Ashtabula or Dunkirk?

[jljlinda]

Making plans to travel to Lake Erie middle of the coming week (Jul 24)in search of a few 'eyes. Distance from home to Ashtabula (OH) vs home to Dunkirk (NY) is about the same for us. Any advice on which location might be the better choice? I have found more posts about the Ashtabula area than the Dunkirk area but can not find info that suggests that one of the sites might be better than the other at the present time. Thanks in advance for your "guidance!"

[katman]

Bula baby! Going tomorrow I'll post how I do.

[hiliner]

i doubt if you will find many posters that have knowledge of both locations. I fish
Ashtabula and have worked in Dunkirk but not fished there. Ashtabula has had fair fishing
this year lately there have been fish in close and some good reports offshore. We have just
had a pretty good N.E. & N. blow the lake looks pretty muddy several miles offshore. It may
take until the first of the week for fishing to pick up.

[Bsov]

I havnt been hearing any real good reports out of ashtabula although ive heard that they are getting them real deep...fish out of pa we been doing really well out of walnut creek..and if you are going to go to dunkirk they said they are doing pretty good on the backside of the mountain for bigger fish and in close for schoolies If i was you id just go to walnut but its your decision

[jljlinda]

Thanks, katman. We will be looking forward to your post as we are still undecided about where to go. We just learned that Cedars Motel in Ashtabula now has fish cleaning available and that certainly is a point that favors 'bula!! Hope you have a great day on the lake!

[east sider]

Bula is good because nobody else goes there and you can fish from the shore to the border. The recent NE winds has made fishing tough just about everywhere but things should start picking up within a day or two. Try staying near bottom just above thermocline. Big fish are present.

[bassman 10]

I was just at bula on 7-22 and we got our 2 man ticket in about 2 1/2 hours of fishing. We had to go 14 to 16 miles nw of bula. 71' of water. Big dypsis on a 1 setting 90' to 100' back was a killer.

[jljlinda]

THANKS, bassman and all others who have helped with info that we requested. Our decision is now final - we will be leaving for 'bula tomorrow morning at about 3:00 am!! Once at the lake, we will head straight to the area that bassman 10 described!! We are excited and "thanks" again to all!!

[N8ARW]

Try the 42.05/07 and 80:55/57 area, waxed them out there yesterday (sun. 7/22). Ran big boards, in-line boards, dipsy's, riggers, flat lines...Sticks on wire 280-325', big dipsys 3-1/2 @ 125' harnesses w/ meat and riggers 55-65' harnesses w/meat. Have a ball....

[katman]

Quick limits on Sunday! 19-25 inchers, 15-16 miles NW of 'bula, 73 feet of water. Large spoons on dipseys and Jet 40 off the boards. They hit the crawlers later in the morning. The large dipseys 180 on 3 setting was hot.

[jljlinda]

Felt a need to says, "THANKS!!" again for the new reports from 'bula. Obviously, katman is a man of his word since he promised to post results of his trip on Sunday and he did. To "Hat Trick" Bill, your report seems too good to be true!! Nevertheless, I have already set up a waypoint on my GPS with your numbers as I wait for my two buddies to finish their day's work so we can get on the highway!

[Gilligan]

Best east basin bite would be Barcelona Harbor over Dunkirk. Lots of fish from Pa/NY line to several miles east of harbor. This is deep water, no 13-14 mile boat trips to fish. Most boats are never more than 4 miles off shore.

Come fish with me!
http://www.walleyecentral.com/wcdirectory/search_result.php

[katman]

jljlinda, so how did you do yesterday? I just read a report that they are still at the 5 line straight North of the marina 14-16 miles out, 71-73 foot of water. I probably won't be out again until maybe Sunday, but most likely next Friday.

[jljlinda]

Fished three days (Jul 24, 25,26) and filled three tickets each of the three days. Took "hat trick" Bill's advice and traveled 15 miles out of the Ashtabula harbor to the "hot spot" (see above post.) Ran 4 big dipsies (back 145 - 180 ft) and 2 jet divers (back 250 ft.) Almost all of the 'eyes were taken on worm harnesses run off the dipsies (hammered copper and watermellon were best.) Except for smacking a deer at about 4:00 am on I-79 in PA on our way to the Lake, this trip was one of our best trips ever!!

Too, we finally found a motel (Cedars Motel) in Ashtabula where we were able to clean our catch. Please don't think I have any connection with this motel. I offer this info only as a courtesy to others that have tried to find a motel in Ashtabula that allowed for fish cleaning. (Not only do they offer the fish cleaning option, the lady in the office (Marty) was able to present to my friend a Fish Ohio certificate for having caught an eleven pound, 32 1/4 'eye, the largest ever taken in my boat. Needless to say, my friend, who has only fished Erie three times in his life, was thrilled!!)

[Storm Warning II]

I don't get it!

We fished out at the 11 line into the 9.25 (N) and as far west as the 45 off 'Bula, didn't mark squat and picked up 2 in 2.5 hrs. on Tuesday. Where is this "school"????

[jljlinda]

Before leaving my garage, I set waypoint 42.06N & 80.56W (#3) on my GPS. These are the coordinates that N8ARW ("Hat Trick" Bill - see his post above) suggested. Once we got on the water on Tuesday morning, we went straight to the waypoint. I noticed that when I called up the waypoint as we departed the harbor (out of the Lake Shore launch), the distance to waypoint #3 was 15.0 statute miles. Once we arrived at the waypoint, we found several charters already set up. By 4:00 pm, we had our 18 'eyes (and 1 steelhead.) On Wednesday morning, we returned to the same spot and we were first to get out there this time! Needless to say, soon after our arrival several other boats were on the scene. At one point, we counted in the mid-twenties the number of boats that we could see. By 10:00 am we had our 18 'eyes and zero trout. Our third day, (Thursday) we filled our tickets by noon again. This was the best trip, as far as the "bite" is concerned, that I have ever experienced on Lake Erie. (Want to add that, although we must drive 300 miles to get there, we always have a great trip when we can "go fishin' on Erie!!")

[Sunshine 2]

Sounds like they're maybe around the 5 line (N-S) and maybe the 40 - 45 (E-W)?

That's historically a good spot for me in mid summer.

I think maybe I'm gonna give that a run tommorrow morning (Saturday 7-28).

Anyone please feel free to give me a call on 14 Saturday!

Sunshine

[Sunshine 2]

Scratch that!

Now I see they're 10 miles west!

That's too far from Conneaut for my wallet!

I'll still be out there somewhere though!

Sunshine

[bassman 10]

You were to far north and to far east to get into the school. The #'s are 5-7 line north, and 53-57 line west. Its a big area but if your not in it, your catching 2 fish in 2 hours. Go to those #'s and you will find the fish.

[katman]

Headed up Friday to 'bula if the weather cooperates. I'll post a report Saturday on how I did. I've heard they're still there last weekend.

[bassman 10]

I was back up ther on sunday (2' or less turned into 3' to 5's), and the fish have spread out even more. We started on the 7 north line and the 53 west line. Got a few right away, then it slowed alittle. But we ended on the 2 north line and the 58 west line. Ther were pockets of fish all the way, but the waves kept us going. If we would have been in a tourny we would have reeled in and moved over the hot spots more, but we were just fun fishing. We ended up with 3 man limit in about 4 1/2 hours of fishing time. Biggest fish was 7 lbs with most fish going 3 to 5 lbs. Again big dypsis (without ring) on a #3 setting back 190', and #1 setting 95' back did best. The contender confusion spoon was by far our best spoon. I like the contender spoons, they are bigger then the small stingers, but smaller then the big stingers. With this week being hotter and no winds, not sure if it will move the fish any. Good luck and I hope this helps......

[katman]

worked the 5-7 line from 58-53 line. Fast action, lots of marks, 2 man limit quickly. We released a few small ones, the ones we kept 20-28 inchers. 0 for 1 with the steelhead. Jet 30's, dipseys 120-190 3 setting, spoons caught all but one on a crawler harness. beautiful day on the late.

[Storm Warning II]

Thanks for the numbers and reports guys. As Sunshine put it, that's a lot further west of what I was under the impression where those fish were. There is a LOT of action on silver and gold inside 70 fow from Conneaut east to the point of Presque Isle right now.

[N8ARW]

Glad to hear that you did good at those numbers...We went back out there and pounded them again. It's a bit of a boat ride, but there are some nice fish out there....

[N8ARW]

Glad to hear that you did good at those numbers...We went back out there and pounded them again. It's a bit of a boat ride, but there are some nice fish out there....

[katman]

Managed to get out Friday afternoon at 'bula. Had three guys cancel, so I said I'll go by myself. Little choppy, 2-4's on the way out. Went to the 00/01 North line. Good marks and about 10 boats trolling. Stopped set up 2 lg dipseys and lg spoons. Easy limit, with 3 throwbacks and some sheephead. Fish ranged from 15-23 inches. Approx. 10 miles North of the first stack. No steelhead. If I had a crew and would have got there earlier, I would have gone to the old #'s. They seemed to be a little bigger there. Oh well, another great day on the lake. Beats working.