Fishing out from Besse Davis

[PCperchhunter]

The week you'll be here is about the peak for jigging for walleyes, so be sure to take the advice previous and pick up bucktail jigs. Purple, pink seem to work best for us. When you get tired and want to kick back in that lawn chair and enjoy the day, then switch to drifting or trolling with bottom bouncers and harnesses. You'll get the bigger fish this way. Lot of 24-inchers this way last year. Chartreuse blades (#4 or #5), along with gold blades, pink/white blades, or firetiger blades seem to work best for us. String on a good 'ole nightcrawler on the harness, use a heavy enough bouncer to stay in contact with the bottom on your drift, kick back and wait for the rod to crank over.


You'll love this area. I've lived here 15 years and wouldn't trade this fishing life for the world!

[Rod Bender]

Pretty good info posted here already from the other gentlemen. A drift sock maybe one item to consider when vertical jigging for the males on or around the reef complex. All about the presentation as you know. As mentioned previously, south passage is somewhat of a funnel and historically holds alot of post spawn females as they will stage in this particular area for a breif period of time prior to heading back east for deeper waters. During a PWT tournament in 1993, we hit a pod of walleye which produced several 10-12 pound post spawn females trolling smithwick (Rattlin Rogue, Clown Color) A very slender crankbait with limit movement is critical, off shore snap weights or lead core to get the crankbait down in the strike zone. Speed is just as important,.08 to 1.2 mph tops. Hopefully the weather pattern and barometer is steady for you guys and the Ol' Northeasters don't show up with a big blow.

Rod Bender

[bulloka]

interesting on the south passage.i have a picture from '88 of a six pack i was on.5 limit per man.35 fish in 4-1/2 hrs 206 lbs.april 22.we did close to the same the following two weekends after that all in that same area

[Rod Bender]

If your in search of 10 pounds or over, do your time in the south passage or hit the flats common to the reefs and start trolling. The hogs will be there, it's just a matter of when. If you need jacks, camp on the reefs.

Rod Bender

[BigWally]

I've fished out of wild wings the 3 years but have not heard of the south passage...where might that be.after I get my freezer fish I'd like to get a hog rather than catch and release

[Water Fox]

Draw a line between catawba point and tip of s.bass that will get ya close)

[Rod Bender]

South Passage, as mentioned in the previous blog, the area between the southern most tip of South Bass Island and the northern most tip of Catawba Island. This particular area is considerable deeper then the adjacent waters common to the reef complex. One could say it could be considered somewhat of a holding area for the 10's of millions of walleyes migrating back west during the late winter months from the deeper waters common to eastern Lake Erie. Once that magical water temp of 40 to 44 degrees hits, BANG, the famales make that mad dash to the reefs to drop their eggs for all those jacks that have been waiting on them. After the rather short visit to the reef complex, the females will gather in the flats common to the reef complex, rest for a short period of time and head back east. Over the past 15 years, a majority of the PWT and NAWA tournaments held on Western Lake Erie have been won off these specific flats I'm referring to. You hit a pod of monster females, (Rick Lacrosse 1993, NAWA) If I recall, 10 fish, Over 10 pound average, they called the last day due to 35 knot winds, only after letting us go from Portside, on the Maumee River in Toledo. A long trek back to Portside needless to say. Back then it was a 5 fish limit.

Just remember,
You find bait fish on the electronics.
You'll find ol' marble eye

Rod Bender

[BigWally]

ok,thanks.we fished there early may last year.started drifting where the millers ferry docks o n the south side of the island...caught larger fish there.I kind of thought thats what you were talking about just never heard it called that before

[jig]

where are the reef at on the western located

[Water Fox]

Firing range in front of David Beese and a few up along the islands.