when will ice be gone.

i live in hamilton ohio so it only takes me about three and a half hours to be fishing. im really only use to putting in at mazurik ramp or catawba. where is wild wings marina or ramp. would love to find out. also when is someones best guess on when the ice will be broke up and gone. one more thing what is the hot hole where the bass are, is that a warm water discharge or something. any info would be appreciated. ive been fishing the lake alot in the past five years but have limited myself to around the bass islands to kelleys and west to about niagra reef. would like to expand my knowledge of the lake . thanks and good fishing

Well, the ice will be completely gone in a week or two. When that occurs, the walleye fishing will be heating up very quickly on the western basin of lake erie. Where is Wild Wings you ask. Wild Wings is a big marina just to the west of davis besse nuclear power plant. Launching out of Wild Wings is your best bet in the month of April. In april, usually the second week, the walleye fishing is fantastic nearshore between port clinton all the way to the maumee bay. If u go out of wild wings in april, first try about a half a mile to 1 mile out in about 8-12fow. If no good, move out a little further, but usually the males are stacked up in april within a mile of shore. If your after a trophy, i suggest the deep water around the reefs, especially east of niagra reef, and between A, B, and C cans of the firing range, preferably trolling reef runners, rouges, and husky jerks. This is your best chance at that trophy walleye you have always dreamed about. Good luck!

Here is a site that has aerial photos of the Great Lakes. Clouds permitting you can get a real good look at the lake and ice cover. The winds are shifting ice north and south daily. A large portion is moving east though.

http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/modis/region_map.html

Good fishing.
Barry

What do you thing of the first week of April, I'm going to great wolf lodge with the family and with gas prices I would like to kill to birds with one stone.



Thanks Good Fishing

hey guys i appreciate the info. im getting very ancy. definitely ready to hit the lake. glad you mentioned the trolling, in the past five years i have really gotten into the trolling part of the walleye fishing and really enjoy it. two of my most favorite colored reef runners are firetiger and the gray ghost. thanks for the info about wild wings.