Spring Walleye Trolling off Lorain, Ohio with 131 Custom Lures
By Captain Jim Chamberlin of Fish With Jim Outfitters
Every spring, Lake Erie comes alive with some of the best walleye fishing opportunities in the country, and this year Pete Prokop and I made the trip to Lorain, Ohio for an unforgettable adventure on the water.
The trip wasn’t just about fishing either.
We headed south to visit a good friend of mine, Craig Lewis from Erie Outfitters, delivering a fresh load of custom-painted baits from 131 Custom Lures that are now available at the shop. While in town, we also met up with Captain Frank Kittrick from Amish Outfitters to pick up Plano boxes for our upcoming release of 131 Custom Lures spoon boxes.
Of course, with spring walleye season firing up, we had to hit the water too.
Spring Walleye Action out of the Black River
We launched from the mouth of the Black River in Lorain and made the run out toward the famous 34 line.
Conditions looked perfect, and it didn’t take long before we had lines in the water pulling custom-painted 131 Custom Bandit Walleye Deep crankbaits.
Our starting setup was a classic early spring Lake Erie trolling spread:
- Trolling speeds between 1.2 and 1.4 mph
- Bandit Walleye Deep crankbaits
- Lines set 50 feet back
- A 2 oz weight added inline
- An additional 50 feet of line behind the weight
The setup worked reasonably well early, and we picked away at fish while covering water.
Adjusting to Higher Fish Changed Everything
As the morning progressed, we began marking more fish suspended significantly higher in the water column.
Instead of continuing to force the deeper weighted presentations, we adjusted quickly and removed the weights from half of the spread.
That change flipped the switch instantly.
The higher-running crankbaits started getting crushed, and before long the walleyes were absolutely flying into the boat.
Spring Lake Erie fishing can change quickly throughout the day, and staying flexible with your trolling depth is often the key to turning a decent bite into an incredible one.
Fishing Near the Mouth of the Black River
Later in the day, we slid back closer to shore and set up just outside the mouth of the Black River.
This time we simplified the spread even more by running our baits straight back roughly 100 feet behind the boat.
The fish were still there.
Almost immediately we picked up right where we left off out on the 34 line, continuing to put quality spring walleyes in the boat at a steady pace.
One of the Coolest Things in Spring Walleye Fishing
One of the most unique things about spring walleye trolling is something that rarely happens any other time of year.
Occasionally, when a hooked walleye is being reeled into the boat, another unhooked fish will follow it right into the net. It’s believed to be related to spawning behavior and aggressive schooling tendencies during the spring run.
Not only did it happen once during our trip — it happened twice.
Those are the kinds of moments that make spring trolling on Lake Erie unforgettable.
The Bloody Nose Pattern Was Dominant
While several crankbait colors produced fish throughout the day, one bait clearly separated itself from the rest.
The Bloody Nose custom-painted Bandit Walleye Deep from 131 Custom Lures was absolutely dominant.
Its combination of contrast, visibility, and aggressive triggering colors consistently produced bites throughout the trip and played a major role in making quick work of our limits.
Final Thoughts
Spring trolling out of Lorain, Ohio continues to be one of the premier walleye fisheries anywhere in the country.
Between the incredible fishery, the friendships built around the industry, and the opportunity to test new custom crankbait patterns, this trip had a little bit of everything.
From delivering baits to Erie Outfitters, meeting with Amish Outfitters for upcoming spoon box projects, and spending the day watching Lake Erie walleyes crush custom Bandits, it’s hard to imagine a much better way to spend a spring day.
If you’re planning a spring walleye trip to Lake Erie, don’t overlook the importance of adjusting trolling depths throughout the day and keeping multiple presentations in the spread. Sometimes a small adjustment is all it takes to go from catching a few fish to catching a limit.