixed bag, 12-15" to 26" but gave
our crew all we wanted. Fish
were as high as a five count but most came from
a very slow steady retrieve
off the bottom. Our crew took 45 walleye
in less than 3 hours making a
great come back from a very slow morning.
We finished with 60 eyes thanks
to finding clear water. Special note:
we marked fish stacked up in the
east and north east areas of West Sister.
When that water clears up, the
bite will be outstanding. Good luck fisherman,
and thanks Double D and
captain DJ for another great day on the lake.
Mike Estep-Cincinnati.
June 3, 1998
Islands area
WIND N.W 15 TO 20 AND WAVES 3 TO 5 + KEPT OUR
CHARTER AT THE DOCK
TIL 8:30 AM ON JUNE 1. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
AND WERE OFF TO WEST SISTER
ISLAND WHERE WE HAD FISHED THE PAST COUPLE OF
DAYS. WE COULDN'T GET THE EYES
TO COOPERATE AND ITS TIME TO PUNT, FIND FISH
AND CLEAN WATER. WE WENT FOR ALL
OR NOTHING AND HEADED TOWARDS THE "DITCH" SPOTED
A SMALL PACK OF BOATS AND SET
UP FOR A DRIFT. WELL THE FISH GODS WERE MORE
THAN KIND AND THE REST GOES INTO
THE HISTORY BOOKS. WE TOOK OUR BOAT LIMIT AND
EVEN THOUGH YOU COULD PUT THEM
ALL IN TWO 5 GALLON + BUCKETS EVERYONE WAS ELATED.
I DO HALF TO ADMIT ALL ON
BOARD CONTRIBUTED TO THE BOX OF FISH. PRESENTATION:
CAST OUT WITH FLIP N
HARNESSES AND RETRIEVE AS SLOW AS MOLLASSES ALL
FISH WERE DEAD ON THE BOTTOM.
COLOR DIDN'T MATTER. "SUNCHASER SPORTFISHING
CHARTERS" CAPT. RON LAMONT
June 1, 1998
On Friday 5/29 we fished North of Niagara
Reef close to the Canadian
line we caught a limit of 20 Walleyes averaging
between 18 to 25 inches with
very few throw backs caught and released.
On Saturday we fished in the
same area we caught another limit of
Walleye this time 40 fish of the same size as
Friday. We trolled both days
the best baits were Killer Bees and Short A's,
targeting 22 - 24' depths.
Dale on the Predator Boat
June 1, 1998
Walleye fishing in the western basin has been
fast and furrious this past
week. We have seen our favorite place to fish
come alive the western basin
"REEFS". Those of you who have fished this natural
haven for big "HOGS" know
the excitement when you have one stop your line
dead in the water. The flip
side is that these reefs will handle only so
much boat traffic and the fish
will to parts unknown ?? We have also seen a
good bite on at west sister
island for suspended and fish on the bottom.
We kept our bottom bouncers and
and draggers about 4 cranks off the bottom. Casting
weight forwards worked
well too !! The KEY is too keep trying different
things to see what works well
for you, be patient at it will pay some nice
rewards. We enjoyed a great
WALLEYE fish fry tonight with friends and it
was oh soo gooood !!!
kaptainron's
secret reciept of 50/50 pancake mix and progresso
italian style bread crumbs,
fresh
oil and get ready for some good eatin :) Captain
Ron aboard the SUNCHASER
June 1, 1998
May 30 1998, we fished with Capt. Bob Brown @
Island Drifter Cahrter
service out of Meinke Marina, Toledo,OH.
We had an afternoon trip, and
fished from approx. 2:45 p.m. till 8:30p.m.
5 fisherman plus the trusty
first mate Terry K. boated 54 lbs. of walleye.
Most were running small up
to 22 in.
We fished approx. 14 mi. out towards W. sister,
and Middle sister islands.
Night crawlers on weight forward spinners 5/8
oz. Color didn't seem to
make alot of difference. 15 to 20 count
drift. Very light bite.
Keep your line tight.
todd
May 27, 1998
Walleye report Western Basin, May 22,23,24th
.On board the boat ( FISHING
TIMES) capt. Ken Conely
and crew from Highland Indiana had another successful
fishing trip.We ended
up with 42 walleyes, with the
majority of the fish ranging 2 to 5 pounds.We
also caught alot of little
ones, that we caught and
released.Bottom bouncers and crawler harnesses
did the trick. After a good
breaktfast,we launched out of
Turtle Creek Marina.We ran out 10 to 12 miles
out to the northwest side of
West Sister Island, in 29 to 31
feet water.A little rougher this time, with 3
to 5 feet waves.Another great
fishing trip will be witten down in
the captin's log.Well fishing fanatics, good
luck to all of you, take care!
May 27, 1998
The fast action from the Memorial Day weekend
has come to a close.
Tuesday saw the lake lay down like a pancake.
The fish are still there but when the wind stops
so does the action.
Even the trollers had a rough go of it Tuesday.
The fish are still being taken West of West Sister,
West of Green Island
and Rattlesnake, up near F Can (on the border)
and west of Kelly's
Island.
Most catches were on green, chartruese and gold
weight forward spinners.
Afew nice fish are being taken by casting harnesses.
Gold seems to
be triggering bigger fish.
The Sandusky Bay bite has ended and the fish
appear to have moved out of
the bay for good. They appear to be in 39' to
41' of water off Cedar
Point and Saw Mill Creek. At 33" almost 11 lb.
fish was taken Tuesday
am straight out of Sawmill Creek in 41 ft. of
water. The walleye are
showing up around Ruggles Beach as well.
Fish off Huron were biting in the 30' to 15'
ft depths as well but the
winds from Monday muddied the water. When this
clears up the bite could
get good again.
The flat "Mill Pond" conditions are expected
for Wednesday as well.
After that the walleye wind is expected to return.
The fishing could get
hot later this week.
Beware of apporoaching tunderstorms. Remember,
lightening kills more
people than tornados each year and on the water
you are at a higher
risk. Safe fishing.
Team Whaler Fishing Group
May 27, 1998
The " Bite " is on in the western basin of Lake
Erie.The SUNCHASER seen some
of the best walleye fishing this season. We hope
you were here this weekend to
take advantage of the great bite. Almost every
place we fished we caught nice
size walleyes. Westsister island area to the
west and A & B can to Rattlesnake
Island to the east. 27 to 31 ft of water was
the best for us and weight
forwards wokked well both on the bottom and suspended
retrieving slow. We also
used flip n harnesses as draggers and a couple
of bottom bouncers. The class
size of fish were much better
and ranged from 1lb to 4lb with a couple of 5
and 6 lb. Water temperature is
at 64 +
and water clairity is good. Some GOBY's were
caught on all charters and we
deep six them. To those of you who browse walleye.com
and read our fishing
reports thanks for your e-mail messages.We will
try our best to correspond
back to all of you as time permits, this is our
busy part of the season.
Congratulations to Andy Beckius for his Fish
Ohio 28 1/8 walleye on tuesday.
It was his first time walleye fishing and he
did great ! Capt. Ron Lamont
aboard the " SUNCHASER "
May 24, 1998
We fished May 23 and 24.
We went out at Meinke marine. Western
Basin area. Just west of West
Sister Island. There was 6 of us fishing
in the boat. Sat. was a good
day. The morning started slow, but picked
up later in the morning. We
marked 46 walleyes and 20 perch. This was
an 8 hour time period. The most
number of fish came from bottom bouncers with
an average 2 oz. weight.
Nice catches for the wind conditions.
Total pounds for Sat. after cleaned was 61 pounds!!!
Sunday May 24, was even better.
Fished for 4 hours and marked 23
walleyes and 12 perch. The total weight
after cleaned was a whooping 60
pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fished the same area as Sat.
The fishing captain was Ray Leach
419-822-5426
419-266-1321
Give this guy a call, he was great!!!!!!!!!!
May 21, 1998
Fishing is good to excellent in the western basin.
Water temperature is 64 degrees. Walleye fishing excllent the past
week. Anglers are trolling w/deep diving lures and by using lures
on bottom with worms, bottom bouncers with worms and weight forward
spinners. Best locations are at the reef complex, bass islands area,
ruggles reef and Sandusky bay. Fishing pressure on the bay has been
heavy the past several days. Most fish are in the 18-22 inch range
with many in the '96 year class starting to show up in the fishery.
These fish measure 13-15 inches.
Smallmouth bass fishing has been excellent around
the bass islands, Kelly's island and Ruggles Reef. The best action
has been in the Ruggles area. The fish have been 12-17 inches.
Anglers using leaded hair jigs, plastic worms and deep diving lures.
Central basin water temperature is 55 degrees.
Smallmouth bass has been very good off Conneaut, OH and the Perry, Oh power
plant discharge. Smallmouth are in the 14-18 range using jigs w/shiners
and trolling with crankbaits. Walleye fishing has been fair, 2-5
miles off of wildwood state park using jet divers with worm harnesses.
White bass fishing has been good at Eastlake,
OH. Anglers are catching 9-13 inch white bass using small jigs with
agitators.
May 20, 1998
Fishing has been good to excellent around the
islands. Some hot spots include west of L can, A Can, B can area.
West side of west sister island. Closer to the mouth of Toussaint,
over off of Niagara reef, near D can out in front of Camp Perry.
There are a lot of places where you can catch walleyes right now.
Last trip out we caught a full box of fish, 36 fish & 88 pounds.
Several 4-6 pound fish in the catch. .... Captain John Lesniewicz, Teal
Point Lodge & Charters.
May 20, 1998
Walleye fishing in the western basin of lake
erie has been good from last
weekend through tuesday. Our best day was tuesday
and we limited out and also
caught two
"fish ohio" walleyes. the size has improved this
week and we are seeing bigger
fish.
The ' SUNCHASER' has been fishing from '"A" can
to west sister in 26 ft. to 31
ft. of water drift fishing. Our favorite lures
have been flip n harnesses and
bottom bouncers and weight forwards in red and
white and chartreuse tipped
with worms. water temperature is 62 degrees and
clean in the deeper 20 ft +
areas. commercial fish nets are still out along
the south shore of lake erie
in ohio waters. watch-em !!
at the dock aboard the Sunchaser Capt. Ron Lamont
May 18, 1998
Bolles Harbor and Luna Pier area. Michigan waters
of Lake Erie have been
producing nice catches of small eaters to nice
keepers(2-4 #s). The areas
off the Three stacks and off the Toledo light
in 22-24 feet of water have
been excellent. The water as of Thursday and
Friday was very off colored
and dirty yet the fish still bit.
In this spot gold and black and silver hot-n-tots
worked for most. I myself
opted to slow down in the off colored water and
drag 36" drift
rigs(harnesses) with 1 1/2 oz. bottom bouncers.
The color that I got bit on most consistently
was Gold Hammered blades w/
Red Beads. I caught probably 20-22 fish in 2
hours doing this. You might
want to give it a try!
Another HOT SPOT was in tight! 12-18 feet of
water off the stacks. A little
cleaner water.
Remember the Limit is 10 fish Michigan and Ohio
waters.
Since there is no defining line on the water
it would be in your best
interest to carry both licenses. Ohio and Michigan.
It's not worth it to get caught without a license
for a few fish!! GOOD
FISHING !!
May 18, 1998
I have a report from out of turtle creek harbor,
western basin
, by david besse power plant ohio.may
15 ,16 ,17, caught a good bunch of
eyes, by the a can, and off of west sister
island.my dad and friends
drifted 1 ounce crawler harnesses, and 3 ounce
bottom bouncers, with
crawler harnesses and caught 47 walleyes, biggest
was 29 in,7.5 pounds , and most of are
catch was made up of nice eaters, 2
to 4 pounders.a great trip, weather was great.
trolling also work with
asorted colors of thundersticks.well take care,
have to heal my sunburn,and back to work!
john kusy, highland ,indiana.
May 18, 1998
Went fishing Saturday at L can, caught 24 walleyes
all in about 4 to 5
pounds. Used red and white, green
and white, chartruense bottom bouncers.
Fishing Sunday, was slow. Waves 5
to 6. Used bottom bouncers, and caught
12 walleyes.
May 17, 1998
This past week week fishing in the western basin
of Lake Erie has been good to
us on the " SUNCHASER " We have been fishing
in the area of "L" can to crane
creek to ward canal in 22 + ft. of water. The
surface temperature is around 60
degrees and the water has cleaned up. We had
a nice walleye chop on tuesday
and wednesday to make drift fishing very good.
Thursday we had no wind and it
made fishing tuff so we moved around from pocket
to pocket and fished
aggressively. We are seeing a lot of small healthy
wallye that we usually
don't see until the june mayfly hatch. We have
had to sort through the smaller
ones, but its good to see that the previous years
hatches are bountiful ! Our
favorite lures have been Flip n Harnesses, jigs,
and some weight forwards all
tipped with worms. We started to see suspended
fish on thursday with weight
forwards. This weekend should be good with water
temperatures rising,
cleaner water and the bigger fish returning from
a time out after the post
spawn. Watch closely for commercial fishing nets
on the south shore of lake
erie. Some GOBY have been caught on most every
trip, 3 to 4 inches long and
big heads.Its is
recommended by the O.D.N.R. to destroy them.
Wednesday A.M. was a bonus with a
full Rainbow in the western horizon. ** New for
1998 one day non resident
licenses are $7.00 * Others are $15.00 for 3
day and $24.00 for annual non
resident. Visit our web site at<A HREF="http://www.walleye.com/schaser.htm">
http://www.walleye.com/schaser.htm</A>
at the dock: Capt. Ron Lamont
May 8, 1998
Luna Pier Area
The fish were very active as of Tuesday and Wednesday
off the stacks to the
Toledo Light. Fish were being taken on Thunderstick
jr's and were in the
2-5# class.
I was told some boats slowed down and tryed harnesses
and were getting
silver bass and sheepshead. They picked up speed
and went back to the
sticks and got fish again... good luck.
Gotta remember it's only the middle of May...We
still have 2 months of
excellent fishing ahead Guys and Ladies.
One thing to remember is that we had an EAST
wind on Thursday and Friday.
That can dirty the water QUICK...Call ahead before
you go.
May 3, 1998
We went out 3 miles west of L can and north of
Davis Besse. Wind was calm on Saturday afternoon, most fish taken
by trolling with fire perch and tiger being the best color. Suspended
fish and bottom fish both active.
May 1, 1998
Walleyes are already moving off
the reefs in a post spawn feeding frenzy. This is earlier than normal.
Fishing should be good if weather cooperates. Walleye anglers have
been successfull and Crib and Niagara reef, North of Kelly's Island,
East of the Bass Islands and out near Middle Island near the Canadian border.
Anglers are using jigs tipped with minnows, towing with crankbaits
and working worm harnesses tipped with nightcrawlers. Smallmouth
bass are also becoming active off the reefs, around the islands and
in Sandusky bay. Anglers are using leaded hair jigs, plastic worms
and scented baits. In western basin tributaries, the Maumee water
temperature is 53 degrees. Anglers are taking male walleyes in the
14-18 inch range using lighter weight jigs, 1/4 ounce or less.
Especially light chartreuse, florescent orange andr red twister tails.
Best areas are Buttonwood, side cut metro park area and the flats.
Anglers also taking white bass at this time.
The Sandusky river is 52 degrees.
Anglers are taking a few walleyes in the deeper pools. Best times
are early morning and late evening. White bass are also being taken
in downtown Fremont.
April 28, 1998
Fishing good to excellent in the
reef areas. Hot spots were Toussaint Reef and Locust Point Reef.
On Friday and Saturday, some captains reporting limiting out. Many
large fish, averaging 4 pounds per fish. Fishing on Saturday primarily
in the beach area anything from 15-20 feet in between the reefs.
Not many fish taken in shallow water. Most activity near K can off
of Sand Beach. Things should improve in the next week if weather
holds.
April 26, 1998
The walleye bite is still on but
you'll need to work for them. It's a
patience thing out there now (before
and after this Saturday's storm.
The fish are biting North West
of North Bass (head up towards F Can).
The bite North of Kelly's and over
into Canada has slowed. The huge boat
pack has scattered the fish. The
fish are moving into Canadian waters
and down towards Kelly's. Try over
the border (be sure to get a Canadian
license or suffer the fine). While
up there be sure to try the Chicks
and Hens complexes where the bite
is also on.
The small inner reefs between South
Bass/Kelly's and the Catawba are
showing fish as well. Jigs and
minnows are producing best. The bite is
slow, but there are some nice fish.
The HOT spot has been in Sandusky
Bay about a quarter mile off the mouth
of Cold Creek. The bite here has
been HOT. Jigs and minnows are the
ticket. From Bickley's Dock Shack
(the Sandusky boat ramp) on into the
back-bay, the fish have been biting
good. These fish are in small
scattered schools that are rooming
around. Once you find them the action
begins.
Tactics: Bottom bounces with worm
harnesses are doing well. A little
float on the harness to keep the
worm off the bottom helps. Chartruense
and pink jigs and minnows are also
getting them. Use both tactics and
then go to the one that works best.
Drifters are doing better than
trollers.
The fish are running large 23"
to 30"++. Some nice "Fish Ohio's" are
being caught. The females are already
spawned out. They are calling for
stable weather Monday thru Wednesday
- Wednesday 68 degrees. This could
be a great day. Good Fishing!
Gary Livingston, Team Whaler Fishing
Group
April 24, 1998
The bite is on. Some VERY BIG fish
are being taken off the reef
complexes near Tousaint Reef and
out toward the triangle. Pink jigs
tipped with minnows and worm harnesses
are doing the job. One captain
had his limit by noon on Monday.
Around the Bass Islands fish are
being taken on and off. The key is to
find clearer water.
The fish are also biting North
of Kelley's Island up on the US/Canadian
border. On Tuesday a group caught
their limit, 50 walleye, and had 8
fish Ohios. Most fish were over
6 lbs and it took two 120 qt. coolers
the haul this catch away! They
used worm harnesses and 4 oz. bottom
bouncers. However, they reeled
up the bottom bouncers to the fish depth
they showed fish on their graph,
then they trolled or drifted. When the
bite quit, jig and minnow combinations
did the trick off the bottom
(pink and chartruese doing the
trick).
Off Huron and Cedar Point the water
is very dirty. Little action is
going on there.
The weekend weather reprt looks
good. GO GET'M while you can!
April 22, 1998
Lake Erie walleye fishing is taking off in the western
basin near the reef complex as well as in open water in the Islands area.
Fishing is also good in Maumee bay. The lake is clearing up and with
milder temperatures fishing pressure is increasing when wind conditions
allow. Sizes are good with many large fish in the 27" range being
reported. Smallmouth bass activity is starting much earlier than
normal with many catches reported in the Islands area.
Western basin tributaries: Rivers are still cloudy
and high, but are beginning to recede. Maumee river temp is 53 degrees.
Anglers taking a few walleye with light jigs (1/4 ounce), especially florescent
pink and chartreause colored twister tails. Fishing pressure is light.
Best areas are from Buttonwood to Side Cut Metro park in the flats.
The Sandusky river is 49 degrees and anglers took good
numbers of walleye this past week. Walleye catches are now decreasing
and white bass fishing is picking up.
In the Central Basin, steelhead fishing in central
basin has been slow due to high muddy stream conditions. Fishing
should improve once waters recede and clear up. Walleyes are being
taking on the piers at night at Wildwood, East 72nd street in Lorain using
long crank baits. This fishing has been sporadic though.
April 17, 1998
On Lake Erie only a few boats have
gotten out recently and only a few walleye reported the past few days.
High wind and muddy waters have made conditions poor.
In the Sandusky and Maumee river,
heavy rains and muddy conditions have made fishing difficult.
The Maumee river is high and muddy and you can not get out to the Islands.
Temperature is 53 degrees. Anglers are taking good numbers of walleye,
both males and females. Best areas are Orleans Park through Buttonwood
using chartreuse and florescent pink twister tails. Fishing should
be much better when river conditions improve.
The Sandusky river is 58 degrees,
high and muddy. Anglers are taking walleye jacks, 16-20 inches using
chartreuse and florescent pink twister tails. Best area is in the
downtown Fremont area. A few white bass have also been reported.
Again, once the river clears, walleye fishing should improve significantly.
In the central basin, steelhead
anglers in the tributaries have had good action until the recent heavy
rains. All rivers are now very high and will remain so through the
weekend. Fishing should improve once he rivers receed and the water
clears. Good spots have included lower portions of the rivers including
the Rocky River and the Grand River up to the Painesville dam. A
few walleyes, Smallmouth Bass and White Bass are being taken from the Grand
River.
April 13, 1998
The Maumee is raging.
Running at 6 feet on the depth
gauge under the
I-475/US23 bridge. The river is
exceedingly swift and moderately muddy. Wading
is hazardous and possible only
on the extreme edges and in some eddys. Fishing
pressure is very light with almost
zero success. Some bank fishing, although
not very productive, is possible
from Maumee down to the bridge.
Jim Barger
Findlay, OH
April 9, 1998
Maumee and Sandusky rivers are
at 49 degrees. Very high and very muddy. There are good numbers
of fish in the rivers but conditions are not conducive to catching fish.
The western basin of Lake Erie
is 44 degrees. Some good walleye catches have been seen in
the last week in the reef complex area and the Maumee bay. Heavy
rains and strong northeast winds have muddied the waters. Finding
clean water will be difficult.
Western Basin River Walleye
Spawning Runs Nearing Peak
April 3, 1998
Maumee river is 57 degrees and is in the peak
of the walleye spawning run. Anglers are catching male walleyes averaging
21 inches with some larger females being taken. Best times are early
morning or late afternoon.. The Sandusky River is 60 degrees
and 1 1/2 foot high. Anglers still taking male walleye but are starting
to also catch white bass and white perch.
Western Basin: When weather conditions
permit, walleye are being taken in the reef complex area and the mud flats
of Maumee Bay. Fish are being caught on jigging lures tipped
with minnows. Most fish are males 17-22 inches long.
April 2, 1998
When weather is good, walleyes are being taken
off of the reefs, Tossaint, Locust Point, Crib etc. Also some being
taken nearshore down by the mouth of Turtle Creek. Fish are heading
up into the Rivers. Many fish being caught in both the Maumee and
Sandusky rivers. Submitted by Capt. John Les.
Sandusky & Maumee River Fishing
Heating Up
March 26, 1998
High winds and muddy water have kept fishing slow on the lake. Inland,
anglers are taking many fish from the Sandusky and Maumee rivers. Maumee
river temperature is 42 degrees and is rising. The river level is receeding
and conditions are improving for wading anglers. Anglers are taking good
numbers of male and female walleyes using chartreuse and floating jigs.
Fishing action should improve through the weekend. The Sandusky river is
43 degrees and the temperature should continue to rise with warmer air
temperatures. The river level is coming down and water clarity improving.
There is plenty of action with many walleye jacks in the 15-18 inch range
being caught. Anglers are using chartreuse jigs. Fishing action should
continue to improve over the weekend and beyond.
Central basin. Steelhead anglers taking steelhead trout in the deep
pools of the rocky river and at the Painesville, OH dam on the grand river.
Preferrd rigging include jigs with maggots or flathead minnows and nightcrawlers
on #8 hooks.
