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I am coming up from Cinci this weekend for a charter. I've been following your posts for several weeks. The weather forecast has me concerned. Wed. and Thurs. east winds. Back to the West on Fri. and Sat. with colder weather. We are going out of Port Clinton. I've already picked up some green and purple jigs. Any other suggestions or predictions. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Doug
Don't rule out the worm harness. With the heat wave we just had, things could be changing.
If you are going out with a half way decent charter, they will have what you need, unless you are going on a head boat. Then they will tell what to have, either jigs or harnesses.
Same charter captain for years. Always casting a worm harness. Just looking for alternatives to be prepared for. We've just never come this early.
Does the captain provide tackle? If not I would give him a call and ask if you will need hair jigs or harnesses. About this time a lot of the fish start to move off of the reefs and head for a little deeper water so you could be doing either or. During this time, I am prepared for both. Sometimes I am jigging and running bottom bouncers at the same time. You will catch fish using both methods.
A good assortment on maribu (hair) jigs ranging from 1/8-1 oz. Purple is the go to, black, chartreuse, white, green, orange, yellow too. Rig with stingers. Have some with blades like road runners. I would run a worm harness very close to the bottom and just drag it. I like a silver blade, green beads with 3 small red hooks. Emerald fleck on the blade is best, Colorado blade about the size of a dime, size 2 or 3 I think. Use a 3 or 4 oz egg sinker slipped above a swivel. let it drag.
I know the cap'n will take care of us but I wondered about the weather. Will the East winds lay down in time for Saturday and the cold weather to work? Also, we'll be at Mr. Ed's on Friday if you want a beer.
Doug
Mr Ed's is a cool place with great sandwiches. The strongest thing I drink is red bull. I wasn't very good at drinking. I really appreciate the invite, but will be in San Antonio for a freaking wedding. Some people just don't know it's walleye season. If you get to town by 3 or 4, walk up to Brand's dry dock ( that's my boat home), on the river side of Ed's and you will see what was caught Friday in the fish cleaning house. My experience with the East wind is it will shut fish down for about 12 hours or so then they start to feed with a stable or rising barometer. I had 4 straight days in May in 07 that went like 12 fish- limit, 12 fish -limit, 22 fish- 2 short of limit rough seas, then on the 4yth day, went out with just me and my sweet wife, light East wind, picked one here, one there, had three in 4 hours or so, started trolling, picked another, slow trolling then about 1pm all hell broke loose and couldn' keep lines in the water. Probably hit the century mark that day. My buddy called, same dock, he was up to do a little boat work, Jen and I ran in, ate and showered and picked him and his wife up, went back out and landed their 12 fish and stopped. The wind was East all day and kicken pretty good by that eve. Yes. we only kept our 12 then their 12 before anyone wants to jump. We had one other day that year. July 27 near Wheatly canada (60 mile run) fishing steelhead. The walleye were like white perch. had our limit in 10 minutes and they just kept coming. I sped up, but they hit dipseys as they were running back. Same with leadcore. They even hit riggers at 4.2 mph. Took forever to get 10 steelies. Must have landed 150 eyes. All in an east wind. My best trophy fishing is ALWAYS with a North wind. Don't know why. North wind at 15-25. Barely fishable.Quote:
Originally Posted by wmyer
Thanks for the reply. I personally would skip the wedding and fish, but that's just me. Hopefully I can catch enough to make us both happy. I'll post pictures on Monday even if it's just the sunrise. Have a safe trip to San Antonio.
Doug
Hey spoonie can you do the trolling thing this early, either body baits, spoons, or crawler harnesss, what you think? Thanks for your reply
When you catch your trophies in the North winds, are you drifting (jigging or draggin harnesses) or are you trolling reef runners? Do you fish off the reefs in deeper water? I'm coming up Sat/Sun from Cincy area too and not sure if I should troll with harnesses and runners out deeper (north of the reefs) or try jigging in shallower where the water is warmer (and probably muddier). Any advice before I make the long trip up there?
The big fish I land this time of year are primarily drifting. I tie my own harness. Cabelas has a sweet set up I love. I buy their 3 hook rigs, red hooks, red line (invisable at more than 10 feet deep) and I use the description in the earlier post. 5 green beads, silver blade with emerald fleck. I like a long lead to the swivel. 5 to 6 feet lead. I want my 4 oz lead bumping the bottom every once in a while. You will likely just see dead weight on the line. Go light on the drag. The big fish with tear the little hooks out. The trophies are usually resting in deep water, 30 plus fow, North of the reefs and spawning grounds. It is their natural migration route. You won't catch as many, but they are rewarding.
Yes- trolling is effective this time of year. The key is to go slow!!!!! 1.2-1.6 mph. The surface is warming, but the deep water is cold and that's where the fish are. When the deep water under the thermocline reaches the surface temerature, the lake will "turn over" and kill the bite for a day or 2. Usually the first week of June. I would troll worm harness from down rigger or torpedo diver, small scorpion stinger size spoons, flatline reef runners or husky jerks. I would put the boat in nuetral when I saw fish under the boat, pause for about 10 seconds and pop it back into gear. Alot of fish hit when you take off.
I have never had luck trophy fishing with jigs. Some do. Most of it is through the ice. The females eat heavy in Feb and March getting ready for the spawn. I don't think they forage much when getting ready to spawn but will instinctively eat when the bait hits their nose. That is what makes the railroad brige so good during the spawn migration. All or the fish funnel through a small opening. If it's there, they eat it. The trophies I am talking about will be spawned out, exhausted females that have rested after the spawn and need to start eating again. We have netted them burping up 8 and 10 inch white and yellow perch.
Keep me posted men. I will travel with my laptop and check postings. I wish you safe fishing and shoulder dislocating heavy coolers.
wmyer- Brand's is open to about 7 pm. If you ask them how it was, they always give an honest accurate report.
Good luck
Any recommendations on good walleye charter captains in the Marblehead area? Hope to come up next week or so.
Check with walidave. He is a member on here and does well. LakeLand charters are Port Clinton based and they use the my marina to drop fish etc. and they do a nice job. I see their fish. They have an add on the home page here.
Ive got a question. Who has a good selection of stingers in port clinton area, reasonably priced ? Seems like everywhere igo has a bunch of picked thru stuff and all the hot colors are gone.Coming up second weekend of May if weather looks good. Just on saturday though, momma's day is on sunday no chance of fishing on that day without landing divorce court. Looking forward to a good season, was excellent last year.Good luck to all,
Agent "H"
Fisherman's Wharf downtown just across from Subway subs. It is on the river near where the Jet Express used to be. Great selection and they used to run a special of buy 3 and get 1 free or something like that. The special was usually already put together as 4. They also have a great worm harness blade selection, provide good information, and have bait and ice. Sounds like a commercial. It's a good shop.
CubsFan53 we go out of Port Clinton on a boat called the Osprey. The captains name is "Buffalo". We always do well with him. www.lake-eriecharters.com
We're going out with him this weekend I'll let you know how we do.
Doug
Hey Spoontang thanks for the referral, appreciate it. Great to get that from someone who has never met me let alone fished with me. Could you tell the fish gods to stop blown that nne wind we will let the big ones go i promise !!!
Walidave, following the weather from cinci it looks like the wind turns ssw tomorrow and west on Sat. do you think that will make for good fishing on Sat or will it take a couple of more days.
Doug
well i would say that the water should be much better by then, i didnt fish today but talked to some friends that did and they caught fish on outer reefs. Water up close was a disaster, has been great right out front of my marina. But this is the way spring goes fish dont leave they just dont seem to feed much in zero visibility. I am sure your charter is gonna take you the best place he can find. Sunday when everyone was staying in close up front we only got 7 moved out to outer reefs by ourselves got 15 or so real quick. Guys were hooked, they were sceptical to say the least when i left the boats and stopped with no one around trust your guide!!!!