Couple Questions if someone could help.

[slimshady]

Now that is the experience he is missing, sore arms from giant sheephead!

Rickerd

I call them "Lake Erie Redfish". The big ones are a blast on light jigging tackle. As long as we have some walleyes mixed in, I don't mind them at all. Especially the big ones. They get such a bad rap in this area, but they fight as well as anything in these waters for their size. People travel all over to catch redfish and they are pretty similar.

That's partly why I love fishing in this area. You never know what you are going to catch. That particular day in the river, we caught walleyes, perch, catfish, sheep, smallies, 2 muskies and I lost a steelhead right at the boat that was about 3-4 lbs. That was a shock for August. I might expect it in March or April, but not August.

[icingeyes]

Some really great and helpful information! Thanks again so much!!

How long would you spend drifting/casting a spot with no action before moving?

Don’t mind longer runs, looking forward to burning some fuel with the new boat - lol

[itsbob]

I would say around 20 min drifting without any bites and sonar looking blank.Would depend on how fast drifting though.If light winds not covering as much ground might go longer or making a short run.

[rickerd]

20 min is about right if you trust your crew and have good marks on screen. Sometimes, you can be fishing below the walleye. This time of year on WB I like to start at top and work down.

I've had 2 occasions where a splash count got you fish and a 2 count got a blank. I had 2 guys on my boat and they just didn't get it the last time I experienced it. The date was first week in July after the 4th, maybe even the 5th. The winds were brisk out of NW and waves honest 2-4 footers. We were drifting with a sock at 1.1 or so. We had 4 fish in box after 2 hours and I figured out the splash count. It happened because I kept line tight enough when landing to detect a touch. Then I landed 6 keepers in 20 minutes myself. The other guys only 1 more each because they let it settle under the fish.

Splash count is turning over bail while lure is in air. Once it lands, pull to activate spinner then retrieve. Keeps bait in top 12 inches of water with high rod tip. How fish could find it with 2-4s in the top, I don't know but it was the most furious bite I've experienced.

Rickerd

[capt pete]

I fish for chinook salmon that way in the Pacific NW off Port Angeles, WA. In over 40 years of salmon fishing, I have found that the stronger the wind, the higher the salmon will migrate towards the surface. Almost always, a 1 oz pearl white Crippled Herring, or Kandlefish, metal jig will be deadly under these wind conditions. The trick is to cast directly upwind so that your line remains taut at all times. This results in three main strike-triggering lure actions...1) Strong sideways darting action with hydrosonic vibration; 2) The tight line keeps the lure near surface with a slower fall rate and creates better hook sets on the strike; 3) The tight line causes more flash in combination with a wider darting swing as compared to a loose line that causes the lure to drop faster. You want that lure to stay near the surface. Drifting is a more natural presentation than trolling. But, each works. Capt. Pete