Diving plugs are still the hot lures for catching limits of Lake Erie walleye while trolling the deeper waters east of Kelleys Island and along the Ohio-Ontario border north of Vermilion.

BY MARK CAHLIK

Walleye remain to be the fish in the news with the waters around Kelleys Island luring plenty of anglers who like to drift and cast for their walleye, or troll lures. If you are casting, then Kelleys Island is best. If you are trolling, then you will want to be at the weather buoy on the Ohio-Ontario border and probing the waters around Vermillion dumping grounds and the Lorain Sand Bar.

Casters are still working the shallow areas in the morning in 10- to 15-foot depths until the sun comes up. After sunrise, the walleye have been moving to the 20-foot depths. The rock piles around Kelleys Island and east of Kelleys Island are the hot spots.

Trollers have been having the best luck in three different spots: Five miles west of the weather buoy, the weather buoy itself and the Vermillion dumping grounds. Bandits set 110 to 130 feet back with a two-ounce weight is still the ticket. Speeds for trolling have been 1.8- to 2.1-miles per hour.

Perch fishing remains the same as it has been the last three weeks. You will get a good catch one day and the next day it’s not so good. Most of the catches have been coming from D Can to A Can, ands south of the can lines in 22 to 28 feet of water.

The catfish bite remains strong around the Sandusky Bay bridges with most fish weighing in at 3 to 15 pounds each. Raw shrimp is still the best bait to use while out chasing catfish.

Bass reports have been good around the islands in 16- to 18-foot water depths. With the warm weather hanging around, soft craws are available and seem to be doing the job.

With plenty of fishing left to be done this summer, stay safe out there and always be courteous of other boaters. Take a kid fishing and get them interested in one of the best past times we can all enjoy.