Also, they caught two of their personal best smallmouth weighing in at 5.6 and 5.5 pounds. During autumn, smallmouth are found in the same locations and are caught by the same methods as described above for the summer period. In the video above, Matt Willson of Ruger highlights the features with Game & Fish's John Taranto. The best areas, again, tend to be the ones to the west of the city. Join Thomas Allen and son Tommy on an Iowa turkey hunt that resulted in big toms for both hunters. Scuba divers tell about being surrounded by 4-pound bass by simply banging two rocks together, so adding noise to your favorite lures could improve your fishing. Bottom bouncer sinkers used in concert with 'crawler harnesses excel, especially for bottom-oriented walleyes. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. By simply navigating with your chartplotter and Navionics Maps out from Crystal Beach, you can be fishing in world-class Smallmouth water within minutes. These Major League Fishing pros share the best tips and advice they've ever received. In the video above, Matt Willson of Ruger highlights the features with Game & Fish's John Taranto. Areas such as Myers Reef, Evans Bar and Van Buren Reef have traditionally been among the top destinations for summer bass anglers. When water temperatures reach between 55 and 60 degrees, female bass filter onto the flats and begin to spawn. @ &(g%V )!fi2D `1LOSq@?OdC \`r>.g+3V)3P`h{h+;dJr ~(= qEbSuULZT0Vd6i(xEW#\o osuOn.m9V )Um5f`8&="z? \"l[*|ZT. The drop shot rig can be used to fish with live bait, soft plastics and even tube jigs (hooked through the nose of tube). All Game & Fish subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. The latest Lake Erie fishing information is recorded weekly and is available by calling 1-888-HOOKFISH. Boat fishing isn't productive right now because the fish are swarming the shallows. From late May through late June, fishing is great near shallow reef areas. What could be better than a deep-fried nugget? Avoid backlashes by making simple adjustments to your reel and matching your lures to your rod's power and action. The bass bite is usually best between 20 and 40 feet of water, however bass can be found deeper. These areas are also good places to retreat to and still catch fish when conditions get rough on the open lake. Lake Erie Smallmouth Bass Fishing Hotspots Buffalo to Angola Legend Campground Break Walls/Piers Public Boat Launch City/Village Major Road I 90 Exits Waterbody Municipal Park State Park County Recreational Land 0 2 4 Miles Map not for navigational use. Stealth presentations for up-close encounters with bass hiding in cover. Smallmouth bass are the most frequently caught fish species in Lake Erie and fishing trips for smallmouths make up about 25% of all Lake Erie fishing trips for the entire year. DIY: Earthworms Can't Hide When 'Grunters' Are Hunting, Euro Nymphing 101: Trout Tactics from Across the Pond, Western Whiskerfish: Trophy Flatheads, Channels, Even Blues, Exotic Fishing Paradise Awaits in South Florida, How to Add Casting Distance to Reach Bigger Fish, Awesome Start to Minnesota Turkey Hunting, Bass Crash Course: How to Properly Tune a Baitcasting Rig, Winchester Big Bore: Backcountry Bear Protection. The early days of spring are reserved for spawning Walleye. xbbbe`b``a Whether you're fishing out of your own boat or participating in a charter trip, fishing opportunities abound on Lake Erie. Stealth presentations for up-close encounters with bass hiding in cover. Followers 1062 Catches 83 Spots 22. The last five New York State record smallmouths have come from Lake Erie, with the current record standing at an impressive 8 pounds, 4 ounces. Smallmouth numbers remain stable and provide the opportunity for not only high numbers of fish, but big ones as well. South Bass Island, Ohio Take your vehicle and boat across on the ferry from Port Clinton and use South Bass Island and its state park or the village of Put-in-Bay, Ohio, to access Lake Erie's storied Western Basin walleye fishery. This pattern is likely to be more pronounced this year than most, because there are a couple good year classes of younger fish. Tube baits from 3 1/2 to 5 inches long are great for drifting and will perfectly mimic shallow-water prey like crayfish and gobies, drawing strikes from bass that are feeding or guarding nests. It wasn't long before a rod bent back, indicating the first walleye of the morning had engulfed a trolled crankbait. Walleye production was especially strong in 2015, which was the strongest spawn since the record hatch of 2003. Don't let Lake Erie's size or reputation keep you from catching the biggest smallmouth bass of your career. It drastically shortens the learning curve, by allowing you to actually see what is underwater and then compare it to the reading on your graph. Perch populations in central basin waters may be down somewhat. There are several launch ramps around the bay. The fish will rise to a lure, but rarely dive for one. Spawning occurs at depths of 4 to 20 feet at water temperatures between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit, usually in May. The walleye harvest is over 5 million fish annually! With strong populations of both species, however, it's likely good action will continue for both in 2017 a nice situation. From late February through April, your prey will be close to land, feeding and looking for the perfect spawning spot. Contact the Erie County Visitors Bureau for local information. These Major League Fishing pros share the best tips and advice they've ever received. Reel in the slack line so you can directly feel the weight on the bottom and any strike on your bait. This year, the rifle will be chambered in 7mm PRC, the hot new load that was a hit at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. Typically, once the walleye spawn is complete the fish will scatter out from the shallows and feed heavily in the nearby deeper basins that run 20 to 25 feet deep. Try a variety of depths when fishing near the reefs to determine the depth the bass are using that day. A tightly grouped mass of bait usually indicates minimal bass feeding activity, while bait schools under attack will appear horizontally elongated or broken up as bass and other predators rip through them. 43 0 obj <>stream Don't crowd other boats, but don't be shy either. Now is the perfect time to be on Lake Erie for smallmouth bass in the 5-pound class. Rocky rubble, a jumble of rocks of various sizes and shapes, is the best bottom type. The length of line between hook and weight can vary from 1 to 5 feet. | 0000067841 00000 n Ohio waters have a catch-and-release season on Lake Erie that runs through late June. Many thousands of local and international trophy-seeking anglers ply these waters. Exits off I-90 to both areas are clearly marked. 6. Accomplished bass tournament angler Deron Eck is home on smallmouth waters of all types, but especially those of Lake Erie, where he's amassed an impressive record, including top honors in an FLW American Fishing Series event. Rattles work so well that I modify all of my tube jig molds to incorporate a rattle chamber into the heads. Fewer bass are being pulled off nests, perhaps lowering the level of nest predation. The bass weighed 9.33 pounds and was 24.50 inches long. This year, the rifle will be chambered in 7mm PRC, the hot new load that was a hit at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. Bass Crash Course: Technique tweaks to maximize distance and accuracy. Record items such as weather conditions, wind direction, locations and depths of catches, GPS coordinates, bottom types and water temperatures. When the fish are spread over large areas, drifting allows you to cover water rapidly as you search for cruising or bedded bass. And fish from those below-average spawns will be present and help fuel the walleye fishing, accounting for many of the fish in the low to mid 20-inch range. Route 2 provides access through Sandusky. Drifting means letting your lure drag along the bottom as the wind pushes the boat along. Ruger's popular American bolt-action rifle has been a hit with hunters for years. You might also find smallmouths along the harbor breakwaters. Even though lake-wide walleye action is driven, in general, by the summer's west-to-east fish movement, central basin waters have local fish, and account for some of the early summer action. He hooked the record fish on a green grub. Another top spot in this area is Ruggles Reef, which runs parallel to shore for several miles between these two ports. This page is available in other languages, Great Lakes/Niagara River/St. Vertical jigging is the ultimate fishing method when smallmouths are in water more than about 20 feet deep. Bedrock flats rarely hold more than a few scattered smallmouths. Smallmouth bass start moving into tributary streams in mid to late April and will stay through May. Greg Gasiciel from Rhodes caught the new state-record smallmouth on October 18, 2015. As noted, younger walleyes, such as those from the 2014 and 2015 hatches, tend to stay tighter to shore. Winchester's new Big Bore ammo, available in 10 mm, .44 Mag., .357 Mag., and .45 Colt, is specifically designed for big bears in bear country. Fish over 5 pounds are common and mules over 7 pounds are never out of reach. This provides access to numerous excellent smallmouth hotspots. Erie walleyes tend to suspend off the bottom, particularly during periods of stable weather. The length of line between hook and weight can vary from 1 to 5 feet. Join Thomas Allen and son Tommy on an Iowa turkey hunt that resulted in big toms for both hunters. Good locations include Black Rock Canal, Buffalo Harbor and Dunkirk Harbor. Unlike young walleye and yellow perch which inhabit off-shore areas accessible to the agency's open water trawl efforts young smallmouth bass frequent near-shore shallows. Give a Gift This turns out to be a bed fishing trip and one of the best trips on the big pond of my life.. trailer Winchester's Nathan Robinson talks features with Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. Main lake waters off Catawba and Marblehead are good bass areas, as is Sandusky Bay. The fisheries manager feels the outlook is excellent for walleyes, and good for yellow perch and black bass as well. Last year the C&R ran from May 1 through June 24. The key to successful summer smallmouth bass fishing is to locate bottom structure. Perch fishermen are a gregarious sort, creating "parking lots" of flotillas over perch schools. Often, excellent spawning structure may be found around the mouths of the many creeks and rivers that feed the lake. The walleye harvest is over 5 million fish annually! This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. 2017's regulations can be found on the Ohio Division of Wildlife's webpage at www.wildlife.ohiodnr.gov. Sport angler catch rates in the central basin have been down the past year or two, possibly indicative of a decline in yellow perch numbers. Bass Crash Course: Technique tweaks to maximize distance and accuracy.
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