The big schools of walleye are waiting around the Lake Erie Island area, with only the vagaries of wind and weather determining the success if fishermen on Lake Erie. Capt. Mark Cahlik shows off one of the average walleye making up limits right now.

Wow! It’s great to be back giving all of you the weekly fishing reports, especially with the history making fishing we have been having. I hope all of you have been healthy and well. Hopefully all the businesses are getting back to some normalcy. I don’t want to talk about any of the negatives we’ve faced for the last couple months, instead I want to focus on all the positives.

There are record breaking amounts of fish in Lake Erie for the taking. Whether you are going out and casting or trolling, the fishing is outstanding and the action is fast. The casting is even better that it was in the 1980’s when we had all the walleye. Without further ado, here is your weekly fishing report.

Weapon-style lures have been the primary way to go if you are casting. Weapons are just a shorter version of a worm harness. A weapon has two hooks on it and we are using whole nightcrawlers for each hook. As the mayfly larvae start to appear, we will go to single hooks and only a half nightcrawler.

The best locations when casting for walleye have been the triangular area that is between Ballast, Middle and Kelleys islands. The waters west of Rattlesnake Island, about two miles from the Lake Erie Islands, have been productive. The traditional drift-and-cast countdown methods, which are either starting from the lake bottom or using a 10- to 15-second count, are best. The water temperatures are still a little cold, so you may have to use a slow retrieve.

Those trolling lures have been predominantly using crankbaits or diving plugs, such as Bandits and Reef Runners. The best speeds have been between 1.7 and 2.1 miles per hour. When northeast winds have been blowing in previous days, you will want to use slower speeds.

At this time of year we usually are using Tru-Trip on-line diving planers, but since the water temperatures are still a little cold, crankbaits are a better choice. As the water continues to warm up, this will change. Next week’s report could very well have Tru-Trips replacing the crankbaits.

Hot spots for trolling have been D and E cans around the Niagara Reef complex off Camp Perry and west of Rattlesnake Island. No matter how you choose to fish, the results are fantastic right now with the record numbers of walleye all around the Ohio shoreline of Lake Erie.

Until next week, be safe on land and water and, as always, keep a tight line!