Hunt and Fish Combo- Go Total White Meat

Chautauqua, NY: SIZZLING SPRING Fishing & Hunting!
Hot Fishing for Lake Erie Yellow Perch, Walleye, and Trophy Bass

There is no time like May in New York, especially in Chautauqua County, NY, where big fish are hungry, and big tom turkey’s fight with each other,

Chautauqua County is a great place to spend time in May. Pre-season lodging is ultra-low-cost, multiple mom-and-pop shop diners and restaurants ease the pain of cooking away from home, and the local wineries and brew houses provide relaxation for after-hours with outdoor friends.

SPRING HUNTING: TURKEY

With more than 1,500 square miles of wild nature paradise in Chautauqua County, finding the right flock of toms and hens is also a hunter choice. The search for scratchings and scat is a treasure hunt, but there are significant public hunting zones in the State Forests and Wildlife Management Unit areas of Chautauqua County that provide sightings and findings that every hunter can like. The Canadaway Creek Wildlife Management Area is a favorite public land parcel on an upland plateau offering 2,180 acres of abundant habitat managed in support of turkey, ruffed grouse, white-tailed deer, woodcock and more. There are multiple state forests and WMU lands to explore online. Additional information, outdoor equipment, trip suggestions and guided or self-guided tours may be obtained from outdoor guide and outfitting businesses. Consider hiring an outdoor guide if you need more experience or woodland skills. Visit the NYS Outdoor Guides Association for outdoor guide names and locations. The NYS spring turkey season runs May 1 – May 31, and hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise through 12 noon each day. NYS Turkey Rules: bag limit-2 bearded turkeys (limit of1 per day).

SPRING FISHING: WALLEYE,
YELLOW PERCH & CRAPPIE

Fishing in Chautauqua County can offer unforgettable opportunities for trophy adventure. At Chautauqua Lake, more than 13,000 surface acres and over 42 miles of shoreline offer access to perfect sunrise and sunset moments. In between the daily light transition periods, spring crappie fishing is heating up with no closed season here. Giant white and black crappie schools gather now along weed bed edges and in boat canals all along the lake. A bobber and a minnow work well for crappie anglers here, but so do hollow 2-inch tube jig baits fished on a 1/32-ounce jig head under a weighted bobber.

Watch for the bobber to simply slip down under and set the hook. Fish time! William Wightman caught a 4
lb-1 oz. Black crappie in little-known nearby Lake Flavia in 2018, setting the NYS record. Last year, another
angler landed a 4.33-pound crappie from Chautauqua Lake, but that fish has yet to be officially recognized.
The point is, there are colossal crappie here. NYS Crappie rules: 10-inch minimum size, 25/day/angler.
The 2024 Yellow Perch fishery in Lake Erie has been on fire. Anglers use braided line and fluorocarbon
leaders to 2-dropper hooks above a ½ to 1-ounce sinker at the bottom of the line to present Emerald Shiner or
Fathead minnows as bait. The Lake Erie average perch runs 1 to 2 pounds each, with some fish nearing 3
pounds. With water temps in the 40s, the perch fish are schooling in 35 to 55 of water. The Sunset Bay area
is popular with anglers, but the perch are also in heavy schools, the same depth, near Barcelona Harbor in
Westfield and Chadwick Bay in Dunkirk. Lake Erie Yellow Perch rules: no minimum size,
50/day/angler.

Monster Smallmouth Bass

In May, monster smallmouth bass in Lake Erie are hungry after their winter siesta. The early trophy season
catch-and-release bass fishing is open in NYS, with some fish pegging local digital scales at 6 pounds. The
special early catch/release-only black bass season (with artificial lures only) is open through June 14.
Chadwick Bay will provide the most accessible access to pre-spawn trophy bass, making it easy for anglers to
toss small flip-tail jigs and tube jig baits. Drop shot rigs with plastics or emerald shiners work best in deeper
waters.

Whopper Walleyes

The walleye season opens May 1 at midnight for all NYS waters and runs all year long, ending March 15,
2025, to protect the spring spawn next year. The near-to-shore Lake Erie nighttime walleye troll with lighted
planer boards is famous from Dunkirk to Barcelona. Stick baits resembling smelt and alewives score early.
Most month-of-May walleye caught in Lake Erie are males between 18 and 26 inches long, 4 to 6 pounds.
Trophy fish exceeding 30 inches and 10 pounds are not uncommon. Lake Erie walleye rules: 15-inch
minimum size, 6 fish/day/angler. According to Dr. Jason Robinson and the Lake Erie Fisheries Research
Unit team in Dunkirk, there is a healthy population of Lake Erie walleye for anglers in 2024.
At Chautauqua Lake, early-season walleye action is good from boats and shore. Anglers in waders use thin,
lightweight, braided line with lightweight fluorocarbon leaders to cast 3-1/2 to 5-inch stick baits. Rapala’s,
Rebel’s, Thinfin Shad, and similar baits resembling the spring forage here are practical. A light-action, extra
fast-tip fishing rod filled with a 6-pound braid will ensure a long cast with plenty of “hang-time” as the lure
wobbles above the emerging weed beds. Cast out, reel, stop, wait, reel a few feet, stop, jiggle, stop. Reel.
WHAM! Variations are invited in the retrieve. That’s how it goes here, starting at 22 minutes after sunset.
Locals share the mysterious 22-minute theory. Never tamper with local fishing magic. Chautauqua Lake
walleye rules: 15-inch minimum, 5/day/angler.

Here’s Who to Call

Fishing/Hunting/License Rules: https://www.dec.ny.gov/62.html.
Fish Reports: Mike Sperry, Chautauqua Reel Outdoors, 716-763-2947, www.chautauquareeloutdoors.com/; Hogan’s
Hut, 716-789-3831, www.hogans-hut.com/; Gerry Begier, Bill’s Hooks, 716-366-0268, www.billshooks.com; Nathan
Queer, Westfield Bait & Tackle, 716-239-5062, http://westfieldtackle.com/index.php; Valley Outdoors, 716-595-3337,
http://valleyoutdoorsinc.com/; Lake Erie Fishing Hotline: https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9217.html.
Guides: Dillan LaBarbera, Hooked-On Fishing, 716-499-7545; Mike Sperry, Chautauqua Reel Outdoors, 716-763-
2947; Marty Kleeman, Canadaway Outfitters, 716-410-3720;
Charter Captains: Capt. Frank Shoenacker, Infinity Fishing, 585-406-5764; Capt. Daryl Glasner, CEO Guide Service,
716-462-8632; Capt. Tom Yetzer, Reel Time Fishing, 585-764-2005; Capt. Jim Klein, EYE-FISH Charters, 716-597-
9421; Lake Erie CAPTAIN LISTING: https://comefishlakeerie.com/.
Lodging: Enjoy early season rates: http://www.tourchautauqua.com/where_to_stay.aspx.