Heading out to lake erie saturday from IL

[bigfishead]

Heading out to lake erie next week for walleye but wondered what the smallmouth are doing, does anyone know? Are they spawning yet or are they in deeper water? I have a small boat so may have to fish out of the wind for bass when its windy. Also, what is the clarity like? I don't need to worry about dirty water do I? And what is the water temp?

Taking a ferry out to the bass islands. The wife and I used to go every year but after she got sick we haven't made a trip together, the last one was in 2004. I went last year with my brother and did well on walleye, but the bass weren't biting for me because they were spawning and it was windy 4 days out 7.

[Eyezcrazy]

The bass were biting on the reefs so they are probably moving in to shallower water. Water temp was around 59 to 60 degrees yesterday. You can check this link for current pictures of the lake for water clarity. Good luck!
Remember bass are catch and release until the end of June.

http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/mod...egion=e&page=1

[bigfishead]

Thanks Eyescrazy. The pictures seem to make the water look dingy colored. I figured I would miss the bass bite but I wanted it to be warm for the wife. She's stuck on the island for a week, and it can be miserable with bad weather.

[Eyezcrazy]

Check the satellite link for water clarity before you go out, the clarity can change really fast depending on wind speed and direction. I always check to find the clear water before I go walleye fishing. You are not missing the bass bite, it is just getting started.

[bigfishead]

That's good to hear about the bass, it looks like we will have dirty water for a few days around the bass islands so walleye might be tough. Supposed to be cloudy there on saturday my first day to fish, with SE winds.

[bigfishead]

All packed and will be leaving early in the morning (friday). Looks like I will be driving into the wind and rain the whole way, but hopefully it will be nice and sunny on saturday when I start fishing. It looks like the water is cleaning up some around the islands. You guys must have got 4" of rain like we did and turned the rivers to mud, and lake erie too.

Bringing about 8 dozen crawlers but hope to troll some cranks if the wind dies down.

I packed one small suitcase and the wife has three large ones that weigh about 200 pounds. After seeing someone in here with a broken axle I decided to keep the boat light and load the truck up heavy.

I'll be out all week in a small chamo painted boat so you won't see me, lol, so don't run me over.