Fishing report for the week of September 29, 2013.: , ,
Fishing Report Posted: September 29, 2013

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Posted by Capt. Walt Ermansons on September 29, 2013 at 08:39:12:

Great weather ! Great fishing !!! Man we waited a long time for such a nice stretch of weather as we had this entire past week. Just picture perfect. Cool nights, warm and sunny days with light winds and calm seas. Just about as good as it gets. And the fishing... Oh my goodness, the fishing. Just spectacular ! This past week “The Trophy” spent most of the week at the end of the hook fishing for the Yellow Perch. Lake Erie’s other gold. And just like the weather, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen it this very good. Let me re-phrase that, this very GREAT ! It was not a question if we were going to limit out. It was just how fast. And a few days this past week was just silly fast. Hard to believe that at times, and yes it happens some days that we sit there all day long and just peck away at them with just one here and one there trying to get a cooler full and then sometimes never even get them all. But this past week it was far from that. Nothing but doubles and triples everywhere I looked. Every trip. They sure add up fast when they are on fire like that!

And the Walleyes are far from being done as well. It’s just unbelievable how strong they are still hanging in there this year. This past Wednesday I ended up having a two boat deal and taking out 12 Amish guests for a building supply company. They wanted to Walleye fish. For my second boat I used my dock partner, Capt. Ray of the ‘Eye Fish Charters. It’s a shame that the Amish folks do not believe in getting their pictures taken. What a load of Walleyes we ended up having between both boats for the day. 72 mostly all monster Walleyes! Each boat limited out with 36 Walleyes and both boats were back to the dock by 2:00 in the afternoon! And that’s taking into consideration that we are no longer departing the dock super early either because of how late day break is now a days with the sun rising later and later each day. I think it was closer to 7:30am before we even started to set lines. Aboard “The Trophy” we ended up almost filling my second huge fish box that I utilize built into the boats decks. Something that rarely ever happens. And Capt. Ray had two massive 100 quart plus coolers stuffed to the very max with fish! What a catch. That sure would have been a great rack shot. If we had a rack that could hold so many fish that is!

But the main focus this time of year is certainly still the Yellow Perch trips and the hopes of getting into the jumbos for most everyone. Just a very fun, hands on trip. A fall classic around here. Everywhere you looked this past week you could see boats anchored up. In close, way out. Everywhere. We ourselves anchored in multiple areas this past week. We fished in water as shallow as 42 foot a mile and a half out and in water as deep as 62 foot, about 6 miles out. It was pretty much loaded where ever we tried it. I think that the size might be a bit better a little further out and that is what I was trying to put my guys on when I could. But only because the nice weather and lake conditions allowed us to do it. Had I had to deal with Lake Erie's typical nasty waves and weather like we’ve been having, the in closer areas would have been more then good enough to entertain us. Maybe not quite as fast as further offshore but certainly good enough to get the job done. And as the days and weeks slip by, most of the Perch will start moving in even closer anyway if we don’t get no big blows. It’s not unusual for the Perch to be in very heavy as close in as a few hundred yards off the break walls by early November. This usually happens about the time all the boats are finally pulled out and winterized and everyone is just plum out of trips for the year! Figures. But that’s just the way it is. All good things must come to an end. And winters cold winds and lake effect snows are usually just around the corner as well as early November approaches. Nobody wants to be caught unprepared.

So now September is all but over with. In another day or so it will be October already and by the end of the month “The Trophy” as well will be out of the water and back home safely tucked away in a nice warm barn, ready for a long winters nap. But not quite yet... We still have a few weeks to go. Maybe I’ll even still get a Walleye trip or two in these final few weeks. It’s been a long time since I attempted to run a Walleye charter in October and even longer since I ran one that late and did really well. From what I’m seeing, there is no sign that these migrating fish that we’ve been chasing around all season long are in any hurry to start moving back west and out of this area. After our big day on Wednesday, I was curious to see if anything had changed out there and after we got our Perch on Friday and since it was so very gorgeous that day, I ran out a few more miles and thru all the Walleye gear out. Just like a couple days before that, it was instant game on with the Walleyes! My intentions were to capture a couple few big fish for the guys to top off the Perch cooler and just call it a day. Well, it was so good that we went on to get 18 for my 3 guests that day. A trip to remember and maybe even a trip of a lifetime! At least for this time of year. Like I said earlier, it’s just spectacular right now ! OK, I still have a good schedule this coming week with only one day open should anyone be interested and looking. Right now I have no trip for Wednesday, Oct. the 2nd. If anyone might be interested in this day, as always I can be reached at any time of the day or night on my mobile, 216-387-2656. The next 8 day forecast also looks equally delightful so it would be a shame for this day to go unfulfilled as good as the fishing is right now. Maybe you could be my first October Walleye limit in a long time! Or, maybe you might just want a big tub of Perch! We can do either. Or maybe, just maybe I’ll just go catch a few fish for my own freezer if no one calls! Hey, now there's an excellent idea! lol ! Stay tuned. This season ain’t over yet !



Capt. Walt





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