Lake Erie Smallmouth advice

[fishtar]

Hey ya'll I have received a lot of great advice on this site and would like to give back to the community. I grew up near and fished Bass and Walleyes on Lake Erie for 30 years.The area I know is the western basin including Canada Michigan and Ohio. Post here and I will do my best to answer your question. Enjoy your season and your time on the water. 

[Fishin' Fool]

How do you prefer to fish that area after the spawn and say after the catch and keep season opens? Does Lk Erie follow a similar schedule as Lk St Clair or can you keep fish the last Saturday in May on Erie? I know Canada is the 4th Saturday in June.

[fishtar]

Hi,slow crawling of dragging a tube jig is hard to beat in the reef areas gobey color. Depending on water clarity and spring temps 8 to 18 ft. after spawn. Zebra muscles have made the water so clear at times you might have to fish as deep as 28 ft. Michigan side is more weed bed based fishing so weedless rigged swim baits, tubes,spinner baits,Senkos. 5 to 14 ft depths key is weeds and finding sand bar ledges as little as a couple feet makes a difference due to a very smooth sand bottom as opposed to the Western basin in Ohio where the bottom is more irregular. The season in Ohio is from may 1st to June 21st is 1 fish and I think 18 inches in Ohio waters of Lake Erie.

[bayvalle]

When is the SM spawn in the Western basin?

[fishtar]

14 hours ago, bayvalle said:

When is the SM spawn in the Western basin?

Temperature is the deciding factor. Traditionally May, I think the season closure is set up to cover all spawning possibilities so that is a good guide to go by on the western basin.

[Coldbasser]

Do you like to use slash baits? If so what size & colors do you prefer?

cheers

Rick

[fishtar]

Hi, i do when condition allow, sil/ blk back or chrome and yellow perch pattern or fire tiger. Emerald shiners, smelt, perch and gobies top forage food. Crawfish patterns on rock structure.

[fishtar]

6 hours ago, Coldbasser said:

Do you like to use slash baits? If so what size & colors do you prefer?

cheers

Rick

3 1/2 inch to 4 1/2 inch chromes, fire tigers, perch

[Hollada]

On 2/24/2019 at 1:36 PM, Coldbasser said:

Do you like to use slash baits? If so what size & colors do you prefer?

cheers

Rick

Maybe...

 

 

 

I typically fish one of four brands - megabass (110, 110+1, juniors, and magnums), SK KVD slash, Lucky Craft (pointers and staycees), and rapala shadow raps.

 

dirtier water in early spring I like the brighter colors - something with chartreuse, clearer water I use natural colors.   In the spring the trick is figuring out how long to let it sit.  I’ve had days where they wouldn’t hit anything less than a 20 count between rips (one thousand one, one thousand 2....).  I literally was catching fish after fish on the 20-30 count when multiple boats near me could not get bit.  

 

I’ll typically have a couple of JB rigs setup in the spring and rotate through styles and colors till I get bit.  Seems 80% of the time it’s the MB 110 or 110+1 that’s catching fish.  Could just be that’s my confidence bait.

 

 

[Coldbasser]

Thanks for the great information :-)) 

I will be waaaaaayyyyy more patient when using jerk/slash baits.

will be using them shortly after ice out in clear water 10+' of clarity

Rick 

[Hollada]

Often just a small twitch after it has sat that long is all it takes.  I think they just get ticked at it sitting there and kill it as soon as it twitches.