BY MARK CAHLIK

Trophy Lake Erie walleye can bring out plenty of smiles.

The long runs to Canada is still where to go for limits of walleye and some trophy fish, a reason most of the Ohio charter fishing boats are still heading north with their customers.

The Ohio side of Lake Erie is tough right now for landing limits of fish. The best bite over the line in Ontario waters is east of the Chickanola Reef in the Hen and Chicks islands area for both fishermen who troll lures or drift-and-cast weight-forward spinners or small spinner rigs.

The casters are still running the same program, with single-hook casting harnesses with a 1 1/2-ounce weight and relying on a slow retrieve off the lake bottom. Trollers have been running lures 70 to 90 feet back using Tru-Trip diving planers with spoons or worm harnesses.

On the Ohio side, the south and west sides of Kelleys Island have been providing the best bite right now running lures 30 to 50 feet back with Tru Trips and spoons and worm harnesses.

There has been a report of good walleye fishing west of Gull Island Shoal in about 36 to 37 feet of water. I know it sounds like the same thing as before, but the fishing has been tough this year with the weather and the mayflies hatching right now. it has been frustrating this year for sure.

There is some good news, though. The yellow perch fishing, which had been to the far west, is starting to get a bit closer to the Port Clinton area, even though the most consistent reports are still coming in from the Toledo area. The green can off of the Catawba State Dock is starting to produce, and anglers are reporting they are picking up some perch around the G Can and F Can on the Lake Erie Firing Zone. The best perch tactic seems to be vertical rigs with emerald shiner minnows.

Catfishing is still going well with a few good spots to report this week. Both sides of the old Route 2 Bridge have been producing, and so has the Dempsey Access. Bait has not changed, with most successful anglers still using uncooked shrimp, shiners and night crawlers. We have been getting a few reports that smallmouth bass are beginning to bite in Canadian waters this week using soft craws and tube baits.