Erie gets migrators from the Western basin earlier and tends to hold on to them due to the variety of structural variations the short stretch of Shoreline has to offer. Once you head east from the PA / OH line, the fish funnel through two super highways on their way eastward, known as the trenches (or we call "first and second Ditch") before it becomes a collection bowl at the east end of the first, just about 7 miles NE of the Walnut Creek boat launch. East of the bowl is a large flat and a large drop off / shelf runs north to just shy of the international border north of that bowl which tends to hold fish into August before they dump off into " the deep" that is the beginning of the Long Point Abyss. Nearer to shore and east of the deep is "The Mountain" a reef that runs east to just about the PA / NY line that goes from 40 - 55 feet on the top to drop off hard on the north side, quickly into over 80 - 100 feet. There's a lot to fish while following the migrating schools from west to east. There is also a pretty decent resident 'eye population that spawns to the east of the Port of Erie as well as to the west of Walnut Creek.
I know the Best Chance Too boys, before their fall from grace, swore trolling against the current with down speeds upwards of 3 mph...lock everything down!!!
The BayRat SS (short shallow) series has a wide array of colors custom made for top 20 FOW / shallow water and will dive 5 - 8', a bit deeper than most similar style plugs
Love reading your opinion Capt. Vince. It's always an edification listening to a man that has been around this fishery as long as you have, on all sides of the lake and to digest what you have to say. Keep it up! Love hearing it!
If you think we have it bad... Go fish Lake Michigan... We are graced with a prolific fishery with numbers of high quality Kings...even the last two mediocre to slow years
Reeleyz - grill em. We fish the west end and between the 3 of us we will smoke 4 or 5 but the rest are grilled, made into fresh / fresh frozen Salmon patties, some are fried, and many are given to family and friends
It's just Screwy all over. We did well of PA shore last Saturday, including a 10 1/2, but this incessant East wind keeps blowing any set up apart. Need a good stretch of calm weather, west breezes, and some warm temps to stratify the lake and get the offshore season started.
Took a while to figure out where yesterdays fish went, but once we got on em it was non-stop. 12 Kings by 845, had released additional 6 plus 4 Steelies before calling it a morning at 930. A little deeper today and further east, 55 to 90 down, over 150 - 200 fow...Spinnies did better a little deeper in column.
Unreal bite this am. 25 - 75 ft down over 100 - 150. All blades, 19/24 including a dink Coho and a laker, rest Kings. Flounder Pounder on riggers, Caddy Shack on 7 color also studs. Had 12 Kings to the back of the boat by 7:09.
Weren't a ton of kings to be had...even tourney boats. Did 4 Kings between 4 mile and 7 mile...then shut down...4 Kings, 2 short Cohos, and 6 Lakers for the day...most of tourney elite finishers were in 4 mile area
MODIS pic illustrates exactly what you said...dark blue water tight to shore then plume water out a bit: http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/modis/modis.php?region=o&page=1&template=subℑ=a1.15118.1732.LakeOntario.143.250m.jpg