Steve and Kevins Lake Erie Adventure

[dartag]

Poorboy, Fishon1219 and myself decided to make a run to Ennis Reef 32 miles from Elizabeth Park. Due to some divine intervention Poorboys boat would not plane so he stayed on the north shore.   The weather radio said sunny, 5-10 knot winds diminishing,  waves 2 feet or less.  The first part of the trip was nice then the rollers started to build.  No problem they are going to ? diminish ?  We got down there and started to get into the sheep head right away. Grant who was with Kevin was really on them.  I caught a 2 pound smallie and told Dave my non-boater we could cull him later on..  The waves were getting bigger and there were low clouds.  We fished around Big Chicken Island which is a big Gravel pile in the middle of the lake.  Very interesting area with shoals at, or just below the surface.  Kevin came over and had one good fish,  we decided to head towards the Colchester heli-pad.  14 miles of 2-4 footers.  Only speared one wave on the way.  The waves were about 3 feet there so it made boat handling a little tough.  After about an hour Kevin headed for the river and we went to Dave, my non-boaters water to try and get some Largemouth.  We caught some short fish but at least the water was flat.  Made it back only to find out Anthony was stuck in Leamington.  Poorboy ran the weigh-in.  Ryan Said won with around 18 lbs I think.  We were both happy with the way our mid sized boats handled the rough water.  Although I think I need a new weather radio.   

[MaizeNBlue]

My neck and back were sore on Sunday from the ride, but o well. Kevin did a great job handeling the waves, aside from a little problem with the drift sock, wraped around the prop. Kevin learned a lesson out there as well. When on Erie, keep your rod boxes closed at all times. He took a nasty spill, while fighting a 4lb smallie, but he landed it, and that's what counts. My best 5 sheeps head were well over 50lbs, I say best 5 cause I caught 12, 11 on the St. Clair Goby. Kevin was throwing the same bait/weight and only caught 1, how does that happen? O well have to get them next time.

[dartag]

sore = a day on lake erie.   keep pumping them Advil..   makes one appreciate Kent Lake.

[fishon1219]

Thanks for taking me to Erie steve I have always been intimidated about the big lake and never ventuerd far from the mouth of the river (Probably should have stayed by the moth of the river) I was very impressed by the way my boat performed with it being as rough as it was out there in the middle. I did learn that when fishing in that rough water you really need to be on your game and keep your head focused on every thing going on around you or you will pay for a mistake. I have had ice on my leg for 2 days now. The way out was uneventfull, we stopped at the shoal area we were going to fish and within 5 minuets grant says fish on. Sheep head number 1. We drift a little further and I hook into a monster. I fight it all around and sheep head number 1 for me. I cast back out and get hung in some rocks and break it off. I set down between my counsles and open the rod locker and pull out a tube and cast it out while I am retying my drop shot rig. All of a sudden my rod starts jumping around and I stand up and set the hook as a monster wave throws my little 18 footer like a bobber in the ocean causing me to step right into my open rod locker. Hence the ice bag for the past 2 days. I land the smallie almost 4 lbs. and regain my composer and we finsih the drift with noting else in the box and grant has sheep head slime all over the back deck. I pull the drift sock and we head back up to drift again and as I am motoring I see a hump on my depth finder and we stop to fish it. I throw in the drift sock and we fish for a couple minuets with nothing. We start to motor back up again and I noticed we are not moving and my motor just isnt acting right. Yep, the drift sock is wrapped around the prop very good. I trim up the motor and try to reach back and unwrap it but it is just to tight. I start the motor and slap it in reverse and it loosens enough to get it loose. Mishap number 2 in the books. We fish around the area with noting else but sheephead and decide to head to colchester and give it a go. 10 miles of quarting 4 footers and we are there. I through out the drift sock and notice we are moving pretty good and realize I didnt tie the sock to anything and now it is more structre on the reef. Mishap 3. We fish around a little bit and catch nothing. So we head back to the good ole Dt. river and hit my best spots with no luck. At least i learned that my boat can handle Erie on a not so perfect day and that if I am ever in a sheephead tourny I want grant as my partner.

[Anthony Adams]

I had you all smoke and was heading back early when my boat broke.

My hand held had my big bass at 6.58 and my smallest at 3.80

My total weight was about 23.5 lbs

I had a nice big bag only to break on the way in... yikes!

Better luck next year

[dartag]

I had you all smoke and was heading back early when my boat broke.

My hand held had my big bass at 6.58 and my smallest at 3.80

My total weight was about 23.5 lbs

I had a nice big bag only to break on the way in... yikes!

Better luck next year

since i am such a nice guy.  how about next time i follow you,   fish  ( real close ) all day,  even mark all your spots on my GPS in case we get separated.  then if you have problems i can get you back to the launch. 


ss