CHRISTMAS TRIPS AVAILABLE 12/18

There is only a week left until Christmas and if you are unable to find that right gift for your fisherman then just give us a call and make that Walleye/Perch charter reservation for the 2014 season. A small deposit will hold your date of choice and your fisherman or family so they can enjoy a day on the late. Call BudMan Charters for that gift certificate today. All credit cards accepted. 419-602-4486

HURON AREA 12/18

If and when you can get out the last report I have there is excellent fishing around the Huron Dump. Try running Husky Jerks, Rouges and Reef runners 10 to 15 feet back at slow speeds .9 to 1.0 mph. Let me know if anyone has success and send me pictures and I will post them. Good Luck. I have several informative videos to share but right now I am having problems getting them to run on my website. Will post when problems are corrected.

ODNR LAKE ERIE FISHING REPORT 11/20

Lake - Wide

Walleye: Recent weather has limited fishing opportunities.
Where: Most walleye anglers have been fishing nearshore from Catawba Island to Kelleys Island and Cedar Point to Vermillion. Fish have also been caught off traditional fall pier locations.
How: Troll using deep diving crankbaits such as Reef Runners or Deep Husky Jerks, fished in the middle portion of the water column or higher. On the piers, anglers are using traditional techniques.

Yellow perch
Where: For some of the biggest perch of the year try traditional fall spots such as the green buoy off Catawba State Park; Green and Rattlesnake Islands; Ballast Island; Kelleys Island shoal; east of Kelleys Island airport; between Kelleys Island and Lakeside; the Marblehead Lighthouse; north of Cedar Point; the south end of the sandbar offshore between Vermilion and Lorain; and just off most of the ports from Huron to Conneaut.
How: Perch spreaders with shiners, fished near the bottom.

Smallmouth bass
Where: Bass start moving shallow to feed as water temperatures drop. Try fishing rocky areas along both island and mainland shorelines to find feeding smallmouth bass. Areas with gizzard shad, shiners or gobies will be best.
How: Tube jigs, drop shots with goby imitations, and crankbaits or jerkbaits.

SteelheadView the latest steelhead fishing report 

Water TemperatureThe water temperature is 42 degrees off Toledo and 49 degrees off Cleveland according to the nearshore marine forecast.

Anglers are encouraged to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device while boating. 

ODNR LAKE ERIE FISHING REPORT / LAKE WIDE 11/6

Lake-wide

Walleye
Where: Most walleye being caught have come from around Kelleys Island; from Cedar Point to Lorain within 5 miles of shore; and in or around Cleveland harbor at night.
How: Troll using deep diving crankbaits such as Reef Runners or Deep Husky Jerks, fished in the middle portion of the water column or higher.

Yellow perch
Where: For some of the biggest perch of the year try traditional fall spots such as the green buoy off Catawba State Park; Green and Rattlesnake Islands; Ballast Island; Kelleys Island shoal; east of Kelleys Island airport; between Kelleys Island and Lakeside; the Marblehead lighthouse; north of Cedar Point; the south end of the sandbar offshore between Vermilion and Lorain; and just off most of the ports from Huron to Conneaut.
How: Perch spreaders with shiners, near the bottom.

Smallmouth bass
Where: Bass start moving shallow to feed as water temperatures drop. Try fishing rocky areas along both island and mainland shorelines to find feeding smallmouth bass. Areas with gizzard shad, shiners or gobies will be best.
How: Tube jigs, drop shots with goby imitations, and crankbaits or jerkbaits.

VERMILION HURON WALLEYE IN CLOSE

Night fishing has been good to excellent trolling in shallow water 10 to 12 feet after sunset from Vermilion to Huron and west to Sawmill. Reef Runners and Husky Jerks both are working well. Best color for Husky Jerks are Black/Gold and Blue Chrome. I took my boat to Craft Marine last Tuesday to store her for the winter. Stayed in hoping to get a few more trips but the high winds every Thursday for several weeks forced me to shut things down  for the year. Time to hit the woods and bow hunt for deer. I will continue to post fishing reports but not at the same frequency. Seems like I just put the boat in the water and now its in for winter storage. Another year of memories and meeting some great people.

BLOGGER FEED BACK

Yesterday I logged by 18,000th  person to visit my website and I am puzzled why I have had only a few comments sent to me. I encourage everyone to send there comments or questions and I will respond accordingly. Tell me what you want to see or read about over the winter months or for next fishing season. Hope to still see you on the water!

ODNR CENTRAL AND WESTERN BASIN FISHING REPORT 10/16

Western Basin

Walleye fishing effort has been low recently. There have been a few reports from “A” can of the Camp Perry firing range, northeast of Crib Reef, and Green Island. As temperatures drop expect fishing to improve as migratory walleye return to the islands and also nearshore areas. Trolling crankbaits behind planer boards is a popular method for catching fall walleye.

Yellow perch fishing improved over the past week. The best areas have been the turnaround buoy of the Toledo shipping channel, the gravel pit, northeast and northwest of West Sister Island, “C” can and “F” can of the Camp Perry firing range, Northwest Reef, southwest of Green Island, Rattlesnake Island, the green buoy northwest of Catawba State Park, Gull Island Shoal, and E of Kelleys Island and Kelleys Island Shoal. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

Largemouth bass fishing continues to be good in harbors and nearshore areas around Catawba and Marblehead, and also in Sandusky Bay. Some smallmouth bass have been caught around Kelleys Island.

Central Basin

Walleye fishing was good off Huron, 14 miles northeast of the river around the offshore dumping ground. Worm harnesses with inline weights, or crankbaits with snap weights have produced the best catches. There weren’t many angler interviews this past week, but excellent fishing continues with a few limit catches in 70 to 71 feet of water north of Geneva and in 56 to 70 feet of water north of Ashtabula. Anglers are trolling wire line with white, pink, blue, yellow, orange, green and red stick baits.

Yellow perch fishing has been fair north of the condos that are east of Vermilion, around the south end of the sandbar, north of Lorain and off Ruggles Reef. Excellent fishing was reported in 46 feet of water northwest of Rocky River, in 38 to 42 feet of water northeast of Gordon Park, in 47 feet of water northwest (the hump) of Fairport Harbor, in 46 to 54 feet of water northeast of Ashtabula and in 39 to 53 feet of water northeast and northwest of Conneaut. Spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish. Shore fishing off the Cleveland and Fairport area piers has been slow.

Smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing has been good in 10 to 20 feet of water around harbor areas in Cleveland, Fairport Harbor, Geneva, Ashtabula and Conneaut. Anglers are using crayfish and leeches.

White Bass fishing has been hit and miss off the E. 55th street and E 72nd street Piers in Cleveland and the long pier in Fairport Harbor. Small fish are being caught off the Fairport Harbor pier. Evenings have been the best. Lots of large white bass are being caught by boat yellow perch fisherman off Fairport Harbor. On the lake, look for gulls feeding on shiners at the surface; the white bass will be below. Anglers are using agitators with jigs and small spoons.

Steelhead Trout are being caught off the long and short Piers in Fairport Harbor and also in the river up to Vrooman road. Anglers are using jigs tipped with maggots with a bobber and small spoons. 

The water temperature is 61 degrees off Toledo and 66 degrees off Cleveland according to the nearshore marine forecast.

Anglers are encouraged to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device while boating

VERMILION DUMPING GROUNDS 10/13

Returned to this area on Sunday and what a difference a single day can make. We fished for three hours and only pulled 6 fish before our customers decided to pull the plug due to rough water and a slow day. We pulled all the fish the first 45 minutes prior to a wind change, once the wind switched from north west to north the bite stopped. Five of the fish came on long leads 140, 160 and 180 with 2 ounce weights on Reef Runners (Mud Minnow and Copperhead). The largest fish was 29 1/2 inches and weighed 9.7 lbs. We tried to maintain a speed of 1.8 to 2.0 knots. Hoping some changes are made in this weeks weather report, winds may make it difficult to fish. Typical weather for October. See you on the water!

VERMILION DUMPING GROUNDS

Fished north of the dumping grounds Saturday and pulled 27 walleyes some real nice HAWGS. Pulled Reef Runners all day with one side with leads of 20, 30 and 40 feet with no weights and the other side 140, 160 and 180 feet with two ounces. The longer leads worked best but both sides pulled fish all day. Speed varied from 1.6 to 2.0 knots. Best Reef Runners were Mud Minnow, Pink Lemonade, Green Flash and Pink Panties. This area has been good since the Huron Walleye Challenge, nice to see some of the big fish returning to the Huron and Vermilion area. There were 29 fisherman in this second annual IBEW local 246 tournament and 508 lbs. of walleye were caught. The largest fish caught was 29 3/4 inches aboard Trolling Eye. Congratulations to this team. See you on the water!

ODNR LAKE ERIE FISHING REPORT 10/9

Western Basin

Walleye fishing effort has been low recently and there have been very few reports from the western basin.  As temperatures drop expect fishing to improve as migratory walleye return to the islands and also nearshore areas.  Trolling crankbaits behind planer boards is a popular method for catching fall walleye.

Yellow perch fishing was fair over the past week.  The best areas have been around West Sister Island, near the N end of the Toledo shipping channel, 9 miles out from the Toledo water intake, West Reef, W of Green and Rattlesnake islands, between Kelleys Island and Lakeside, NW of Kelleys Island, E of Kelleys Island, and off of Kelleys Island Shoal. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

Largemouth bass fishing continues to be good in harbors and nearshore areas around Catawba and Marblehead, and also in Sandusky Bay.  Some smallmouth bass have been reported around Kelleys Island. 

Central Basin

Walleye fishing is improving off of Huron, mostly 8 to 15 miles NE of the river.  The offshore dumping grounds SW of the weather buoy has produced big fish over the past week.  Worm harnesses with inline weights, or crankbaits with snap weights have produced the best catches.  Fishing continues to be excellent in 68-71’ of water N of Geneva and in 68-72’ of water NE of Ashtabula.  Some limit catches were reported this past week.  Anglers are trolling wire line with white, pink, blue, yellow, orange, green and red stick baits.

Yellow perch fishing has been fair 1 mile N of Beaver Creek, in 38’ of water N. of Lorain, and at the S end of the sandbar between Vermilion and Lorain.  Excellent fishing was reported in 38-40’ of water NE of Edgewater Park, in 42’ of water NW of Wildwood Park, in 44-53’ of water NW (the hump) of Fairport Harbor and in 44-55’ of water NE of Geneva.  Spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.  Shore fishing off the Cleveland area piers has been slow.

Smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing has been good in 10 to 20’ of water around harbor areas in Cleveland, Fairport Harbor, Geneva, Ashtabula and Conneaut.  Anglers are using crayfish and leeches.

White Bass fishing has been hit and miss off the E. 55th St and E 72nd St Piers in Cleveland and the long pier in Fairport Harbor.  Small fish are being caught off the Fairport Harbor pier.  Evenings have been the best.  On the lake, look for gulls feeding on shiners at the surface; the white bass will be below.  Anglers are using agitators with jigs and small spoons.

Steelhead Trout are being caught off the short Pier in Fairport Harbor and also in the river up to Vrooman Rd.  Anglers are using jigs tipped with maggots and small spoons. 

The water temperature is 64 degrees off of Toledo and 67 degrees off of Cleveland according to the nearshore marine forecast.

Anglers are encouraged to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device while boating

NORTHWEST OF GREEN ISLAND 10/6

Returned to the west end of the lake after fishing the Huron Walleye Challenge and fished northwest of Green Island. Pulled 25 walleyes on small Stinger Spoons behind 40 Tru-Trip divers trolling 1.8 to 2.0 knots. A north to south troll pulled most of the fish. Pooh Bear Purple and Jager Bomb were the dominant spoons. Running Saturday and Sunday to the Huron and Vermilion area to fish for some Hawgs. See you on the water.

FISH HURON WALLEYE CHALLENGE

First of all I would like to thank everyone that made the tournament possible, it was once again a great tournament. A sincere thanks to the FHO board members Doug Studer, Sheila Earhart, Doug Steinwert, Rick Messenburg, Matt Solberg, Deborah Schisler, Don Ritzenthaler and to the City Manager of Huron Andy White. Congratulations to the winning team with 44.38 lbs. Tony Plue, Chuck Disanto, Rocky Caillihan and Jeff Hewit.  Also a special thanks to all of the local sponsors. A complete list of the tournament results can be found on OGF. We pre-fished for the tournament on Friday and located fish on the Vermilion dump and pulled fish running 40 Tru-Trips  40, 50 and 60 back in the morning and later in the day dropped the leads back to 110 and 120 with harnesses and double willow leaf blades. We could not pull any 9 or 10 pound fish  the day of the tournament and we finished with a total of 33.52 lbs. for five fish. We pulled 17 eyes for the day just not the hawgs needed to place. It was a great day and I enjoyed fishing with my good friends. A final thanks go out to Dan Heyne owner of Big Fish Tuff Tackle Company home of the Tru-Trip Divers for sponsoring us in the tournament. A total of 478 fish were caught in the tournament for a total of 3306 pounds an average of 6.9 lbs per fish.  Fall fishing is on now and should continue so if your interested in a trip call me NOW or your favorite Captain. See you on the water!
                

NORTH EAST OF PELEE ALONG CANADIAN LINE 9/27

Perched fish today moved from Sugar Island after only pulling 13 perch in an hour. Relocated north east of North Bass along the Canadian Line and pulled 168 over a two hour period. Averaged 3 perch per lb. not great but nice box with one walleye. See you on the water.

ODNR WESTERN CENTRAL BASIN FISHING REPORT 9/25

Western Basin

Walleye fishing effort has dropped recently and there have been very few reports from the western basin.  As temperatures drop expect fishing to improve as migratory walleye return to the islands and also nearshore areas.  Trolling crankbaits behind planer boards is a popular method for catching fall walleye.

Yellow perch fishing was fair over the past week.  The best areas have been West Sister Island, “C” can of the Camp Perry firing range, West Reef and Northwest Reef (W of North Bass Island), W of Green and Rattlesnake islands, 1 mile SW of Kelleys Island, and S of Kelleys Island Shoal. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

Largemouth bass fishing continues to be good in harbors and nearshore areas around Catawba and Marblehead, and also in Sandusky Bay.

Central Basin

Walleye fishing continues to be excellent in 62-72’ of water NE of Ashtabula and in 68-72’ of water N of Conneaut.  Anglers are trolling wire line with white, pink, blue, yellow, orange, green and red stick baits.

Yellow perch fishing has been fair at the S end of the sandbar between Vermilion and Lorain.  Excellent fishing was reported in 42’ of water N of Rocky River, in 44’ of water N of Gordon Park, in 42’ of water NW of Fairport Harbor (south of the hump), in 45-52’ of water N of Ashtabula and in 42-68’ of water NE of Conneaut.  Spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.  Shore fishing off the Cleveland area piers has been slow.

Smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing has been good in 10 to 20’ of water around harbor areas in Cleveland, Fairport Harbor, Geneva, Ashtabula and Conneaut.  Anglers are using soft-craws and  leeches.

White Bass fishing has been hit and miss off the E. 55th St and E 72nd St Piers in Cleveland and the short and long piers in Fairport Harbor.  Evenings have been the best.  On the lake, look for gulls feeding on shiners at the surface; the white bass will be below.  Anglers are using agitators with jigs and small spoons.

Channel Catfish are being caught off the Edgewater and E 55 St piers in Cleveland and the short pier in Fairport harbor.  The evenings are best.  Anglers are using nightcrawlers.

Steelhead Trout are being caught off the short Pier in Fairport Harbor.  Anglers are using small spoons and jigs tipped with maggots. 

The water temperature is 63 degrees off of Toledo and 68 degrees off of Cleveland according to the nearshore marine forecast.

Anglers are encouraged to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device while boating.

WEST OF NORTH BASS KIDNEY AREA

Last Saturday fished west of the Islands due to strong north east winds. Started between Starve Island and Rattlesnake and had to move due to grass. A few marks but nothing great. Moved south of the Kidney and trolled south until we hit grass again. Pulled one walleye and turned back north. Few marks until we reached the Kidney and pulled two more walleyes with nice marks. Thought we would finish up here but more grass moved in and we never pulled another walleye. Great marks but we couldn't keep the grass off. All the fish were pulled on bare naked Barbie Reef Runners with two ounces and running 90 to 100 foot leads. The last three weeks the lake has been full of grass. Casters have been pulling some walleyes fishing in shallow water on the rocks. Reports from the Vermilion area show few walleyes being caught and fewer perch compared to last year. Waiting for the weather to stabilize we need less wind and no drastic temperature changes. The next 10 days look pretty good. Fishing Friday, Saturday and next Monday will update my website after the weekend. See you on the water!

EAST OF MIDDLE ISLAND LOADED WITH GRASS

Fished Saturday and after no fish casting weapons on gull shoal and Kelleys shoal we switched to Reef Runners along the Canadian line. Pulled two nice walleyes running Reef Runners with two ounce back 90 feet. Lots of good marks but the grass was so bad we stopped fishing and headed back to the dock. It was a nice day but no cooperation from the fish. Waiting for the grass to blow out. See you on the water!

SOUTH EAST OF PELEE SLOW SLOW AND SLOWER 9/9

Slowest day of the year and decided to just make it a half day trip. After the blow yesterday the fish were buried in the mud and the bite was non existent pulling only three fish in four hours. Pulled the fish on 90 foot leads on 40 Tru-Trips two on spoons and one from a harness. Weeds were also a problem. Things can only get better, next trip Saturday and Sunday. See you on the water!

FISH HURON WALLEYE CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT 9/5

Congratulations to Steve Carlson the director of the tournament, the field was full by 11:30 am yesterday only one hour and a half after the beginning of the registration time.  This only speaks to the good job the directors have done in the past tournaments.  Big Fish Tuff Tackle has sponsored BudManCharters in the tournament so we will be fishing come October 5, thanks go out to Dan Hyne. Good luck to all of the tournament fisherman it will be a great time. See you on the water!

EAST OF MIDDLE ISLAND SOUTH OF CANADIAN LINE

Slow fishing today after another late start. Set up and started fishing at 9:00 and had to stop fishing with two hours left on the trip. Pulled 21 walleyes and had to finally switch from harnesses and ran metal to catch an additional 13 walleyes. Ran mostly west to east and back both directions pulling fish. Best speed was 1.7 to 1.8 knots with leads of 55 to 60. Perch fishing reports were similar to walleye reports with the bite improving later in the day. Best perch report came from the Sandusky dump. See you on the water!

GUESS WHERE....EAST OF MIDDLE ISLAND 8/30

Can't believe how long the fish have been east of Middle Island along the Canadian line but I am not complaining. Finished at 12:15 with a limit of 35 walleyes. Program same for over a month 40 Tru-Trips, harnesses with double willow blades, east to west troll and speeds ranging from 1.7 to 2.0 knots with 1.8 the best. Guess what..........returning tomorrow. See you on the water!

EAST OF MIDDLE ISLAND, SOUTH OF CANADIAN LINE 8/25

Limited out with 26 walleyes south of the Canadian line, late start at 9:00 but finished around 12:15. The fish were smaller than last trip but still a nice board of fish. Ran Tru-Trips, double willow blades, 75 and 80 foot leads. West to east troll pulled most of the fish. Blade color did not matter but speed was critical at 1.8 knots. The perch bite has been good, Sandusky dump, south of green Island and south of Rattlesnake Island. We also are marking more schools of perch while walleye fishing. Good marks north of Kelleys Island 42 feet of water and also along the Canadian line east of Middle Island. See you on the water.

EAST OF MIDDLE ISLAND AWESOME WALLEYES NORTH OF THE LINE 8/24

We continue to fish the Canadian line because the fish are surprisingly staying in this area. I usually have switch to Reef Runners by this time of the year but why mess with success. Limited out with 36 walleyes fishing with harnesses, double willow leaf blades. black and gold produced most of the fish. Ran 40 blood red Tru-Trips with 85 and 90 foot leads and high divers at 60 and 62 feet. Best day of the year for Depsy Divers. Pulled most of the fish trolling in an east to west direction maintaining a speed of 1.8 to 1.9 knots. See you on the water!

WESTERN BASIN ODNR REPORT 8/21

Walleye fishing was best around “L” can, Toussaint Reef and the islands area near the Canadian border.  Trollers have been catching fish on worm harnesses or with divers and spoons.  Drifters are casting mayfly rigs or weight-forward spinners tipped with worms.

Yellow perch fishing was best north of the water intake off of Toledo, north of Port Clinton, north of the navigation buoy off of Catawba Island, near Niagara Reef, “D” and “C” cans, west of North Bass Island, E of the Kelleys Island airport, and on the dumping grounds E of Marblehead. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

Largemouth bass fishing continues to be good in harbors and nearshore areas around Catawba and Marblehead.

PERCH BITE

Good reports coming in on a very good perch bite on the Sandusky dump and east of the dump, 8 to 9 inch perch. Head boats fishing this area also and have limited out. Walleyes continue to be caught east of Middle Island in 32 feet of water. Next charters this Friday and Saturday, hope to run Reef Runners both days. See you on the water.

PROPER WAY TO TUNE REEF RUNNERS

I will be running reef runners anytime soon. The biggest problem with reef runners is making sure they run true. You have to verify they are running properly before you fish with them and then after each fish you catch. Attached is a link showing the proper method to tune this excellent crank bait. Drop your bait about 30 feet along side of your boat and adjust accordingly.  See you on the water!  

http://www.reefrunnerlures.com/image...ishinstlow.jpg

SOUTH EAST CORNER PELEE ISLAND 8/16

Started fishing north of Hen Island and pulled only 8 fish in four hours, good marks but lots of grass. Moved south east of Pelee Island and trolled east pulling 16 walleyes in two hours. Little grass but nothing major, however, there was considerable amounts of algae. Continue to run same program, 40 Tru-Trips, harnesses and double willow leaf blades. Blades were black/gold, green/gold, red/pink and purple/gold. The best speed was 1.7 knots with leads of 75 and 80 pulling most of the fish. It was certainly nice to get away from the grass. It looks like the algae could really get bad this year. See you on the water!

NORTH WEST OF PELEE 8/3

Fished north west of Pelee pulled 27 walleye largest 30 1/2 inches. 40 Tru-Trips with double leaf harnesses 65 and 75 leads. Speed 1.8 to 2.2 knots. Purple and gold blades pulled most of the fish. Lots of white bass may switch to reef runners on the next trip on Tuesday. Only two fish were over 28 inches. Fish appear to moving to the east with only two over 28 inches. Good reports of fish being caught east of the 30 line to the weather buoy and larger walleyes. See you on the water!

SOUTH EAST OF PELEE 7/25, 7/27, 7/28 AND 7/29

The last four trips fished south east of Pelee and down to the Canadian line. Limited out everyday however the fishing was though with rough water. Used the same program everyday pulling 40 Tru-Trips and harnesses with double willow blades and matching beads. The best colors were orange/green, purple/gold and jager bomb all sprayed with gold speckles. These three harnesses have been my best producing harnesses all summer. Trolled mostly on a south west direction due to rough water and we tried to maintain a speed of 1.8 knots. Best leads were 85 to 95 back. See you on the water!

EAST OF MIDDLE ISLAND 7/23

Another great day of walleye fishing along the Canadian Line east of Middle Island, pulled 27 walleyes with the largest fish at 29 inches. Again ran harnesses with double willow leaf blades on 40 Tru-Trips, best colors were gold/purple with black spots and orange/green with gold specks. Trolled mostly west to east and never further east than the 36 line.  Best speed 1.6 to 1.8 knots and leads of 65 and 85 pulling most of the fish.  Reports still good along the Canadian Line around the Vermilion weather buoy. No good perch reports from yesterday sounded like a very slow day.  See you on the water!

ANOTHER GREAT MORNING EAST OF MIDDLE ISLAND 7/21

Nice fish today fishing again along the Canadian Line east of Middle Island. Pulled 26 fish on a 1/2 day charter running my usual set up Tru-Trips and double bladed harnesses. Best color purple/gold and red/pink willow leaf blades. Two fish O's and several 27 inch fish were caught with an average weight  of 3.5 lbs. See you on the water!

EAST OF MIDDLE ISLAND ON CANADIAN LINE 7/19

Fished east of Middle Island along the Canadian Line running to the 29 east/west line. Limited out with 25 walleyes pulling 40 Tru-Trips and harnesses with double willow leaf blades, best color orange/green and purple/gold. Ran most of the day at 1.9 knots. All of the double willow blades I have mentioned can be bought at Hi-Way Bait and Tackle. Tell them they were recommended by BudMan. See you on the water.

PERCH WEST OF NORTH BASS ON CANADIAN LINE 7/14

First perch trip of the year and pulled a three man limit fishing west of North Bass along the Canadian line. Perch ran from 8 inches to 10 1/2 inches nice perch but no jumbos. Crappie rigs tipped with live shiners. Fished south of Rattlesnake Island first, moved because the perch were less than 8 inches. All in all it was a good day. Also hearing good reports of walleye just north of the Huron dump and along the Canadian line on harnesses.  See you on the water!

VERY BUSY JULY 7/4 TO 7/9

Finally, time to set down and catch up on my fishing reports, going strong the first week in July with some very good fishing. Three trips to west of Pelee, 2 trips east of Middle Island and 1 trip to the Vermilion Weather Buoy. Ran the same program on every trip 40 Tru-Trips, harnesses with double willow leafs, leads were 35, 40 and 45 with the exception of the trip to the weather buoy where we ran 80, 90 and 100 with the deeper water. Top right picture is three boat bachelor party with BudMan, Trolling Eye and Top Gun. See you on the water!

PERCH BITE

When will this northeast wind ever stop! I had a call a few days ago and was asked where the perch were biting. I gave the individual some areas I have fished in the past but could not direct him to any current spots. I thought about the call over the days and thought I have concentrated on walleye fishing mostly. In the future I will try to remember all fisherman do not just target walleyes. Checking around I have not heard of any good reports of perch fishing except in Canada north of Sheridan but will post information as soon as something develops. Thanks to the fisherman who called me to redirect my focus. See you on the water!

CANADIAN WATERS EXCELLENT WALLEYE BITE 6/25

34 Walleyes east of Middle Island finished at 11:30. Pulled harnesses with willow leaf blades color didn't matter. Ran north east with the waves pulling 24, turned and pulled an addition 10 going into the waves. Best speed was 1.9 knots with leads of 45 pulling most of the fish. Hearing good reports of fish being pulled in the Huron area Point Retreat and in front of Sawmill 32 feet of water. See you on the water!

WALLEYES ON FIRE 6/22 AND 6/23

Two great days fishing east of Middle Island in Canadian waters. Pulled 25 walleyes the first day and 24 the second day, finished by noon on both days. Ran the same program both days pulling harnesses on 40 Tru-Trips with leads of 35, 40 and 45 feet. Best speed was 1.8 to 1.9 knots with a east to west direction. Anyone wanting to share their success with other fisherman send me an e-mail at budmancharters@yahoo.com and I will post your results especially pictures of your big fish. See you on the water!

EAST OF MIDDLE ISLAND 5/21

Fished east of Middle Island about three miles along the Canadian line and pulled 36 walleyes. Good day but it was a slow bite while pulling harnesses on 40 Tru-Trips with 50 to 55 leads with a speed of 1.8 to 2.0 knots. Best harnesses were gold and black, joger bomb and green and orange willow leaf blades. Really a nice box of fish. See you on the water!

NORTH OF PELEE 5/19

Second day fishing Canadian water 30 walleyes and finished at 12:15. Ran the same program, harnesses on 40 Tru-Trips Divers with orange and green willow leaf blades and matching beads. These harnesses are available at HyWay Bait and Tackle in Marblehead. The best lead was 35 feet running 1.9 knots. See you on the water!

NORTH WEST OF PELEE 5/18

Fished Canadian water catching 35 walleyes and finished at 11:00am. Pulled all harnesses with green and orange willow leaf blades pulling most of the fish on 40 Tru-Trips. Best lead was 45 feet and speed varied from 1.8 to 1.9 knots. Also hearing good reports of nice fish being caught along the Canadian line east of Middle Island all the way to the weather buoy. See you on the water!

CANADIAN WALLEYES EAST OF MIDDLE ISLAND 6/12

Nice fish today pulling 40 Tru-Trips with orange and green willow leaf blades and beads. The best leads were 35 to 45 feet in the morning and later in the day 65 feet was best and pulled bigger fish.  Fished from west to east in 30 to 38 feet of water while running 1.8 to 2.0 knots. See you on the water! 

EAST OF GULL SHOAL 6/9

Fished east of Gull Shoal and pulled 16 nice walleyes on a 1/2 day trip. First two fish were 29 1/2 and 30 inches on 40 Tru-Trips with black and gold willow leaf blades. Best directions was west to east running 1.7 to 1.9 knots. Lots of good fishing coming this summer. See you on the water!

WEST OF PELEE HARNESSES

Crossed over today and fished west of Pelee and finished with 36 eyes at 12:45 all on harnesses. Color didn't matter. However a black and gold willow leaf pulled most of the fish on 40 Tru-Trips with a lead of 25 feet running 1.9 knots. No fish o's but four at 27 1/2 inches for a 4 lbs average. Things were slowed for about two hours until we located the fish. The best was a north to south troll pulling most of the fish. See you on the water!

HURON WBSA/LEWT TOURNAMENT 6/1

Congratulations to Randy Eyre and Daniel Woodward for winning the tournament with 44.24 lbs. for five fish. The biggest fish in the tournament was 10.45 lbs. caught by team Jim Swick and Dave Dugan. Great job guys. All of the tournament results can be obtained at www.wbsa.us. See you on the water!

SOUTH OF GULL SHOAL 6/1

After the storms went through this morning we fished just south of Gull Shoal and we started pulling fish immediately. Running Scorpion spoons on 40 Tru-Trips and leads of 35, 40 and 45 we pulled 38 nice fish with the biggest fish 29 3/4 inches. Speed varied from 1.7 knots to 1.9 knots. Rough ride back with the strong southwest winds. It turned into a great day on the lake with my old Wyandotte archery buddies. See you on the water!

SOUTH OF SOUTH BASS ISLAND 5/27

Late start today customers never showed up until 12:05 but was finished and back at the dock at 3:55. Fished south of South Bass Island and pulled 20 walleyes before the customers wanted to get out of the rain 4 short of our limit. Ran 40 Tru-Trips with scorpion spoons 20 and 25 foot leads. Best speed was 1.7 knots. Rained most of the afternoon. See you on the water!

GULL SHOAL NICE FISH 5/26

Fished the south west corner of gull, south side of gull and the east side and pulled 24 walleyes pulling 40 Tru-Trips and small scorpion spoons with 35, 40 and 45 leads. Best speed was 1.6 knots, another beautiful day on the lake. See you on the water!

SOUTH WEST CORNER GULL ISLAND 5/25

Saturday fished the south west corner of Gull Shoal working north to Middle Island. Pulled 35 fish for the day running south to north and then west to east toward the red buoy. Pulled scorpion spoons, Jagar Bomb and Pooh Bear Chartreuse on 40 smoke and blood red Tru-Trips with leads of 40 and 45 taking most of the fish. Best speed was 1.8 knots. See you on the water.

STABLE WEATHER AND LOTS OF WALLEYES 5/20

Returned to D can after a good day yesterday.  My good friend Steve Carlson came along with us today and a group of his associates. The fish were very cooperative finishing with 42 walleyes. I have not made any program changes over the last 11 days and we have been successful everyday, 40 Tru-Trips, scorpion spoons and 30 to 40 leads. We did increase the speed to 1.9 knots anything slower didn't produce fish for us.  Can't say enough of running shorter leads when running Tru-Trip divers. If you haven't seen the new bare naked Tru-trip visit your local tackle shop. See you on the water!

NORTH OF D CAN 5/19

Started out casting just north of D can and only pulled two walleyes in four and a half hours which included a throw back. Switched to trolling and pulled another 18 fish to finish the day. We trolled a north and south line working a small area to catch the walleyes. The combination of 40 Tru-Trips, scorpion spoons continue to produce fish with a speed of 1.9 knots and leads of 30 and 40 feet. It was a beautiful day on the lake. See you on the water!

EAST OF NIAGARA REEF 5/18

Fished east and south east of Niagara Reef and pulled 23 walleyes while running 1.7 to 1.8 knots. The program remained the same scorpion spoons with 40 Tru-Trips and leads of 35 and 40 worked the best. A few fish came on 45 leads. We thought we limited out but were actually one short. Must have been the first mates fault. Go figure!! See you on the water.

FOUR MILES WEST OF RATTLESNAKE 5/17

Strong northeast winds fishing about four miles west or Rattlesnake Island in 4 to 5 footers most of the day. Pulled 31 nice walleyes running 1.7 to 1.9 knots on 40 Tru-Trips and scorpion spoons. Poor Bear Chartreuse, Yager Bomb and Bite Me spoons pulled most of the fish. Ran west to about 2 miles from Niagara Reef with a 250 heading.  See you on the water! 

BETWEEN NORTH BASS ISLAND AND RATTLESNAKE ISLAND

Limited out with 24 nice walleyes pulling 40 Tru-Trips and scorpion spoons running 1.6 to 1.7 knots all day. Most of the fish were pulled running just south of North Bass Island running west to east.  Pooh Bear Chartreuse and Jager Bomb pulled the majority of the fish. See you on the water!

NORTH OF RATTLESNAKE 5/15

Water still stained after the blow from the weekend. Managed 16 nice walleye trolling along the north side of Rattlesnake Island to get out of the strong south west winds. Pulled 40 Tru-Trips with scorpion spoons, Jager Bomb and Pooh Bear Chartreuse catching most of the fish. 40 and 45 foot leads worked the best. See you on the water!

LAKE ERIE PERCH LIMITS 5/12

Yesterday evening my wife and I were having dinner in a popular restaurant in Huron and the discussion came up on the yellow perch limit for Lake Erie. The limit remains the same as last year at 30 perch per angler and not 40. The 40 perch limit is for inland waters and not Lake Erie and it's tributaries, so read the fishing regulations carefully and know where you are fishing before you keep 40 perch. The fine or ticket will be a dollar amount for each illegal fish taken. See you on the water!

SOUTH OF RATTLESNAKE 22 FEET OF WATER 5/11

Left the dock at 8:00 am and pulled a two man limit by 10:00 am. Ran a south to north line a mile south of Rattlesnake and pulled 12 walleyes all on spoons, most of the fish were caught on a  Pooh Bear Chartreuse Scorpion spoon. The best speed was 1.5 to 1.6 knots on leads of 45 to 50 feet back on 40 blood red Tru-Trips. The largest fish was 29 inches. I guess we will have to see what happens to the lake with the wind predicted for Sunday, waves 5 to 8 in the morning. May not be too bad. Start looking for those walleyes to show up in the Huron area and north to the Canadian line and west to the Vermilion weather buoy. See you on the water!

WEST OF RATTLESNAKE 30 FOOT OF WATER 5/8

Fished 1/2 day trip and had to change from harnesses and Reef Runners to spoons to catch fish. Switched to Michigan Scorpion spoons started catching immediately pulled 8 fish in two hours with three fish over 27 inches. Jager Bomb and Pooh Bear Chartreuse  pulled all the fish except a low diver 22 back on a Pink Lemonade Ripsick. Best lead on the spoons were 45 and a speed of 1.3 to 1.4 knots.  Great job Wyatt!
See you on the water!

WBSA/LEWT TOURNAMENT RESULTS 5/4

Congratulations to MIKE ROBERTSON-JOE HORSTMAN for winning first place in the third WBSA/LEWT held out of Sandusky,Ohio. The winning total was 36.18 lbs. for five fish. DAVID HARTMAN-TRAVIS HARTMAN had the biggest fish of the torunament at 11.53 lbs, nice hawg Travis.The next tournament is out of Huron on June 1 and 2 and is the final tournament of the year for LEWT. See you on the water!

RATTLESNAKE ISLAND 4/30

Fished east side of Rattlesnake Island and west of Sugar Island running to the red buoy at PIB. Ran a north to south troll running 1.4 to 1.5 mph. Pulled 25 walleyes that totaled 155 lbs. Ran the entire day with Reef Runners and again fruit loops bare naked, copperhead and pink lemonade pulled the most fish. The weather looks good for the next seven days, fishing should only get better. See you on he water!