Fishing report for the week of May 23, 2010: , ,
Fishing Report Posted: May 23, 2010

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Posted by Capt. Walt Ermansons on May 23, 2010 at 19:53:47:

A week of transition. After yet another brutal start to this past week with the weather, Mother Nature finally gave in and let some really nice weather slip back into the area by the weeks end. Early on the fishing was just about where we had left off last week. Tough. But as the weekend approached and the winds finally backed off things began to pick up for most everyone. Even still now we are battling lots of areas with super dirty water from the damaging 2 weeks worth of almost constant winds that we had. But with a little bit of hunting, cleaner water can be found along with some actively feeding Walleyes. And the water will dramatically improve now with each passing day as this block of great weather moves in and lingers !

Aboard "The Trophy" we have been on a strictly trolling program as of late. After a slower then we would have liked start early on in the week, the last couple of trips out we managed to get into the 20's with some super nice Walleyes caught. Though most raced around the lake in search of the cleaner water, we concentrated our efforts on the areas between just south of South Bass to just west of Kelly's Island. Friday our best spot was up close to Starve Island Reef where we worked a pocket of fish in 26 ft. of water. The best program seemed to be the #40 Jet Divers back about 80 ft. We wrapped up the weekend today starting out by the American Eagle Shoal where we pulled about a dozen fish before crossing over the shoot and pulling about another dozen fish off of the Starve Island Reef area. Lots of boat traffic up in that area today made for some very tough fishing. At one point we got the squeeze play from a couple of not so courteous boaters and ended up "decorating" the reef with some new shiny spoons and one Jet Diver. Nice... LOL !

We even managed to have a first aboard "The Trophy" this past week when on Thursday a 31 inch Muskie grabbed a gold Savant Spoon on a big Dipsy Diver that was set on a 3 setting about 65 ft.back. What a commotion that fish raised! I was convinced that we had hooked a Steelhead Trout, which here in the western basin is a oddity in itself but not completely unheard of. In fact I had told my crew that I was sure it was a Steelhead and was really quite surprised to see what it actually was when it emerged from the still muddy water ! After a quick picture without any handling of the fish with our bare hands it was slipped safely back into the water where it quickly sped off to live and fight another day. Pretty neat if I must say so myself !

So this upcoming week is our final week here in the western basin. April's jig fishing was fabulous and that is the memory that I will hold on to for this spring. Mays cold and windy weather was wicked and did us no favors but even that appears to be history now. The weatherman is calling for a truly wonderful summer like upcoming week with light winds and temps in the 80's flirting with possibly even a 90 ! And just like early on in April when the weather was in the 80's and I had no trips, so this coming week looks pretty grim for "The Trophy" At this point we have Monday thru Thursday all open should anybody want a last chance trip here with us before leaving the Islands. Fishing has once again turned the corner, the weather is great, and here I sit with no trips again. Figures... LOL! Anyway this will also be my final report as well from Port Clinton as next weekend after I run my final last 3 trips here I will be very busy moving my entire operation out east to my home Port of Ashtabula, OH. Those fishing reports out east will resume on June 6th on fishlakeerie.com's section entitled: Eastern Ohio Lake Erie Stream & Lake Fishing Reports for those wishing to follow our progress. Of coarse if you have been following along on my website, the change will be seamless and all you have to do is bring it up as you have been doing. See you guys all back home !

Capt. Walt 216-387-2656 boat/ mobile





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