Imagine, fishing a lake where limits of walleye are just waiting to grab your lure. Hold on it even gets better. How would you like to catch walleye that average around six to seven pounds, with a number of ‘eyes exceeding 9 and 10 pounds? Does it sound like a dream come true?
Well, Lake Erie has these dream fish.
I know what you are thinking. Lake Erie is a Great Lake, a great big lake. Its large size gives fish miles and miles of water to hide in. Well, in the summer their hideout is easy to find because the warm weather concentrates the fish.
“Starting in late May, the walleye that are migrating from Lake Erie’s western basin, start arriving off the shorelines of Geneva and Ashtabula, Ohio,” said Kevin Kayle, fisheries biologist and supervisor for the Fairport Fish Station on Lake Erie. “During the summer, there are over one million walleye, in the eastern portion of Lake Erie’s central basin. Many of these fish are 12 to 19 year old female walleyes. These are whopper size walleye. We are swinging into a time period where there’s a good chance of catching a state record walleye.”
Ohio’s current state record walleye weighed in at 16.19 lbs. and measured 33 inches. That gives some idea of the bulk of Lake Erie’s walleye. In the central basin there are some really chunky walleye. Some 28 inch fish approach 10 lbs.
The big walleyes come to the central basin area for three reasons – food, oxygen and cool temperatures. In the spring these big Mamas expend a great deal of energy spawning and making the long trek to the waters off Geneva and Ashtabula. They want to recreate their stylish plump figures by packing on the weight. In the summer, the central basin is loaded with plenty of high caloric food. There literally are tons and tons of the walleye’s favorite foods, smelt, shad, and emerald shiners. Add a healthy measure of alewives and let the gorging begin.
Of course, when on summer vacation, the big ’eyes want comfortable temperatures to reside in. Even during the hottest summer days, the deep waters off Ashtabula County are invitingly cool.
While these big Honey Boos Boos are putting on the feed bag, they don’t mind snacking on an angler’s artificial lure. However, as with all fishing, the correct methods need to be employed.
“In the early June, we might not always catch limits, but those that we catch are of monster size,” said Captain Tim Caruthers.
Caruthers, owns T&V Charters and has fished Lake Erie for over 20 years. He knows what he is talking about. He won the 2013 Lake Erie Walleye-Steelhead Tournament. It is a prestigious win. Every year a number of the best Lake Erie charter boat captains fish this central basin tournament.
Caruthers always has his Fish Hawk on to track the lure’s exact trolling speed. He knows there are times when the lure’s speed is different from the boat’s speed.“By the middle of June, all the way into the middle of September, we consistently limit out on walleye that often average seven and eight pounds,” Caruthers stated. The key is fishing the correct lures, at the right depths, trolled at the productive speeds. In June, trolling at 2.0 to 2.3 m.p.h. usually produces fish. Sometimes trolling two tenths of a mile per hour, too fast or too slow can make all the difference in the world.”
In the beginning of June, Caruthers is fishing only a couple miles off shore, in 30 to 45 feet of water. Often he is fishing the upper half of the water column. In early June he uses the lightweight Contender Trolling Spoons. Contender Spoons have been re-named Kranx Spoons. In the central basin copper spoons with red, purple or chartreuse patterns are the most consistent producers. Occasionally, the fish want a nickel backed spoon. When this happens, red, purple and blue are the go-to colors.
In June, Caruthers runs the spoons 70 to 120 feet behind the boat on 40 foot Tru - Trip Deep Divers. The divers are run off full size planer boards. He doesn’t use downriggers in June. When he uses Dipsy Divers in June, it is a size one model set at a 3 or 3 ½ setting. When fishing a crawler harness on a Dipsy Diver, the harness has a pair of size 5 copper Colorado blades. It is baited with a whole nightcrawler. He doesn’t run stick baits in June.
Whether fishing in June or later in the summer, always watch your locator for fish. The more active walleye often are in the upper portions of the water column.
“No matter what month it is, do not fish below the walleye,” said Caruthers. “Walleye will rise up, sometimes as high as 10 feet, to grab your bait. They won’t swim down to hit it.”
Caruthers line counter reels are spooled with Vicious 30-pound-test braid. A six- to seven-foot leader of Vicious 17-pound test copolymer leader is tied to the main line.
When it’s July it is transition time.
“In July we switch from lightweight Contender Spoons to the mid-weight and even the heavyweight spoons. Once again copper spoons in reds and purples usually are hot colors. A Kermit Contender spoon is always hot for me. It is a copper spoon with black dots and chartreuse and green colors. In the earlier part of July, we are trying to get the lure at 35 to 40 foot depths. At this time the leads on the 40’ Tru -Trip Deep Divers are 120 to 170 feet behind the boards. The 50-foot divers are 90- to 140-feet back. “
During this time, they may be fishing five miles or more from shore. The water depth is around the 50 to 60 foot range. Big planer boards are Caruther’s bread and butter. In June and July, he will run the boards 150’ to 200’ away from the boat.
Another transition occurs in the third and fourth weeks of July. Around this time the thermocline sets up off Geneva and Ashtabula. When this occurs, Caruthers switches to deep diving stick baits and wire line. His two favorite deep divers are Dave’s KA-BOOM’s (no longer made) and full size Storm Thundersticks. His favorite stick bait colors are chrome/blue, brown/chrome, and orange/chrome. While copper is the hot color for spoons and spinners, chrome is the first choice for stick baits.When using Dipsy’s in July, they can be run at one to three settings because the fish are deeper and the boat’s motor is less likely to spook them. Run the Dipsy Diver’s lures at the same depths as those on the Tru - Trip Deep Divers. Spoons are his first choice at this time of the summer. He only switches to crawler harnesses when the spoons aren’t producing.
The next transition can be called wire time. Caruthers uses 12-pound-test wire with a six-foot leader of 17-pound test Vicious copolymer. In July around 280’ to 320’ of wire line will be let out with the deep diving lure. By the end of July into August the lure is 350 back or even farther. This gets the deep diver lure down to 52 to 57 feet.
However, wire line has no stretch so don’t set the hook or pump the rod when there is a fish on. If you do, the hook often pulls free of the fish.
At this time, steelhead trout are not wanted. After grabbing the lure, all their jumps and contortions, can create a real mess as they knit together the six rods’ wire lines.
When trolling with wire, don’t turn too sharply. If you do the wire lines can quickly tangle. Often in August Caruthers shortens his boards’ tow lines so they run 100 to 150 feet off the boat. This also reduces line snarls.
In the early part of September, wire and deep diving lures work until the weather creates a big blow on the lake. This usually rolls (turns over) the lake, destroying the thermocline. After this transition, the fish can be almost anywhere. Watch the locator for the depth they are at. This past September Caruthers caught his fish on deep diving Thundersticks off 150- to 180-foot wire leads.”When running divers and wire, many anglers run the boards containing divers separately off one side of boat. On the opposite side of the craft, they run wire lines exclusively off the planer board. This again helps to reduce line tangles.
When asked what is the biggest mistake anglers make when fishing the central basin, he answered? “Guys start panicking when they aren’t catching fish. They don’t give their baits time to catch fish. I used to do that. Now, I give the leads and hot baits time to do what they are supposed to do. Before changing the lure, I will change the leads on some of the lures. The keys are having the hot lures, on the correct leads, trolled at the right speeds when the boat goes through a pocket of hot fish.”
“The fishing was great this past year,” said Caruthers. “We caught big fish in early June and caught limits into October. In fact, we caught a limit on October 10.”
Dave Fowler is an avid angler, who has fished Lake Erie for over 40 years. He fishes Erie’s western basin during the ice season and in the spring. From Memorial Day into September, he is fishing off Geneva three to four times a week. He doesn’t run a charter service, he fishes for pleasure. And the central basin walleye bring him a great deal of pleasure.
“The walleye fishing off Geneva and Ashtabula is fantastic in the summer,” said Fowler. “It’s got to be the best walleye waters in the world. In the summer I imagine that 70% or more of our walleye are seven pounds and bigger. A number are 10 pounds or larger. The biggest in my boat was a 12 ½-pound walleye.”
Fowler feels the biggest mistake is not having the right equipment. The correct set up is critical. This is big deep water trolling. The right equipment is essential, along with fishing the right depths at the productive speeds. Fowler also is a big believer in the Fish Hawk. Since using it, his catch rate has greatly increased
Caruthers and Fowler have many similar fishing tactics. However, Fowler has some subtle differences. When the water is colder in early June, he often is trolling slower, at 1.2 to 1.4 m.p.h. He runs his smaller copper Stinger and Contender spoons off 20-foot Jet Divers. He only fishes black or clear divers. In early to mid June, he runs his Jets off the big planer boards with 100- to 120-foot leads. In early June copper and gold spoons with chartreuse or perch finishes work well for him.
Fowler has found that early in the summer, the first hour after sunrise can be fabulous. Also, the evening bite before the sun sets can be very good in early June.
At this time of the year, he often does best fishing 25 to 40 foot lake depths. This is about a mile to two miles off shore. Don’t ignore the upper half of the water column.
Later in June into July, 40 to 45 foot depths are the magic numbers for Fowler. He is increasing his trolling speed gradually as the waters warm. By mid-July he starts using #1 Dipsy Divers more. He often runs two off each side of the boat. The farthest one out is run at 2 ½ or 3 setting and the inside Dipsy is set at 1 ½. On the boards he switches to 40-foot Jet Divers set 140- 150 feet back. When the waters warm up more, he may switch to 50 foot Jets.
In the end of July or early August, the thermocline sets up. Baitfish hang around the thermocline and this attracts walleye. Fowler makes certain to run lures just above these fish. However, when the fishing is slow, Fowler may drag his lure just above or into the bottom, to catch fish. In late July and August, like Capt. Caruthers, he switches to wire line. Deep diving Thunderstick and KA-B00M stick baits are tied to five-foot 20-pound-test fluorocarbon leaders. His line counter reels are spooled with 10-pound test wire.
When Fowler starts fishing wire , he uses the smaller Junior Thunderstick deep diver. He switches to the full size deep diving plugs in the middle of August. His favorite stick bait colors are black/silver, fire tiger, rainbow trout, pink/silver and chrome with an orange belly.
“Lure speed, color, type of lure and the lure’s depth are critical,” Fowler summarized. “Make certain to have your bait above the actively feeding fish. Often the active fish are in the upper water column.”
This year if you are looking for a fish of a lifetime, along with a limit of hawg- size walleye, give the Lake Erie waters off Geneva and Ashtabula a try. For information on fishing the central basin contact Capt. Tim Caruthers on his website: www.tnvcharters.com.
- Written by Paul Liikala