Old School Bass Fishing Secrets Course
Lake Erie has two excellent fishing areas you need to familiarize with when you read any any lake Erie fishing reports. The majority of the many fishing reports you can find for the Ohio Lake Erie Area will concentrate on the Western Basin and Central basin. Both These areas are excellent fisheries for multiple fish species, but proper planning is important when going on a fishing trip to these areas.
It is very important to be well informed on where the best fishing spots are for the the fish species you are going to target. A key ingredient to a successful fishing trip on lake Erie is a good and accurate fishing report. For example if you are going to target Walleye You need to make a decision On what area of lake Erie you are going to fish in. You can read below to see the hot spots I have copied from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for your convenience. The hot spots included are for a variety of species in both the Western and central basins of lake Erie. For Example If I wanted to fish for small mouth in Lake Erie's Western basin, I would concentrate on the hot spot areas listed specifically for small mouth.
For example, if I was interested in fishing for small mouth in the western basin during the summer, I would find a local fishing report that gave you details on Small mouth fishing. When I read my chart below, I would concentrate my pre-planning in the following areas: Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Catawba, Marblehead, Sandusky Bay, Reef Complex, Maumee River, Portage River, and the Sandusky River.
A good fishing report web source will provide you with up to date current fishing report information, a link for the current weather conditions, Ohio's fishing regulations and a source for fishing maps.
Western Basin Fishing Hotspots Walleye Winter- Breakwalls; Lakeside, Marblehead, Catawba. Ice Fishing; Reef Complex, Bass Island Area, Catawba, Marblehead.
Spring-Maumee River, Sandusky River, Sandusky Bay, Reef Complex, Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Marblehead
Summer-West Sister Island, Northwest of North Bass Island, East of Kelleys Island, Toledo Shipping Channel.
Fall-Kelleys Island, Bass Islands, Breakwalls; Lakeside, Marblehead, Catawba
Yellow Perch Winter-Ice Fishing; Catawba, Bass Islands, Marblehead, Sandusky Bay
Spring-Catawba, Marblehead, Bass Islands, Kelleys Island
Summer-Catawba, Marblehead, Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Toledo water intake, Metzger's Marsh Pier
Fall-West Sister Island, Toledo Shipping Channel, Marblehead, Kelleys Island, Catawba, Bass Islands, Toledowater intake
Smallmouth Bass Winter-Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Catawba, Marblehead
Spring-Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Catawba, Marblehead, Sandusky Bay, Reef Complex
Summer-Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Catawba, Marblehead, Sandusky Bay, Reef Complex, Maumee River, Portage River, Sandusky River
White Bass Winter-Bass Islands, Sandusky Bay, Marblehead
Spring-Maumee River, Portage River, Sandusky River
Summer-Bass Islands, Sandusky Bay, Marblehead.
Fall-Bass Islands, Sandusky Bay, Marblehead
Additional Opportunities Winter-Bluegill (ice fishing, harbors and marinas); Catawba, Marblehead, Sandusky Bay
Spring-Crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike; East Harbor, West Harbor, Sandusky Bay
Summer-Largemouth Bass, Bluegill; East Harbor, West Harbor, Channel Catfish; Sandusky Bay
Fall- Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Northern Pike; East Harbor, West Harbor, Sandusky Bay
Central Basin Fishing Hotspots Walleye Winter- Breakwalls; Huron, Huntington Beach, Lakefront State Park, Fairport Harbor.
Spring-same as winter, plus Grand River and nearshore areas from Vermilion - Conneaut.
Summer-Ruggles Reef, Lorain, Cleveland, Euclid, Eastlake, Fairport, Geneva, Ashtabula, Conneaut; inshore early, offshore late.
Fall-Huron, Ruggles Reef, Vermilion, Lorain, Cleveland, Euclid, Eastlake, Fairport, Geneva, Ashtabula, Conneaut; eastern locations early
Yellow Perch Winter-Breakwalls; Huron, Huntington Beach, Lakefront State Park, Fairport Harbor.
Spring-Breakwalls and nearshore locations: Huron, Lorain, Lakefront State Park, Mentor Headlands, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula.
Summer-Nearshore to offshore: Huron, Vermilion, Lorain, Cleveland, Euclid, Eastlake, Fairport, Geneva, Ashtabula, Conneaut
Fall-Offshore to nearshore: Huron, Vermilion, Lorain, Cleveland, Euclid, Eastlake, Fairport, Geneva, Ashtabula, Conneaut
Smallmouth Bass Winter-Nearshore, harbors and marinas; Fairport, Perry, Ashtabula, Conneaut; Cleveland artificial reefs
Spring-Nearshore; Ruggles Reef, Vermilion, Fairport, Perry, Ashtabula, Conneaut; Lorain, Cleveland artificial reefs
Summer-Nearshore to offshore; Ruggles Reef, Vermilion, Fairport, Perry, Ashtabula, Conneaut; Lorain, Lakewood, Cleveland artificial reefs
Fall-Nearshore; Ruggles Reef, Vermilion, Fairport, Perry, Ashtabula, Conneaut; Lorain, Cleveland artificial reefs
Steelhead Trout Winter-Vermilion, Rocky, Chagrin, Grand rivers and Conneaut Creek; smaller tribs from Cleveland east.
Spring-Vermilion, Rocky, Chagrin, Grand rivers and Conneaut Creek; smaller tribs from Cleveland east.
Summer-Offshore depth-controlled trolling from Lorain Sandbar - Avon, Cleveland - Fairport, Geneva - Ashtabula.
Fall-Piers, beaches and breakwalls from Cleveland east; Vermilion, Rocky, Chagrin, Grand rivers and Conneaut Creek; smaller tribs during high water in mainstems.
White Bass Winter-Breakwalls and Warm Water Discharges; Lorain , Lakefront State Park, Eastlake, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula.
Spring-Breakwalls and Warm Water Discharges; Lorain, Lakefront State Park, Eastlake, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula.
Summer-Nearshore areas near harbors; Breakwalls; Lorain, Lakefront State Park, Eastlake, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula.
Fall-Nearshore areas near harbors; Breakwalls and Warm Water Discharges; Lorain, Lakefront State Park, Eastlake, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula.
Mark Is a dedicated fisherman with 30+ years of experience and has published numerous articles on fishing. He offers free fishing information and "how to articles at his websites. Visit his site at western basin fishing report and download a free copy of his "78 fishing discoveries unleashed" You can also contact him his e-mail address:
admin@oldfishinghole.com