Lake Erie's Western Basin is mostly ice free and millions of pre-spawn walleyes are crowding in for the annual a spawning run to the reef complex near the Davis Besse Power Plant area.
Walleyes are showing up in the Maumee River and a few hardy souls have slid small boats over the shore ice to jig up limits of active eyes.
Marinas are working to install docks and open the channels to the lake. We are scrambling to launch the boats for the season and make sure the tackle is set to go.
Fish seem to be poised around the reefs in slightly deeper water and will quickly be moving into shallow water areas.
The jig and blade bit will heat up over the next few weeks and the hog females will move through the area.Hair jigs and blade baits are usually the hot bait on and near the reefs with trollers working the deeper water areas with a variety of stick baits run in the upper levels of the water column.