Help with Erie Plans

[YukonD]

Let's say a couple guys make a 7-8 hour drive from central Illinois to Port Clinton on Erie to fish 2-3 full days in April or May. If the waves are too rough to go out, what's an alternative within a couple hours drive? I'm planning the first of 4-5 trips this coming year, and I'm betting that odds are pretty high that wind and weather will blow some of these trips. I'd love to have a walleye, sauger, smallmouth, pike or musky back up plan (like a river or smaller lake) rather than drive another 4-5 hours or go back home :-) Any info or ideas are appreciated.

[Trophy]

If you like to bass fish the Portage river is pretty decent. When I was docked in the river on rough days I would walk the docks flipping tube baits and did really well.

[Boatnut]

One thing to keep in mind is the limits for march&April is 3 fish per person , while in May you can keep 6. Also the later you plan the better chance of nice weather for Erie.
my 2 cents.

[Gilligan]

With the long trip you may not be interested in a longer one but...
Eries east basin in NY state has a good summer bite and when it blows Chautauqua Lake is only 20 minutes away. Chautauqua holds walleye, bass, muskie and crappie. This trek would add about 2-2.5 hrs to your already long trip.

[ebijack]

detroit river..2 hrs north

[ETT]

Watch this board, there will be pretty much daily updates on patterns & weather. Sandusky Bay 10 minutes east of Port Clinton can stay fishable with nw or se winds, but it often muddies up with sw or ne winds.

Good luck, and we'll see you in the spring.

[YukonD]

Thanks very much guys. This is the info I was looking for; knew I could count on you :-)

East Basin and Chautauqua
Detroit River
Sandusky Bay and Portage River

Now I have a few alternative places to research and I know what to watch for on this board this Spring. All of you guys help Scott make this the best fishing site on the web.

[YukonD]

>One thing to keep in mind is the limits for march&April is 3
>fish per person , while in May you can keep 6. Also the
>later you plan the better chance of nice weather for Erie.
>my 2 cents.

Boatnut: I appreciate that information. I knew there was some sort of limit change during the early season, but wasn't sure. In May, would the eyes (at least the larger ones) be moving out further off shore?

[Toolman]

YukonD,

If you stay/fish the Pt. Clinton area and hit a blow day, there's a couple of alternative (smaller) lakes within driving distance. Pymatuming Res is in NE Ohio (on the PA border) and has a good stocked population of Walleye. It would be about a 1.5 hour trip. Pleasant Hill is in North-Central Ohio near Mansfield. It has a good population of stocked saugeyes. A little less than 1.5 hour drive.

Tim

[perchjerker]

One nice thing about the Det river is for a brand new body of water to you, you wont have any problems trying to figure out where to start fishing at least. Just look for the crowds. Close to the launches too.

[drylok]

YUKOND,
I'M GLAD YOU ASKED.I AM PLANNING A FIRST TIME TRIP IN MAY DEPENDING ON HOW PLANTING SEASON GOES.I HAVE FAMILY THAT LIVES IN DEFIANCE,OH.THEN I WILL HEAD ON UP FROM THERE.I WAS WORRIED TO ABOUT BLOW DAYS.MAP QUEST SAYS IT'S ONLY 5 OR 6 HRS FROM CHAMPAIGN.BEATS 12 HRS TO WHERE I HAVE BEEN FISHING IN MINNESOTA.

[bob oh]

If you are going to base in Defiance you want to fish the Detroit River on blow days -- hour or so away.

rod bender bob

[YukonD]

Got some good responses and information about alternatives, Drylok. I plan to stay glued closely to what everyone is saying here, some of the weather sites, etc, and try to be as flexible as possible about when I make that 7 hr drive :-) I'm just south of Decatur, so around an hour or so further from Erie than you are. Gotta get my wife to relocate closer to the action :-) I wonder if they need software developers in Port Clinton?

[drylok]

YUKON,
I JUST EAST OF TUSCOLA.I JUST PUT ON MY PROFILE THAT I WAS FROM CHAMPAIGN,BECAUSE NOBODY KNOWS WHERE THE HECK NEWMAN IS.DO YOU FISH SHELBYVILLE?

[drylok]

YUKON,
I JUST EAST OF TUSCOLA.I JUST PUT ON MY PROFILE THAT I WAS FROM CHAMPAIGN,BECAUSE NOBODY KNOWS WHERE THE HECK NEWMAN IS.DO YOU FISH SHELBYVILLE?

[YukonD]

>YUKON,
>I JUST EAST OF TUSCOLA.I JUST PUT ON MY PROFILE THAT I WAS
>FROM CHAMPAIGN,BECAUSE NOBODY KNOWS WHERE THE HECK NEWMAN
>IS.DO YOU FISH SHELBYVILLE?

I do fish Shelbyville, which is not too far from my house. It's a very tough lake to be consistent on with all species except crappie.

[drylok]

YUKOND,If you want to go walleye fishing some time let me know.We caught 105 last spring and 120 in the spring of '03.They start the 1st of May and run through the 4th of July.I'll send you some pics some time.I just figured you probably walleye fish down there.
LATER,

[river nut]

If you can't get out on the big pond (erie) you can always find shelter in the Detroit River. BUT it can be tough if the wind is from the north. Then the wind muddies the water pretty bad. Try calling Bottom Line Bait and tackle in Gibraltar, MI. They are right outside the launch at the lower end of the river and will know the conditions. It may keep you from wasting a day when you could be somewhere else. The bite on the Det is pretty much a verticle jig bite while slipping the current, unless you have a wire line set up, which is a whole nother story.

[YukonD]

I have fished Shelbyville for walleye, usually in the toughest times of the year to catch 'em. I've had my best walleye success fishing the stump flats for bass with small crankbaits. I started drifting live bait rigs and crawler harnesses now and then the past couple years and picked up some nice 16-20 inchers; but not the numbers your talking about. With all the bass tournaments I've fished the past few years, I haven't focused much on 'eyes. Let's go some time this year. YukonD

[YukonD]

The Detroit sounds like a good back up plan. When's the good walleye bite on the Detroit?

[ebijack]

usually april is the BIG bite on the detroit river...every weekend in april there is a tourney there...there are fish in the river all year long and a there is a good bite till usually august. jigging, handlining, bottom bouncing all produce. there's 30 miles of river to fish, you'll want a canadian lic...alot of the better holes/spots are in canada.

[dan d.]

You are 2 hours away from Lk. St. Clair,the best smallmouth fishery on the planet.

[YukonD]

Man...I've heard about the smallies on St. Clair. That's on my list of must-do trips.

I was talking with an RCL pro today at a dealers open house. He was telling me tales about walleye on the Detroit River that almost made me drool.

At this dealer's show, there were 2 walleye pros, two old crappie fisherman, me, and 200 bass fisherman all dressed in their sponsors colors listening to Chad Brauer speak. I got lots of time in with the walleye guys :-)