# Walleye jigging



## bassmaniac (May 10, 2004)

I'm new to walleye fishing, just wondering where would be a good place to start jigging here in a couple weeks. I tried casting off catawba last summer and managed a few. I was thinking about trying out of the mouth of Sandusky bay this spring too.


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## Crappie22 (Sep 23, 2013)

bassmaniac said:


> I'm new to walleye fishing, just wondering where would be a good place to start jigging here in a couple weeks. I tried casting off catawba last summer and managed a few. I was thinking about trying out of the mouth of Sandusky bay this spring too.


DETROIT RIVER/MOUTH OF LAKE ERIE


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## Jim Stedke (Dec 5, 2005)

A mile or so W of Catawba is a good jig spot as is just W of Mouse.


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## B Ron 11 (Jul 14, 2012)

Have got some in the Marblehead area.


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## Sculpin67 (Dec 11, 2007)

Typically, you can start catching them in April, in front of turtle creek. I like using captain Jays blade baits, in purple, white or clown.


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## fishhogg (Apr 16, 2009)

Are a boat fisherman? If not start watching the Maumee over around Perrysburg, also the Sandusky in Fremont.


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## bassmaniac (May 10, 2004)

fishhogg said:


> Are a boat fisherman? If not start watching the Maumee over around Perrysburg, also the Sandusky in Fremont.


I do have a boat. I haven't done the river run in about 40 years, don't miss it either.


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## fishhogg (Apr 16, 2009)

bassmaniac said:


> I do have a boat. I haven't done the river run in about 40 years, don't miss it either.


yea, been about 20 years for me too. Don't miss it a bit.


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## bustedrod (May 13, 2015)

pretty soon ya can jig from toledo to lorain , all over the reefs, we always do good from 12 fow out to about 40 ft. dont do the river run anymore . easier to fish out of my boat


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## fishhogg (Apr 16, 2009)

Won't be long now. I am sure you could find fish to jig out Huron right now. Wouldn't be surprised if they are starting to stackup between Marblehead and Kelly's right now.


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## Jim Stedke (Dec 5, 2005)

Jigging in deeper water for females can be great off Marblehead. North of the point of Marblehead there's a transition from mud bottom to a harder bottom (probably sand) that can be a key spot . The fish want to be on the hard bottom but right up against the softer bottom.

I haven't jigged there in 25 yrs, (too busy over by the cans) but I'd bet it still holds fish


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## sportsman1961 (Feb 6, 2015)

Jim Stedke said:


> Jigging in deeper water for females can be great off Marblehead. North of the point of Marblehead there's a transition from mud bottom to a harder bottom (probably sand) that can be a key spot . The fish want to be on the hard bottom but right up against the softer bottom.
> 
> I haven't jigged there in 25 yrs, (too busy over by the cans) but I'd bet it still holds fish


Jim, right out from the Lighthouse?


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## fishhogg (Apr 16, 2009)

Jim Stedke said:


> Jigging in deeper water for females can be great off Marblehead. North of the point of Marblehead there's a transition from mud bottom to a harder bottom (probably sand) that can be a key spot . The fish want to be on the hard bottom but right up against the softer bottom.
> 
> I haven't jigged there in 25 yrs, (too busy over by the cans) but I'd bet it still holds fish


Jim,
I remember when there would be a lot of boats in that area. Seemed as soon as the water cleared a little after the ice came off it was game on! I am same way, haven't fished it in 20 some years either. I am going to try it here in a few weeks. Gotta get the Fishhogg back and ready to rock!


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## island troller (Nov 14, 2007)

Yes the days of lunching at Turinski in Marblehead with a 12 foot boat right after ice out and only 1/4 to 1/2 mile out. Some great times growing up there jigging trophy fish.


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## fishhogg (Apr 16, 2009)

island troller said:


> Yes the days of lunching at Turinski in Marblehead with a 12 foot boat right after ice out and only 1/4 to 1/2 mile out. Some great times growing up there jigging trophy fish.


Yea, used to pull some real toads. I am sitting here asking myself why am not still doing that??? I guess I got caught up in the troll, troll, troll craze. Hopefully mother nature will cooperate this year during that short window.


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## Jim Stedke (Dec 5, 2005)

Where I'm talking about is more between Marblehead and Kelley's but only 600 yds or so off the mainland.


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## EnonEye (Apr 13, 2011)

Jim Stedke said:


> Where I'm talking about is more between Marblehead and Kelley's but only 600 yds or so off the mainland.


that's one of the great things about Mother Erie this past decade or so, the weather there is the main thing to pinpoint along with any recent heavy rains but... pull most any ol boat up there, go out a couple hundred yards from shore and jig-m-up, just respect the body of water you're on, WATTA FISHERY! 
p.s. the Maumee run is not for the faint-of-heart


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## Jim Stedke (Dec 5, 2005)

This brings back on old memory of one of the weirdest things that has ever happened to me on Lake Erie.

My oldest son and I were jigging in this area but furthe out about 1/3rd of the way towards Kelley's, catching fish at a study pace when a big mark flashed on the old green box fish finder about 12' off the bottom. I quickly cranked up 6 cranks and pumped my rod. The big #9 Swedish pimple dropped about 10"s and the line went slack ( happens all the time ...a fish caught as it was fluttering down). I set the hook and nothing. I dropped it again and it stopped at the same spot. set the hook again and again nothing at all. 

Now I say hey Trev, look at this I'm 12' off the bottom and twice the line went slack on the drop and nothing. As I'm saying this I'm dropping the Pimple a 3rd time and again the line goes slack and again nothing. 

Trev was 12 then, he's 49 now , so it was 37 yrs ago. He starts to say something as I drop the lure a fourth time, and when I set this time, I had that solid nothing moved feeling like I'd snagged. But in a moment I felt the head shake that meant big fish.

It was big fish of the day , likely over 11#s. In retrospect, the Pimple had to be landing on the fish's back, and I was just snatching it off. What's the odds of that happening 3 times in a row? 

Bizarre, but true just as sure as I'm sitting here typing this. There a picture around here some place with Trev and that fish.


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## rnewman (Mar 25, 2013)

Well Jim,That is one whopper of a story and fish.Its amazing that you know your line was stopping 12" off bottom instead of actually hitting bottom.How did you know that depth so accurately?


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## bassmaniac (May 10, 2004)

Looks like I'm going to try to hit that area off Marblehead, always thought about fishing there, especially just watching my graff and that transition area. Still going out of catawba too, I just don't want to make long runs on the lake. I have a 19' boat, just would rather spend my time fishing than running. Great posts here, thanks for all the input.


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## Jim Stedke (Dec 5, 2005)

rnewman said:


> Well Jim,That is one whopper of a story and fish.Its amazing that you know your line was stopping 12" off bottom instead of actually hitting bottom.How did you know that depth so accurately?


I was 12 feet off the bottom not 12 inches. But to your point when I jigged I always put my rod tip about 6 inches above the surface with the line tight to the lure resting on the Bottom.


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## island troller (Nov 14, 2007)

I will be off Marblehead Sunday and yes jigging if I remember how. Give me a shout ch. 79... Island Troller.


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## Fishtracker1 (Mar 29, 2009)

island troller said:


> Yes the days of lunching at Turinski in Marblehead with a 12 foot boat right after ice out and only 1/4 to 1/2 mile out. Some great times growing up there jigging trophy fish.


I also put out of Turinski's many times back then. Even got blocked out of getting back in by flow ice from the lake once. We were fishing between the mainland and Kelly's not noticing a large ice flow that got between us and the inlet to the ramp. We slowly and cautiously worked our way back in moving huge boat sized chunks of ice out our way. We used a wooden paddle that is still on my boat today. We were working 2nd shift and had to be in Ashland, Oh., made it to work on time. I also witnessed the most frightening sight I've ever seen on Erie in the area Jim is talking about. We were anchored jig fishing just north of the lighthouse one morning just after ice out. A boat with a small walk around cabin went beyond us may be 1/4 mile or so. A guy attempted to go to the bow to set the anchor and went overboard. Waves were 2-3s, water temp mid to upper 30's. We watched in horror as another guy made several attempts to reach out a landing net or pole for him to grab. Seemed like an eternity but was probably just 3-4 minutes. When they finally got him in the boat, we figured they'd head for the shore but never did that we seen. Must have had heat below and dry clothes. Would not have believed it had I not witnessed it. What we do for fish !!!!


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## hearttxp (Dec 21, 2004)

April 1 Eye-Keeper Charters will be jigging the reef complex area ! Plenty of dates open ! Call or txt Capt Mike 216 650 1571 or pm here 
[email protected]
eyekeepercharters.com


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## fishhogg (Apr 16, 2009)

rnewman said:


> Well Jim,That is one whopper of a story and fish.Its amazing that you know your line was stopping 12" off bottom instead of actually hitting bottom.How did you know that depth so accurately?


Read his post, He said 12' off the bottom.


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## rnewman (Mar 25, 2013)

My bad Jim...missed that second hyphen.Yeah that is an amazing thing to happen.


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## aquaholic2 (Feb 17, 2010)

Like the rest of you it has been a couple decades for me as well...As I recall the weather/lake conditions have to line up perfectly. The ice has to be gone, but if we get much of a blow the water gets dirty and visibility is gone...so typically it had to be right at ice out. My best and last trip there was in mid march as the ice was leaving, we actually had to move ice with a paddle going out of Turinski's and as soon as we joined the other 200 rigs it was game on with Swedish pimples no more than 1/4 mile off the light house. I had three other adult guys and two young nephews in my 18' StarCraft open bow. When we ran out of minnows, we had 27 females in the box, and everyone had a t least one FO pig. This was back in the hey day, when we all thought the population was inexhaustible so everyone kept the big ones.Wouldn't keep that many today, but the photos and memories made serious fishermen out of several wana be's that day. Hope someone here gets out there and shares results Ah2


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## penalty box (Nov 2, 2011)

fishhog I sent you a message, I need your current phone number. Hope to see more of you this summer at the lake, planning on casting more this year, maybe even some jigging


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## puge (May 14, 2009)

12 feet not 12 inches...


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## fishhogg (Apr 16, 2009)

penalty box said:


> fishhog I sent you a message, I need your current phone number. Hope to see more of you this summer at the lake, planning on casting more this year, maybe even some jigging


Sent you a pm back. Yea, last year was tough, we lost Jackies dad in Sept. I changed jobs, then had some health issues, nothing serious, just couldn't stand for very long. I am glad it is 2020, 2019 was a very long, tough year. We will be at the lake a lot more this year, and we are looking forward to it. Might even open the cottage up in March. Haven't done that in several years. We need to get out together this year.


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## stampman60 (Jan 12, 2015)

With NO ice this year get ready for some dirty water.


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## FOWL BRAWL (Feb 13, 2020)

stampman60 said:


> With NO ice this year get ready for some dirty water.


I have fishing muddy water,It was dirty this pat Sunday but still managed to jig up our fish


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## slashbait (Jun 26, 2008)

Really miss turinskys! Jigged up a bunch of 9# plus pigs there when that ramp was there in my 14 ft Starcraft. Took my boss one time at ice out , dead sticking a jig off transom. He boated a 9, 11 and 11 1/2 # in a row and had them mounted together on a stringer!


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## KTkiff (Jul 30, 2004)

stampman60 said:


> With NO ice this year get ready for some dirty water.


why does no ice equate to dirty water?


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## EnonEye (Apr 13, 2011)

slashbait said:


> Really miss turinskys! Jigged up a bunch of 9# plus pigs there when that ramp was there in my 14 ft Starcraft. Took my boss one time at ice out , dead sticking a jig off transom. He boated a 9, 11 and 11 1/2 # in a row and had them mounted together on a stringer!


wow, love to see a pic of that... you get a raise after that trip?


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

KTkiff said:


> why does no ice equate to dirty water?


No wave action when the lake is covered in ice


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## Gern186 (Feb 2, 2010)

It only takes one big blow after ice is off with some runoff From the rivers and you have chocolate milk. Makes no difference if the lake was frozen from Christmas thru St. Patrick's day.


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## stampman60 (Jan 12, 2015)

stampman60 said:


> With NO ice this year get ready for some dirty water.


Take a look at www.shoresandislands.com/webcams. you will she how dirty he water is now.


KTkiff said:


> why does no ice equate to dirty water?


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## Super G (Oct 3, 2012)

Great story Jim! Isn't it something how we remember those moments on the water - I bet your son remembers equally as well!


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## Shotguner80 (Dec 26, 2019)

I remember going out of turnskis perfectly clear when we went out about 9 the most dense fog moved in, everyone was beeping horns but you couldn't see anything. Ended putting to ramp by compass


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