LAKE ERIE black bass on Lake Erie

LAKE ERIE
The walleye daily bag limit is four fish through April 30. A 15-inch minimum size limit for walleye remains in effect for the entire season. The Lake Erie daily bag limit for yellow perch is 40 fish. Lake Erie black bass (smallmouth and largemouth bass) are closed to possession (catch and release only) May 1 through June 23. The daily bag limit for black bass on Lake Erie is five before May 1 and after June 23. The minimum size limit for black bass on Lake Erie is 14 inches. See the 2006 regulations brochure for specific hook restrictions and closed areas pertaining to tributary and bay fishing during the walleye runs in March and April.
Main lake walleye spawning is under way. Males are being caught on most of the Camp Perry firing range reefs and from Turtle Creek to K can of the Camp Perry firing range. Both pre- and post-spawn females are being caught around the eastern cans of the Camp Perry firing range and around the islands. Yellow perch have been caught around Marblehead.
Jigging with minnow tipped jigs, hair jigs, jigging spoons or vibrating blade baits is the best opportunity to catch walleye on the reefs. Troll crankbaits or worm harnesses to catch the larger fish off of the reefs and around the islands. In the rivers, walleye can be caught on jigheads tipped with twister tails and on floating jigheads on a Carolina rig.
Lake Erie surface temperatures range from 39 degrees to 44 degrees.
OHIO RIVER
Gallia, Lawrence, Meigs, and Scioto counties - Sauger fishing at the Greenup Dam is fair to good, with many fish averaging 2 pounds. Successful anglers have been fishing chartreuse or white jigs tipped with minnows from the shoreline 4 feet to 5 feet off the bottom. Anglers fishing the Greenup area have also had good catches of crappie and many anglers have been coming close to their limits on hybrid-striped bass. Sauger are also biting below the tailwaters of the Racine Dam on live bait/minnows. Hybrid-striped bass fishing has been great in warm water discharge areas along the River.