ODNR Fishing Report for 10/17/2006: OH

Article Posted: October 19, 206

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**The walleye daily bag limit is 6 fish. A 15" minimum size limit for walleye remains in effect for the entire season. The Lake Erie daily bag limit for yellow perch is 40 fish. The daily bag limit for black bass on Lake Erie is 5. The minimum size limit for black bass on Lake Erie is 14". The steelhead trout bag limit 2. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches.**

Fishing information based on reports from the week of 10/09/2006.

Western Basin

Fishing effort directed towards walleye has greatly decreased as western basin anglers have switched to perch fishing. Some success has been reported on Kelleys Island Shoal. Drifters are using mayfly rigs or weight forward spinners, while most trollers are using worm harnesses or spoons with jet or dipsy divers, and crankbaits.

Yellow perch fishing has produced good numbers of fish in the Western Basin, but on average fish have been under 9”. Over the past week the best areas have been “D” can of the Camp Perry range, Green Island, Rattlesnake Island, Lucy’s Point of Middle Bass Island, N of North Bass Island, and the Marblehead lighthouse. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

Smallmouth bass should start moving shallower as water temperatures drop heading into fall. Fish rocky drop-offs and reefs around the Bass Islands and Kelleys Island along with nearshore areas from Catawba Island to Sandusky Bay to find active fish. Tube jigs and drop shot rigs with goby imitations are the most popular set-ups for smallmouth.

Central Basin

Walleye fishing from Huron to Lorain has been good as the fish continue to migrate west. Farther east most fishing effort has been directed at yellow perch. Walleye have been taken N of the Huron dumping grounds, on the N end of the Sandbar, and sporadically around Ruggles Reef. Fish have been caught on worm harnesses or spoons trolled with dipsy divers or jet divers, and also on deep diving crankbaits.

Yellow perch fishing is excellent in the central basin in 25 to 30’ of water off of the Vermilion breakwall and off of the condos E of Vermilion near Beaver Creek, within 1 mile of Lorain and Avon point, 1-2 miles NW of Cleveland (E. 72nd St. lighthouse) in 38’ of water, 2 miles NE of Eastlake in 38' of water, 3 miles N of Fairport in 50 to 55’ of water, and 2-3 miles N of Ashtabula 45 to 55’ of water. Fish have ranged from 7 to 12 inches. Perch rigs with shiners fished near the bottom have produced the most fish.

Smallmouth bass fishing has been good along the shoreline from Fairport Harbor to Conneaut in 15 to 25’ of water. Fish have been caught on goby color tube jigs, goby color drop-shot rigs, jigs tipped with minnows or leeches, or by trolling crankbaits.

Steelhead fishing has been fair to good in the Vermilion River, Rocky River, Euclid Creek (Wildwood State Park), Chagrin River, Grand River, Arcola Creek, Geneva State Park, Conneaut Creek and along the Conneaut west breakwall. Shore anglers are using small spinners and spoons, and jigs and maggots rigged with a split shot under a light bobber.

Lake Erie surface temperatures range from 52 to 58 degrees


Source: ODNR






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