Early October

[Mapleshade]

I have some visitors coming to fish perch on the big pond the first weekend of October. I?m based in Foxhaven on Catawba. Perching has been slow lately. If we don?t get any perch action going has anyone had any luck with Walleye around the islands? Capt Juls makes great reports and lately has been talking about Vermilion to Lorain. I?m not going to run that far east. Appreciate any insight!

[itsbob]

By early October the walleye start showing up on the reefs.You can try casting on gull and Kellie's island reef.The problem with trying to troll around the islands currently, is the grass that is floating and causing your trolling gear to get fouled up.Need to head far enough east to get away from that grass if trolling.

[West Basin]

I'm also out of Foxhaven. As ItsBob already stated, by October the water temperatures have dropped and walleye have moved back into the Western Basin. Their numbers continue to grow as the water temp drops. You can try casting crankbaits on the nearby reefs and shoals in the evening, or drift fishing / trolling in the morning NE of Marblehead, the "dumping Grounds" area, in the South Passage, or between Kelleys and South Bass Islands. All are close. Check the bait shops and fisherman in the marina for where they are fishing.

Yellow Perch should be back on by then. Lately the best fishing has been in real shallow water, 8-10 feet, right off the beaches in the South Passage. By October the traditional areas nearby, off Marblehead, between Kelleys Island and Lakeside, and the west side of the Camp Perry firing range / west of Catawba, should be producing.