thetr20one

I think those guys use bass boats and move around from ramp to ramp to keep on the good fish and avoid really rough weather. Gerry was or is a BASS pro.

A three day in P.A. is $25-$35 still pricey!

UM! I would considider spending a little money on a guide. A 14 foot jon boat would have trouble in the harbors in a little breeze let alone a storm. Waves can go from flat to 5+ feet in an hour.

I think a P.A. non-resident license is over $50. I was wondering the same about them!

http://www.greatlakesbassfishing.com/index.html . I have never used these guys but they advertise at my local marina.

Lee I am really surprised to see so few comments. For me it is a very nice thread!!!

U DA MAN!!!!!!!!

Well the good part of the Islands is that if the smallies are not cooperating another species will. Walleye, big white bass you even catch jumbo perch fishing smalies around there. Good luck and make sure to let us know how you do.

Ya know some of those beautiful days are better spent cookin out with friends and family. I try to make sure of a northwest wind when I go up and at least 1 to 3 footers and clouds do help alot! I really enjoy a little nasty weather. Wasn't the wind from the south this weekend? If it was THAT is why they were finicky.

You really need 3 footers to break up the profile of the boat and mask sounds. The flatter the lake the more spooky the open water fish are. The Islands are different you can actually cast cranks and other baits towards shore and work your way out, like on a typical lake

You can cast cranks, tubes, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and anything else you want around the Islands and numerous shoals. I like gull shoal and kelleys island shoal and the eastern side of kellys island from the point to the bottom we have had some real good success here. make sure you fish it out into the deep. They may be in 6 feet or 30 you never know.

here is a map of the Islands. I don't know why it came out sideways

I really appreciate this. If we are not successful around the island, we might just run to these locations. Thanks!!! Tom these are not near the Islands they are closer to Cleveland. The closest to the Islands is the Lorain Polish fishermans reef about 23 miles east. There is great fising around the islands give me a few and I will post a map for you!

I have seen your spot in person, that is a nice lake. I have never fished it though. I am wanting to get down there.

If you don't have a friend that knows how to wire, it is problably gonna cost alot. You are on an Air Force Base somebody there has to know. Offer up a trade, maybe some fishing trips! I would have to think that the schematics for an F-16 are waaayyyy more complicated than a bass boat.

Way to pass it on!!! Congratulations!! I know what a thrill it is to see our daughters catch fish. Sounds like you had a great weekend!! And look at that, lipping them with no gloves too!

The Ohio river has some sewage runoff and I think I have caught a limit of condoms in a day. Sick, very sick just thinkin about it makes me ill. Fishing at the river I have caught the kitchen sink. Literally! Some weird things float down that river. Other than that, a goose, a bat, huge clumps of zebra mussels you name it and I have problably hooked it! Fishing at Lake St. Claire I was going across the Walpole Indian Reservation in about two feet or less of water, too shallow to come off plane and a Swan was flying at the boat, I tried to avoid it but it flew right into the side of the boat. It was dazed but my partner watched and it flew away.

Out of Cleveland you could fish the artificial reefs, there is some decent smallie action on those. I can give you gps coordinates if you would like. They are usually marked with bouys that say "ART REEF". Stadium West reef #1 is 220 feet long in 36 feet of water and is North 41 30.148' West 081 45.575' Stadium West reef #2 is 495 feet long in 32 feet of water and is North 41 29.970' West 081 45.416' Stadium East reef is 450 feet long in 32 feet of water and is North 41 35.933' West 081 33.804' The CCCR reef is of Lakewood 900 feet long in 28 feet of water and is North 41 30.203' West 081 47.261' Lorain Polish fishermans club reef is 1500 feet long in 28 of water and is North 41 28.125' West 082 12.694' The Mountain reef is 800 feet long 100 yards north of the PFC reef unmarked and is 41 28.171' West 082 12.779' The Stadium reefs are exactly what they sound like The old Municipal Stadium and the others are clean rock and concrete. There is alot of action to be had all around here but you have to find the hard bottoms and transitions. The reefs usually provide some kind of action at least giving up some absolutely gigantic rock bass. I fish many tourneys on Erie and the western end of the central basin has plenty of good areas. If the spot you were fishing usually produces give it a week, sometimes the bass just turn on. Last year I fished a tourney out of Lorain and did not catch a single smallie pre-fishing but, a week later the same spots gave up 24 pounds. Good enough for a fifth place.

Push it through and cut off the barb. My brother in law put a Lucky Craft LVR size 2 Gamakatsu through my ear. He had to push it the rest of the way through and cut it off. It hurt but pulling it out would have really been bad. Besides that the barb is meant to keep it from pulling out and it went through forwards easier.

That is terrible! A real reality check. I fish Erie alot and sometime question fishing 5 footers in 50 degree water. It is a real thing though and safety should always come first. I feel for these guys families.

Have each man bring his own digital scale. Take a two pound certified weight and note each scales difference in weight. Run a paper tourney writing each of the fish weights and length. Add the best five as a limit and there is your tourney. Do us, the fish and yourselves a favor and don't try to keep bass on a stringer or a basket. They are meant to hold fish until it is time to get the fillet knife not keep them alive.

Gotta love those smallmouth. Nice fish!!!

Well to be honest I got smoked by a young man from the back of my boat who was fishing a hand carved walk the dog type bait Saturday. We were both boaters and got drawn together. I won the coin toss but wish I had not. This guy had been fishing three days strait at this lake and I had only been on the lake for an hour and a half the day before. Other than that I had never seen it. He caught 8 keepers and I caught 0. It was very windy and I really have too much on my plate right now to focus hard on tourneys like I need to, but that was not keeping HIM from catching a topwater bite in 61-63 degree water. He never caught one from the front of the boat and never really asked to fish up there. Smart kid, he knew he could concentrate on his bait and not the TM. Unfortunately he did not have enough to place in the money. I had a good time "being his guide". He had confidence and stuck with it all day.

Most people just don't have the confidence in a buzzbait or topwater in the spring. They work, but other options produce more fish. After you get a limit in a tourney it can maybe attract larger fish.

Tubes, goby imitations and drop shotted senkos. Typical Erie smallie presentations. Drop shotting is a must when you lose the wind and waves. Sorry guys my daughter has been sick and I haven't been able to get up to the big lake and smash em yet. I have only been out a few times this year period and most have tourneys with no practice. And my results have been reflecting that. I will however Get up there ASAP and post up when I can. You can check out the fish across america pics and see a few good fish I have caught this year. I really have only ran my boat outside a tourney 2 or 3 times. It sucks but my daughter comes before fishing. And there is still plenty of year left fortunatly!