Central Ohio Catfish Club

FINATIC · Shad Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Posts: 78 Location: Hilliard

Every year we take a family vacation for a week to Lake Erie, and rent a house on a beach near Cranberry Marina. I fish out of the Sea Turd every day - weather permitting - sometimes twice a day.

We trolled Reef Runners (Bare Naked, Trailer Trash Pink, and Purple Prism) with planer boards at about 2 -2.5 mph, and when the kids went out we drifted bottom bouncers with crawler harnesses, using the trolling motor when I had to, in order to keep our drift speed up to about .9 to 1 mph. This year it seemed our walleye numbers were a little off, falling just short of limiting out on about every trip. But the size of those buggers was great, with most fish running 20 to 24 inches. Reports were fish were being caught in 38-40 feet of water but we stayed in at a more comfortable 20 - 24 feet. Virtually all the fish were caught right at the bottom.

The kids got to build their own harnesses before we went out. I tied the hooks and they got to pick and string their own concoctions of bead and blade colors and sizes, then I tied them off at the top. We capped the week off with a big walleye dinner for 20 people on Friday night, and put some dandy fish in the freezer.

Man, I wish I could have stayed another week!

KillerNuts · Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 6:18 pm Post subject:

Congrats on the great week Dave. Bet you it is one those kids will never forget.

Did the lake stay relatively calm for you. I had a buddy who went up Saturday and said it was 7ft waves.

FINATIC · Shad Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Posts: 78 Location: Hilliard

Thanks Mike. We actually packed up and came home Sat. morning those waves were insane... considering the lake was practically like glass on Friday afternoon.