Page 8 - Mid America Boating - June 2024 issue

It’s a Shore Thing

JUNE 2024 [ MID-AMERICA BOATING ] 8
Sandusky Bay has crazy cats! The wide waters of Western Lake Erie can Lake Erie region, highlighted by the outstand-
be roiled by brisk winds, foiling the big
ing walleye fishing in the Walleye Capitol of the
By D’Arcy Egan lake’s signature walleye, smallmouth bass World, it’s no wonder there are more than 800
and yellow perch fishing. For the growing licensed guides.
crowds of channel catfish anglers flocking Heston is one of the few catfish guides,
to Sandusky Bay all summer long, that is not however, but more skippers are focusing on
much of a problem. the stable Sandusky Bay fishery. The
“The Sandusky Bay channel 64 square miles of the long, wide,
catfish bite isn’t much of a secret shallow waters of Sandusky Bay
any more, and there’s always is changing, though, with the
some place where boats, or fish- removal of the Ballville Dam in
ermen on the shoreline, can be Fremont and a resurgence of the
protected from the wind and spring walleye and white bass run
catch a bunch of catfish,” said in March and April.
Capt. Scott Heston (740-243-1772, Northern Ohio fishermen, with a
captainscottCC@hotmail.com), whose wealth of walleye, don’t understand the
spacious, comfortable 24-foot pontoon southern popularity of catfish. When a small
boat has become a familiar sight along the army of southern Ohio military veterans took
Sandusky Bay Bridge. advantage of an invitation to fish for Lake Erie
“The catfish are a real treat for boys and walleye a couple of years ago, brisk winds and
girls and the whole family. It’s easy to learn waves cancelled one of their days on the water.
how to fish for them, and beginners are often When they asked where I’d suggest they
surprised at how many catfish they can catch could go – even a little bluegill fishing would
in a very short time.” do – I had a quick solution:
Heston has the best tackle for his clients, Buy spinning tackle, and rig up 20-pound
provides step-by-step instruction, helps to test monofilament line into a Carolina Rig, a
bait hooks and remove a wriggling fish, and combination of a 3/4-ounce sinker, swivel and
will even fillet catfish for the trip home. a Kahle hook.
With so many angling opportunities in the Park on the Old Bay Bridge on Sandusky
Bay, I told them. Bait up with raw shrimp (not
D’Arcy Patrick Egan gets ready to cooked!), nightcrawlers, chicken livers, cut
release a nice Lake Erie channel shad or stink baits.
catfish near Gull Shoal. The reef on Make a cast – but not too long of a cast –
the north side of Kelleys Island is a hot along the rocky shoreline.
spot for walleye, smallmouth bass and Kick back, pop the top on a can of soda,
channel catfish. open a bag of chips and pay attention to

Find out why

you should use

a SAMS

surveyor

at...

www.marinesurvey.org

Like us on
Facebook

1.800.344.9077