weather/wind question for April 15-17th

[bdrieck]

I'm looking to just hit the jig bite. trolling not a priority at this point. just wondering if this would change your opinion about whether or not I should try it. have a buddy telling me that I should still go as waves will be large 5miles out but with the south wind should still be able to catch fish close in. I just can't believe I could even get on the lake with 20+mph winds for 2 days even if I'm 20 yards off shore. Of course he's suggesting this before Fri & Saturday's expected hurricane

If anyone is planning on jigging this weekend let me know. Again, as I have only gone a few times I don't know how to cross reference the weather forecast with what the lake will be like.

thanks again gentlemen for all of your help!

[not2often]

Based on the current temperatures, I'm certain that the jig bite will carry well into the second week of May. The jig bite is my favorite too. I've made several trips not heeding the advice of the board, cruising through the channel in Wild Wings, heading out thinking that the winds were not that bad, only to get out there about 3-400 yards and realize that: " it's not a very good idea to be out here right now". My boat is 22 feet long and with the waves, it's damn near impossible to present a jig properly when its popping three feet off the bottom. It's killer to wait an extra week but if you can, it would be well worth it in the end in terms of production.

[bocajemma]

I'm looking to just hit the jig bite. trolling not a priority at this point. just wondering if this would change your opinion about whether or not I should try it. have a buddy telling me that I should still go as waves will be large 5miles out but with the south wind should still be able to catch fish close in. I just can't believe I could even get on the lake with 20+mph winds for 2 days even if I'm 20 yards off shore. Of course he's suggesting this before Fri & Saturday's expected hurricane

If anyone is planning on jigging this weekend let me know. Again, as I have only gone a few times I don't know how to cross reference the weather forecast with what the lake will be like.

thanks again gentlemen for all of your help!

Ultimately it's going to be your call. We are just recommending to you that you do not take your boat out on the lake this weekend. No fish in that lake is worth your life, and the fishing to this point has just been ok. Since you said that you just got the boat this winter, I would assume that you don't have much experience boating on Erie, and I wouldn't make your maiden voyage a day with 5 to 8 footers predicted in the nearshore forecast. Like I said before, I am a hardcore fisherman and I have a 28' hard top Baha with a 9.5' beam, 454 inboard, and I have 20+ years experience boating and fishing Lake Erie. You couldn't pay me to go out fishing in the predicted weather this weekend. But nobody is going to stop you if you want to go. You most likely won't be the only out there.....

[bdrieck]

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.

[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.