Erie Smallmouth

[jscharrer]

Does anyone even fish for the smallies anymore on Erie. Last year it was all I could do to find anyone else fishing for them. I fished from Geneva to Conneaut.

[Duffy]

Absolutely, yes!

If you only fished fom Geneva to Conneaut, then you didn't cover hardly any water. Best places I've fished for smallies in Lake Erie is of Vermilion; over by the islands out west; off Gull Point at Presque Isle, Erie, PA; and a mile or so off Buffalo. Granted, that's a lot of distance, but super action, and where al the tournaments are.

[WLB]

Jim
I only fish the western basin from Vermilion west, but I here about all those big smallies that come from the east end of the lake.
It looks like you have some nice harbors to choose from in the spring.
Fish them from April to June just like you would fish for largemouth.
By looking at my maps, there's some great shoreline structure through that whole area that you mentioned.
The simplest way to start would be dragging some kind of green tube on a 1/4 to 1/2 oz jig head, when you find 1, put the way point in your gps and try to stay on that spot. I noticed that the smallies have been in tight small schools more the last few years and you have to stay right on them.
Other baits to try would be drop shotting a fluke, plastic goby or a tube.
I like to fish blade baits but you have to get in tune hopping the rocks or you'll just be snagged up all the time, great bait once you master it.
The fish in the Huron/vermilion area seam to like the 16 to 20 range in the spring but I've caught them as shallow as 2ft and as deep as 40+
Use live bait to build your confidence, a soft craw rigged carolina style is the best, but they're expensive and the sheeps love them. Try a medium size shiner hooked thru the head on your tube, that will increase your odds.
They're not everywhere out there, but get on some rock structure, set up a drift and you'll find them. It's easy after you figure them out, it's a bitch till you do. :biggrin: tow is my best tip!

[NooB24]

I fish for them in the spring and summer every year off of conneaut and genevea. We usually stick around the breakwalls and rockpiles around there and pick up smallies everytime. are main bait is dark colored tubes... pumpkinseed, watermelon, etc...... We also catch em on jig and grub too and crankbaits. stick with the dark colors though cuz they like to eat those goby's. Good luck to u this year, ill be up there all the time when spring arrives.

[jscharrer]

I thank you for the Information and if anyone is looking for a tag along I would love to learn a few things.