By Mark Cahlik

It’s East vs. West when it comes to fishing this week. If you are looking for yellow perch, then heading west is where you are going to want to go. If it is walleye you seek, then you will definitely want to go east.

The yellow perch have shown promise this week, with limits of yellow perch showing up at the fish cleaning service the beginning of the week for groups of two to four people. The reason I noted the catches by two to four people is important. Some of the spots I am going to share only have so many fish on them, so smaller groups can get their limits easier than a group of five or more anglers.

Before I tell you the hotspots, I want to just say don’t be afraid to go to the edges of the reefs and rock piles if you have a smaller group of people fishing. Here’s a perfect example for you: Two guys that we talked to were off of Mouse Island Reef and each caught their limit. They said that if there had been a few more in their boat, that they would not have gotten their limit. Look around the isolated spots off the reefs as well.

Now for the hotspots! All along the “can line” perch have been hitting good with H Can being the best. Towards the beginning of the week the perch bite was down between Rattlesnake Island and the big ship on the west side of South Bass Island. Also, off the southeast corner of Kelleys Island was a favorite spot for some.

Walleye have continued to be about the same. The best numbers have been seen east of Kelleys Island, by the weather buoy in Vermillion and at the dumping grounds by Cedar Point. Those that are choosing to continue to troll have started to make some changes. Crank baits are now the go-to lure to use. Bandits are being set back 80 to 100 feet. The number 50 Tru-Trip diving planers are being used as well, but now anglers are using “little lip” crank baits set 30 to 70 feet back.

Like I mentioned with the perch, the smaller the group of walleye fishermen, the better your chances of limiting out. Try to work the rock piles in the early morning or late in the evening in about 8 to 15 feet of water.

The catfish bite has slowed down a little bit, but they are still being caught all around Sandusky Bay. As has been the norm for the last month, raw shrimp and nightcrawlers are the best ways to go. Until next week, take time to enjoy yourselves and as always, be safe on the water.