Fresh crowds of fishermen arrive for walleye derbies: NE Ohio fishing report

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The popular walleye fishing derbies on Lake Erie — the Fall Brawl and the Walleye Slam — have created a new fishing season, encouraging out of state anglers to make the scene. It has caused a wave of customers to fishing tackle shops along the Ohio shoreline, and has trickled over to hotels, motels, restaurants and gas stations.

The Fairfield Inn & Suites in Avon, for example, has an anglers' discount of $50 per night. The Sleep Inn & Suites on Ohio 53, just north of Route 2, in Port Clinton has a 20% discount for derby anglers, said owner Lorenzo Ruta, an avid angler who has fished the Fall Brawl.

Fishermen need fuel for both their vehicles and boats, and local restaurants and motels are taking note. Entries closed in mid-October for the Fall Brawl derby, which ends on Dec. 8, and the Walleye Slam, wrapping up on Dec. 1. But combined, the two derbies have a total of more than 17,000 entries. Many are from non-resident anglers planning to head to Lake Erie for the last week, or two, of the competition.

The prizes are extensive, with the winners taking home expensive fully rigged fishing boats.

The top walleye in four Fall Brawl categories this week were:

Overall: Morgan Kiser, 11.07 pounds, 29.5 inches

Youth: Steele J. Berry, 8.87, 28.62

Women: Amber M. Foster, 9.13, 28.5

Kayak/Shore: Ricky A. Miller, 9.73, 30.25.

So where are the big walleye? While many schools of Lake Erie's walleye are heading to the Huron waters at this time of year, feeding heavily on gizzard shad and other baitfish. They'll begin their annual spawning season in March around the reef complex off Port Clinton, as well as in the Sandusky and Maumee rivers.

Casting from the Ohio shoreline has been best from Cleveland, Lorain, Sandusky, Marblehead and Catawba Island, and right now the best catches have been late in the day, as well as after dark. Public piers and break walls have been crowded, as well as boat launch ramps. While access is difficult at this time of year, the Bass Islands and Kelleys Island are great places to cast from shore, with diving plugs and swim baits the top lures.

It's raining! The drought that has foiled this year's cold weather steelhead trout fishing in the Northeast Ohio rivers and streams may get a blast of the rain this week. Trout anglers are hoping for enough of a flow to flush out the waterways of leaves and debris, and lure fresh trout into the rivers to spawn.

Fishermen have been catching a few trout, especially casting from the piers from Cleveland to Fairport Harbor and Conneaut, and trolling the near-shore waters of Lake Erie. The relatively light winds coming up this week should allow boat anglers to chase walleye and steelhead trout, as well as dunk minnows for yellow perch.

Smallmouth bass fishing is hot Small boat fishermen are casting the rocky shorelines from Fairport Harbor to Conneaut for smallmouth bass, with blade baits, jig-twister tail rigs and small diving plugs. Most anglers gently handle the feisty bass and release them.

Hot spots for smallmouth bass include the Fairport Harbor and Conneaut areas, where bass are hanging around the breakwalls and rock piles. With south winds in the forecast, that should help to cast to the shallow structure.