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Western Basin- Consistent warm weather has heated up walleye fishing in the
Western Basin. Expect to catch fish in typical summer locations between the
Bass Islands and the Toledo shipping channel. Over the past week limits of
18 to 22" fish have been caught in the area around the Toledo Shipping
Channel Turnaround Buoy, West Sister Island, and the Northwest Reef area
west of North Bass Island near the Canadian border. Best methods have
included casting gold weapons or drifting bottom bouncers with crawler
harnesses, and trolling purple, orange or gold spoons. Although fishing has
slowed around Kelley's Island a few trophies continue to be caught by
trollers around Gull Island Shoal north of Kelley's Island.
Yellow perch fishing improved over the past week for anglers
in the Catawba and Marblehead areas. Spreaders tipped with shiners have been
most productive for 7 to 14" fish west of Catawba Island on Clinton Reef and
in 25 to 40 feet of water northeast of the Marblehead Lighthouse.
Kelley's Island and the Bass Islands have produced the best
smallmouth bass catches. Tube jigs have been used to catch fish between 15
and 20". June is the peak spawning period for smallmouth bass in Lake Erie.
When practicing catch-and-release please return fish to the water as quickly
as possible so that the bass may return to its nest to protect its eggs from
goby predation. With warming water temperatures largemouth bass fishing
should improve in Sandusky Bay, the Portage River, East Harbor and West
Harbor.
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