Weekend Warrior 5/3-5/4

Hi all,

Heading up for the first weekend on our 25' Rinker this weekend and I always trade my buddies some fishing for their help waxing the boat. Don't have all the fancy electronics that a true fishing boat has so a little limited and always looking for a point in the right direction.

Plan is to jig fish Friday and Saturday and spend the night on PIB. Assuming the cans are the spot to be this time of year but any suggestion otherwise? Early "plan" was to try Niagara, G can, etc. type area but thought I would get some input either way. Is it worth trying other "lesser" reef systems like Starve, Mouse Island reef, etc.?

As always, any/all help greatly appreciated!!

Tom,
I fished last Thursday and got a boat limit but had to work for them. Look at my previous post for location. I fish further west than you are looking to be so I can’t help with info around that area. I’d bet you can pull some fish from most of the reefs around the area. Good luck.

Need more information.

Assume you are spending Friday night on South Bass? On the Boat? If so, you probably don't need to run all the way to the major reef complex ("the cans") or back around to Mouse Island. The surface water temperature is already in the low 50's so the walleye that have spawned are off the reefs and shoals out in deeper water. Those that are still spawning will be on or near the reefs and shoals. You can start jigging right there on the short reef that runs off the NW point of South Bass, or on the shallows off the NE corner. If those don't produce, move south along the east shoreline to Starve Island area. You have that whole shallow areas in the South Passage to try jigging. If the jigging isn't working well enough, move to drift fishing in the deeper areas of the South Passage with worn harnesses or jerk baits. A lot depends on the weather and wind, as well as the clarity of the water. Look for clearer water and avoid the muddy or murky water. You should be able to figure out where and what works best on Friday, and have it easier on Saturday. Ask around when you get up there. Plan your day on wind direction ans speed. Listen to the VHF radio too. You may hear talk on there. If you want, you can move over to the major reef complex. You can also do the common thing - look for where the other boats are fishing.

Thanks for the info West Basin!! Been keeping an eye on some reports on this forum and it seems like people are going kind of all over the place. We will try that South Passage area/Starve/Mouse reef on the way to PIB Friday. We are staying on the boat at the island Friday so if our spots work Friday, likely just return the next day. If not, I may try around Green, Middle Bass on that E side shoal/reef, etc.

With such big water and not the best electronics, always nice to have a point in the right direction for the 3-4 times a year that I actually get a good days worth of fishing in (other times of year the kids and wife are up and "fishing" is usually 45-60 minutes before we "go do something else" LOL)

Thanks again!

Tom,

That sounds like a fun fishing trip. I am just a novice and wasn't able to make it up to Erie this year. Two years ago, in early May, I tagged along on a charter with a couple of buddies. They needed a 4th. We launched out of WWs and went to some reef that was only 5 or 6 feet deep. We met the guide at 530 PM. He told us as soon as it got pitch dark the Walleye move in to feed. He was right, when it was pitch dark the bite was on. We just anchored and casted Bandits and caught nothing under 22" biggest were 26". Unfortunately after an hour or less, the wind direction switched out of the East and we were unable to hold our position with the anchor. We caught a dozen before the wind switched and kept trying to fish that spot but couldn't keep from drifting. If I knew how to post pics I'd post them, BUT haven't figured that out yet. Lol

Sorry for the long novel but when I read you were just gonna stay on the boat overnight I felt compelled to share my experience. Don't use any headlamps or outside boat lights. When I hooked my 1st one I flip on my head lamp and the captain says, turn that off its finally dark. Haha. BEST OF LUCK, let us know how you do.

That sounds like a fun fishing trip. I always wanted to try night time fishing on Lake Erie