CLEVELAND, Ohio — The annual quest for big Lake Erie walleye is already attracting thousands of anglers to sign up early for the Lake Erie Walleye Slam and the Lake Erie Fall Brawl. Both Lake Erie walleye fishing derbies will be held from Saturday, Oct. 15 through Sunday, Nov. 27.
“The fishing derbies have generated an enormous amount of angling interest in the Lake Erie walleye fishing scene,” said Jason Fischer, head of both the Lake Erie Fall Brawl and the Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament series. The summer LEWT tournament trail is holding its season-ending LEWT Championship walleye shoot-out at Gordon Park in Cleveland Harbor Friday and Saturday.
Expect the fall walleye derby entries to significantly jump in number over the next couple of weeks, with entry deadlines of Oct. 14 for the Walleye Slam and Oct. 12 for the Fall Brawl. The top prizes are a high-priced, fully-rigged Warrior V238 in the Walleye Slam and a Ranger 622FS Pro Fisherman in the Fall Brawl.
For more information, or to register for a derby — both cost $35, plus a small fee — visit walleyeslam.com or lakeeriefallbrawl.com.
The Walleye Slam weigh station will be Erie Outfitters, 5400 E. Lake Rd., Sheffield Lake.
The Fall Brawl weigh stations will be Jann’s Netcraft in Maumee; Sandusky Bait Company in Sandusky; and DB Marine in Madison. Giving derby entry sales a big boost is the rule in both derbies that all anglers on a boat must be entered in a specific derby or the walleye won’t qualify for prizes.
That has resulted in many fishermen and their friends entering both derbies, just in case.
The Fall Brawl will have a sign-up party and cookouts at this weekend’s LEWT Championship in Cleveland. There will also be sign-up parties and cookouts at Jann’s Netcraft on Wednesday, Oct. 5; Mid-Ohio Sporting Goods in Millersburg on Thursday, Oct. 6; and the Huron Drive-Thru in Huron on Friday, Oct. 7, all from 5-8 p.m.
With record-setting walleye hatches in recent years, walleye catches have soared. While the sheer numbers of walleye now swimming around Lake Erie are a cause for optimism, the vagaries of fall fishing due to seasonal winds and weather can make for difficult fishing.
Family Fishing Fest coming up: The Cleveland Metroparks, Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders and the Ohio Division of Wildlife will give families the chance to go fishing together on Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation in Cuyahoga Heights, just west of I-77, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
The free event will include a release of 600 pounds of channel catfish and 1,000 pounds of rainbow trout, but unlike the kid’s fishing derbies, the whole family is encouraged to catch their dinner.
There will be a limited number of fishing rods to loan out, and live bait will be provided.
There will be prizes for boys and girls who are 15 years old, or younger. The top prize for the kids will be a Lake Erie walleye fishing trip with Capt. Gary Norman of Dog Pound Charters.
Northeast winds slam door on Lake Erie: The fall fishing is usually quite good on Lake Erie for walleye, steelhead trout and yellow perch, but this weekend will be an exception. The big waters are already roiled up and dirty, and brisk northeast winds on Saturday and Sunday certainly won’t help. Central Lake Erie forecasters are already predicting double-digit waves.
Because of the cooler weather and rain lately, early-arriving steelhead trout will continue to trickle in to the lower portions of the Rocky River, Chagrin River and other rivers and streams feeding Lake Erie. Early fall steelhead also show up around Cleveland Harbor, making the shoreline rocks a hot spot at Edgewater and East 55th Street, as well as Wildwood Park to the east.
Casting spoons or spinners, anglers are hoping to hook a few trout during the day. After dark, hungry walleye move in to feed and minnow-style diving plugs are good bet while casting from the piers and breakwalls. Bring a lantern and a long-handled net.
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