BY MARK ROMANACK
WITH CAPTAIN SAM HORN
Sandusky Bay is an appendage of Lake Erie that’s found between the towns of Port Clinton and Sandusky, Ohio. This often overlooked fishery has quietly become known as the channel catfish capital of North America. The shallow stained and very fertile waters of Sandusky Bay are perfect when it comes to channel catfish habitat.
Excellent habitat teamed up with an almost unlimited supply of forage options including crayfish, gizzard shad, bluegill, sunfish, and sheepshead, cats in Sandusky Bay not only grow quickly, they grow to exceptional sizes. Fish in the 10 pound range are routine with 15 to 20 pound specimens a common catch.
“Channel cats that tip the scales from 20 to 25 pounds turn up so regularly, locals hardly raise an eyebrow,” says Captain Sam Horn who owns Angry Floater Fishing charter service. Captain Horn has a passion for channel catfish and targets these fish on Sandusky Bay in May, June, July and August.
“In May and June, Sandusky Bay harbors an amazing number of catfish,” says Captain Horn. “Some of these fish are residents and others are transient fish from nearby Lake Erie. A lot of my charter clients are anglers who came to the region to fish for walleye but end up with their charter canceled due to wind and waves. Because Sandusky Bay is shallow and well protected, we can get out targeting cats even when nearby Lake Erie is too rough to fish.”
In recent years a number of catfish tournaments have zeroed in on Sandusky Bay. While the majority of anglers are using traditional live bait and cut bait tactics, there is a little known trolling bite that offers an opportunity to not only catch lots of fish but bragging sized channel cats.
“Catfish aren’t shy about striking nightcrawler harnesses, live bait rigs and cut bait rigs trolled slowly with the help of Off Shore Tackle OR20 Series Guppy Weights and OR12 Side Planer Boards,” says Captain Horn. “The key is trolling slowly and keeping the rigs running near, but not on the bottom.”
Teaming up boards and floating style divers such as the Tru-Trip, Jet Diver or TripZ Divers is another good option for targeting catfish suspended in the water column. The advantage of using a floating diver is when a big fish is hooked, the boat can be slowed down during the fight, without worry of the other lines sinking to bottom and snagging.
Anglers can fish up to three lines per person on Sandusky Bay, making trolling one of the more attractive tactics for covering water quickly. “A lot of the catfish hang in the deeper waters found around the bridges, but the open flats also hold fish and are tailor made for trolling tactics,” explains Captain Horn.
At slow speeds the OR38 Reversible Mini Board is a fun way to target catfish with live bait rigs. “Because the OR38 is so light, when a catfish is hooked, the board typically pops right out of the water, dangling on the line between the rod tip and the fish,” explains Captain Horn. “This unique situation means there is never an issue with lines getting crossed or tangles, making this a fool proof system for trolling live bait rigs.”
When trolling at faster speeds or when using more weight to target deeper depths, the OR12 Side Planer is a work horse planer board. Both the OR38 and the OR12 have a time and place on Sandusky Bay.
It’s also important to understand that Sandusky Bay experiences wind driven currents that regularly influence the activity level of the catfish. “When the wind is blowing from the southeast, east, northeast or north, water from Lake Erie pours into Sandusky Bay, triggering the catfish to feed aggressively. Eventually the Bay fills up with water and the current reverses, pushing back towards Lake Erie.
Much like catfish living in rivers, these fish tend to bite best when the water is rising and the bite slows down when the current disperses. Ironically, some of the best catfishing on Sandusky Bay takes place when nearby Lake Erie is too rough to fish!
Captain Horn says that channel catfish are excellent eating, but on his charters, he encourages his clients to release all fish over 10 pounds to protect the breeding stock. “The smaller catfish are more abundant, and they are also better on the table,” adds Captain Horn.
The number of channel catfish that live in Sandusky Bay is staggering. Anglers who enjoy catching big fish and lots of fish will want to check out Sandusky Bay. Late May and June are prime time, but great catfishing can be found throughout July and August.
