Lake Erie Bite 2024

[Gill-T]

Spawning pattern and location right now. The areas of fish concentrations are the Detroit and Maumee Rivers plus the Bass Islands. Fish slide East post spawn. Lots of guides out of Port Clinton to help you. 

[Traveling Circus]

6 hours ago, cheeseyrider said:

En-lighten me or point me in the right direction . Thanks for any info willing to share. Checked Erie United but sorry no comparison to LO

This may not enlighten you Cheesey, but it's my typical plan for walleyes on NY Lake Erie waters...... I live about 2 hours from NY waters of Lake Erie so a trip is into my pocket for in the neighborhood of $130 - $150..... gas, tolls, bait, launch fees. I'd go way more often and in "tougher conditions" if I lived closer. I usually wait until mid-July to seriously fish for Lake Erie walleyes, and the fishing out of Sturgeon Point, Catt creek, and Dunkirk is what appeals to me. July through September fishing out of one of these ports usually leads to limits. Before mid-July its tougher for me to consistently take limits, so I just wait for the deep water conditions to get good before making my trips. Riggers, planer lead core, and divers. Harnesses, worm burners, stickbaits, spoons. Whatever seems to be producing. I'm most interested in fillets in my freezer, and of course, enjoying the trips. I've dabbled with the early season night fishing at various ports, but it just isn't my preferred method. I'm sure there are a lot of guys who take early season fish in good numbers, and maybe they can give you better info on that fishery. If you have any questions, shoot me a PM. 

[Traveling Circus]

or, just go perch fishing.......

[mr 580]

Cheesyrider, lots of great walleye fishing in NY and Pa waters.  Our resident stocks are bolstered as the Ohio fish move east after the spawn.  Normally mostly a night bite in NY in early May but daytime fishing picks up as the lake sets up.  You don’t have to drive to Ohio for great fishing.  As far as LEU activity it’s likely “tight lipped anglers” and not reflective of the great fishing. The good old days are now on Lake Erie.  NY has the best perch stocks on the lake now and the parking lots are full(another reason guys keep their mouths shut).  If you want a charter Come Fish Lake Erie site lets you pick a NY port and species then gives you a list of captain choices. Try Lake Erie in 2024.

[cheeseyrider]

mr580 Thanks for the good info. Although i love LO fishing, browns, targeting steelies, and salmon, not real fan of salmon for table fare, except maybe the silvers. Think I'm gonna have to make a trip or two to Erie this year. Are the perch available all season or is there a certain time for the hot bite like now that fisherman become tight lipped?

[mr 580]

Perch fishing is pretty much a spring(spawn) and fall thing.  Not to say they can’t be caught all season but once spawn is over and water warms they move deeper and are less concentrated.  Also once walleye season opens many start to target the eyes.  Peak perch fishing is now.  Lake Erie has a lot to offer and is worth a try if you haven’t checked it out.  Hard to beat a platter of walleye or perch when it hits the table.  I rarely have people not take walleye.  They don’t have the glamor or line ripping runs of a king, but they taste good fried or baked.

[Gill-T]

Great instructional video 

 

 

[Traveling Circus]

Lots of interesting info about Lake Erie walleyes, perch, cisco, blue pike, smelt, emeralds....... 

 

[Gill-T]

Roll call, who has been out trolling. Been too busy fishing kings on Ontario 

[Sean Youngblood]

  My buddy and I launched out of SBH late Friday afternoon. Tinkered around for a couple hours then setup for the nearshore {troll}  Walleye night bite. Started at dark Had my 6 by 10;45. We boated 15 by 12 and called it a night. The Aurora Borealis was awesome but the fishing was better !

[Gill-T]

That is encouraging. Were they the large class of 4-5 lbers that are out there in large numbers or more likely residents?

[Sean Youngblood]

I would say resident fish.  about 18 - 24 inches.

[Gill-T]

Going to give it a go Friday night. Light winds, warm night … even if they aren’t biting should be fun. 

[cheeseyrider]

On 4/18/2024 at 6:55 PM, mr 580 said:

Cheesyrider, lots of great walleye fishing in NY and Pa waters.  Our resident stocks are bolstered as the Ohio fish move east after the spawn.  Normally mostly a night bite in NY in early May but daytime fishing picks up as the lake sets up.  You don’t have to drive to Ohio for great fishing.  As far as LEU activity it’s likely “tight lipped anglers” and not reflective of the great fishing. The good old days are now on Lake Erie.  NY has the best perch stocks on the lake now and the parking lots are full(another reason guys keep their mouths shut).  If you want a charter Come Fish Lake Erie site lets you pick a NY port and species then gives you a list of captain choices. Try Lake Erie in 2024.

Tried sending you a PM but indicates not set up to receive them ??

[Gill-T]

Some good walleye catches being reported by friends at night West of Dunkirk. Haven’t been able to try the night game so for shats and giggles today I tried some contour line trolling off shoreline points. Hmmmm I may have figured something out. Gizzard Shad and smelt were around. Caught a huge brown that I attempted to land by hand because my brother forgot his net and failed miserably. I had the fat porker out of the water wriggling in my hands twice only to have him flop onto the 12 lb leader snapping it. I got to watch the beast swim off with my scatter rap strapped to its face. Of note is my dive into baits which generate electronic impulses. After seeing plenty of underwater YouTube footage of walleyes swimming past trolled lures only to hit a Water Wolf camera -plus last year my friend posted a picture of a walleye that he caught on a Smart Troll probe that had jammed sideways into the walleye’s mouth and locked behind its teeth, I had an epiphany that walleye are interpreting electronic = alive. Enter Livingston lures and their walleye lineup of stickbaits you can get at FishUSA. I put one down behind a rigger and it fired in short order. Bandits took the most. A couple of bonus bass and some mega perch were also caught plus fish fry lunch that followed. 

Edited May 20 by Gill-T

[Gill-T]

Did a little evening into night troll. Haven’t been walleye fishing at night for over a decade. More exploration of some points paid dividends again. Got some bigs. Lost two bigs due to netting FuBAR. Some giant sheep made it interesting. Yellow and white perch, and some smallmouth.  Livingston Lures were proving again that they are worth the $14 they cost. 

[Gill-T]

Anybody get offshore to see if any fish have moved in?  Water temps ahead of schedule. Cottonwood fuzzies ahead of schedule!  Walleye should be showing. 

[Gill-T]

For viewing when the lake is too rough.  
 

 

[Gill-T]

Farm animals. 
 

 

[Shorthanded]

On 5/25/2024 at 1:32 AM, Gill-T said:

Did a little evening into night troll. Haven’t been walleye fishing at night for over a decade. More exploration of some points paid dividends again. Got some bigs. Lost two bigs due to netting FuBAR. Some giant sheep made it interesting. Yellow and white perch, and some smallmouth.  Livingston Lures were proving again that they are worth the $14 they cost. 

What model Livingston lure are you using?

[Gill-T]

[dp]

Heading to Small Boat Harbor in Buffalo this weekend for the first time ever to troll for some eyes. Anyone have a starting depth?

 

Bringing boards and 2 to 7 color lead cores. I have both a variety of sticks both shallow and deep and harnesses. 

 

Thanks for any feedback.

[Shorthanded]

On 5/27/2024 at 9:02 PM, Gill-T said:

Thanks!

[Gill-T]

On 5/28/2024 at 12:13 PM, dp said:

Heading to Small Boat Harbor in Buffalo this weekend for the first time ever to troll for some eyes. Anyone have a starting depth?

 

Bringing boards and 2 to 7 color lead cores. I have both a variety of sticks both shallow and deep and harnesses. 

 

Thanks for any feedback.

I have not seen many boats fishing around Buffalo when I have driven by. Usually only a handful at the Hanover launch. I think everyone is fishing Dunkirk or Barcelona IMO. 

[dp]

5 hours ago, Gill-T said:

I have not seen many boats fishing around Buffalo when I have driven by. Usually only a handful at the Hanover launch. I think everyone is fishing Dunkirk or Barcelona IMO. 

Thank you for the info!