Lake Erie Smallmouth

Lake Erie Smallmouth

by Bill Harding

Some days everything just goes your way. Such was the case when Dave Freeman and I spent a day fishing for smallmouth bass on Lake Erie. The sky was robin-egg blue, painted with just a few wispy brush strokes of clouds. The lake herself was in one of her more gentle moods, providing just enough wave action to give us a near perfect drift.

We were fishing out of Fairport Harbor with L.A. Charters and our skipper, Capt. Jim Garrett, assured us that we would catch some trophy size smallmouth bass. He was to live up to his promise.

In our Ohio, inland waters I consider any day I can catch a 2-pound smallmouth a good day. On this day I was able to land 6 scrappy bronzebacks, ranging from just under 4-pounds to over 5-pounds, and had a couple of nice ones spit the hook at boatside. I consider this a great day. But then any day spent fishing is a great day.

Dave was looking for a smallmouth bass worthy of taxidermy, and he was not disappointed. One of his fish weighed in at over 5 pounds and is at Snuff N' Stuff taxidermy being prepared to hang on Dave's wall. The rest of our fish, including two very large perch, were released unharmed.

Someone once said that Lake Erie smallmouth fight like a carp, boring deep into the lake and refusing to jump. The fish we caught put the lie to this statement. All of them jumped at least once and a couple seemed to feel that an acrobatic display was mandatory.

Lake Erie smallmouth like rocky bottoms and we caught our fish by drifting large tube jigs across that type of bottom. Capt. Jim likes to use flavored tube jigs and we tried both salt impregnated and garlic flavored. By the end of the day I had an irresistible urge to eat lasagna while watching the Sopranos.

I asked if the tube jigs resembled crayfish, but our captain's belief is that they resemble the goby. Foreign vessels introduced this intrusive species to the Great Lakes, much like the zebra mussels. I have never seen a goby, but after comparing the jigs to a photograph in the book, Lake Erie Smallmouth, by Mark Hicks, I can definitely see the resemblance. We certainly do not need intrusive species in our waters, but if the bass eat them, it might not be all bad.

While the bass liked our jigs, the real problem in fishing is finding the fish. That is why I always recommend that you fish with a guide unless you know the lake. The charter captains on Lake Erie fish nearly every day. Therefore, they keep tabs on the fish movements, and fish do move as they search for food, cover and their comfort level. The captains share this information with one another and even use code words and cell phones to keep the information private. After all, this is their livelihood.

If you are an inland angler, you need to realize that even a harbor on the big lake is larger than most inland lakes you are likely to fish. This makes finding fish a hit and miss proposition if you just launch your boat and expect to catch your limit. You will quickly learn that open water has no landmarks and it soon all looks the same.

There is also the problem of Lake Erie weather. My wife and fishing buddy, Barb and I spent 12 years sailing around this lake and have experienced most of her moods, some of them really nasty. Lady Erie can go from calm to life threatening quicker than any other body of water I have sailed. If you venture out, know the limitations of yourself and your vessel and stay within those limitations.

My best advice is for you to take a boating course such as the ones offered by the U.S. Power Squadron or the Coast Guard Auxiliary. In just a few short evenings you will learn things about boating that may someday save your life.

Watch the weather closely and get off the lake if a storm or high wind threatens. Do not just rely on the weather forecast. Instead, couple the forecast with common sense and a sharp eye. On one occasion, we set sail with a forecast of scattered showers. What we encountered was a full gale with 14-foot waves and 40-knot winds. We fought this for 12 hours before making port at Ashtabula. It was not the most fun I have had on the water.

Would I fish Lake Erie in a small boat? The answer is yes, but with some reservations. I would not take a small open boat, or a bass boat, out much farther than the breakwall. Any boat designed for calm inland lakes is not capable of handling even 6 and 7 foot waves. You also need an extra fuel tank and a couple of tools, just in case you have problems. A marine radio, even a hand held model, is a must. These are my rules and I know that many anglers ignore them and live to fish again. But there are enough that drown each year to make me want to err on the side of safety.

Charter captains, such as Jim Garrett, are experienced Lake Erie skippers and will provide you a fun and safe day on the water. Even if you plan to eventually fish from your own boat, I feel you will benefit from at least a half day on the water with a skipper like Jim. You will learn a lot about fishing. You can reach L.A. Charters at 440-257-1803. His e-mail is jgar@bbs2.rmrc.net.

Once Lake Erie was called the "Dead Sea", but now it has bounced back to become a top fishery. I cannot help but wonder if the next world record smallmouth is, even now, cruising the big lake and getting fat on gobies. Only time will tell.