Mid Nov Steelhead report

Trout action has been hot the last two weeks on the lower Niagara river. Lots of steelhead, browns and lakers being caught. As usual this time of year, weather is playing havoc on the fishing with wind affecting water color. When it clears, the fishing is phenominal with many double digit days. One of my clients also caught what we believe to be an Atlantic salmon. This fish was 15 lbs, it looked like it swallowed a whiskey keg!
See you on the water!

Fall fishing heating up

Fishing has been heating up for smallmouth and muskies on lake Erie and the Niagara River. Only problem so far has been the wind. When possible to get out on the lake, I am finding the smallmouth starting to school up on their usual wintering areas. Jigging spoons are working great right now as is dropshotting and dragging tubes.
The steelhead action on the lower drifts is still slow. Sporadic runs of rainbows are blowing past the lower drifts up to the faster water. Fishing is hit and miss. Another couple of weeks and they should be setting up on the lower drifts as well. There are plenty of lakers around already to keep things interesting til the steelies show up.
The musky action has been consistent with multiple fish days, and the fish seem to be putting on the winter weight. I love the fall, but I hate the wind that comes with it.

Personal Erie Summer Best

After a successful half day charter on Sat I decided to scout some water that I don't usually fish. I had some crayfish left over so I decided to use the remaining dozen up. I drove around for some time looking for the furthest and deepest transition from soft to hard bottom on this particular shoal. I used my Lowrance X27 equipped with a broadband sounder to find a drop at the end of the shoal from 29 to 35 feet. It looked to have several boulders with hooks around them. The new Lowrance HDS units come with built in broadband in them. Its an awesome tool when scouting for deep structure and fish. I put a crayfish on my drop shot rig and lowered it down. As I drifted up the slope I felt that distinct dropshot bite and raised my rod and began reeling. I knew it was a good fish and my suspicions where verified when the smallmouth rocketed out of the water. After a stressful battle on six lb test the fish was in the net. I was shocked when I lifted the fish from the net, I hadn't really seen a fish this big since the spring NY trophy season. The fish measured 6 lbs 4 ozs and measured 22 inches long. I have caught alot of 6 lb fish but most of them in the spring. This fish was truly a tank. I suspect it would go 7 lbs in the spring. I tried to duplicate my luck but only managed to catch much smaller fish from the spot. This fish must have been a loner. I wish I had more time to just drive around and look for spots like this. When your electronics perform like this it makes exploring alot of fun.

Mid summer smallmouth on Erie

Smallmouth fishing on lake Erie has been tremendous so far this summer. Many 30-50 fish days with some fish to 5 lbs. The warm weather really has them revved up, the fish are fighting so hard and the arial accrobatics are spectacular with some fish jumping as high as 4 feet out of the water! Drifting dropshot rigs with soft plastics has been deadly. See you on the water.

Fun with Lowrance Structure Scan imaging

While cruising a popular bay in Lake Erie, I was playing around with my Lowrance Structure Scan that came out late last year. I had it on side imaging, with a span of 40 feet in shallow water, I was in 10 feet of water. As I was cruising along, into my screen came the haunting image of a sailboat on its side. I knew about side scan imaging and have seen all the images available on the internet, however to actually find a piece of structure like this was amazing. There it was, a 25-30 foot sailboat on its side lying on the bottom of the lake. The StructureScan has the ability to use your gps to mark waypoints out to the sides, so that is what I did, I marked a box around the sailboat and put the electric down and started throwing lures over it. My clients caught several smallmouth from it on spinnerbaits, rattletraps and topwater. They were amazed at its detail and accuracy.
I hope to spend many days cruisintg around looking for these little sweet spots that would be otherwise very difficult to find with out StuctureScan imaging. Looking for isolated boulders or other objects on sand flats will without a doubt be hot spots for years to come. StructureScan will definately open your eyes to a whole new way of fishing. See you on the water.

Tribute to my Mom

Late last year, my mom was diagnosed with inoperable colon cancer. They performed an ileostomy on her to reduce the pain of a almost completely blocked colon. She received two rounds of chemo therapy that really did a number on her. She didnt complain, nor did I ever see her breakdown and cry like I probably would have. She accepted what had happened to her and held her head high and kept a positive attitude to the very end. The pain and suffering I saw my mom go through from the chemo side effects and the ileostomy was unbearable, it took a toll on her and my family. Together we helped and supported my mom to her final days. She died last Sunday peacefully surrounded by family. She had a beautiful funeral that was attended by hundreds of people. I realized that my mom was loved by many people, she touched so many lives with her generosity and kindness, always willing to listen or help out in way she could, especially when it came to cooking. We should all wish to have that many friends. I am going to miss my mom dearly, but I can find reassurance in the fact that she was so loved by so many. If your mom is still alive, give her a big hug and tell her you love her. I wont be able to do that anymore. Rest in peace mom.

Musky season opening!

Musky season is finally opening this Saturday, it seems to take so long. I have been enjoying incredible bass fishing up til now for both smallmouth on the lake and largemouth on the river. Traditionally, the moss on the river is very bad this time of year and trolling is difficult, however casting and dragging plastics has been very successful for the last few years or so. Big swimbaits like the Storm wildeye and Red October tubes have been dynamite. A little modifications make these approaches very successful. Adding stinger hooks increases your landing rate greatly. Fishing plastics isnt easy, the bites are light as opposed to throwing jerkbaits and bucktails, concentration and a good hand are key. Good luck on he water!

Didnt have to wait long

Well, didnt think I would be posting so soon, however I had to report on my trip today. Fished with a very good client Mike Bailey today. We probably had our best trip, we hooked well over 60 fish and weighed at least 12 over 5lbs and one over six. The average size was tremendous, most fish in the mid 4-5 lbs range. It was also one of the nicest days, we had a perfect 5-7mph wind all day out of the west, didnt have to mess with a drift sock or need any fancy boat control. Jerkbaits, tubes, select plastics did the trick. It didnt seem to matter really, they seemed to be chomping all day. It was a good way to start the smallmouth season. Water is starting to creep up, mid to high 40 for surface temp by the end of the day.

Trophy smallmouth time!

Its been awhile since I posted last. I have had a terrible winter. Found out my mom has cancer at Christmas. Its been a rough few months. If anyone reading this is over the age of 40 and has never had a colonoscopy, I suggest getting one done. Colon cancer is one of the few that can be cured. Unfortunately, my mom never had one done. She is getting chemo treatment and we are hoping for the best.
I was able to get out a few times for steelhead, and did ok, dirty water or bad weather always seemed to get in my way however when guiding, but spring for me is trophy smallmouth time. This year the bite is early due to the early exit of ice on Erie. There are some really big fish setting up already falling to tubes and jerkbaits. Looking forward to the many charters I have booked this spring. Hopefully this year I will be able to break 7lbs. I will post another report in a week or so hopefully with some pics of slob smallmouth.