Lake Erie Spring fishing 2016

Since hitting the ice on Lake Erie the first time last year after an IDO show, I have been dreaming about the Spring jigging bite out of the boat. Plan now is to run over once, maybe – twice mid week, the first two weeks of April for a couple days each trip. I’ve been spending a bunch of time on a popular site covering that area. Anyone here making the same trip, or having done it before, and looking to share? Love to have a conversation on it with some of the IDO guys.

We will be heading out there the first week in May.

Yes lake Erie is a magical place and I am lucky enough to have this beautiful lake in my back yard. The spring jig bite can be very good, and will be heating up in the next several weeks. Honestly the best bait for the jig bite is a 5/8 ounce purple hair jig with a stinger hook attached but maybe more or less weight depending on the current and wind, john deer green with orange mixed in is also an excellent color. Water temp is currently 34 to 36 degrees but will be warming up. Once water temperature hits the 40 degree mark males will began staging, some eyes are pushing up the rivers as we speak. Traditionally the first three weeks of april are the best. Water temperature isn’t everything, need to consider length of day in terms of day light, which again reflects back to the first 3 weeks of april. Also with these rivers that are attached to lake erie especially the Maumee river will spew mud in the events of a wet spring. That water will be warmer and fish tend to be inside that edge of that mudline, if lots of mud visibility decreases and would recommend a vibe bait to cause reaction strikes. I hope this helps.

I will be fishing the Detroit River March 30-April 3. Bring plenty of 5/8-1oz jigs, stinger hooks, Fin-S minnows and Wyandotte worms! I am assuming the forum site you are referring to is Michigan-sportsman. If not that is the one to follow. Good luck!

I’ll have to check out the Michigan site. I’ve been on this one and getting a lot of good info. http://www.walleye.com Under reports, go to the western basin, and there’s a lot of good reading, particularly for someone new to the area like myself.

I’m hoping to mix in some jigging, and then bounce over and troll for some post spawn monsters. All based on the weather and such.

My biggest questions now are where to launch out of and such. I’ve heard it can get really busy, hence going mid-week. Going to catch a cheep room in Port Clinton, and trailer back and forth each day.

Honestly can launch right out of Port Clinton, or head a few miles west to wild wings and launch. Either way you will be only a mile or two from jig fishing all along the shore line and reef complexes. If trolling you will be out anywhere from 3 to 10 miles out depending where you want to fish and explore. If you just want to troll could head to catawba state park and launch which is a few miles east of Port Clinton.

Have been to Trenton, MI the last 2 years fishing the Detroit river the 2nd week of April. It is amazing. Used 1/2 to 3/4 oz. jigs and mostly pulsars. Last year in 3 days 3 guys in the boat around 90 eyes with probably about 35 going between 8.5 to 10.5 lbs. There is hundreds of boats and there are big fish caught by just about everyone. Ohio DNR says a million walleyes die of old age every year in Lake Erie.

Such an amazing fishery. We’re heading out last week of April to fish around the islands. Would be awesome to jig those monsters up, too. We only ended with about 60 or so fish last year, but that was our first time fishing Erie. Those fish also had an averaged of about 24″. Good luck.

I like to go out of Wild Wings. Nice, Clean, and Safe.

FDR

I keep seeing the advice that the jigging bite usually is mostly going to produce the males… still nice fish, but to get after the monster females in a trophy hunt – it is usually trolling away from the reefs, or working the reefs even at night. They come in quick, and leave the immediate area quick, putting the feedbag on after spawn, out suspended in little deeper water?

At Wild Wings, where do you actually launch the boat? Up by the bait shop, or down the channel further, closer to the lake?

I was also looking at east of Catawba Island, as a back up plan if the wind kicks up or something.

Chuck you are pretty close spot on with the jig bite. Those big females the trophy fish can be caught jigging but not as readily as if you went after them trolling. Those big females are migration fish and head to deeper water once they do thier thing. Going east of catawba would not be recommend during that time of year. Head north of wild wings and/or west of catawba to target them in deeper water.

Now as stated earlier in this post the detroit river can hold some nice trophy females that can be caught probably easier jig fishing with jigs and plastics than in the western basin of lake erie, but heavy boat traffic can cause a lot of headaches.

Both systems are obviously attached but little bit different techniques to catch them in either one.