Lake Erie

[rufus]

Well, I couldn't stand it. I had to put the gun away yesterday and head to Erie in the freezing cold to try to catch a few smallies. My father-in-law, Jimmy T, and I considered the hot ponds, but we wanted to catch a 6 pound smallie really bad so we opted for the lake. The wind was SUPPOSED to be light with 5-10 out of SW. Well good ole Lake Erie dealt us a little different weather and the wind was a steady 15 straight out of the south and the air temp was 41 when we left the ramp. We did not get on the water until 1 pm after the trip from NE Indiana so we only had about 4 hours to fish. We found fish right away and after 4 hours put 18 smallies in the boat and lost just as many or more. We were having a ton of trouble holding onto them. I am waiting on Jimmy to send me pics from his digital camera and I will attempt to post them. We had one short, 2 that were just over 3, ten that were over 4, and three that were just over 5 with a 5'4" being our biggest. All of the fish came on some homeade blade baits fished around a few specific rock piles. We tried to hold on them as long as we could, but ti got to the point that every single wave came over the front of the boat (thank goodness I had my Rockies on!!!) and we had to drift which really hurt our numbers. All in all a really fun 4 hour trip that I hope to make at least one more time before the ice hits. The water temp was a chilly 40 degrees. God Bless all and Good Fishin'!

[Duke]

Sounds like a rough day. 

I'll look forward to the photos.

[Skip Johnson]

I fished erie yesterday with a buddy, we got an early launch at 6:45 got a couple miles out from the ramp and went aground EXTREMELEY hard into a sand bar, I was in 4" of water
I pulled all the batteries out and a buddy and myself had to get out in 38 degree water and push 1" at a time for a good hour.
when I jumped back into the boat I could bareley stand becouse my feet felt like clubs.
we hooked all the batteries back up and hauled butt to the truck to warm up and dry out then we decided we werent going home skunked so we headed back out, it was worth it we got 21 fish in 5 hours.
I got home and looked up the erie water levels and found out it dropped about 15 inches yesterday in the early a.m. and was back up by noon
I ran my usual marked course over the shallows that Ive always known were there so I trimmed up all the way and was running 65mph.
I dont know if the wind does it or if erie has a tidal change but whatever it was the noaa weather service shows a 2 ft variation yesterday.
be carefull out there guys thats a scary situation to be in let me tell you from first hand experience.
http://glakesonline.nos.noaa.gov/glin.shtml?station_info=9063085+Toledo,+OH

[Dan]

You guys are brave souls!! Sounded like great fishing, but I don't think this time of year with my meager knowledge of Erie, that I would have the guts to try it. Maybe after next year, when I hope to get out on the big water some more and find some spots, I'll have the confidence to try the big E in the fall.
I am considering a trip south. GVSU may be playing again in the National Championship, Div. II in a couple of weeks and they play in Florence, Alambama. I have never fished Pickwick, which is in Florence, but it's known for its big smallies. I have a brother-in-law that lives 30 miles from Florence. On my last road trip to the BASS Nationals on Toho a few weeks ago we stopped and fished Wheeler. Caught a few smallies that were tiny, caught a bunch of largemouth on a shad bit on traps up in the Elk River.

[Bigbass201]

Rufus,

I tried to add your photos, but haven't been able to on this post.  Not sure what the problem is. 

Not trying to spam here, but here's a link where you can view the photos.

http://fishtalkfishingreports.yuku.com/topic/1579?page=2

Moderator,  feel free to to help me out here.   Please edit and copy the photos to this post.  I'm not sure what the problem is, I've been able to post photos in another post.

[LAPORTE]

Nice fish.  It looks like you guys were wacken'em good  I hope to have my boat back soon.... If there is no ice, Im going out to try myself.

Don

[Skulley]

Well, Don it doesn't look like you will be able to make that trip to the Hot Pond when you get your boat back.  It sure is cold out there.  I was going to volunteer to go with you.  Well, let's look forward to the spring and the Hot Pond in late March.  I will tell you what.........it won't be too soon when spring gets here. 


BD         

[Skip Johnson]

went to bolles harbor today its frozon solid, it looked like you could walk across and all the way out the channel Im pretty sure thats it till spring

[Skulley]

Give it another week of this cold weather and the ice fisherman will be there catching panfish.      But I think your right.........we will be waiting for spring............and it won't be too soon.

BD             

[LAPORTE]

It figures the shop just called and my boat is ready....    And it seems that the throttle wasn't opening all of the way. to go along with a bad rectifier and some kinda trigger on number 2 cylinder that was shorting out... ? shop said "this boat should jump on plane like it has wings". Now im not sure witch I'm more excited about catching fish in the spring or taking the boat out for the first time... either way look out Ill be cheeeezzzznnn

March you say..Hmmmm 

Don         "GO PACKERS"

[Skulley]

At the earliest......March.  I went out on Erie for the first time in 2007 on March 25.  One week earlier, Bolles was still iced up and there was ice flows out on the lake.  On the 24th when I took a ride down to the harbor after work, the flows were gone and all the ice in Bolles had melted.  There were actually people launching their boats and going fishing that day.  Let's hope is sooner and not later.  Happy winter.............. !!!   (sarcasm)

BD