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i was starting to plan my spring trip today. i want to troll the reefs around besse. should i be trolling or jigging come mid march through april? i usually launch out of CSP but want to get a little closer to the reefs this spring. what are some of the ramps out there that i can use? also looking for safe hotels where you don't have to worry about bringing in your gear every night. thanks in advance fellow fisherman.
slow trolling will get the bigger fish cone reef D can good areas that time of year lots of fish to be caught jigging i would plan on doing both mid april would be a good time hopefully weather will be decent by then magee east rents trailers you can check there website out i dock there in april never heard of any problems
I would agree on planning on both. There are days jigging can you your 4 fish in under an hr. But these are normally you males in 4lb and under range. Slow trolling the reefs, the can's, near the monument, West side of kellies, all produce big trophies. Normally above 15ft of depth. Don't be afraid to even put out in the top 3 to 5 ft. Bandits, p10s, dhjs, reef runners all work good
This coming spring should present with some fantastic fishing,with the plentiful 2015 hatch being legal size.Those fish should be around 19" then.If we get any stable weather,you should be able to jig up your 4 fish limit in less than 2hrs.I remember the first spring the 2003 hatch was of legal size.After a week of stable weather and good water clarity,caught our 3man limit in around 90min jigging and another limit after 3hrs that we put back.A friend said he caught 30 fish himself in 90min the day before.I expect the fishing to be close to the 2003 hatch,except the 2014 hatch was also pretty good and we should be catching some of those fish too,this spring.
Depending on how you like to fish,is what I recommend you do.Alot of people will jig fish till close to limit,then ride out to deeper water to finish limit with bigger fish.There will be a lot of boats going out of turtle creek,which is close to early season jigging location.Back in 2006,when all those 2003 hatch were caught,Heard that ODNR fined a lot of guys for over limit and double dipping.Im sure this will happen again this spring,and I have heard they now use a drone to help with catching the illegal poaching.This spring should bring some exceptional walleye fishing.
thanks for all the input fellas. west of kelly's is american eagle if i remember right. i had some good days out there last june. i'm looking for pigs this year but i guess i'll just gas up the boat and head out of csp if turtle is a mad house. it's not too long of a ride over to k can and that reef complex. thanks for all the info. can't wait till spring. i'm starting to get cabin fever over here!!
I myself am kinda in the same situation as Reel_Deal. I have been fishing out of turtle creek for over ten years. I normally have never made it up until late may or june. At that point i have either drifted worm harness or trolled lures at normal speed. This year I am going to try to get up there and hit the early spring. I am not sure to try slow troll around the reels or shoot over to the islands and troll. Ill probably troll before i jig mainly because im not use to it. Would I be able to pick them up slow trolling around the reefs and cans? Last years bite was unreal. Each trip out id say we pick up 50+ while picking through all the shorts to get my limits.
The cans and reefs produce well normally. Coming from where you are I would try the reefs b4 going over to cans. Large females can be had up high, late April early May you actually troll you deep divers bouncing off the bottom or just above it and get good limits too.
Even though the slow troll is similar to summer trolling, there is a few differences beyound just speeds and leads. The way the fish are targeted, triggered, and handled are different. A lot can be learned in a trip or two with some of the top charters.
march through early april the jig bite can be amazing at times. by the middle of april the trolling will be hot. but you can find fish trolling in late march. the fishing is going to be nothing short of amazing this yr. the 15 hatch was huge and there all going to be legal with fish being around 20"+. the 16 hatch which was huge and just under legal last yr are going to be 16" to 18" and all legal.
I know that spring sounds like the time to be fishing but I was wondering if mid March is too early? I know that it comes down to if the ice is melted and if it is? would trying to get out be worth a shot. ill be going out of turtle creek. If ice is melted.... will the fish be on the reefs or where else to try? Cabin fever is getting to me and I am ready to get the boat out! Mid March is my spring break and I plan to be on the water!
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Originally Posted by vanatta22
The fish don't know what month or day it is. They are driven by their instincts. They sense water temps, moon phases, and other environmental factors. And when these things happen they do somewhat predictable behaviors and patterns.
A great number walleye spend most of the winter in eastern side of the wesyern basin and the western side of the central basin most of the winter feeding. As water temps rise the walleye population west of kellies island explodes in the spring. The odds are in the fisherman's favor.
But remember in the early spawn most of the fish caught jigging are not caught because they are feeding, the walleye are protecting it's turf from anything in it. I know some ppl tip their jigs with minors and some dont. Fish are had each way. I feel the shiner just gives the fish a bigger target
As later April early May rolls around the males start more feeding.
Look for water temps getting near 40s to start to trigger spawning activities. But fish can be had a colder temps. I'm sure the fish are staging up as we are all waiting for the ice to melt. Fish should be able to had from vermillion west as soon as the ice allows. It's just finding some looking for a snack.
I'm just as ready as all to get out and see some trophies come aboard.
Another question! I know that the pre spawn will more than likely be in march. I have heard of people fishing somewhere around the island and catching some hogs but that it about all I know. I am not sure if the fish on the east side of put n bay area. I do know that the are trolling slow. Just not sure where or what is in the area for this to fish around in that pre spawn. If for some reason the jigging isnt going my way around the reefs, Id like to have a back up plan and if I could figure out or get an idea where you guys fish around over by the islands in march during the pre span. Im not asking for your hot spots just the general area or reasoning why for the spots. Thank you!
West Side of Put N bay. didnt mean to put east side. I do know some people fish around kellys on the shoals but that is a little far run for me.
this is going to be my first spring fishing so i'm learning as well. i'll be up there first time the weather permits but have a 3 day trip planned for april. going out of the same area. i'm hoping to learn a little bit before my trip in april on some trips in march. i'm all ready for the weather to break and get things going this season. i stopped by Capt. Eric and DJ's booth in columbus and they helped me out quite a bit in just the five to ten mins i got to talk to them. i'm all about trying to help one another out and trying to fish with partners to get on some fish. good luck this year. feel free to throw me a message and let me know how you're doing. i will do the same.Quote:
Originally Posted by vanatta22
I just want to clarify where the jig fishing will be. I dock in West Harbor, and don't want to go over to the reef area as my 17ft Whaler is a rough rider. Can I jig on American Eagle and get some fish or is everything by Kellys and West of Put in Bay going to be trolling. Just looking for any areas I can catch some walleye relatively close to the safety of West Harbor in April!.
Thanks,
Bruce
LD, I would imagine walleye will spawn on just about any reef. The areas in front of Davis Beese is just overly loaded, hince why it gets most of the attention. I know they can be had trolling in the area you talking about, AE, Scotts point, f can, Clinton reef. You can always trailer you boat to the other areas so it's not a farther drive, but glad you respect the limits of your vessel.
Last spring end of April early may we were trolling in front the moose, and the rock wall just east of Port Clinton. Kellies on the sw to nw side should also hold fish. As the fish move back east after spawning, the areas you mention will be on fire.
Jig short reef and mouse island early... you'll find some there. Late March, early April we were trolling just above American Eagle and Scott Point Shoal, up to Starve Is. Reef... some days right in the ferry lanes to South Bass. A vast majority of the 'lake spawners' head to the reef complex down west, but there's always a few stragglers ... or maybe they just get lost!
With these jigs, do I use the twister tails like I have used on the Maumee river walleye run? I thought I read that sometimes the jigs are tipped with shiners like you do with ice fishing?
Thanks,
Bruce
I don't know why but everyone seems to think you need the hair jig. IT'S FLAT LIKE PENNY SIZE and has hair. I like regular 3/8 led and a salt and pepper tube skirt. Good for smallmouth also. My guess is probably twisters would work, but I have never tried floaters. Think I'll try that this year. Good luck which ever way you go.
I fished from. Catawaba to the south east corner of kellies, the frist week of April last spring, and between the islands. Caught fish in all areas . All of the fish I caught where post spawn, trolling at , 1.0 to 1.3 mph , with bandits, and reefrunners. I did better in the clearer water between the islands, but still had them towards the cans. Seemed to me the bite picked up late in the day as the water temps rose . Humble bee, wonderbread , chartreuse, solid colors did better in the dingy water, chromes did better in the clearer water. On my way in 3 weeks. Good luck to all, be safe out there!
I have jigged them a few times and love it. Its the only time I consistently get good bite and great fight from the walleyes. Even better than drifting during Summer. They really hit like bullets and fight hard the whole time during the Spring jig bite.
Rickerd
I know that it is just a little chilly this weekend but is anyone heading out? I would like to try to get up next weekend if the wind plays nice. With not much rain in the forecast it should clear up a little. Anyone have any thoughts of when they are going to get up?
This is the time of year for a lot of cabin fever pre-season talk about Lake Erie walleye fishing. A lot of the fishing questions asked on here the last week are in the process of being answered by our state, federal, and other scientific groups. Many of you know about the GLATOS Lake Erie acoustic transmitter projects that have been in progress now for several years. During the warm water season there are about a hundred acoustic receivers deployed in Lake Erie. These receivers record walleye which have surgically installed transmitters in them. We already know a lot more about Lake Erie walleye than we did just five years ago, and we’ll know a lot more within the next few years. When you are out fishing this season you might be drifting or trolling over one of these underwater receivers. Here’s a link to a 10 minute video which explains the programs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkUfEvmrDAI You can get more info at the GLATOS website https://glatos.glos.us/ including a map of the receivers. Walleye spawn all over the Western Basin, so there should be good numbers of big fish near just about anywhere there is rocky or gravel / coble bottom. You just have to be there when they are. With millions of walleye in the Lake they couldn't all spawn on the big reef complex off Camp Perry.