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04-17-2004, 07:11 PM
04/16/04
The spring steelhead trout fishing in the rivers and streams has been halted by high, muddy waters, but the early season yellow perch and walleye fishing gradually is warming up.
Yellow perch are being caught along the shoreline in depths ranging from 32 to 44 feet of water, with anglers searching for scattered schools of perch. Lorain and Avon Point have been Central Basin hot spots. Some perch should be caught soon by shoreline fishermen as well. Perch fishermen are working emerald shiner minnows along the Lake Erie bottom.
Walleye are being caught around Cleveland after dark. Night fishermen are casting plugs from piers and breakwalls and trolling near-shore waters from Avon Point and Lorain to Cleveland. The Huron night bite was been slowed by muddy river water. Minnow-style plugs are working best, with Husky Jerks and Long A Bombers the top choices.
The walleye are biting again on and around the Western Lake Erie reefs and the fishing should improve with the weather this weekend. Jig-minnow rigs have been best for walleyes on the reefs, with bigger post-spawn females being caught trolling minnow-style plugs around the reefs and around the Bass Islands and Kelleys Island, targeting suspended walleye in deeper waters.
Boaters should watch for nets placed in the reef areas by Ohio Division of Wildlife fisheries biologists. The nets are marked with yellow flags and floats.
Yellow perch fishing has been fair to good off the Lakeside Pier on the Marblehead Peninsula, as well as off the Marblehead Lighthouse. Some perch also are being caught around Kelleys Island and the Bass Islands.
Smallmouth bass are being caught in 18- to 30-foot depths around the Bass Islands and Kelleys Island. Tube jigs, jigging spoons and blade baits are producing trophy-sized pre-spawn bass.
The Maumee and Sandusky rivers are both low and clear and some walleyes are being caught on their spawning runs. Floating jig heads and twister tails behind a sinker and leader have been the top choice of river anglers. The best Maumee River area is still from Fort Meigs to Buttonwood and the Blue Grass Island area. Some white bass are showing up in both rivers.
Inland waters
The crappie season is heating up on local lakes and reservoirs, including Mosquito, LaDue, Berlin and Pymatuning. Wading anglers are catching walleyes on Mosquito and Pymatuning lakes late in the day and after dark on jigs and twister tails and minnow-style plugs.
Saugeyes are being caught below the tailwaters of the Charles Mill Reservoir Dam near Mansfield on lead head jigs with colorful twister trails. The bite has been slowed by recent rains but should heat up again this weekend.
D'Arcy Egan
© 2004 The Plain Dealer. Used with permission. » Send This Page | » Print This Page
http://www.cleveland.com/outdoors/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1082108030205800.xml
The spring steelhead trout fishing in the rivers and streams has been halted by high, muddy waters, but the early season yellow perch and walleye fishing gradually is warming up.
Yellow perch are being caught along the shoreline in depths ranging from 32 to 44 feet of water, with anglers searching for scattered schools of perch. Lorain and Avon Point have been Central Basin hot spots. Some perch should be caught soon by shoreline fishermen as well. Perch fishermen are working emerald shiner minnows along the Lake Erie bottom.
Walleye are being caught around Cleveland after dark. Night fishermen are casting plugs from piers and breakwalls and trolling near-shore waters from Avon Point and Lorain to Cleveland. The Huron night bite was been slowed by muddy river water. Minnow-style plugs are working best, with Husky Jerks and Long A Bombers the top choices.
The walleye are biting again on and around the Western Lake Erie reefs and the fishing should improve with the weather this weekend. Jig-minnow rigs have been best for walleyes on the reefs, with bigger post-spawn females being caught trolling minnow-style plugs around the reefs and around the Bass Islands and Kelleys Island, targeting suspended walleye in deeper waters.
Boaters should watch for nets placed in the reef areas by Ohio Division of Wildlife fisheries biologists. The nets are marked with yellow flags and floats.
Yellow perch fishing has been fair to good off the Lakeside Pier on the Marblehead Peninsula, as well as off the Marblehead Lighthouse. Some perch also are being caught around Kelleys Island and the Bass Islands.
Smallmouth bass are being caught in 18- to 30-foot depths around the Bass Islands and Kelleys Island. Tube jigs, jigging spoons and blade baits are producing trophy-sized pre-spawn bass.
The Maumee and Sandusky rivers are both low and clear and some walleyes are being caught on their spawning runs. Floating jig heads and twister tails behind a sinker and leader have been the top choice of river anglers. The best Maumee River area is still from Fort Meigs to Buttonwood and the Blue Grass Island area. Some white bass are showing up in both rivers.
Inland waters
The crappie season is heating up on local lakes and reservoirs, including Mosquito, LaDue, Berlin and Pymatuning. Wading anglers are catching walleyes on Mosquito and Pymatuning lakes late in the day and after dark on jigs and twister tails and minnow-style plugs.
Saugeyes are being caught below the tailwaters of the Charles Mill Reservoir Dam near Mansfield on lead head jigs with colorful twister trails. The bite has been slowed by recent rains but should heat up again this weekend.
D'Arcy Egan
© 2004 The Plain Dealer. Used with permission. » Send This Page | » Print This Page
http://www.cleveland.com/outdoors/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1082108030205800.xml