How
The jig-and-minnow fishing action for walleye on western Lake Erie in recent April's... has been so hot you might scald yourself if you put your hand in the water. Just ask Lake Erie walleye guide Rick Millette, of Erie Quest Charters, an Ohio Licensed, USCG- Lake Erie Guide since 1984.
Pardon the exaggeration, but it makes the point.Lake Erie walleyeare taken just about anywhere from Maumee Bay to the reef complex off Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station, between Toledo and Port Clinton.Thisaction should remain excellent into mid-May . Walleye stage around western basin reefs and move onto them to spawn from late March into April. They also congregate in Maumee Bay, some to spawn and others to run up the Maumee River to spawn. The periods before and after spawning can be times of feeding frenzy, and some of the largest walleye of the year are taken. Limits of four fish per person can take as little as 30 minutes, and anglers spend the rest of their trip catching and releasing Lake Erie walleye, which is legal.
Jig and minnow fishing in early spring was a quietly kept secret for years among locals, but it has become very popular in the last 10 to 15 years, said Capt. Rick Millette of Erie Quest Charters. "Our guys use the real heavy jigs so they can thump the bottom," he added, explaining thatout of state fisherman, from Indiana and Illinois, use lightweight jigs, as small as a 64th or 32nd of an ounce. "A quarter ounce is heavy to them." It is only during the post-spawn period, say in early May as the lake waters warm somewhat, that walleye switch preferences to weight-forward spinnersand Mayfly Rigs.
While jigging minnowsin the Maumee Bay, Capt. Rick Millette offered some jig-and-minnow angling pointers.The best way to present the bait is to vertical jig, with a lift, drop method. "It's the angle game." Make sure you are always in contact with the bottom and keep your baits vertical
"Some days the walleyewant a high lift, some days a "snap", and other days...a gentle lift," said Capt. Rick.Another good presentation this time of the year is dragging jigs. This is easier and at times can be the most successful. From time to time lift the jig and drop it again for added movement.
"I'd say 70 to 80 percent of the time vertical is better, or at least as vertical as you can get." So experiment a little if the fish are not hopping on the jig. Pay out more line to change the angle with the water if a more vertical, or perpendicular, presentation is not working. This is Capt. Rick's favorite time of year to catch walleye. "It's realistic to say you can catch 80-100 fish a day (for a six-person charter) this time of year."
In the spring, Itarget areas in theMaumee Bay or Lake Erie Reef Complexnear Port Clinton,with currentor structure breaks. Theseare key walleye holding areas in these types of conditions -cold water temps, dirty water,slow to medium current, and changing water levels.
Capt Rick has worked with advanced stinger hook presentations in recent years. "I increase my odds of catching walleyes using one of my stinger techniques. My favorite technique is very simple. When fishing a jig/stinger combination, leave the stinger hook free of the live bait you are using. I feel by leaving the stinger hook free of the live bait, you create less resistance when a walleye attempts to inhale it."
Another technique is to to hook several and/or multiple Emerald Shiners on the stinger hook...to entice the walleye to bite!
Lake Erie spingjig fishing for walleye is an anglers dream come true! Think of it, the potential to handle a lot of walleye in a trip is excellent in April or May, maybe the best of the year.
What:
"One of the most widely used combinations, would bethe"round head" jig and a Berkley 3" Power Grubs.
On its own, or tipped with live bait, this presentation will fool almost any freshwater game fish. The curled tail emits vibrations when the jig is hopped up off the bottom, and on a straight retrieve...it resembles a baitfish."
Specific #1:
Aheavy jig, 5/8- to 3/4-ounce.
A"round head"jig- Purple, blue, orange, or chartruse in color
Tipped withBerkley 3" Power GrubsColors - Natural Chartreuse, Yellow, White, Christmas Lights, or Peanut Butter & Jelly colors
Attach a Eagle Claw 950G Stinger Treble Hook, Size #8
*Sometimes tipped with live bait - Lake Erie emerald shiner minnows...sometimes NO Live Bait....depends on the walleye bite...experiment with and without!
Specific #2
Aheavy jig, 5/8- to 3/4-ounce.
A"Hairjig"- Mostly Purple hair jigs, also....blue, blue-n-puple, yellow,orange, or chartruse in color
Attach a Eagle Claw 950G Stinger Treble Hook, Size #8
Local Bait Shops sell - Szuch's Bait, Makes & Sells, Ask for "Rick"...419-836-5264
*Sometimes tipped with live bait - Lake Erie emerald shiner minnows...sometimes NO Live Bait....depends on the walleye bite...experiment with and without!
CrankBaits
The Storm Deep ThunderStick Jr. is a long-profile bait that imitates a minnow and is my favorite crank bait on Lake Erie.
You'll be covered for most situations withfour colors: Metallic Rainbow,Purple, Tenneessee Shad,and Fire Tiger.
Crankbait color is a hotly debated subject but the generally accepted Lake Erie rule of; low visibility - use dark colored baits and high visibility - use bright colored baits is usually a good place to start. During low-light conditions or if the water is muddy, natural colors featuring black/silver or black/gold are good choices. If it's bright and the water is clear, fluorescent colors tend to work well. Last year black/silver, chartreuse/silver, fire/tiger, golden shiner and shad patterns all produced well for me.
Another Crank Bait favorite is old standby, a 1/4-ounce Hot-N-Tot, whichcontinues to be a high action walleye favorite.
These two lures will get you as deep as 15 feet with 10- pound XT mono.
If you need to get deeper,buy some In-LineWeights. From 1/2 to 3 ounces and several easy to use OR-16 clips. Attach the weight 50 - 75feet ahead of the lure where they won't spook fish. These in-line weights can be easily removed from your line when reeling in a walleye.
Mayfly Rigs
From May to July on Lake Erie, for Drift-n-Cast fisherman...the popular choicefor Lake Eriecharters with Erie Quest Charters isthe Mayfly Rig, and account for thousnds of walleye harvested annually on the "Big Pond"
Ahybrid of the classic Lake Erie weight-forward spinner and the worm harness....sometimes also called the "Weapon" by Lake Erie Charter captains, the Mayfly Rig is a favorite to fill your cooler.
Mayfly Rigs, many of them homemade and going by the name "Weapon", consist of nothing more than a barrel sinker, usually 1/2 oz. or 3/4 oz. slip sinker,on a length of stout leader material - 14 lb. Trilene XT, a spinner blade, and a hook. These are single-hook affairs and shorter than the multi-hook worm harnesses, which also employ a spinner but which often are used with a lead-and-wire "bottom bouncer."
Mayfly rigs are meant to be cast and "swept" upward, mimicking an emerging mayfly, one of Lake Erie's summerprime fish foods. Harnesses are meant to be dragged on the bottom.
Best spinner colors, on mayfly rigs or harnesses,are usually gold, copper, or firetiger blades.
Spinner Blade sizes - # 3, # 4
Spinner Blade Types - Indiana blades, Colorado blades
Spinnerblade variations - Hammered blades, Deep cut blades, Diamond cut blades
Presentation - Cast out from boat and use a "Vertical Lift" or "Horizontal Sweep" or "Slow-steady wind" on a 10 or 15 count.