Lake Erie
West Basin Fishing Reports.
2006
October 7th & 8th, 2006
Jeff Bustos fishing aboard Wet Burrito reports fishing for perch over the weekend. Fishing straight out from Sterling State Park - starting in 26-28 feet of water and got 46 perch in 4 hours. Most of the perch caught was in the 7-9 inch range, with a lot of white perch being caught. The perch seemed to like the medium sized shiner minnows - not the mud minnows. Fished all different depths of water, and found that the 27 foot of water seemed to produce the most action.
July 29th, 2006:
West Basin - Fished with Bob Chalfin on “Marges Diamond”. Started out at 12 noon and pulled lines at 3 pm. Started straight out from Swan Creek in 19-21 ft water, speed 2.6-3.0 mph. Ran 20 jets 90 ft back w copper backed stinger spoons (greasy chicken wing best), and 30 jets 60 ft back w copper backed stinger spoons. Best action between 2 pm and 3pm. Totals for the day 11 walleye landed (7 keepers, biggest 4-5 lbs). Also landed 4 smallmouth (threw back), biggest 20” 3.5-4lb. Not many weeds and hotter than blazes and still catching fish in close to Michigan at the end of July, who would of thought (LOL). Submitted by: Salmon Zealot
July 15th, 2006:
Jeff Bustos fishing aboard Wet Burrito reports fishing in Erieau, Canada out of port at a 250 degree heading and dropping lines 5 miles out. Using Magnum spoons (orange chilly willy, blue easter egg and pink watermelon) off of the downriggers in 62-70 feet of water fishing 38-48 feet down with sliders. Running dipsey divers 95-150 feet back set at 2. By 2:17 pm they report having 7 Steelhead and 5 Walleye in the boat. Biggest steelhead being 8 pounds, and nice walleye in the 3-5 pound range. Jeff reports that all the walleye are nice color and in good size - and that the fish are still hitting on Orange and Pink.
July 9th, 2006:
West Basin - Fished with Carroll White on “Worm Waster”. Started out at 9 am, just west and south of the light house at the south end of the river in 12-18 ft of water, speed 1.4-1.6mph. Ran 3 ounce BB, 30 ft back, w/ boy girl, pink, purple/ purple-chartreuse crawler harnesses, action steady and pulled lines at 1 am. Had to fight the weeds big time today. Totals for the day 21 keeper walleye landed, Michigan limit kept w average fish better than 1.5 lbs, and several over 3 lbs. Submitted by: Salmon Zealot
July 8th, 2006:
West Basin - Fished with Carroll White on “Worm Waster”. Started out at 7 am, just west and south of the light house at the south end of the river in 12-18 ft of water, speed 1.4-1.6 mph. Ran 3 ounce BB, 30 ft back, w/ boy girl, pink, purple/ purple-chartreuse crawler harnesses, action steady and pulled lines at 1 am. Totals for the day 30 keeper walleye landed, Michigan limit kept w average fish better than 1.5 lbs, and several over 3 lbs. Submitted by: Salmon Zealot
June 25th, 2006:
West Basin - Fished with Dave Varitek on “Fish-On”. Started out at 8 am northwest of west sister in in 26 ft of water, running 3 ounce BB, 30 ft back, speed 1.4-1.6, w/ purple/ purple-chartreuse crawler harnesses, action steady and we were culling by 10 am, pulled lines at 1 am. Only 20 -30 boats in sight near us during the morning. Totals for the day 50 keeper walleye landed, Ohio limit kept w average fish better than 2.5 lbs, and several over 4 lbs. Submitted by: Salmon Zealot
June 17th, 2006:
JoAnn Miller fishing aboard Bootlegger reports fishing in 12-14 foot of water in front of Luna Pier and the three stacks trolling 1.5-2.3 mph pulling small spoons (with copper backs) with small dipsey divers (30 feet back) limiting out on walleye in 2 hours - 20 fish. Also catching fish on a Gold Diamond Cut w/ Red Beads Crawler Harness on the downrigger 11 feet down and about 10 feet behind the ball.
June 11th, 2006:
West Basin - Fished the Huron Valley club tournament with Dave Varitek on “Fish-On”. Started out at 7 am northwest of west sister in same spot as previous day in 26 ft of water, running 3 ounce BB, 30 ft back, speed 1.4-1.6, w/ purple/ purple-chartreuse crawler harnesses, action slow until about 9 am, the fish turned on and again we were culling by 10 am, pulled lines at 1 am. Reports on the radio claimed the fish had lock jaw after 9:30 am. Again only a couple boats from our club near us during the morning. Totals for the day 60 keeper walleye landed, Ohio limit kept w average fish better than 2.5 lbs, and several over 5 lbs (5.4 lb biggest). Submitted: Salmon Zealot
June 10th, 2006:
West Basin - Fished the Huron Valley Club tournament with Dave Varitek on "Fish-On". Started out at 7am southwest of west sister island in 24 foot of water, running 3 ounce bottom bouncers, 30 foot back, speed 1.4-1.6 mph with purple/purple-chartreuse crawler harnesses, didn't catch too many, a little too much colored water. Picked up lines at 8 am and went to 2 miles northwest of west sister island (cleaner waters) on line with sputnik in 26 foot of water. About 9 am the fish turned on and we were culling by 10am, pulled lines at 1 pm. Totals for the day 82 keeper walleye landed, Ohio limit was kept with average fish better than 3 lbs and several fish caught over 5 lbs with a 6.54 lb Walleye being the biggest. No boat was within a 3 mile radius of us. Submitted by Salmon Zealot
June 5th, 2006:
JoAnn Miller fishing aboard Bootlegger noticed a lot of dead sheephead floating on top of the water between Luna Pier, the three stacks and Toledo Beach. She emailed the following to the Michigan DNR:
Could you tell me why there are so many sheephead dying in Lake Erie? We were out there last weekend and it's unreal how many fish are dead and floating out in the area of Luna Pier / Toledo Beach. I have heard several different reasons, but would like to hear from the horses mouth what's happening.
This is the reply which was received by the DNR:
Your note regarding dead freshwater drum
(sheephead) found me via Brian Swisher. There has been a significant mortality
of this species on Lake Erie this spring. Actually, there have been rather
abnormally large mortality events of some other species as well. We are still
trying to determine the causes for some of these events. In Ohio, the fisheries
biologists collected some sheephead which were relatively fresh and testing
found a viral disease which is pretty new to these waters. The disease is
VHS - Viral Hemorragic Septicemia in 12 of 12 samples. This is not harmful
to humans, but since it is new to these waters, native fish have no resistance.
If this disease works like others diseases, many fish will become infected, but
only a small percentage will die. The others may become relatively immune.
However, different species may respond differently. We have not observed a
similar die-off of sheephead in Michigan's waters of Lake Erie. Also - I do
not believe pollution is an issue with these fish mortalities....as there are
many other species of fish which are usually much less tolerant of pollution -
which are doing just fine in the same areas.
Gary L. Towns, Supervisor
Lake Erie Management Unit
38980 Seven Mile Rd.
Livonia, MI 48152-1006
Ph: 734-432-1267
Email: Townsg@Michigan.gov
June 4th, 2006:
Tom O'Harris fishing aboard Sir Walter reports fishing from Stoney Point in 22-24 feet of water and trolling 2.0-2.4 mph. The program used was trolling with planner boards running Firetiger wiggle warts and blue/silver rattle tots 75 feet behind the boards was the ticket. Caught a 3 man limit of nice walleyes ranging in size from 15-23 inches.
June 3rd, 2006
Fished the Region 3 tournament out of Bolles Harbor, setting lines at 7 am, running mini discs on full size planner boards, 65 feet back with shrimp & confusion stinger spoons. Used the same spoon's on 2 color lead, with in-line boards and medium size boy-girl spoon on rigger 15 foot down and 50 foot back. Fished 16-20 foot of water inside and north of Turtle Island, speed 1.8-2.0, and landed Michigan limit with biggest fish (4.5 lbs) coming on the rigger. Average size 18" - 2lbs. Submitted by Salmon Zealot
May 24th, 2006:
Tom O'Harris fishing aboard Sir Walter reports fishing just north of Stoney Point to just past the Fermi in 19-20 feet of water, trolling 2.1-2.5 mph, with a current water temperature of 57 degrees. The program used was trolling a north to south pattern using 30 Jets approximately 50 feet back with Michigan Stingers and Fishlander Walleye spoons (colors in Watermelon and Pink & Copper). 8 walleyes were caught all ranging from 20-25 inches. 3 fish were lost at the boat and lots of silver bass was caught with no sheephead in sight.