CLEVELAND, Ohio — Marc Wolfe at Fishermen’s Warehouse in downtown Port Clinton knows this week will be a Lake Erie walleye fishing madhouse. It’s the second week of April, the walleye are in full spawning mode and limit catches of six fish are waiting.
This week is even more special, as anglers from just about everywhere are making a beeline to the Walleye Capital of the World.
The Western Basin is in the spotlight, with its plentiful near-shore limestone reefs a traditional area where many thousands of walleye come to spawn. Spawning walleye also run the Maumee and Sandusky rivers, luring an armada of wading anglers.
The great walleye fishing, though, is not limited to those western waters. Good fishing reports are popping up from around the Lake Erie Islands, and from Huron to Lorain.
“We get a crowd of out-of-state fishermen every year during the second week of April, and this year is no different,” said Wolfe, who sends out a trio of party fishing boats on Thursday from his downtown docks at Fishermen’s Warehouse. “The walleye bite is, as expected, on right now and we’re seeing a lot of limit catches.”
Wolfe’s morning trips from 7 a.m. to 2p.m. will be joined by afternoon fishing adventures from 3-10 p.m. this weekend, but locations are changing a bit. This week’s rains have muddied near-shore Lake Erie, with east winds pushing muddy waters from the Portage River toning down this week’s hot spot, the shallows off of Camp Perry.
Crowding Lake Erie waters more than usual will be a National Walleye Tour event based in Port Clinton, with downtown weigh-ins on Thursday and Friday, April 18-19. Most of the competitors have already made the scene, scouting for the top fishing areas and eager to start the NWT tournament season.
If that wasn’t enough, the Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s National Team Championships will drop anchor in Lorain on Thursday through Saturday, May 9-11. The two-anglers teams will compete for more than $250,000.
Weekend weather is an issue for Erie: The shallow water Lake Erie walleye fishing has been exceptional lately, but has been compromised a bit by recent rains that have muddied near-shore waters.
In addition to the Western Lake Erie shoreline and reefs, anglers had been finding success in 10 to 15 feet of water off Huron, Vermilion and Lorain while casting lead-head jigs. The easy-to-reach waters should clear up soon, though, providing the chance to catch fish on 5/8 to 1-ounce jigs — depending on winds and waves — with black, green and purple hair skirts. In dingy waters, yellow jig-heads will help trigger bites.
Trolling bite still on track: The offshore waters of Lake Erie are still fairly clear, with good walleye catches reported from Huron to Lorain on Thursday in 38 to 44 feet of water. Trolling deep-diving Bandit lures set to run 15 feet deep have triggered success with shad and blue-chrome lure patterns working well.
Casting for walleye competition set: The only Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament restricting fishermen to drift-and-cast fishing will be held at the Bay’s Edge Cast/Jig Open in Port Clinton on Saturday, April 20.
Michael and Ian Hostetler won the LEWT season opener at Magee East Marina on March 30 with a limit of five walleye weighing 37.25 pounds. They were followed by Gerald Franklin Sr. and Jr. (37.14pounds) and Tyler Berthold and Joe Gibson (37.12 pounds).
Durkalec on muskies: The guru of the exemplary fishing around the Cleveland Metroparks, Mike Durkalec, and his wife, Elizabeth, are also known for their success at catching and releasing trophy muskies.
Durkalec will be sharing his secrets on Thursday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. at a meeting of the Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders at the Firehouse Grille and Pub, 2768 Stark Dr., Willoughby Hills. The session is open to the public. Durkalec promises an in-depth presentation on muskie gear and fishing tactics, including casting, jigging and trolling for the mighty muskellunge. He will also focus on the top Ohio muskie waters, as well as a tour of Michigan’s Lake St. Clair.