USCG INSPECTION

The Budman was inspected by the USCG yesterday and my decal is posted on the window, ready for the 2014 fishing season.  Its always a relief once this safety inspection is completed, no surprises for this year. The inspector reported that the coast guard would not be stopping vessels this year that carry the 2014 decals, good news for us charter captains. Call and schedule your next walleye trip. See you on the water !!!

FIRST TRIP OF THE 2014 SEASON GREAT MORNING

Great day finished north of Mouse Island with 24 nice fish, largest fish 9.5 lbs. Running Husky Jerks 95 to 110 feet back at 1.2 to 1.3 knots, best colors were pink lemonade and blue chrome. See you on the water!

LATEST WALLEYE REPORT AND GENERAL INFORMATION

• Launched the Budman Saturday and after a trial run yesterday we are ready for the 2014 fishing season. The only issue Sunday on the trial run my first mate almost fell out of the boat while dropping in the first planar board. 
• The WBSA or LEWT tournament was held last Saturday and congratulations to  Jason Pelz and Matt Clifton for first place with a five fish total of 46.44 lbs and the biggest fish at 13.17lbs. great job. Tourney guys reported all the pre-fish were still with eggs and at the weigh in over 50 per cent were spawned out. Water temperatures were running around 46 degees, interesting information. 
• Well still looking for a new boss to tell my wife and I how to run the house below is a possible candidate he's only three weeks old so we still have another 5 weeks to see how he turns out. We definitely need a new puppy to fill the void left from the loss of our 13 year old lab. Can't wait . Need to look to the future and not think about the past. Need to concentrate on filling the fish box with Lake Erie walleye and healing our hearts.  See you on the water!!!!

FAITHFUL FRIEND AND COMPANION

Last Saturday I lost my faithful best friend at York Animal Hospital in Bellvue, Ohio. I would like to thank all of our friends and family for their prayers over the last year during Woody's  illness. We loved him so much.

COURTESY OF ODNR LAKE ERIE FISHING HOTSPOTS

SEASON	WALLEYE	YELLOW PERCH	SMALLMOUTH BASS	WHITE BASS
Winter	Breakwalls; Lakeside, Marblehead, Catawba. Ice Fishing; Reef Complex, Bass Island Area, Catawba, Marblehead.	Ice Fishing; Catawba, Bass Islands, Marblehead, Sandusky Bay.	Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Catawba, Marblehead.	Bass Islands, Sandusky Bay, Marblehead.
Spring	Maumee River, Sandusky River, Sandusky Bay, Reef Complex, Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Marblehead.	Catawba, Marblehead, Bass Islands, Kelleys Island.	Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Catawba, Marblehead, Sandusky Bay, Reef Complex.	Maumee River, Portage River, Sandusky River.
Summer	West Sister Island, Northwest of North Bass Island, East of Kelleys Island, Toledo Shipping Channel.	Catawba, Marblehead, Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Toledo water intake, Metzger's Marsh Pier.	Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Catawba, Marblehead, Sandusky Bay, Reef Complex, Maumee River, Portage River, Sandusky River.	Bass Islands, Sandusky Bay, Marblehead.
Fall	Kelleys Island, Bass Islands, Breakwalls; Lakeside, Marblehead, Catawba.	West Sister Island, Toledo Shipping Channel, Marblehead, Kelleys Island, Catawba, Bass Islands, Toledowater intake.

PICTURES ICE FISHING LAKE ERIE

Nice pictures sent to me from fisherman who braved the cold weather the last 30 days. Thanks guys good job.

LAKE ERIE ICE FISHING UP DATE 2/14

WESTERN LAKE ERIE

Fair to very good catches of walleye have been reported all around Western Lake Erie, with Swedish Pimple or Crippled Herring spoons and Jigging Rapalas tipped with emerald shiner minnows a mainstay. With a light walleye bite, ½-ounce and 3/8-ounce jigging spoons in green-gold and silver-blue color patterns have been best.

The top spot has been about 3 miles west of Catawba State Park in the G Can area, with walleye hanging around 19 to 20 feet of water. Many anglers are heading a few miles west of Mouse Island and fishing the West Sister Island area and the reef complex off Crane Creek State Park and the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area. Some anglers are heading as much as 5 or 6 miles offshore, where ice conditions are more treacherous and ATVs continue to go through the ice.

Stay away from the Mouse Island area on the north side of Catawba. Lake Erie current erodes the ice at that choke point, always making it a dangerous place to drill holes.

The ice is thick along the west side of South Bass Island, and anglers are taking walleye around Green and Rattlesnake islands, and beyond.

Lake Erie fishermen will see the daily walleye bag limit shrink from six to four fish on March 1. The walleye size limit is 15 inches. Courtesy of the Cleveland Plain Dealer weekly fishing report.