The Blade Fishing Report

The best angling information from area experts

4/4/2014

■ Maumee River: Strong winds made it tough to pick up subtle bites, but some anglers brought in limits over the past couple of days. As the rain raises the water level, the fish will scatter, making them tougher to locate, according to river walleye guru Brian Miller. In muddy water, Miller recommends using bright colors — pink, chartreuse, and green.

■ Sandusky River: A fair amount of spawning run walleyes are being caught between the two bridges in downtown Fremont, according to Bernie Whitt of Anglers Supply. The traditional lures are producing fish, and unless the rain muddies the river, Whitt expects the Sandusky to remain productive over the weekend.

■ Lake Erie reefs: Just a few boats have ventured out in recent days to try jig fishing, according to Captain Dave Spangler of Dr. Bugs Charters, with just a modest catch reported. With a lot of ice chunks still floating around on the lake, and high winds pushing them, extreme caution is recommended.

■ Steelhead rivers: According to Cleveland native Owen Murphy, a guide with Ohio Steelhead Drifters, the steelhead fishing on the Rocky, Conneaut, Chagrin, Grand, and Vermilion rivers in northeast Ohio should perk up as rains bring on a jump in water temperature, and prompt a surge of steelhead.

■ Irish Hills: Ice still covered a portion of most of the lakes earlier in the week, but a few anglers were using wood planks to cross the open water along the banks, and catching crappies, blue gills and perch through the remaining ice. These species seem to be in the pre-spawn feeding mode, according to Knutson’s Bait in Brooklyn.