bassnleo

Forgot all about the BR roadtrip and I just found that my club is holding an open T that weekend at Pymatuning. No go the first weekend then. I'll pick a couple more days and get 'em up soon.

Another nod for Gemini.

Quite a bit of interest..... I'm planning on being on a vacation week the first week of May. Maybe we could pick a day late in the first week. Ok, week day or weekend day? I know a weekend would be far easier for most, but less anglers out on a weekday. Weekends that time of year get a little busy. I'm all for anything so input please.

There was a bit of time I time I did not carry while fishing, then I had a situation. 1st day of trout season a few years back and me and some friends decide to get together and hit a local stream. We round a bend to find a campsite right along the stream, along with 5 drunks, 4 of which I had previously arrested and were on probation/parole..... and they recognized me, and one friend who was a correctional officer at our county jail. After a verbal exchange, we were outta there, not worth the trouble. Soon as I was out of sight I called the local PD. I had the last word when they were all hauled off for violating their probation/parole for drinking. Now I'm armed.....always.

I wondered where he was. Saw his pic on the Kistler website and it made me think of him recently. Send him my wishes for a speedy recovery and he will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Definately pre-spawn for the most part. There will be some fish on beds in Erie Bay if it's late May. Bay fish will spawn May through June. Main lake fish will be on beds in June, some clear into early July possibly. Here's the nice thing. If lake conditions are too rough to get out, the bay is LOADED with both smallmouth and largemouth in the Spring. An example, I had my wife with me a few years back on a day in Mid May. She is pretty much a novice, was just along for the day to get out. I located a flat w/ adjacent drop that was stacked with fish, both LM and SM. We were throwing jerkbaits and in 4 hours we boated over 50 fish of both species, from one spot. It was crazy. She even boated a musky that went about 35 inches. I had a little streak in the middle of the frenzy where I boated fish on 12 consecutive casts. She wanted my bait. I handed her my rod, I took hers with a different type and color of jerkbait on it. I continued to catch fish, it was all about the right cadence and action. Once I got her dialed in to that, she went on a tear. If we get some interest, I'm sure we'd find room for the non boat owners. I can fish 3 out of my boat no problem.

Hey guys, Anyone up this way interested in picking a day or weekend and meeting up in Erie this Spring? We all talk about Erie so much, maybe it's time to do this! I really don't have any days in mind yet, just seeing if there is an interest. If we do this, I'd say sometime in mid to late May or early June. That way we would have both the main lake and bay in play, smallies everywhere . Anyone?

I see on another thread you're going May 29th and 30th. Where are you going out of? That should be a great time! Just a couple suggestions, Erie is a beast all it's own. If you have a good PFD, TAKE IT. I'm sure your guide has PFD's but if I had a good one, I'd use my own. Take and use some kind of motion sickness pill. I never get seasick, till I get on Erie on certain days. I use Bonine (sp?) and it has always worked for me, haven't chummed yet The lake will still be in the 50's more than likely. Even if the air temp is 60-70 it will feel much colder on the water, especially with the Erie breeze. Have warm clothing and a GOOD set of rain gear and take it with you. Even on a sunny day, a couple mile ride in the Erie chop can leave you soaked. Be ready for an absolute blast and I'm predicting you will top that PB.

That's a good question, not sure I know the correct answer but I'll give you my experience. I really like to catch those smallies on a jerkbait in the Spring. Last few years I've had great success at 10 feet or less on a jerkbait in the month May and early June. I cannot remember what the exact temps were but if I had to make an educated guess, 50 degrees would be a ballpark. The fish were always there when I targeted them that way in those times and conditions. I figure they are pre-spwan fish staging at that depth. Now, I have also caught them out deeper at these times also but I spend less time deeper because I get such a kick out of the jerkbait action. I guess that some of the fish may be stationary, maybe some are in and out? That's the part I'm not totally sure of. Just like any other pre-spawn situation, I'd guess that fish are all over depth wise. The bay for example. I know that smallmouth move in there when the water is in the 40's or within weeks of ice out. A friend with a Aqua View camera has seen smallmouth in great numbers in the bay within 1 week of ice out. Those fish are there to feed and spawn. If fish are in there at that time then most assuredly they are staging out in the lake prior to that in preparation for their move into the bay. The water would definately be in the 40 range out in the main lake, maybe even high 30's. Hope that makes sense?

Interesting that Brownies key on them, never heard that. With that being said, do you think that walleyes or maybe even steelhead use gobies as forage? I would think walleyes would, maybe even larger perch. How about the catfish, sheephead, white bass?

Dwight, c'mon.......Shh ;D ;D??? That kind of a comment with a GIANT smallmouth in your avatar and Erie PA as your location? LOL You need to camo things more effectively

Good question......I'd say that the gobies are there but with a blade they definately would be tough to feel. I've seen steelhead guys catch gobies at the creek mouths when the water was below 50 so if gobies are that shallow then they should be in the 20-30 foot range also. 2 ish weeks after ice out, no way will the water be 50, but since you've been here 6 years I'm sure you know that, I just may be reading your post incorrectly. Just a hint also if you have not tried this Try much, much, shallower than 20-30 ft just after ice out, more like 10-15 feet

LOL, I saw the one where Denny dances today. He should have stuck with "NO WAY!" ;D

Thanks for the kind words guys. I'm still dealing with it, 11 days now. It seems to be slowly turning around, sloooowly. Let me tell you this........it sucks, BAD,

While watching a sports network last evening, I found myself laughing out loud at two commercials. Both are Strike King commercials. The first is the one where Denny Brauer walks into a small tackle shop and KVD is behind the counter. Denny asks KVD for SK cranks and KVD looks back to a fully stocked wall of cranks and says "We're Out." The banter between them, KVD saying "have a lollypop", their body language, just makes me crack up. The other is the newer commercial for the Sexy Swimmer. Those guys doing their dances and Denny standing there with his arms folded saying "no way" also cracks me up. I like Hackney's dance and facial expressions the best. So, what are your favorite fishing commercials?

Awesome, wishing I was there with you!

Gotta jump in here.. I also have seen the same issues with new officers. We hire them, TELL THEM that they WILL NOT have steady weekends off for numerous years, yet they still accept the job. THEN, after a few months they begin to whine and complain about not having weekends off, some quit. QUIT? ARE YOU FREEKIN KIDDING ME? Who quits a good paying full time job with benefits this day and age? Sorry but an all too common thingy here and I just don't stand for the whining and complaining, maybe that's why they don't do it around me :? EARN IT MAN!

Don't fall in : (sorry, couldn't resist, my wife says that to me every time I leave to go.) Ok, 3 serious ones. From world champion turkey hunter and caller Preston Pittman but IMHO it also applies to fishing: Persistence Patience Perseverance

I've experimented with several different set-ups. The best performing for me has been a 6'9" heavy action rod and 30 lb braid. Now, keep in mind that alomost 90% of the time I'm fishing the bait around cover, sometimes heavy. The chatter style baits are a jig, most have a heavy hook, I fish them that way .

LOL, sorry guys I have not had time to take pics yet. Give me a couple days and I promise I'll post a couple. They came directly from Kistler. You can go to the Kistler website and build your own Z-Bone, yes some are already being built.

Very nice rods for the price they are being advertised at now. I own 2 Carbon Steel spinning models, both 7' mediums. IMHO they are as good if not better than the discontinued Graphite Series models.

Just received my 2 new Z-Bone rods and all I can say is that I'm blown away. I cannot wait for the ice to melt! The micro guides are way too cool . If they fish anythng like they feel, I'm sure more will be one the way!

Wait till the projectile vomit spews, you'll develop a whole new appreciation for distance, LOL.

Also a suggestion..... Chautauqua has a very strong population of perch, musky, walleye, crappie. My largest crappie to date came while flippin weeds for bass! Give the other species a whirl also, you won't be disappointed. The bassin is almost as good as it gets! There is NOTHING like setting the hook on a 5+ pound smallie in the weeds there. I've had them nearly pull the rod from my hands. The big largemouth population seems to be getting better every year also!