Lake Norfork

Crappie fishing remains good with live minnows, chrome-head jigs or the Charlie Brewer bee (a small type of spin bait). Look for crappie around standing timber or brush piles in about 15 to 18 feet of water. For bank fishermen, live minnows seem to be working the best.

The walleye spring migration is not far away and could start any time. Jerkbaits and live bait work well, especially on Lake Norfork.

Lake Erie creel census

Lake Erie was literally at the top of its game again in 2017 after setting a new all-time mark in 2014. And with the way things are going in this Great Lake, don’t be surprised if it happens again this year. It’s scary … scary good.
Based on the Lake Erie creel census where thousands of anglers were surveyed between May 1 and Oct. 31, walleye fishermen experienced the highest catch per unit effort that the lake has ever seen in the 30 years of the census. In 2017, the catch rate was .52 fish per hour, nearly three times the 30-year average. While that might not seem like anything special, let’s put it into a better perspective.
“Our previous best-ever catch rate for walleye on Lake Erie was .32 fish per hour,” says Jason Robinson, fisheries biologist for the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation’s Lake Erie Unit. “That came in 2014 and that was a great fishing year. In fact it was our last record year. It was that much better last year.”
So let’s talk actual numbers. Over 70,000 walleye were harvested last year – caught and kept for the frying pan. It doesn’t get much better than fresh walleye in the hot oil (or no matter how it’s cooked). However, the Catch Per Effort (CPE) is based on the total catch and that was nearly 120,000 walleye last year.

Lake Erie

DEC has conducted an angler survey on Lake Erie to estimate fishing quality and fish harvest annually since 1988. In recent years, walleye fishing quality has been generally increasing. Survey results for 2017 revealed record-high walleye catch rates that are nearly three times greater than the 30-year average. DEC estimates anglers harvested more than 70,000 walleyes in 2017, a level not achieved since 1989. 

This exceptional fishing was due in large part to contributions of strong walleye reproductive success in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2015. Recent evidence also suggests walleye reproduction was strong again in 2016. 

Walleye are one of the most popular gamefish in New York, as they put up an exciting fight during the catch and make for tasty meal on the table. Walleye are aptly named because of their unique eyes that have a reflective layer of pigment called the tapetum lucidum, which allows them to see very well at night and during other low-light periods. This layer also gives walleye their "glassy-eyed" or "wall-eyed" appearance.

Lake Erie is continually ranked among the world's top walleye fishing destinations by angler publications, with an abundance of trophy-size walleye ranging from 8-10 pounds, and local tournament winners often scoring fish exceeding 11 pounds.

Tip-Ups

 The secret of fishing a river or stream is to find a bay, inlet or other deep cut in the bank with little current or fish a large, slow eddy. The weaker the current, the better the chances of success since fish metabolisms slow way down in the icy waters and fish seek out the quietest spots to lie.    
Where to fish is very similar to summer fishing: find structure. Points, drop offs, rocky humps, deeper bowls, river edges, old roads, weed edges and other fish habitat hold fish in the winter just as they did in the summer. Many fish will be deep, but immediately after ice over there will be numbers of fish in shallow waters, mainly in areas with rock, wood and green weeds. However, once the weeds are dead they begin to decay absorbing oxygen from the surrounding water. Areas outside stream mouths are also affected as leaves and other organic material washed into the lake breaks down robbing oxygen from the waters and driving the fish away.
Tip-Ups are the most widely used method of ice fishing. Tip-Ups consist of a base, strike indicator flag and line spool held underwater preventing it freezing. The base is set on the ice, the hook baited and lowered to a foot or 2 of the bottom and the flag bent over and lightly placed in a notch. When a fish takes and pulls out line the spools rotates and releases the wire flag which springs upright; pretty exciting when it happens.

Live shiners, grubs, and jigging lures

Prior to Grayson, several lakes and ponds did see some action. Ice continued building to where auger blades were put to the test. Walleye, perch, and largemouth bass were caught through the ice, both with tip-ups and jigging sticks. Depth and structure were the keys in locating fish. Time of day, as in the case of walleye, was a determining factor. With opal eyes, the bite generally is better at day’s end when light diminishes.

Live shiners, grubs, and jigging lures by themselves or tipped with bait is as simple as it gets. Bring along a skimmer to keep your hole clear of ice and a manual sounder to check depth. A spud will assist in testing the ice and wind-resistant clothing can prevent you from testing the weather.

It might take a few more days for the trout streams to recoup from those frigid temps now that the air is warming up. Certainly, the salmon waters, as well as the sea run trout rivers, are in play. A January thaw is in the making and should jump-start the rivers. However, conditions on the lakes may get a bit slushy and caution should be taken.

Ohio ice walkers

Walleye are a favorite fish among Ohio ice walkers, and they're easy to find in winter. Come the early ice they'll likely still be fairly shallow around points and near shore bars, rock piles, sunken roads, sudden dropoffs and other good ambush cover. Then as the season progresses most will move to deeper water, mid-lake humps and reefs, and as spawning time nears they'll turn shallow again. The best time to catch walleye is an hour or so before dawn and an hour after, then an hour or so before dark and an hour after, though they'll bite sporadically all day and night.

GLEN ELDER (WACONDA LAKE):

 low to mid 30s, clear, about ½ foot low. Outlook: Wildlife, Parks and Tourism reports: 100% ice covered. Ice is 8 inches thick west of the causeway. There is also safe ice in the state park coves. Anglers have been catching some white bass, wipers, and striped bass along the river channel, but fishing has generally been slow. Crappie have been slow, but some caught on the brush piles. The park pond is 7-8 inches thick except around the tube and anglers are cautioned to stay away from the tube if ice fishing on the pond. Use extreme caution when ice fishing and always fish with a partner!

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/outdoors/article192712099.html#storylink=cpy

Wallace Lake

The best ice fishing in the area this weekend and next week will be found around the Cleveland Metroparks, with a focus on Wallace Lake on Valley Parkway in the Mill Stream Run Reservation in Berea. More than 3,000 rainbow trout in the 1- to 2-pound class have been released in the Cleveland Metroparks lakes, and Wallace Lake received the lion's share of the annual winter stockings.
Wallace Lake also has received a big slug of coho salmon, and a stocking program this year at Wallace featured big bluegill and largemouth bass. The ice cover is slowly becoming thick enough to support ice fishermen, but check before walking out on the ice.