weather/wind question for April 15-17th

[bocajemma]

I totally agree with you guys. Boca you are right. I've only gone out there 3 years and fished with a friend. Grew up in Minnesota fishing smaller lakes. Totally different ball game on Erie. Our lives are not worth it that's for sure. I'm hoping that the 10 day forecast is wrong for next weekend (more rain). it's a long ways out. the guys back home are willing to wait a couple weeks as long as the jig bite is somewhat still productive. I'd rather wait for better conditions and work harder for fish if we miss the hot jig bite. nothing like the erie jig bite. trolling is fun but it's more like towing in a fish in rather than feeling the hit!

Where to you go for "close to shore" condition reports? NOAA?

thanks again guys. Let me know when you guys do plan to go out there. the first round is on me at the Wild Wings.

Here are some weather links I use. I generally try to look at about every forecast available and then see what the weather trend is going to be, as in getting better, getting worse, or no change and use that to decide if, how, when, and where I fish.

http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/data/for.../le/lez145.txt
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/data/CLE/GLFLE
http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Hou...3&day=Tomorrow
http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/mod...egion=e&page=1
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick....x=70&map.y=95
http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/glcfs/...t&type=N&hr=00

Now, if your going straight from the jig bite to trolling, you are missing out on some of the best casting bite there is. When the jig bite stops, start casting some harnesses or mayfly rigs when there is a decent drift. For me, trolling is what you do when there is no wind to drift. Otherwise I have a fishing pole in my hand and casting!! trollling done right is very effective, but I just love to cast!!

[LEfriend]

Go to this site below and you can see the wave and wind forecast. I agree....I have a 22 foot offshore type boat and no way would I be out there with what they are predicting.

The odds of driving that far to get here and get shut out are pretty high. The NE winds Fri will be killers. If you can get out, it will be mighty unpleasant, if not dangerous. Remember, that water temp is in the 40's right now. If you heaven forbid for some reason would go in the water best hope someone is there to get you out real quick. It is not worth it. If you were a couple of hours away, you could always wait to see if things are better Sun. Even then the W/SW winds are forecast 20-25 knots. Due south might let you get out, but the slightest southwest wind with that speed will be no good.

Or you could bring waders and do the Maumee. Everyone is different, but if it was me, I would hope my friends would tell me not to come and wait for a better time.... or at least let me know the odds weren't good.

Even when the jigging ends, some of the best and fun fishing is drifting bottom bouncers. That to me is still fishing...not trolling and first of May the limit goes to six.

http://www.weather.gov/forecasts/wfo...eMarineDay.php

To use the above site, toggle through the days and hover your cursor over the parameter for the time of day you want to check. Us the color code and numbers to read the graphical map. What you want is gray or very lite pink for the waves. The purple, blue, and darker colors are bad news.