Category: Uncategorized

First few weeks of the season have been great we have been catching fish from vermillion to the islands depending on wind and mud. Speed has been 1.0-1.5 p-10’s and bandits have been the baits. Mostly white body baits have been working best but some days chrome. Stained water is producing the best. Clean water seems to be absent of fish and too muddy you can’t catch them. It has been good so far and there are lots of fish to be caught. Good luck and tight lines to you all.

Attached Images

I have been exploring changing out my lead acid trolling motor batteries on a 36 volt system to lithium. One manufacturers rep recommended a single 36 volt 100 AH battery versus three 12 volt batteries. Is anyone running a single 36 volt battery on their rig and how do you like the performance? I know the possible downside is if you have an issue, I would have a large battery to repair or replace. The convenience of a single battery does appeal to me. Let me know your thoughts.

We were finally able to get the new Tiger out of it’s den to find out if it is going to be a Fishing Tiger. We got stopped at Mazurek’s ramp for a safety check and got dinged for no anchor.

There were several reports from boats coming in of eyes East of Kelleys. Not my first choice for this time of year but since this was mostly a shake out trip we decided to work there.

First fish was a 26 inch fatty. We ended up with 11 total but 5 were over 25 and the biggest 28 1/2. We let the 5 big mammas go to do their thing and kept the 6 smaller for the grease. By smaller I mean 18 inchers and above. We had no shorts.

We didn’t find any fish schooled. It was just a grind covering water. We worked mostly 35 to 40 feet of water. 9 of our fish came on the downrigers oscillating between 25 to 30. All 9 came on blue chrome Rogues. We started with Blue Chrome on one rigger and gold red on the other, but quickly went to blue chrome on both. We didn’t touch a fish on Bandits but 2 of our largest fish came on Spro Madeye 120s fished 100 back naked. They were on Blue and Chrome also. Note the Spro looks almost like the Rogue color.

Speed was around 1.5 give or take.

Final decision is the new Tiger is a Fishing Tiger, yea!!!!

My nephew and I managed to get out on the Lake on Wednesday. We launched from Catawba around 9:30 as the wind was beginning to die down a bit. Had 2 to 3 footers as we headed northeast from the launch but once we got south of South Bass the waves began to diminish some. We found some stained water as we headed a little further north and set up about a mile or so east of Perry’s. I got my first board out and was trying to help my nephew figure out how to set the boards and what lures to use for the day when my first board went off. I had a shallow set of just 35 back with an SPRO that netted the first chunky walleye. They didn’t come in that fast the rest of the day but we did net 18 and took 12 home for the dinner table. Average weight of the keepers was about 4.5 lbs. Speed varied and they seemed to hit when there was a change in speed, but average speed was 1.1 to 1.3 mph. Water temp still cool at 36 degrees. All in all it was a gorgeous day on the water and we had a great time.

Here’s a nice video presentation on Lake Erie walleye movement and migration. It was posted in May of last year, so it’s recent and pretty timely. Has some actual visual map tracking of walleye over a year. It’s 30 minutes long, so now, before the fishing starts, is a good time to sit back and take some time to learn what the biologists have found out about Lake Erie walleye as well as how they obtain that data. Good info to have at the start of the season so you know where to find the fish as the year progresses.

Walleye Movement 101: Using Acoustic Telemetry to Inform Fisheries Management in Lake Erie – YouTube

These studies are ongoing including this year. But it takes a year or more to interpret all the data and put it into a format that the general public can access.

Enjoy!

Skipper 9 has been in these forums for many years. While he has not been super active the past few years, he spent years in here giving free advice and handing out his phone number to answer questions to many of us. Now, he could use our help. Captain Jim of Eyehunter Charters just got out of surgery to have a malignant tumor removed, they also had to remove over half of a kidney. He will be unable to work for at least the next 5-6 weeks. He is self employed and this means he ahs no income for that time… and it is charter season!

15 of some of the best charter captains on the Lake have so graciously offered to run a benefit trip for Skipper 9 and they will be raffled off next month. Click the link or scan the QR code in the flyer and buy your tickets.

100% of the proceeds go directly to Captain Jim Allen

Skipper 9 Benefit | Raffle Creator

Attached Images

We are down to under 100 tickets left please help us sell out this year. The tickets are $20 or 3 for $50. We are offering for the last ones 7 for $100. The drawings start April 1st and you have a chance for a charter every day of the Ohio Pick 3 evening drawing every day in April. We are a nonprofit with no paid staff so 100% of the donations go towards our events on Lake Erie that we offer for free to wounded heroes. Tickets can be bought online at Walleyes For Wounded Heroes or in person at Erie Outfitters in Sheffield. thanks to all of our captains that make both our events and this raffle happen at no charge. Without them, we could not do the number of events we do for free for the heroes. If you are around June 7-11th, we will have our next event at Ted’s Cottages on Marblehead and we have 70 heroes attending to fish for 3 days.

Attached Images

There hasn’t been many reports, so I thought I would share what I could. I was ask to ride along for moral support with a new captain on his first charter, so I’m somewhat limited to what I can share.

We put in a long day but sent his Kansas crew home with 24 solid eyes. The nice part was I ask them early if they brought a big fish cooler and they said they did. When I left for home one of them was headed to Walmart for a bigger cooler, lol!!!!!

For the most part we fished where we could in the west lee of Kellys. The wind was bad early but eased a little as the day went on.

I can tell you this. The P10s out performed the Bandits 3 to 1. They wanted more wobble. We trolled from .8 to 1.2 and run the P10s from 20/20 to 30/30 with 2 ozs. The Bandits worked best at 100 back unassisted.

Early P10s in 24 carrot and clown did best but early afternoon all the white baits did best, Floyd and one like Floyd but purple head and a few custom Bandits – Baisicly white with a flow yellow head and one with a pink head.

Late in the day Huff Daddy and Poo Bear Bandits rocked – they were hot for sure but we ran out of time and had a full box.

For those who don’t already know, the Perry Monument on South Bass Island (Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, National Park Service) now has web cameras on top of the monument for public view. You can see the Lake (weather conditions) from multiple directions. Link below.

Lake Erie Shores and Islands has added a Marblehead Lighthouse web camera, which shows the Lake. Link Below.

View From The Top – Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial (U.S. National Park Service)

Lake Erie Webcams | Shores & Islands Ohio

The docks are in at Green Cove ramp. Now if we can get some good weather to get the water to clear up.