Jacob Wheeler is one of America’s top tournament bass fishermen, and the Harrison, Tenn. angler is a regular in the Port Clinton area. Lake Erie is one of his favorite smallmouth bass hot spots, and Wheeler enjoys staying at Bay’s Edge Resort.

BY MARK CAHLIK

The Lake Erie walleye fishing is finally starting to become more consistent as the fall season cools the big waters, and it is getting even better every day. The wind and weather conditions for catching game fish — from walleye to smallmouth bass, yellow perch and catfish — continue to be pretty good.

The casting reports from traditional anglers who enjoy drifting and casting to hook up with their big walleye on light spinning tackle have remained steady. I know I am sounding like a broken record, but catches from around the rock piles around Kelleys Island and North Bass Island have been darned good of late.

The Lake Erie walleye fishing just to the east, towards Vermilion and Huron, has picked up in the deeper waters with anglers catching big fish there.

The yellow perch bite has picked up and the best spots have been off the Marblehead Lighthouse and at the Catawba Island Club buoy in water depths of 20 to 22 feet. Its not like the “old days” of perch fishing, jumbos and 30-fish limits every day, but we are starting to get some of our favorite “jumbos” to bite and it’s the best perch fishing we’ve seen in a while.

Trollers found happiness this week, with big boxes of walleye being caught. North and east of the Vermillion dumping grounds has been producing plenty of walleye. Bandit diving plugs set 120 to 130 feet back with two-ounce weights have been working the best, as well as Tru-Trip Deep Divers with little lip crankbaits set 75 feet back.

Trolling speeds have been between 1.8 and 2.2 miles per hour.

A great week of fishing weather is in the forecast, so get out and get fishing. Until next week, stay safe, be courteous and always have fun.