Early
Season Erie Walleyes
By Rick Olson
The overall winner and undisputed champion is none other than
Lake Erie and it still retains the “Best Fishery in the World”
title. Even though things have changed and loading the boat with
giant eye popping walleyes isn’t as easy as it used to be it’s
still good, real good. Real good means you can still have days
reminiscent of an era gone by, and includes solid catches of
six, seven, and eight pounders. Throw in a serious shot at a big
hawg and you have what’s available now, especially this time of
the year.
The
big average of old has been on the slide as of late and is
biological matter. Brain samples were taken from fish caught
during a recent tournament which provides a more accurate method
for aging fish, and the results were surprising! What the
researchers found was that the ten to fourteen pounders were
actually twenty years old! The fact is the huge year class that
had been a big part of angler’s catches in recent years has
reached the limits of it’s natural life expectancy and is dying
off. I’ve been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to
follow and take advantage of this big class and have been
fishing at least one tournament on Erie ever year for the last
thirteen years. Even though a big class is on it’s way out
there’s more coming to fill the gap, it just takes time.
Rick
Olson explains how to hook up with Erie monsters like this
Late May and early April is one
of the best times to be on the big water as it coincides with
the end of the spawning period. Although the post spawn period
is usually associated with some of the toughest conditions
you’ll ever be faced with , Erie is definitely the exception.
You can find the key to
overcoming these tough fishing conditions in the numbers. The
spawning season is a time of the year when walleyes bunch up in
heavy concentrations, on or near major spawning reefs and
shoals. Lake Erie is no exception and the walleyes stack into
these aforementioned areas like nowhere else on earth. With that
many fish bunched up into limited confines, the odds of finding
a few biters starts to get better and better.
Although some of the Lake Erie
spawn occurs in it’s numerous incoming rivers and streams, most
takes place on it’s rocky reefs and bars. Many of these spawning
reefs are located in the western most part of the lake, and
include the Bass Islands and all points west. Walleyes that roam
the main part of the lake for much of the year, begin a
migration that leads them into the western basin by early
spring.
The rocky reefs and bars are
easily found on any of the many good maps that are available,
and are the very place where you should start your search. Some
of the best reefs are smack dab in the middle of the Camp Perry
firing range and can be fished, but pay attention and be on your
way when the warning siren is sounded. Buoys A,B,C,D and E are
in harms way and all mark reefs that see major concentrations of
spawning fish.
Although you would normally
expect spawning activities to take place in shallow water, the
Erie reefs are an exception to the rule, and the deeper
structure should not be overlooked. These reefs will attract and
hold smaller male walleyes for up to three or four weeks, and
can make for some fantastic fishing. They are easily fished by
simply throwing out an anchor and working vertically with a jig
tipped with a minnow. It’s pretty basic but can be a real gas,
especially when you’re getting hit on every drop and when you
pull a fish to the surface and see four or five fish following
it in.
While the top of the reefs can
really heat up, it’s not the place to catch the real hawgs.
Those are the females which are the larger of the species and
can be found close by, but require a completely different
approach.
To get in on the big fish, try
looking down and out. Females don’t seem to waste much time when
it comes to the spawning cycle as they move in, drop their eggs,
and then move off. They’ll often head to the first break or
drop-off and take a little time to rest, laying and recuperating
in deeper water. Even on Erie fish that are spawning, or have
just finished, are not very catchable. Walleyes don’t all spawn
at the same time however, and plenty of fish can be found in the
various stages. The ones to key on are the fish that have yet to
spawn, and those that have had a week or two to recuperate.
To get in on the action you can
try dragging a jig and minnow along the base of the drop off.
Because you’ll be working deeper water, a heavier jig is in
order. Jigs in the 3/8 to 1/2 oz. range tipped with a minnow are
the ticket. A simple lift and drop is about all the action
you’ll need to trigger a strike. The next place to look is the
open water, beyond any type of structure. As big walleyes become
active they’ll suspend in open water, relating to nothing but
their next meal. They are easily marked on a good graph like the
Raymarine C80 which has a dual cone transducer. The C80 has a
transducer with both an 11 degree and 45 degree cone, and the
wide angle 45 degree beam takes a wide swath which can help to
quickly eliminate water. If you’re not marking fish they’re not
there and you better keep moving until you do.
As previously mentioned active
walleyes will suspend, but when they’re not riding high they can
often be found holding tight to the bottom, even if the bottom
is mud or silt. A passing cold front can push them tight to the
bottom but may still be caught. Even if they’re a little off, at
least a few of those fish holding tight can be caught. A bottom
bouncer and a spinner and live bait combo is one of the best
ways to yank walleyes that are glued to the bottom.
Spinners and crawlers trolled
behind bottom bouncers are a top pick for bottom hugging
walleyes and bigger blades in sizes #4 or #5 are what the
situation calls for. The bigger blades get noticed and remember;
you’re fishing for Lake Erie walleyes which are much bigger on
average than just about anywhere else.
Another consideration is water
temperature as spinner rigs become more productive in the fifty
degree and above range. If you’re dealing with fifty degree and
colder water temps you might be better off sticking with
crankaits, which are better cold water producers.
As conditions begin to
stabilize and the weather steadily improves, more and more fish
will lift off the bottom and suspend which can make for peak
fishing conditions. When that happens trolling crankbaits
becomes the most effective means for putting huge numbers of
walleyes in the boat. Crankbaits like the Husky Jerk and Deep
Husky Jerk can prove to be too much for all those eyes to
resist.
To get a bait to ride at the
right depth you’ll probably have to experiment and there are
several ways to get the job done. One includes using a crank
that will dive to the desired depth and another involves using
lead core line, inline weights, and snap weights. A shallow
running bait can be run at just about any depth with the
addition of weight and adding an inline weight keeps it simple.
The problem though is that you tend to lose fish when it gets
rough and when you would be better off switching to snap weights
which can be added and removed fifty feet or more in front of
the bait.
Another early season pattern
involves working shallow water fish inside the big spawning
reefs and the action can be phenomenal. Trolling cranks like #7
or #9 Shad Raps along seven to ten foot shoreline breaks can
produce lots of fish and most will be on the smaller side, but
there are some monsters the occasionally get caught.
The overall riding factor that
can effect your early season Erie success is weather,
particularly wind. Wind can turn clear water to mud overnight,
and completely shut down the hottest action. Once it gets
stirred up it might take at least a couple of days of settling
out to clear things up enough to get it all going again If
you’re faced with muddy conditions try to find the clearest
water you can, which typically lies east of the islands.
Rick Olson
