WALLEYE

Walleye generally prefer cool water, less than 72° F, moderately clear (3-6 ft visibility) with lots of small fish for food. Walleyes will move great distances to find these conditions, so you may have to search a wide area to find schools of fish. When large schools are found, fishing can be excellent for days or weeks until conditions change. Weather conditions affect walleyes dramatically: hot, calm days with clear water can make fish inactive and easily spooked during the day and more active during dawn and dusk periods, while overcast days with 2-3' waves can be productive throughout the day. Actively feeding walleyes are often suspended in the water column, both nearshore or offshore, and are fairly easy to catch. Inactive walleyes are usually found on or near the lakes bottom, especially near rocks or other structure, and often need to be enticed into biting. Walleyes generally feed on prey that are above them so you should try various presentations throughout the water column until you locate the fish.

Casting:

Spinning reels on 6-7' rods with medium to medium-heavy action and 8 - 10 lb. test line; bait cast or spin cast reels with shorter rods. Casting lures are typically 3/8 to 1 ounce "mayfly" or "weapon" rigs tipped with a worm.

Jigging:

Medium-heavy to heavy-action rods with 8 - 10 lb. test line for vertical jigging 3/8 to 3/4 ounce baits off the bottom. Blade baits and hair jigs are standard walleye jigging baits.

Trolling:

Bait-casting reels on 7' medium-heavy rods, 10 - 15 lb. test line. Leaders (20 lb. test) are attached to michingan stinger spoons. Trollers use a variety of techniques, including flat-lining with diving plugs or bottom bouncers with night-crawler harnesses and controlled-depth fishing dipsy divers or jet divers with spoons. Planer boards are especially useful to get baits away from the boat because walleyes can be spooked by boat noise.

YELLOW PERCH

Bait cast or spinning reels on light-medium action, 5' - 6' rods, with 8 - 10 lb. test line. Braided line with no-stretch works especially well. The most common technique is to use a 2-way spreader with #4 - #6 long-shanked, snelled hooks tipped with shiners and a 3/4 to 1 ounce sinker. Jigging the spreader periodically gives the shiners some movement and usually entices a bite.

SMALLMOUTH BASS

Smallmouth bass prefer clear waters and are most active in Lake Erie during daylight hours at water temperatures between 45 - 75° F. Bass are attracted to underwater structure, such as rocks, shipwrecks, piers, logs, and submerged vegetation where they can ambush their prey. They are usually found on or near the bottom, but prefer ledges and drop-offs between shallow and deeper areas. They have a diverse diet, that includes small fish, crayfish, and insects. Female bass lay about 5,000 eggs in bottom depressions during the spring and the male remains on the "nest" to protect eggs and fry against predators. Any bass caught during the spring nesting period must be immediately returned to the water. When hooked, smallmouth bass are the hardest fighting and the most acrobatic species in the lake.

Smallmouth Bass Equipment

Baitcast or spinning reels on medium-heavy action, 6' - 7' rods, with 8 - 10 lb. test line. Braided, no-stretch lines are preferred by many bass anglers. Popular jigging lures include 2 - 5" tube baits, twister tails, hair jigs, and spoons. Casters use a variety of plugs in both fish and crayfish patterns. Live-bait fishing with shiners or crayfish is especially effective during the late-summer and fall months, with a #2 -#4 snelled hook below a 3/8 - 3/4 ounce sinker and barrel swivel.

Information courtesy of ODNR. Ohio Department of Natural Resources. (2004). Lake Erie Fishing Guide [Brochure]. Columbus, OH: Ohio Division of Wildlife.