CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Lake Erie has been a hot spot for big walleye catches all along the Ohio shoreline, but the big lake doesn't have the corner on good walleye fishing. Mosquito and Pymatuning reservoirs are treating small boat fishermen to some very good walleye fishing, as well as catches of catfish and largemouth bass.
CENTRAL LAKE ERIE
Fishermen are heading a little further offshore this week to find the big schools of walleye, working the 30-foot depths from Huron and Cranberry Creek to Vermilion, Lorain, Avon Lake and Cleveland. The fishing reports are a bit strange, in that a wide variety of techniques and lures are catching fish.
The hot lure color patterns are still purple, pink and chartreuse, but trolling fishermen are using every type of lure in their Lake Erie tackle boxes, from spoons, crankbaits to worm harnesses. Drift-and-cast fishermen are tossing small spinner rigs, also called mayfly and weapon rigs, as well as weight-forward spinners.
The yellow perch fishing around Lorain and Cleveland is still very slow, but some catches of perch have been reported off Conneaut. The lower stretches of the Rocky, Black and Vermilion, are giving up catfish.
WESTERN LAKE ERIE
After Tuesday night's heavy rains around northwest Ohio, many of the near-shore areas of Lake Erie are stained or muddy, pushing fishermen a bit further offshore for big catches of walleye. For trailer boat anglers, the Mazurik State Ramp and parking lot on Marblehead had been closed for repairs, but expected to be open again today.
Fishermen are focusing on the offshore waters north of the Niagara Reef complex and the Davis-Besse Power Plant. Walleye have also moved a bit north around the Lake Erie Islands, with good fishing reported this week on a line from east of Ballast Island to Middle Island and around the Ohio-Ontario border.
The mayfly hatch has begun with a vengeance around the Western Basin, which usually slows the walleye and yellow perch fishing. It hasn't happened yet, as some trophy walleye are being caught and lots of 18- to 20-inch fish.
INLAND LAKES AND RESERVOIRS
Mosquito Reservoir walleye, including some large fish, are being caught while casting jerk baits and targeting the weeds in 5-9 feet of water with jigs and nightcrawlers. Anglers are casting Flicker Shad and Shad Rap lures along the weed edges. Open water walleye are being taken with a floating worm harness and weighted bottom bouncers with nightcrawlers.
The largemouth bass fishing has been on fire at Mosquito, with plastic worms and topwater lures, especially frogs and buzz baits, catching good numbers of bass. If you can find the crappie in the 15- to 20-foot depths, they are ready to bite on minnows. Pymatuning fishermen have been trolling crawler harnesses and Hot-N-Tot lures around the north end of the lake. Catfish are biting well on night crawlers and cut shad, especially after dark.
RIVERS AND STREAMS
The Northeast Ohio rivers and streams had been high and muddy. Look for good smallmouth bass, catfish and carp fishing as the waters clear. The bass fishing has slowed a bit, but some resident smallmouth bass can be found throughout the summer. For fly anglers, the bulky carp can test tackle as they feed in the slow, still areas.