Walleye Reports Eastern Basin 2025

[Tiller]

6 minutes ago, ciscokid said:

THANK YOU HAD A FRIEND OF FRIEND GO OUT THE CATT  AND THEY FISHED 62 FT- 95 FT GOT ONE FISH! HE'S A GOOD FISHERMAN TO GUESS YOU FOUND THEM HE DIDN'T.

I scouted inshore a little bit, once I saw the temps I knew to run out deep. Baits placed approx. 17-24 down. Need boards when your running that high 

[Tiller]

Absolute walleye slaughter out in 185fow targeting steelhead rn lol. I think there’s just too many eyes at this point. Over 35 eyes on spoons and dipseys 

[ciscokid]

OR A LONG LONG LINE AND S TROLL. STICKS OR WORM HARNESSES?

[Sbflomike]

Haven't been out in a couple weeks. Appears bottom bouncing with harnesses are no longer working.  Also seems west of the Catt and especially west of Buffalo are best. Last day of getting out before back to work. Any other suggestions?

[SchultzFishingTeamOutdoors]

Left the launch at Catt 8:30am took some first timers to Erie with me today. Stopped took a peak at 60 and 65 fow not much on the screen and ice cold temps down 40' drove out setup in 75 fow on a NW troll and from 80 to 90 fow it was lights out 🔥 pulled rods 1130am with a 3 man small sticks, small spoons and worm burner's. 3 colors 5 colors divers out 65 to 70 on a 2.5 setting riggers 30 to 40 down. Picture of best stick below painted up from Zach Baker.

[ciscokid]

GREAT JOB THANKS FOR THE REPORT AND DETAILS.

[SchultzFishingTeamOutdoors]

15 minutes ago, ciscokid said:

GREAT JOB THANKS FOR THE REPORT AND DETAILS.

Your welcome 🇺🇲

[Sbflomike]

Yes great job! Thanks for posting!

[Tiller]

Fished out of the Catt last night, fished from mid 60s to 70s. Blank screen. Ran out to 85 not much better, picked 3 eyes on sticks. Found an excellent looking perch school in 80. Spent 30 minutes on them without a bite. Tough going for me. Will be working more eastern waters the next few days. 

[ciscokid]

THX TILLER GOOD LUCK! I AM GOING OUT OF SBH TOMORROW!!

[Tiller]

17 minutes ago, ciscokid said:

THX TILLER GOOD LUCK! I AM GOING OUT OF SBH TOMORROW!!

Things seem quite inconsistent since the turn over. Hopefully it’ll set back up soon. Back on the search for good action. Good luck tomorrow

[Thechad]

Fished yesterday 7-10:30 2 man limit with only 2 poles. 75-95 fow. Fishing 25-40 ft down. Fished with 3 oz snap weights on harnesses. 2mph fish were way more scattered than Saturday morning. Perfect eaters 18-23inches. Threw back 2 more on the way back in at 60’

straight out of dunkirk. 

[ciscokid]

SUPER!! WAY TO GO!!!

[ciscokid]

FYI, CROSSBOW ALERT!!!

I JUST TALKED TO A DEC OFFICER ABOUT THE NEW CROSSBOW LAWS TO SEE IF KATHY HOCHUL HAD SIGNED THE BILL YET BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET. THESE OFFICES ARE THE HORSES MOUTH AND THE ONES THAT WOULD KNOW.  HE AND ANOTHER OFFICER TOLD ME IT HAD NOT BEEN SIGNED AND IT HASN'T EVEN GONE TO HER DESK. DON'T BELIEVE ME CALL YOUR REGIONAL DEC OFFICE AND ASK TO SPEAK TO A DEC OFFICER.

[Tiller]

As great as this season has been with steady high catch rates for the most part, I haven’t been able to get on those really epic slams.

last year by this time I had two truly banner days, the first out of Hamburg fishing first and last night in the same spot to boat 73. The second coming early August a year ago today out of sp in 60fow racking up 82 in 5 hours.

a clicker counter makes keeping track easy within a fish or two. So far this year the top two days being 40+ east of Catt and 45 in 185fow. With a couple months left of real good walleye bite I haven’t given up hope and the pursuit for the slams continue. 

 

[ciscokid]

I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO IT BUT A LOT FISH THAT COME UP FROM THAT DEEPWATER DIE FROM BAROMETRIC PRESSURE STOMACH OR AIR BLADDER POPS OUT OF THEIR MOUTH. HOW DO YOU KEEP FROM KILLING THEM AND WASTING A LOT OF FISH? I AM NO ROOKIE BEEN FISHING ERIE FOR 13 YEARS NOW. I'VE TALKED TO JASON HEAD BIOLOGIST FOR ALL OF NEW YORK LAKE ERIE ABOUT IT AND HE SAID THERE NO WAY MOST OF THOSE FISH DON'T DIE EVEN IF RELEASED!! I'VE SEEN THEM DIE OR STRUGGLE AND TE GULLS GET THEM.  I'D LIKE TO HEAR YOU ANSWER.

[Thechad]

Not sure about barometrics but in FL where I moved to, we typically will use an air bladder poker (venting tool) to release the “bloat” when we bottom fish especially for grouper or snapper. I’m assuming the best thing to do for deeper eyes brought up with bladders out, would be a venting tool if your not keeping them. If you bring up eyes shallower than 70’ there should not be any bladders that need vented.

Happy fishing. 

I will be out tomorrow out of Dunkirk. Last day before I go back home to FL 

[Tiller]

15 minutes ago, ciscokid said:

I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO IT BUT A LOT FISH THAT COME UP FROM THAT DEEPWATER DIE FROM BAROMETRIC PRESSURE STOMACH OR AIR BLADDER POPS OUT OF THEIR MOUTH. HOW DO YOU KEEP FROM KILLING THEM AND WASTING A LOT OF FISH? I AM NO ROOKIE BEEN FISHING ERIE FOR 13 YEARS NOW. I'VE TALKED TO JASON HEAD BIOLOGIST FOR ALL OF NEW YORK LAKE ERIE ABOUT IT AND HE SAID THERE NO WAY MOST OF THOSE FISH DON'T DIE EVEN IF RELEASED!! I'VE SEEN THEM DIE OR STRUGGLE AND TE GULLS GET THEM.  I'D LIKE TO HEAR YOU ANSWER.

I use my best judgment while out there. I believe a lot more of the walleye caught out deep will survive. The main thing is using good judgment. Any fish that has the stomach popping out, bulging eyes. Dull gills or seems to be weak is kept. Once I’m at a limit and wouldn’t be able to keep fish that wouldn’t release I stop fishing. If I go to release one that floats up I reel in and turn around to grab it. Most of the time fish that are released can be seen on the graph shooting instantly back to depth and it’s accepted fish that can get back down to depth have high rates of survival. I’m sure some have suffered delayed mortality but once again using good judgment on what to keep and what will have a high chance of survival post release is the key. By no means am I trying to kill a bunch of fish. Also fish that seem relatively healthy but can’t get back down can be held straight up burping their air and they will shoot down instantly. Watch the graph make sure they get down. Once you’re at full limit call it quits. Be smart and use your head is how I’ve always gone about it 

[ciscokid]

THEY TELL ME HOW ARE YOU CATCHING 72, 83, 40+ ,45 IN 185 FT WATER IF YOU "STOP FISHING WHEN YOU GET YOUR LIMIT". I AM CONFUSED. BY THE WAY POKING THE AIR BLADDER DOESN'T WORK MOST OF THE TIME. DO SOME RESEARCH ANY ONE WHOSE READING THIS AND YOU'LL FIND OUT THE TRUTH. MICHIGAN DEC HAD A GREAT ARTICLE LAST YEAR AND IT WAS ALL ABOUT WALLEYE,  BE SAFE TIGHT LINES.

[Tiller]

7 minutes ago, ciscokid said:

THEY TELL ME HOW ARE YOU CATCHING 72, 83, 40+ ,45 IN 185 FT WATER IF YOU "STOP FISHING WHEN YOU GET YOUR LIMIT". I AM CONFUSED. BY THE WAY POKING THE AIR BLADDER DOESN'T WORK MOST OF THE TIME. DO SOME RESEARCH ANY ONE WHOSE READING THIS AND YOU'LL FIND OUT THE TRUTH. MICHIGAN DEC HAD A GREAT ARTICLE LAST YEAR AND IT WAS ALL ABOUT WALLEYE,  BE SAFE TIGHT LINES.

Those high volume catch rate days I’m keeping 0 fish or maybe 2 or 3. The studies and general consensus is rapidly changing on deep water fishing.
Depth of water isn’t necessarily a death sentence on species like walleye that will tend to suspend. Just because your fishing 185fow if the fish are only down 30-40fow the pressure change isn’t that drastic.

perch caught from even as low as 30 fow seem to suffer the most from barotrauma. And deep water lakers which is wildly accepted as a fish you can target in deep water need the most time to make sure you can burp them before releasing