Lake Erie Smallie Fishing

[Gerry Zagorski]

Just got back from a camping trip to Finger Lakes and Western NY and did a half day charter with the family out of Buffalo targeting Smallmouth. Fishing was a little off since the Smallies were in a transition period just after the spawn. Apparently the females move off the beds and into deeper waters while the males stay on the beds to protect their young. Our guide said we could have caught tons of fish in the shallows inside Buffalo Harbor but this time of year they frown of fishing shallow so they don't disturb the males. obs.

We caught a half dozen of smallies and some huge fresh water Drum. The biggest smallie was 4 pounds pictured here and the drums we're around 6 or 7 pounds and fought like hell.

A fun trip but if you plan to fish up there the best time is apparently May.

[thmyorke1]

cool drums! what were the water temps like? I figure everything's a bit delayed with the bigger water?

[muskynut]

Hook up with my friend Capt. Hans Mann of Buffalo Harbor Outfitters for giant smallies in May on Erie. Heck of a nice guy and superb fisherman.....also catches GIANT muskies.....big lake perch etc. Highly Recommended

[bulletbob]

There's a good reason they don't fish certain areas this time of year. During the spawn and for a time after when the bass are protecting the fry, when a bass is taken off the nest, Gobies come flying in by the hundreds and instantly destroy the nest, eating all the eggs in the time the bass has been removed from its nest, and they do the same to recently hatched fry... check it out on YT.. There is a guy that defends the gobies saying they don't ALWAYS raid nests , but he's full of crap.. They always do when present in an area... Anywhere there is rocky, pebbly ,broken rubble substrate the bottom is crawling with them, and they eat everything.. Not as bad in open sand, mud, or soft weedy bottom, but thats also not where the SMB are... More and more, locals in NY state do NOT bass fish in waters that are Goby infested, including me ,in the early season... Charters/guides still do, and for some crazy reason the state allows C/R tourneys as well, but those that live here know the score.. The Round Goby has out competed everything near shore, and that includes native minnow species, Perch , sunfish, Rock Bass, SMB and LMB that live in rocky areas.. Yes the bass eat gobies, and yes the bass are big from eating them, but the numbers of bass are WAY down from what they used to be.... If you want to fish the Finger or Great Lakes for bass, I would consider booking well after the fish are off the nests for good, in July or August... bob

[Mikey topaz]

Love the camping /fishing trips looks like a good time. I’m definitely about die for something like this!

[Esox Luciano]

4lbs is a nice smallie, good stuff! Been out there years ago and killed it from the shore outta Cleveland. I also got to land a freshwater drum while there as well so that was cool to see.

[FASTEDDIE29]

The Cap’n of NJF on that hot Drum bite. Such a strong fish. I wish we had them here. Great trip Gerry!

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by thmyorke1

cool drums! what were the water temps like? I figure everything's a bit delayed with the bigger water?

Not sure but the guide said they were 3 or 4 weeks ahead of where they normally are this time of year since they didn't have any ice last yer.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by bulletbob

There's a good reason they don't fish certain areas this time of year. During the spawn and for a time after when the bass are protecting the fry, when a bass is taken off the nest, Gobies come flying in by the hundreds and instantly destroy the nest, eating all the eggs in the time the bass has been removed from its nest, and they do the same to recently hatched fry... check it out on YT.. There is a guy that defends the gobies saying they don't ALWAYS raid nests , but he's full of crap.. They always do when present in an area... Anywhere there is rocky, pebbly ,broken rubble substrate the bottom is crawling with them, and they eat everything.. Not as bad in open sand, mud, or soft weedy bottom, but thats also not where the SMB are... More and more, locals in NY state do NOT bass fish in waters that are Goby infested, including me ,in the early season... Charters/guides still do, and for some crazy reason the state allows C/R tourneys as well, but those that live here know the score.. The Round Goby has out competed everything near shore, and that includes native minnow species, Perch , sunfish, Rock Bass, SMB and LMB that live in rocky areas.. Yes the bass eat gobies, and yes the bass are big from eating them, but the numbers of bass are WAY down from what they used to be.... If you want to fish the Finger or Great Lakes for bass, I would consider booking well after the fish are off the nests for good, in July or August... bob

Thanks for the info Bob. This is exactly what our guide explained as well and we actually caught a few Gobies. The Cormorants are also doing a number on the fishery to the extent most want a hunting season opened for them.

I've fished up in the 1000 Islands in August and it's lot harder to locate the fish in the Summer then in the spring since they are deep and out of the bays, but if you find them its game on.

We used two different methods on this trip. Drifting small green minnows on a 3 way set up and I tried a drop shot using a wacky rigged Watermelon Sinko. My drop shot was not doing all that well until our guide suggested I use one of his Berkley Powerbait worms in Goby color and tip hook rather then wacky rig it.

[bulletbob]

I moved here from Forked River in 1991... Fishing was so spectacular for about the first 10 years that I didn't miss NJ salt water that much. Perch, Rock Bass a foot long everywhere, and various Sunfish of a size that were beyond belief, right from shore, Not to mention Landlocks, Brown Trout, Lakers, Pike,all from shore no boat required. I used to take my kids fishing with worms and bobbers for those huge panfish and can recall getting pissed off at the giant spawning SMB that would keep grabbing the little pieces of worm on the kids lines, and almost pull them into the lakes... Then the zebra mussels came, few years later the Gobies, and the big lakes up here changed forever.
The charter guys had to adapt, at least the ones that targeted Bass.