T_boy
04-23-2009, 05:09 PM
CLEVELAND AREA
The yellow perch bite should heat up as Lake Erie waters clear, with the best fishing expected in 42 to 45 feet of water. Some walleye have been caught by anglers casting jigs around the east lighthouse in Cleveland Harbor. The after-dark angling for walleye is starting, with Edgewater Park the top location, followed by Gordon Park. Fishermen are casting countdown minnow-style plugs.
Some northern pike have been caught around the East 55th Street Marina area on large minnows swimming under a float.
LAKE ERIE
The yellow perch fishing should be very good off Lorain and Avon Point this weekend, with spawning perch crowding near-shore waters. When the wind has been favorable, fishermen have been catching walleye while trolling in 16 to 28 feet of water from Huron to Avon Point, a surprisingly early start to the walleye season in those areas. Reef Runner lures have been the top choice in green-gold perch and pink-white color combinations.
Some walleye are being caught from clear water along the rocky shoreline west of Vermilion by fishermen casting purple-green hair jigs with a touch of chartreuse. The night bite for walleye has begun in the Cleveland and Lorain areas, but catches have not been consistent.
Large numbers of boats have been hovering over the western Lake Erie reefs between Port Clinton and the Davis-Besse Poer Plant, where anglers are targeting spawning walleye with hair jigs in black, purple and green and jogs with Berkley Gulp minnows and twister tails. The waters have been muddy, but should begin to celar with southwesterly winds this weekend.
Walleye anglers are also trolling north of Kelleys Island with spinner rigs tipped with nightcrawlers and minnow-style plugs, especially Reef Runner lures with pink and purple color patterns. A hot spot for walleye has been trolling the shoreline in 16 to 25 feet of water from Huron to Vermilion.
INLAND LAKES
The crappies should be moving into the bays at Mosquito, West Branch, Pymatuning and LaDue lakes as the waters continue to warm this weekend. Suspend minnows under a float and cast around the brushy shoreline areas. Mosquito Lake crappies are also being caught along the south side of the causeway.
Walleye fishermen are doing best at Mosquito Lake while trolling the east shoreline, and south of the causeway, with Shad Raps and Hot-N-Tot lures. Many are using lead core line to keep lures near the bottom in 12 to 20 feet of water. Mosquito catfish are already biting and some perch are being caught from the causeway and the state park breakwall.
Lake Milton walleye are hitting jigs tipped with half of a nightcrawler and cast to 2- t0 5-foto depths on the rocky points. Trolling anglers are catching walleye on Shad Raps.
Bass fishermen should have a very good weekend, as largemouth bass move back to the shalloows after the recent cold weather. Look for bass in the emerging weeds and around near-shore structure. Flipping jigs to shoreline cover and working the 3- to 4-foot flats wioth spinhnerbaits and shallow-running diving plugs and jerk baits would be good choices. Top bass lakes around the regionf or this weekend should include Nimisila, LaDue and Mosquito lakes.
RIVERS AND STREAMS
The rivers have been on a roller coaster ride with the recent rains, but very good numbers of steelhead trout have been reported in the streams, which were high and muddy after Wednesday rains in northeast Ohio. The rivers that should clear first are Conneaut Creek and the Ashtabula River, so anglers should check the flow gauges on the streams to get water level readings. The flow gauge on the Rocky River has been giving false readings this week.
Look for some upstream tributaries to clear today and early in the weekend.
The walleye runs on the Maumee and Sandusky rivers are still in action, with both young jacks and trophy females being caught. The rivers were both high and muddy again at mid-week, but should be at good levels over the weekend.
The yellow perch bite should heat up as Lake Erie waters clear, with the best fishing expected in 42 to 45 feet of water. Some walleye have been caught by anglers casting jigs around the east lighthouse in Cleveland Harbor. The after-dark angling for walleye is starting, with Edgewater Park the top location, followed by Gordon Park. Fishermen are casting countdown minnow-style plugs.
Some northern pike have been caught around the East 55th Street Marina area on large minnows swimming under a float.
LAKE ERIE
The yellow perch fishing should be very good off Lorain and Avon Point this weekend, with spawning perch crowding near-shore waters. When the wind has been favorable, fishermen have been catching walleye while trolling in 16 to 28 feet of water from Huron to Avon Point, a surprisingly early start to the walleye season in those areas. Reef Runner lures have been the top choice in green-gold perch and pink-white color combinations.
Some walleye are being caught from clear water along the rocky shoreline west of Vermilion by fishermen casting purple-green hair jigs with a touch of chartreuse. The night bite for walleye has begun in the Cleveland and Lorain areas, but catches have not been consistent.
Large numbers of boats have been hovering over the western Lake Erie reefs between Port Clinton and the Davis-Besse Poer Plant, where anglers are targeting spawning walleye with hair jigs in black, purple and green and jogs with Berkley Gulp minnows and twister tails. The waters have been muddy, but should begin to celar with southwesterly winds this weekend.
Walleye anglers are also trolling north of Kelleys Island with spinner rigs tipped with nightcrawlers and minnow-style plugs, especially Reef Runner lures with pink and purple color patterns. A hot spot for walleye has been trolling the shoreline in 16 to 25 feet of water from Huron to Vermilion.
INLAND LAKES
The crappies should be moving into the bays at Mosquito, West Branch, Pymatuning and LaDue lakes as the waters continue to warm this weekend. Suspend minnows under a float and cast around the brushy shoreline areas. Mosquito Lake crappies are also being caught along the south side of the causeway.
Walleye fishermen are doing best at Mosquito Lake while trolling the east shoreline, and south of the causeway, with Shad Raps and Hot-N-Tot lures. Many are using lead core line to keep lures near the bottom in 12 to 20 feet of water. Mosquito catfish are already biting and some perch are being caught from the causeway and the state park breakwall.
Lake Milton walleye are hitting jigs tipped with half of a nightcrawler and cast to 2- t0 5-foto depths on the rocky points. Trolling anglers are catching walleye on Shad Raps.
Bass fishermen should have a very good weekend, as largemouth bass move back to the shalloows after the recent cold weather. Look for bass in the emerging weeds and around near-shore structure. Flipping jigs to shoreline cover and working the 3- to 4-foot flats wioth spinhnerbaits and shallow-running diving plugs and jerk baits would be good choices. Top bass lakes around the regionf or this weekend should include Nimisila, LaDue and Mosquito lakes.
RIVERS AND STREAMS
The rivers have been on a roller coaster ride with the recent rains, but very good numbers of steelhead trout have been reported in the streams, which were high and muddy after Wednesday rains in northeast Ohio. The rivers that should clear first are Conneaut Creek and the Ashtabula River, so anglers should check the flow gauges on the streams to get water level readings. The flow gauge on the Rocky River has been giving false readings this week.
Look for some upstream tributaries to clear today and early in the weekend.
The walleye runs on the Maumee and Sandusky rivers are still in action, with both young jacks and trophy females being caught. The rivers were both high and muddy again at mid-week, but should be at good levels over the weekend.