Blade Fishing Report: Nice weekend should mean nice fishing

9/13/2018
BY MATT MARKEY
BLADE OUTDOORS EDITOR

■ Lake Erie/Ohio: Mother Nature took over the lake last weekend, with a stout northeast wind that churned up some eight-foot swells and torrents of rain. Prior to that big storm the pros at Netcraft report that perch anglers were doing quite well about a half-mile east of “A” can, northwest of that marker in about 25 feet of water, and in the vicinity of “G” can. The lake has had a few days to settle down, so expect this weekend to see improved perch fishing. Walleye fishermen were taking fish around the dumping ground east of the Marblehead Lighthouse, dragging spoons on Tru-Trip 40s fished 50-65 feet back. The water off Cedar Point in 25-35 foot depths also served up walleye to anglers using spoons and Tru-Trip 30s fished 50-60 feet back. The catfish anglers have done the best in Maumee and Sandusky bays, fishing shrimp or night crawlers on Carolina rigs.

■ Lake Erie/Michigan: The MDNR reports a slower perch bite in recent days, with some anglers doing well in 24 feet of water off the Fermi plant using perch rigs and minnows. The canals at Sterling Park have been producing largemouth and smallmouth bass as well as northern pike, with the same species hitting artificial lures off Bolles Harbor, Luna Pier, and Toledo Beach Marina.

■ Lake Erie boat ramps: The ramps at Catawba Island State Park will be closed through the end of the year for construction. The Mazurik boat access area on the north side of the Marblehead Peninsula has been closed recently for sealcoating work on the parking lot, but officials from the ODNR said it is expected to reopen Friday morning. The Dempsey boat access area on the south side of the Marblehead Peninsula has remained open.

■ Boating safety: Fishermen and all other boaters need to have a solid foundation in safe boating operation. The ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft will offer a free Ohio Boating Education Course from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 22. The class will take place at the Farmhouse at Wildwood Preserve Metropark, located at 4830 W. Central Ave. in Toledo. The course will cover a wide range of topics that includes navigation rules, boating and personal safety equipment, navigational signage, and Ohio boating laws. Ohio law requires any person born on or after Jan. 1, 1982 to show proof they have successfully completed an approved boater safety education course if they operate any watercraft powered by a motor greater than 10 horsepower. To pre-register for this free course, visit the web1.vermontsystems.com/wbwsc/ohmetroparkstoledowt.wsc/search.html website. Additional information is available by calling the Maumee Bay office at 419-836-6003 or visiting the watercraft.ohiodnr.gov website.

The smallmouth bass fishing on the Maumee River should improve after heavy rains muddied the water this past week.
The smallmouth bass fishing on the Maumee River should improve after heavy rains muddied the water this past week.

■ Maumee River: The surge of new water from last weekend’s heavy rains scoured out the pools and still water areas that had grown somewhat stagnant over the summer drought. While the catfish anglers have continued to take fish from the Rossford Marina and Orleans Park areas, once the waterway settles down and clears a bit the smallmouth bass fishing in the upper stretches of the river below the dam at Grand Rapids should come to life. Lightweight gear and spinners are a good option there.

■ Lake St. Clair: The cooler temperatures of recent days have the bass moving closer to shore and the MDNR reports that anglers fishing less than a mile and a half off the Metro Park have had success targeting smallmouth. The walleye fishermen have done well jigging plastic worms near the mouth of the river channels. The muskie anglers have found fish in recent days casting or trolling large artificial baits off the Metro Park and near the mouth of the Clinton River.

■ Extreme poaching: A tip called in to the Minnesota poaching hotline recently led wildlife officers to the arrest of a couple who had 253 crappie over the limit in their possession on Lake Sisseton, which is located in Fairmont, near the Iowa border. Isouvahn Xayachack and his wife Chanhthone Phongsim face fines and restitution that could total $3,000. The possession limit for crappie in Minnesota is 10.