** The 15" walleye minimum size limit remains in effect for the entire season. From March 1 through April 30 the walleye limit on Lake Erie and its tributaries is 3 fish per day. Anglers are reminded that the daily bag limit for trout and salmon on Lake Erie and its tributaries is 2 fish through May 15. The trout and salmon minimum size limit is 12 inches.** *2005 Ohio fishing licenses are now available.* Over the past weekend (4/9, 4/10) walleye and yellow perch fishing were excellent in the western basin. Limits of walleye were caught by jigging on the Camp Perry firing range reef complex, nearshore from Davis Besse to Crane Creek, and Maumee Bay. Popular jigging lures include jigheads tipped with shiners, hair jigs tipped with shiners, and vibrating blade baits. Trollers caught walleye on the flats north and also east of the reef complex. Shallow minnow-imitating stickbaits in the top half of the water column pulled behind planer boards will produce occasional trophy walleye during the spring. Large yellow perch were caught east of Kelleys Island, near the Marblehead lighthouse and around the Sandusky Bay foghorn. Spreaders or crappie rigs tipped with shiners are the best technique to catch yellow perch. NE winds during the week of 4/11 have muddied the waters of the western basin. When the lake calms down the fishing should improve again. Surface temperatures range from the upper 30's to the mid 40's. Recent NE winds slowed walleye fishing in the Maumee and Sandusky Rivers after great fishing last weekend (4/9, 4/10). When conditions stabilize fishing should improve. Most fish being caught in both rivers are 18 to 22" males with occasional trophy females up to and over 10 pounds. The most popular technique is to Carolina rig a floating jighead tipped with a soft plastic curly tail.
Source: ODNR
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