T_boy
05-09-2008, 04:25 PM
The parade of weather fronts has been a problem, but good weather is in the forecast for Saturday. Because of the cold fronts and cool nights, river fishermen are still catching a few steelhead trout as the season winds down and the fish head back to Lake Erie. Cooling temperatures have slowed the fishing on inland lakes.
Central Lake Erie
Jumbo perch are showing up off Bratenahl at 38 feet. The outstanding perch fishing has slowed as big winds and chilly weather have returned. Perch were being caught in very good numbers off Cleveland, Avon Point and Lorain at 40 to 46 feet.
Walleye anglers are trolling from Huron to Vermilion at 18 to 25 feet with good success both during the day and after dark, using spinners tipped with nightcrawlers. Off Lorain, the deep-water trollers are using diving planers to catch suspended walleye at 40 feet. The night walleye bite off Cleveland has been fair this week.
The rock bass fishing around Cleveland Harbor, especially around the Edgewater launch, East 55th Street and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has been very good on jig-twister tail rigs. The smallmouth bass fishing has been very good off Cranberry Creek and the Ruggles Beach area on tube jigs and drop-shot rigs.
Western Lake Erie
Walleye fishermen are making the transition from casting lead-head hair jigs around the reefs to open-water fishing, casting spinner rights and weight-forward spinners, both tipped with nightcrawlers. Trolling fishermen are targeting deeper waters around the Bass Islands and Kelleys Island with minnow-style plugs and spinners rigs tipped with nightcrawlers.
Rivers and streams
There are steelhead trout to be caught from the Vermilion River to Conneaut Creek, but many are spawning on the gravel or dropping back to Lake Erie. Search for the few deep pools still holding trout. The recent rains have not muddied the waters, but more precipitation could slam the door on trout fishing this weekend. Anglers are doing best with small flies or casting small spinners and spoons.
Smallmouth bass are moving into the rivers and steelhead trout anglers are catching them on nymphs and small streamers. Bass fishermen are casting tube jigs, jig-minnow rigs and jig-twister tail combos.
Some smaller male walleye are still being caught from the Maumee and Sandusky rivers while the white bass fishing continues to improve. Target white bass with small jigs tipped with minnows and suspended 3 to 4 feet under a float.
Inland lakes
The panfish bite continues on area lakes and ponds. The bluegills have moved to shallow water, but the crappies are still lurking in the 4- to 8-foot depths. Largemouth bass were starting to head to shoreline cover, but back off to the weed edges or drop-offs when the weather deteriorates. Catfish are being caught in good numbers after dark and the saugeye lakes, including Clendening, Leesville and Piedmont, are giving up good numbers of fish on jig-minnow rigs and diving plugs trolled around the rocky points.
Shore anglers at Nimisila Reservoir will find parking limited on South Main St. The bass fishing at Nimisila has been good this week for anglers casting spinners and working plastic worms and lizards around cover and the drop-offs.
Mosquito Lake walleye are hitting Hot-N-Tots in the 12- to 15-foot depths.
- D'Arcy Egan
Fishing tournaments
Lake Erie Walleye Trail/Western Basin Sportfishing Association (Lake Erie at Lakevue Marina, Marblehead): 1. Mike Solomey (Demotte, Ind.) and Shane Solomey (Wheatfield, Ind.), 34.06 pounds; 2. Scott Geitgey (Canton) and Tim Calvert (Port Clinton), 33.8 pounds; 3. Thomas Sibert (Sandusky) and Tom Sibert (Castalia), 33.66 pounds. All limits of 5 walleye.
Big Walleye: 1. Mike, Shane Solomey, 14 pounds; 2. Mike Miller (Brunswick) and Dave Frey (Avon Lake), 10.62 pounds.
Northeast Ohio Catfish Angler's Tournament (Atwood Lake): 1. Richard Meeks, 6 catfish, 37 pounds, $481; 2. Zach Zbinden and Janes Custer, 4 catfish, 31-6, $219; 3. James Benson and Mike Benson, 6 catfish, 31-4, $87. Big Catfish: Zach Zbinden and James Custer, 11 pounds, 12 ounces, $88.
Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League/Buckeye Division (Indian Lake) - Boater Division: 1. Kent Smart (Dayton), 5 bass, 12 pounds, 2 ounces, $4,205; Chad Lighthizer (Zanesville), 5, 11-11, $2,474; 3. Scott Cooke (Marengo), 5, 10-09, $1,649. Co-Angler Division: 1. Steve Sorrell (Beavercreek), 5, 8-3, $2,364; 2. Kevin Price (Tipp City), 5, 7-13, $1,182; 3. Clint Bissonett (Beavercreek), 5, 6-08, $788. Big Bass: Randy Fosnaugh (Wapakoneta), 4 pounds, 4 ounces, $755.
Central Lake Erie
Jumbo perch are showing up off Bratenahl at 38 feet. The outstanding perch fishing has slowed as big winds and chilly weather have returned. Perch were being caught in very good numbers off Cleveland, Avon Point and Lorain at 40 to 46 feet.
Walleye anglers are trolling from Huron to Vermilion at 18 to 25 feet with good success both during the day and after dark, using spinners tipped with nightcrawlers. Off Lorain, the deep-water trollers are using diving planers to catch suspended walleye at 40 feet. The night walleye bite off Cleveland has been fair this week.
The rock bass fishing around Cleveland Harbor, especially around the Edgewater launch, East 55th Street and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has been very good on jig-twister tail rigs. The smallmouth bass fishing has been very good off Cranberry Creek and the Ruggles Beach area on tube jigs and drop-shot rigs.
Western Lake Erie
Walleye fishermen are making the transition from casting lead-head hair jigs around the reefs to open-water fishing, casting spinner rights and weight-forward spinners, both tipped with nightcrawlers. Trolling fishermen are targeting deeper waters around the Bass Islands and Kelleys Island with minnow-style plugs and spinners rigs tipped with nightcrawlers.
Rivers and streams
There are steelhead trout to be caught from the Vermilion River to Conneaut Creek, but many are spawning on the gravel or dropping back to Lake Erie. Search for the few deep pools still holding trout. The recent rains have not muddied the waters, but more precipitation could slam the door on trout fishing this weekend. Anglers are doing best with small flies or casting small spinners and spoons.
Smallmouth bass are moving into the rivers and steelhead trout anglers are catching them on nymphs and small streamers. Bass fishermen are casting tube jigs, jig-minnow rigs and jig-twister tail combos.
Some smaller male walleye are still being caught from the Maumee and Sandusky rivers while the white bass fishing continues to improve. Target white bass with small jigs tipped with minnows and suspended 3 to 4 feet under a float.
Inland lakes
The panfish bite continues on area lakes and ponds. The bluegills have moved to shallow water, but the crappies are still lurking in the 4- to 8-foot depths. Largemouth bass were starting to head to shoreline cover, but back off to the weed edges or drop-offs when the weather deteriorates. Catfish are being caught in good numbers after dark and the saugeye lakes, including Clendening, Leesville and Piedmont, are giving up good numbers of fish on jig-minnow rigs and diving plugs trolled around the rocky points.
Shore anglers at Nimisila Reservoir will find parking limited on South Main St. The bass fishing at Nimisila has been good this week for anglers casting spinners and working plastic worms and lizards around cover and the drop-offs.
Mosquito Lake walleye are hitting Hot-N-Tots in the 12- to 15-foot depths.
- D'Arcy Egan
Fishing tournaments
Lake Erie Walleye Trail/Western Basin Sportfishing Association (Lake Erie at Lakevue Marina, Marblehead): 1. Mike Solomey (Demotte, Ind.) and Shane Solomey (Wheatfield, Ind.), 34.06 pounds; 2. Scott Geitgey (Canton) and Tim Calvert (Port Clinton), 33.8 pounds; 3. Thomas Sibert (Sandusky) and Tom Sibert (Castalia), 33.66 pounds. All limits of 5 walleye.
Big Walleye: 1. Mike, Shane Solomey, 14 pounds; 2. Mike Miller (Brunswick) and Dave Frey (Avon Lake), 10.62 pounds.
Northeast Ohio Catfish Angler's Tournament (Atwood Lake): 1. Richard Meeks, 6 catfish, 37 pounds, $481; 2. Zach Zbinden and Janes Custer, 4 catfish, 31-6, $219; 3. James Benson and Mike Benson, 6 catfish, 31-4, $87. Big Catfish: Zach Zbinden and James Custer, 11 pounds, 12 ounces, $88.
Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League/Buckeye Division (Indian Lake) - Boater Division: 1. Kent Smart (Dayton), 5 bass, 12 pounds, 2 ounces, $4,205; Chad Lighthizer (Zanesville), 5, 11-11, $2,474; 3. Scott Cooke (Marengo), 5, 10-09, $1,649. Co-Angler Division: 1. Steve Sorrell (Beavercreek), 5, 8-3, $2,364; 2. Kevin Price (Tipp City), 5, 7-13, $1,182; 3. Clint Bissonett (Beavercreek), 5, 6-08, $788. Big Bass: Randy Fosnaugh (Wapakoneta), 4 pounds, 4 ounces, $755.