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Most standard techniques will work depending on water temp and time of year. "Spring" is a pretty broad term. Start with jerk baits once the water is 50 degrees. As the water gets into the mid 50s crank baits will work. Concentrate on emergent weed/rock transitions. You will find many more largemouth than smallmouth in the bay as well as along the Ohio shoreline. You will also find the bay will be EXTREMELY muddy after wind and or rain events. Good Luck!

Fished the bay. They are not in super heavy nor well dispersed throughout the bay but when you find one you find a bunch and the are/were willing to play. Good Luck!

Go as soon as you can! The fishing over the weekend was great when the weather allowed.

I am headed up there this weekend. I hope its not to early.

I have the 898 si and the si allows you to find offshore structure NOT on any map. Cruise a likely area with the si and drop waypoints on structure. You can then go over them with convetional sonar to see if it is worth fishing. I usually give it a shot just in case I missed marking them. When fishing big water no amount of bouys, towers and landmarks are going to put you on structure that can be as small as the hood of a car, imho.

I will be there 5/11 through 5/13. Fingers crossed for good weather

switchfire only applies to 2d mode not di or si. And I also agree that you need to get rid of the fish symbols. Turn them off!

I do not. Totally round.

I cannot picture in my mind what you are saying. Do you have any pics or could you explain further? Thanks in advance reo

IMO, something is wrong if you are replacing your boards every year. Weather permitting I launch a couple times a week from April through November and get MANY years out of the wood boards. I would look a a different wood along with not wrapping the bottom of the boards to allow for drainage. Again, just my opinion....

Is your friend Wade from Cleveland???

I have been wondering the same thing! Hopefully some one in the know will help.

That IS an issue and a dangerous one to you, your passengers and others on the road! Tounge weight should be approx. 10% of total boat and trailer weight or fishtailing and loss of control (as was stated) of the trailer becomes a very real possibility. Please do a google search and see for yourself. Best of luck with the new rig! reo

What type of rod would be good for this? I am thinking long and limber kinda FNF style? but would like to hear from those that have used the technique. Thanks reo

Hello from Westpark

I cannot fathom driving to Erie, Pa to fish for smallies if I was living 45 minutes from St. Clair unless I had family or business in Erie. Just don't make sense to me. Traverse Bay area or western Lake Erie would be my choices if I wanted a change from LSC.

Agree, if fishing unpressured areas I throw out a marker once my spot is found

I have a hbird 898 si and fish offshore rockpiles as small as the hood of a car. If wind allows and I can follow what the GPS is telling me to do I can find them first pass every time. If the wind blows me off track at the last second it may take another pass or two. I am certain that some of these piles are that small as I can see some of the shallower ones when the water gets super clear. As far as GPS goes that is good enough for me.

For the sake of others at the ramp, do NOT learn how to back a trailer at the ramp. Take your rig to an empty parking lot and spend some time practicing so you are not one of 'those guys'.

With all of the planning that goes into a trip like this; lodging or camping gear, food and beverage for the week, ferry for three rigs, the freezers, etc, I find it hard to believe that they could think that keeping 150 bass was legal, just sayin'. However, I also would be interested in their justifications.

Lake Erie bass trip costs southern anglers almost $50,000 in fines, restitution, 3 boats. http://www.cleveland.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2010/06/lake_erie_bass_trip_costs_sout.html

My condolences as well.

looks like they are going to lose their boats. almost as good as jail

...? that was in the original post Sorry, I missed it

The Cleveland Plain Dealer was kind enough to print their names: Cited were: Freeland Leffew, 66, of Soddy Daisy, Tenn., and his son, Michael Leffew, 38, of Hixson, Tenn.; Samual Stephens, 58, of Soddy Daisy, Tenn.; Freddie Warren, 63, of Wildwood, Ga.; and Charles Burkhart, 67, and Samuel Carroll, 65, both of Ringgold, Ga. Scum of the earth