Mar. 20--Northwest Ohio could hang out a banner this week for all the world to see: "Welcome to Walleye World."

That is because the season of seasons hereabouts, fishingwise, for that highly prized, goggled-eyed fish that tastes like a million bucks on the dinner plate, has taken off in a piscatorial version of March Madness.

Some years the walleye runs on the Maumee and Sandusky rivers warm up slowly, into early April, but not this spring. And the famed jig-and-minnow season on western Lake Erie also has gotten off to a solid fairly early start, winds permitting.

"Fishing is hot!" summed Gary Lowry at Maumee Tackle. He reported water levels yesterday at less than three feet above normal and water temperatures in the "go-for-it" range at 46 degrees.

Wading to the popular runs off Blue Grass Island, at Side Cut Metropark in Maumee, may be possible by weekend, Lowry said. He noted that at midweek anglers were showing up at his shop with limits -- four fish -- by 7:30 a.m. The foot of White Street in Maumee, one of the high-water sites, has been the hot spot.

Light rain at midweek is not expected to change the picture drastically at week's end, so expect huge angler turnout.

John Jokinen at Jann's Netcraft noted that anglers stopping at the shop already are switching from darker colored grub-tails to white and chartreuse. He confirms the limit catches. Jann's is featuring demonstrations on rigging nightcrawler harnesses tomorrow 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the shop on Briarfield Boulevard in Maumee.

Bonnie Emmitt of Ohio Wildlife District 2 said most of the river fish being taken so far are males 17 to 22 inches long, with best baits being Carolina-rigged floating jigheads on 18 to 24-inch leaders. Adjust the sinker weight to the flow so that you can just occasionally feel the "tick" of the weight on the bottom.

At the Sandusky River in downtown Fremont, plenty of walleye have moved in, and the water level is normal and clarity is moderate, according to Bernie Whitt at Anglers Supply there. "There are a lot of fishermen between the two town bridges," he added.

The open-water walleye season also is under way on western Lake Erie, notes the Lake Erie Station of the Ohio Division of Wildlife at Sandusky. Early reports of walleye limits have come from reefs in the Camp Perry Firing Range and nearshore from Locust Point to Crane Creek.

Jig fishermen typically have success in spawning and staging areas such as the Camp Perry reefs, Maumee Bay, the Bass Islands, and various nearshore areas from Toledo to Cedar Point. Early trollers will have success fishing the open water around the Camp Perry reef complex and the Bass Islands.

To prove the point, angling partners Bryan Johnson and Gary Brandburg of Oregon took limits of 5 to 10-pound walleye early this week using jigs and big minnows. The pair were fishing about two miles northeast of the Marblehead Lighthouse in 42 feet of water. Johnson said they found the fish suspended at 36 feet. He noted that a few ice floes still are floating about out there.

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Upcoming this weekend: Black Swamp Bird Observatory 16th annual celebration weekend in Port Clinton, with Benefit concert tonight at Kokomo Bay Restaurant, waterfowl identification workshop tomorrow morning at Our Guest Inn and Suites, afternoon enterprise tour, and evening dinner at Knights of Columbus Hall with Norman Smith of Massachusetts Audubon on snowy owls. Sunday, field trip to Magee Marsh State Wildlife Area and Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge with Smith and BSBO. For details, call BSBO 419-898-4070 or visit online at bsbobird.org.

Also: Home study hunter education, final exam session, tomorrow 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Gander Mountain, South Holland Sylvania Road, 419-861-4800. Boater education, tomorrow 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Flotilla 7-01, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, at American Legion Post 320, 204 Illinois Ave., Maumee, call 419-893-0249. Boater GPS-navigation course, Flotilla 6-6 9CR, coast guard auxiliary, begins Thursday, Woodville Mall/Elder Beerman concourse, call Hank Wasilausky 419-698-4122.

Contact Steve Pollick at: spollick@theblade.com or 419-724-6068.

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