Submitted Photo Cyrus Farner enjoys a day of fishing from his versatile kayak at the Dunkirk boat launch.

What a wonderful week of warm weather. Anglers have been able to get on the water offshore, and even the fish have been cooperating, if you are in the right location.

Rick Miller in Irving has been saying all along that some guys are getting perch. And others? Not so many. A sound strategy is to first cruise around looking for schools, or at least pods of suspected perch. That opinion has changed with at least a few anglers who were interviewed. In Dunkirk the perch were active in 60-plus feet of water for a couple of anglers earlier in the week, settling for 60 to 80 fish an outing. Later in the week, the action slowed down. Most of the pack was leaving for greener pastures by 9:30. The die-hards decided to drift or back troll to find more fish. The results were a couple dozen perch, which is fine, especially when it comes to cleaning them.

My contacts commented that it seems you are better off just picking a spot and waiting for the fish to come to you. Twenty to 40 perch for an outing is still a great day. Miller commented that Irving is the same way. One angler got skunked one day and limited out the next. Live minnows are still your best option, but salted emeralds will often do the trick. Anglers opting to fish for walleye are hitting lots of gobies while jigging for walleye in the 20- to 35-foot range. The Lake Erie water temperature is warming up so the walleye appear to be moving deeper into the 25- to 35-foot range. One of the DEC technicians commented that on Friday the anglers interviewed out of the “Catt” had better perch success fishing west by Center Road in 54 to 62 feet of water.

Walleye catching out of Barcelona has been slow lately, but at the monthly meeting of the Southtowns Walleye Association, it was reported that the debris trees that were blocking the east exit from the inner harbor have been removed, with about 5 feet of depth in that access area. The latest news about Sturgeon Point is that bids are being accepted for dredging, so the launch can at least be open. No word on whether the slips will also be opened up.

Southtowns Walleye Association will have its derby this year from June 12-20. It was advised that parking for boaters could be restricted out of Dunkirk and the Buffalo Air Show will take place on Saturday an Sunday on June 19-20, making parking at the Buffalo Small Boat Harbor questionable for those two days. The SWA perch contest is this Saturday. Canadian waters will be off limits for the SWA walleye derby this year. You can still sign up at Bill’s Hooks in Dunkirk 366-0268. Dunkirk hopes to have the second dock in at the boat launch by next weekend. Work on the Marina continues daily.

Cyrus Farner, a young resident of the Seneca Nations Territory, was kind enough to be interviewed earlier this week. Cyrus was fishing from his 10-foot, 7-inch bright orange “Bonifide Kayak” earlier in the week. Cyrus commented that he loves his kayak for a number of reasons, including stability. He proclaimed he can stand in it. It is easy to transport in the back of his pick-up truck. A stripped model costs $1,500, but worth it. His favorite pursuit is fishing for steelhead trout, but he also enjoys bow fishing for carp. He has traveled to many areas to enjoy their waterways, and is considering kayaking for water fowl. Kayaking is quickly growing in popularity. It looks like it could be a lot of fun.

CALENDAR

¯ The fourth annual “Catt Creek Catfish Tournament” will be May 29 noon until midnight. The weigh-in will be at midnight at the Hanover boat launch. Entry fee for two-man teams is $200, side pots included. There is a 60-team total limit. Anglers can fish from shore or boat, Lake Erie waters only and anywhere on Cattaraugus Creek. Cash prizes for the top three places. Register by May 28 at Catt Creek Bait & Tackle, 11158 Route 20 in Irving (next to Heron’s Landing). This is a catch-and-release-only event. Contestants must have a live well. Weigh-in will be at 12:30 a.m. There is a free one-day SNI fishing license included; side pots for largest catfish and sheephead; and fireworks display at dusk. For rules and updates, check out Facebook at Catt. Creek Catfish Tournament.

¯ The Western New York Walleye Classic (https://www.primitivepatriotoutdoor.com/) will be conducting a new walleye event out of Barcelona on June 4-5. June 4 is the Big Fish Friday event with a $100 team entry fee. Anglers will compete to bring in the largest walleye. Saturday, June 5 is the main event. Entry fee is $500 per team with a limit of 50 teams. Anglers will compete for 10 places and $20,000 in cash prizes in this event, which is also part of a three-part series of walleye events on Lake Erie this year. The contest each day will be from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. with the weigh-in at 5 p.m. The weigh-in is at “When Pigs Fly BBQ in Westfield. Coolers will need to be dropped off by 3 p.m. There will be three places for big fish (walleye) each day. Saturday’s event will allow for six-fish totals. There will also be a free live band party open to the public at the barbecue site with music provided by the “Bucked Up!”

¯ The South Towns Walleye Association Walleye Derby will be held from June 12-20. Sign up locally at Bill’s Hooks (366-0268). The next monthly meeting at the club, located on Route 20, will be on Thursday, June 10 starting at 7:30 p.m. Derby registration can be done at that time as well.

¯ There will be a pistol permit course at the Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club on Monday June 7, starting at 5:30 p.m. There is an $80 fee for this course. Call Gary Dudek at 366-3397 to register or for more information.