Seasonal Patterns for
Lake Erie Walleye
Smallmouth Bass and Perch
April Walleye
Great month for the experienced jig fisherman. Most of the fishing takes
place on and around the reef areas, along the western shoreline. The most
popular baits among anglers are the ¼ oz. to 1 oz. Jigs. Also a variety of
blade baits, both the jig and blade baits are tipped with a minnow, and fished
in 4 to 15 feet of water. Check out our April
Fishing Special!
May Walleye
Post spawn walleye are very abundant in the western basin. Nice 22" –
26" walleyes are very common. Overall, May is a good month for bigger fish.
Bottom bouncers with a 3-4 foot leader, containing 2 hooks, gold blade, and gold
beads produce the best. Also casting a 30" casting harness or a weight
forward spinner. At Lakeland Charters we almost exclusively drift fish.
June Walleye
June is a good consistent month for walleye fishing. The water is warming up
and the fish are becoming more aggressive. This is a good time of year for the
inexperienced angler. Walleyes tend to be easier to catch, limits are common,
size of fish average 16" to 20", and the weather is nice. The most
productive presentation this time of year is drift fishing, casting a worm
harness or weight forward spinner tipped with a night crawler.
July Walleye
No doubt the best month for catching a limit catch of walleye in the western
basin of Lake Erie. The Ohio Division of Natural Resources has proven that the
catch rate per angler is best during this month. July walleye fishing is Lake
Erie’s best-kept secret. Don’t let the warm weather fool you, book you July
walleye trip today.
August Walleye
The water temperature plays a big factor on how active the walleye bite is in
August. Generally, good walleye catches continue to be brought in through the
first 15 days. After that, "the water tends to be too warm", and
walleyes become very difficult to catch. They go deep and hug the bottom
becoming very lethargic.
September 10th – November 1st
Hog Walleye
This time of year can be feast or famine. We are usually fishing east of Port
Clinton 20-25 miles, north of Huron, Ohio. Definitely the best time of year for
hog walleye. You may have your best day or your slowest fishing day. If you hit
it on the right day, it can be awesome. For instance, October 22, 2002, 22
walleye, 131 lbs, 3 walleyes were 10 lbs plus, all casting.
Yellow Perch
August, September, October Perch
The summers of 2001 and 2002 produced some of the best perch fishing in 10
years. It’s not uncommon for 6 anglers to catch a limit of 30 perch per person
in 3 ½ to 4 hours. Lakeland Charters offers a 6-hour perch trip. Perch fishing
makes great family trips. Prime time for perch August 1st – October
15th. August being the most productive.
Smallmouth Bass
August, September, October Bass:
Always the most productive months for thrilling smallmouth bass action.
Written in the In-Fisherman Magazine, Lake Erie is considered one of the top 10
bass spots in the country. Tube jigs and live bait rigs with a soft craw are the
most productive methods. 3-4 pound bass are common and catching 50-60 bass in a
day is possible. For the angler that cannot wait for bass season to start, we
offer June and July catch and release trips only. This time of year is
exclusively artificial baits only; mainly pumpkin seed colored tube jigs ¼ oz.
August-September Combo Perch/Bass
2002 produced several good bass/perch combo days. We would perch fish for 3
hours in the morning, then spend the rest of the day bass fishing. The
perch/bass combo tri is not possible if bass fishing is in Canadian water. We
also offer walleye/perch combos.
Call
now or e-mail to schedule your memorable fishing
trip
Docked
at:
Brands
West Dock, 925 W. Lakeshore Dr.
Port
Clinton, OH 43452
Phone/Fax
(419) 734-0440
Toll
Free 866-999-0440
email:
clem@cros.net
