Erie Opener was a kick in the groin

[Moonlighting]

Went out with Gone Fishing Larry today. Got Lines set at 6:30. Started out in front of Breast bay 24 fow.Got two quick eyes, (too small) , mark was good. got into the silver bass. Worked north towards Fermi, ran into grass, action was not good, decided to head to waypoints that Larry had been working. Started SE of Sputnick, saw a pack of boats and worked the pack. Mark was outstanding. Our line was straight between West Sister and Toledo Light. Saw several nets in the water. Ended up boating 14 walleye. 12 were too small. I have never seen so many sub legal fish. Our best set up was copper spoons on a three way. Took a few on the riggers. Most fish came on spoons. Got back to Sterling, went to the fish cleaning station. Saw a three man limit of huge walleye. All fish over 5#s three or four over 10#s.
They were fishing in tight in Breast bay. They Started right out of the Sterling Channell in 15fow, worked a line south towards the Two stacks. Best Erie Catch I have ever seen. Trolling Hot'n Tots on the boards. Hope they are still there this weekend.

[shametamer]

hopefully brdhntr and bolodunn were working the very area you describe! Sorry you didn't limit out, but aye the year classes seem to be good for the future!

[Moonlighting]

Tried to get bolo on the radio no, luck. I did talk to hunt 4 ever.

[King Crawler]

ML- you must have driven right by me. I spent this mornings opener in Ohio waters.:dizzy: I was due west of W. Sister from 9-11 am. I had tried to fish the Toledo Lt. area but the fish weren't cooperating for me either. I then ran to Ohio waters and did pretty well in the same areas that produced for me last weekend (see todays report). But no real size to any of these fish. Looks like I may have to try the shallows of Brest bay next time out. I've forgotten what a 10 pounder looks like! Thanks for the report Moonlighting!

[rivrat1959]

Ended up with 15 keepers, biggest 6 lbs, trolled between detroit river light and nuke plant,16 to 18 foot of water.

[Moonlighting]

we were seeing lots of grass the farther north we got.

[Hunt4Ever]

Yes I was out there too. Started out right infront of Sterling in 20FOW. I now know that was to deep. The mark was incredible. TONS of bait lots of fish arches. Put the lines out, with a planer board, hit, bring it in, white bass. I did this a few times and was getting white bass to hit about every 2 minutes. I stopped putting the lines on planer boards because you didn't need them. I was running a spoon off a jet and various cranks (Hot'NTots and Shad Raps). Everything was getting clobbered. I stayed with it hoping that some of those fish were walleye. Well, some were. I was getting 12-13" walleye all morning. Lots of them. I trolled out to 23 FOW and starting running a meat program when the lake laid down a bit and hit a HUGE sheephead, like 10 lbs, and did hook up one nice walleye. He looked like 24"-28" fish, but I lost him at the boat when I was reaching for the net. (If you were around me at that time I apologize for my language)

I had to cut it short because of afternoon commitments otherwise I would have stayed out longer and HOPEFULLY figured it out. (start shallower maybe?)

I will be out again Friday I hope and probably once this weekend. Good talking to everyone out there. You michigan-sportsman out there keep your radios on and don't feel shy about asking for a report. I'll give you one if I'm there.

[steve ypsi]

i was out from 7 am till about 12:30, got 2 keepers over 17 inchs out N/W of w sisiter in 26 feet water, got 2 keeper's & 4 sub legal
No one was doing much on the charters that I could see

[bolodunn]

Tried to get bolo on the radio no, luck. I did talk to hunt 4 ever.
didn't make it today. i'll be out thurs evening, & friday evening. we were out monday & did pretty good.
here is my question!!!
we marked more (large) arches than i've ever seen, right on the bottom! but nothin was really hitting. now, do ya'll think if i was to stop trolling & bust out with the jigs it would trigger those lazy eyes on the bottom? i just can't stand to think i'm passing over 5 million & 3 fish & nothin is going on.
let me know what you think cause if it happens next time i'm doin it!!! lol...

[captain jay]

Barry,

Try trolling real slow with bottom bouncers and harnesses and putting it right in their faces. I would try jigging also. Blade baits, jigging raps, or just a lead head with a 1/2 of a crawler.

Good luck. I'm in the Bass mode right now because of a tournament this weekend, but I'll be back out there soon.

Captain Jay

[bolodunn]

Barry,

Try trolling real slow with bottom bouncers and harnesses and putting it right in their faces. I would try jigging also. Blade baits, jigging raps, or just a lead head with a 1/2 of a crawler.

Good luck. I'm in the Bass mode right now because of a tournament this weekend, but I'll be back out there soon.

Captain Jay
thanks jay!!! that was what i was thinking & you confirmed!!!!

[brdhntr]

We ended up with 3 legal, biggest was 24" smallest 16", tons of small ones but at about 6:30 am, the white bass started up and the walleye shut down. I decided to troll in towards the beach at Sterling and try in shallower, but my partner got the heaves so we pulled lines and headed in. Not a bad day on the water. Talked to Gone Fishing, and Hunt4Ever, the portable handheld worked pretty good out there. I had to laugh at the guys wondering how rough it was as we bounced around in my little 14' boat. Wasn't bad at all. We were running tots, with a spoon 5' above each. Tots were the ticket on the eyes, white bass hit everything. Many times brought up 2 bass on a rod.

Bolodunn, all three fish we caught were skinny and empty stomachs, I was thinking exactly what your were. My thought is the cold snap slowed the spawn, and a bunch are still resting up. Look out when they decide to start eating!

Hunt4Ever, don't you have an 18' lund alaskan? We passed you on our way trolling in toward the 2 stacks. 2 guys in a camo 14' with electric trolling motor mounted on front.

[Hunt4Ever]

Yes that was me. 18' Alaskan in duck brown, 90 Yamaha on the back.

[rivrat1959]

HUnt4ever, I believe I seen you out there today if you were in an 18 alaskan, we were in a 17.5 crestliner w/115johnson and 4 hp kicker, I think my partner yell over to you to watch out for our planers one time. we were runnin inline planers and bottom bouncers with crawlwer harnesses.

[steve ypsi]

Capt Jay
Try trolling real slow with bottom bouncers and harnesses and putting it right in their faces. I would try jigging also. Blade baits, jigging raps, or just a lead head with a 1/2 of a crawler.
of The above I tried all but the last one in 2 days of fishing, I did catch 2 keepers yesterday under hard conditions thanks to you teaching me that trip out with me and art, I also used the harness's you taught me to make, in two days I caught 7 total keepers which you know I would not have caught with out your help on the training trip, before I would have been happy to catch one in 2 days
A little funny story, Putty got sea sick for the first time, the rolling deck was to much for her, I put her back on the council and then she was all right where she could see the lake, she ate again and even slept a little up high on the council.

[Spanky]

Hey guys, just gettin ready for the 2 1/2 hr drive, should be on the water by 1 pm, so if you are out there today thru sunday morn, give me a shout on 71, Genuine raft is the boat name, but I will answer to spanky too. I will be slipping at the marina at the end of the sterling park launch channel. Stop by and say hello. 22 ft starcraft, tan/white, w/ 115 merc, steelheader sticker on the transom.

I hope to see you guys there! :) :) :) :D

[Bill B.]

Spanky,
I think I'll be over this afternoon also. I'll give you a holler. I'm also on a 22' tan Islander. Will be putting in at Sterling.
Bill on "Islander"
usually on 68, but will use 71 to make contact.
YeeHaa!!! We're going fishin' :yikes: :lol:

[nosleeptillbrooklyn]

was out by stoney point, tried from 24' to 12' caught 11 walleye all between 11" and 14" also caught about 30 white bass all on crawler harness. red, orange or pink seemed to be the colr for the eyes. will try again this weekend.

[GONE FISHIN(LARRY)]

Location , location, locatuion ,at the time I thought the decesion to head head out where I was hammering last week out by the island was a good one , we herd very little on the radio going on in michigan waters , we found lots of fish out there , unfortunaly they were silver bass and 13/14 inch walleye . The fishin next year should be great with eatan sized walleye , in my last 3 trips to erie this year have cauught over 30 walleye 12 to 14 inches long .

[hunting man]

Try right off the rip rap wall at sterling state park. 8 to 10 feet of water early in the morning. The nice big walleyes lay right off the wall there.