BY MARK CAHLIK

Allen Wobler managed to land a few jumbo Lake Erie yellow perch this week.

The perch bite has dramatically slowed after the big blow anglers experienced around the Lake Erie Islands and the Western Basin.

The winds have certainly not cooperated with us in recent days, and fishermen have struggled. The beginning of the week was okay, and then we had brisk northwest and northeast winds during middle of the week. This made it tough for charter boats to get out again, and kept the small boat fishermen on shore.

The perch are still around, but you really have to work for them now. I have seen some reports that the various cans marking the Lake Erie Firing Zone have been the best place to anchor and drop a line with perch spreaders and crappie rigs, and hooks tipped with emerald shiner minnows or golden shiners.

Many good reports had been coming in from A Can marking the firing range off Camp Perry. The majority of walleye are still being caught east of the islands right now, with the hot walleye bite closer to Ashtabula in the deeper 70 to 74-foot depths of water right now.

The catfish charters are still going strong. Even if it’s rough on the lake, you can still get out and go catfishing on the calmer waters around Sandusky Bay. The catfish have provided a consistent fishery despite wind and weather for many anglers.