CLeveland

[StarBoard7]

Hello all,

I have just moved up to the Cleveland area oh about 14 months ago and immediealty started fishing Lake erie around the Cleveland area.

In moving up here the only things I knew or atleast had been told about Erie were (1) be careful and (2) Smallmouth fishing can be excellent.

Well the first one I have learned the hard way I am from Texas so I am use to very big bodies of water and making long runs to spots and back....however in Texas you can usually get back to the spot you started from in roughly the same period of time it took you to get there not the case here sometimes.

Iv'e already had my Ranger completley under water once,broke a trolling motor,destroyed prop,and lost a rod.......but I've prepared my boat a little better and taken dramamine to adjust.

My fishing experience so far although not bad has not really what I expected which brings me to my qeustion.

I usually fish by myself since I basically do not no anybody from the area at all and after what I experienced already on the lake long runs by myself don't seem like the smartest option so most of my days on the lake so far have been either inside the harbors and bays or not to far away from them around the Cleveland area you know on some of the reefs and wrecks.

Most days in the bays adn harbors around here are excellent for 1-3# largemouth.
I have also launched out of the port clinton area a couple times and have had good success with smallies.

However I have searched and searched for consistent smallmouth action around the Cleveland area and have pretty much been blanked every time.
Most days I fish are after work around 4pm so I have to plan around 4-5 hours at most of fishing which eleminates long runs or even car rides .
Every once in a while I will pick one up fishing the reefs around here but I have not marked a single consistent spot yet.
I have noticed that the depth around here is on average a little deeper than where I went to around the islands and there surley aren't as many rock piles or fast transitions  at all for some stretches for that mattter.

So I guess my qeustion is am I just waisting my time scanning for smallies around here?
I am no stranger to fishing deep water and marking....... and I know if I can find them I can catch them it just seems like there not here certainly not like they were around port clinton am I wrong?
Even when I get on a nice reef or wreck there just not present unless ofcourse a monster school of baitfish are present then they seem to use the structure for a few hours or however long it takes the school to migrate.

I am not a spot monger I've been in the sport to long for that so don't get me wrong here I am just asking for genral help no specifics.........its just a huge body of water and I would hate to waist to much time or gas scanning for something that I won't find.

Anyone know of any good clubs around the cleveland area that focus on erie?

Thats another thing where I,m from in Texas theres a tourney like everyday and since erie is so big I figured I could find a tourney and club at like every launch but they all seem to be either way west or east and there still aren't many at all it seems.

Better yet anyone from around the Clevalnd area that would be interested in fishing let me know, it gets a little tough fishing by yourself........ tried buying the wife a rod she just doesn't like it much.

Thanks for any info

Joe

[cr]

Hi Joe ,and welcome to the GLB . I can't help you with Erie having never fished it ,but this is the right place to find help . Have you tried Drop-shoting ? Maybe a Gulp leech or a St Clair craw 2" tube from X-Treme tackle ? I'd try finding a gravel bottom if posible or weeds in 12 to 16 feet of water , but again, just guesing here . .......Good luck and welcome aboard ....Charles 

[motocross269]

Joe,
Welcome to the site...I can't really help you much with the Cleveland area, but it sounds like you are doing alot of the right things..I know what you mean about fishing alone, I always wear my PFD and make sure I have a cell phone signal when I am out on my own..
You have a great Idea about joining a club..You can probably go to The Bass Federation website or maybe BASS website and search for clubs.
Have you thought about fishing as a Co angler in either the BFLs, ABA, or NBAA in your area??? That would be a great way to learn techniques and meet fellow anglers.
Well good luck to you,,,If you are ever in the LSC area give us a shout...
B

[StarBoard7]

Thanks for the info guys.
I will look into finding a club and give drop shotting a go.

Thanks,Joe

[Dan]

Hey Joe,
Welcome. I just spent a week fishing he Vermillion area west of you in Cleveland. It's not as far down as Port Clinton and last August they had a BASS Northern Regional there. They weighed a ton of big smallies. Many just fished right near the river mouth and a few miles both east and west. West of the mouth is a place they call the castle. There is a big very unique looking house on a huge estate. Out in front of that there are a ton on rock piles. It's only a mile or two west of Vermillion. The week we were there though it was bluebird skies and hot, hot, hot. We didn't really get in to them, but I know as it gets closer to the end of August and September that there is some excellant fishing there. By the castle there are rocks in 6-7 feet that had fish and piles out deeper as well. There are piles out in about 25 feet of water around the river at Vermillion. I was in the back of a boat so I don't have any GPS coordinates to give you, but at the ramp on the river in Vermillion they have a message board and they could tell you exactly where the "Castle" is. I don't know how far it is from Cleveland, but fishing out of Vermillion you have a protected harbor, a beautiful little town to take the wife to, and you don't have to make any long runs to get on good fishing.

[dashaver63]

Just to the East of Cleveland there is a place the locals call "hot waters". It's some kind of a electric plant discharge area I think. Some people swear by it, as it produces fish year round. Go to www.ohiogamefishing.com
There are a lot of guy's on there that are familiar with that area that could possibly steer you in the right direction.