How it works

A logbook, not a fish finder.

Gulf of Cleveland Catch Book keeps what you tell it and adds it up. It does not know where fish are, it does not watch the weather, and it never shows anyone your spots.

The sums

• Season = a calendar year, January 1 to December 31, by the date you give each outing.
• Fish per hour = fish logged ÷ hours fished. A skunked outing adds hours and no fish, so it counts.
• Best spot = the spot with the most fish per hour among spots fished at least twice this season (one lucky trip does not win).
• Personal best = your longest measured fish of each kind this season. A tie goes to the heavier fish, then the earlier one.
• Shore Slam = how many of our list of 12 common Lake Erie fish you logged this season: walleye, yellow perch, smallmouth and largemouth bass, steelhead (rainbow trout), white bass, white perch, freshwater drum, channel catfish, northern pike, rock bass and common carp. Anything else goes in as “Other” with its name.

Rules and safety

Size limits, bag limits and seasons change. Before you keep a fish, check the current Ohio fishing rules from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. This book only records what you tell it. On the water, in an emergency, call 911 (VHF channel 16 reaches the U.S. Coast Guard).

The name

“Gulf of Cleveland” is a nickname for Cleveland’s stretch of Lake Erie; the lake’s official name is Lake Erie. This site is not run by, or affiliated with, the City of Cleveland, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources or any government agency. It is a paid product of WeldonPC.com, not a nonprofit, club or association.