JACK WOLLITZ Good fishing can still be had

This weekend's forecast was not exactly one to warm an angler's heart.
But October is a good month for northeastern Ohio's fishers. Excellent opportunities remain for those who would rather fish than stow their tackle until spring and Lake Erie is one of their best prospects.
Prior to the cold front that hit the area Friday, Erie water temperatures were in the mid to upper 70s. The big lake was producing a bumper crop of yellow perch and the steelhead fishing was beginning to heat up. Walleye and smallmouth bass anglers also were enjoying plenty of action.
Once the lake settles down again, excellent fishing will be available throughout the month.
Yellow perch have attracted a lot of attention this fall. Anglers are making limit catches of the tasty panfish from the western basin islands all the way to the Pennsylvania line.
Catches of perch measuring 8 to 13 inches are coming from water in the 40-to 50-foot range on lake shiners. The limit is 30 fish per angler.
Steelhead are congregating around river mouths and a few fish have begun to venture up the streams. Plenty of 10-pounders are available.
Smallmouth bass are lurking in 15 to 25 feet of water in areas featuring rocky bottoms. Fish measuring 14 to 22 inches were reported in the waters around Conneaut.
Anglers also are catching Lake Erie walleyes by trolling plugs and spoons.
Plenty of big fish were being reported prior to the weather that stirred up Erie this weekend.
Weather permitting, Lake Erie will clear up quickly and it should be on your itinerary before the snow flies.
Nuke Plants: Anglers visiting Erie will want to stay clear of the Davis Besse and Perry nuclear power plants. For security reasons, the U.S. Coast Guard is enforcing off limits areas within two nautical miles of the nuclear plants.
Fishing and boating are prohibited within the off-limits zones.
Security personnel also are shooing away Ohio River anglers who try to fish structure around the Beaver Valley nuclear plant in Pennsylvania. The plant is about five miles east of the Ohio border.
Inland action: Water levels are extremely low at all local reservoirs except for Lake Milton, so anglers should be careful as they navigate around those waters in search of their favorite species.
Reports from Mosquito Creek Reservoir indicate a boat isn't essential to catch October walleyes. Anglers are picking up nice fish from the dam and other rip-rap areas.
Jigs sweetened with minnows are recommended.
Crappies also are starting to move back in the range of bank casters.
Causeways at Berlin, Milton, Mosquito and Shenango are producing action, especially during the low-light hours.
Bass are feeding briskly at all of the local lakes, but angler success has been spotty over the past few weeks. Best bets are windblown points and pockets where largemouths and smallmouths corral the shad and zoom in for easy pickings.
The Ohio River has begun to improve after a slow summer, but the fishing this fall is decidedly off compared to 2000. Anglers are catching a few smallies and spotted bass in the New Cumberland Pool on crankbaits and tube baits.
jwollitz@shermanassoc.com