Ice Fishing Coming Quickly.

It is not even Christmas yet and many local fisherman are gearing up for what looks to be like a long ice fishing season. Colder than normal temperatures are freezing the head of Presque Isle Bay and brave ice fisherman should be venturing onto the ice soon. I like to wait until the ice is at least 5 inches thick but many people go out on 3 inch ice.

Normally, the ice is thick enough around the later part of January. However, this year, unless it warms up significantly, the ice should be ready in the first week of January.

The species of fish that can be caught through the ice in Presque Isle Bay include crappies, bluegills, perch, steelhead trout, a few northern pike, and occassionally large or smallmouth bass. I have heard rumors about walleyes being caught through the ice in Presque Isle Bay but have never seen or caught one myself.

Good luck fishing and be very careful if you venture onto the ice. I will be bringing you pictures and updates as ice fishing season continues.

Steelhead Finally Get High Waters.

A local fisherman once told me that if you can brave the snow and cold, the best steelhead fishing is right around Christmas. This year I believe he is right. We received about 10 inches of snow last week and the past few days, temperatures have skyrocketed into the upper 40's. The snowpack is almost totally gone and the streams are flowing above their banks. In a couple days when the stream levels decrease there should be a plethora of new and old steelhead in the streams and they should be quite a distance from the mouths. I bet they will be eager to hit about anything also! Good luck fishin'

Jumbo Perch Around Piers.

Today my cousin and I ventured down to the South Pier just after sunup and were attempting to catch some jumbo perch. The current in the channel was really strong making fishing difficult. We moved out to the end of the pier and in about 15 minutes I caught a whopper of a perch. A big fat 12 incher. My cousin then caught one of the smallest perch I have ever seen caught:) We had a couple more bites within the next half hour but by 9:00 am forget it, the bite was off and the wind began to really pick up.

One other fisherman caught 3 nice perch and that was about it for today at the South Pier. The nice perch are moving in with the colder water temps and there should be some good days coming up before ice starts forming. Good luck fishing the piers and make sure you bring enough weight to keep your bait in the water if the current is like today.

Perch Fishing Improves Off of Local Piers.

This past week I have been scouting the piers and looking to see what the fisherman are catching. Quite a few perch are now being caught, many are small but there are jumbos mixed in. Steelhead are now in all of the local streams in large numbers. Out at Walnut Creek this past week there were an estimated 1200 fish from near the mouth up to the hole just above the first bridge. Fisherman are catching quite a few steelhead with those using lighter lines faring the best in clear water conditions. Steelhead fishing around Erie will continue to be very good to excellent from now until the end of April unless the streams become frozen later on. Happy Fishin'

Perch Fishing Slow in Channel.

It's name is Perca flavescens, common name yellow perch, and this is the fish that is most sought from the fishing piers surrounding Erie, PA. Today, I went fishing for this tasty fish and the weather really was not cooperating. The wind was blowing hard out of the northwest and there was a bad current in the channel which kept moving my bait towards the lake reminding me of river fishing. Then it started raining and right before I was about to forget fishing and go home and watch football, it suddenly quit raining and I was able to fish until dark. I managed to catch a whopping two fish: one nice sized 10 inch perch and a round goby.

I talked to several other fisherman who did not do any better. It appears that there are a few nice perch moving into the pier waters but the vast majority of them are still out in the lake. Crappies seem to have disappeared from alongside the piers. Steelhead appear to be moving closer to shore in decent numbers as I saw quite a few splashing the surface before dark. The weather has not been that cooperative for fishing the past few days. I plan on getting back out this week scouting for both returning perch and steelhead. Happy fishin'

Returning Perch Starting to Show Up in Buckets

Yesterday I ventured out to the South Pier to check on the perch fishing. Only a couple fisherman. I talked to two of them that were fishing for about an hour and caught 3 perch. One was nice around 10 inches; the other two they released. The lake erie water temperature is falling fast, thanks to the colder than normal weather. Perch fishing should be improving and I am going to give it a go this weekend. Hopefully, I will be showing off my catch in my next update. Happy fishin'

Today I went on a steelhead scouting trip and decided I would visit the eastside of Erie. I went to 12 mile creek to see how many fish moved into the stream from the past couple days of rain. I was surprised to see that very few fish were in the stream, perhaps a dozen from the mouth up past the concrete wall. There was a couple fisherman and luckily while I was there, one of them hooked a nice fresh fish right in front of me. He fought it for a few minutes and then landed and released it. Stream levels are once again lower than desired for the fish to migrate up the streams. Rain is in the near forecast and maybe after the next couple days of rain more fish will move up the streams. Happy fishin'

Lake Erie Steelhead Streams - Erie County PA

Here is the direct link...Erie County Steelhead Streams

2009-2011 Lake Erie Steelhead Run Outlook

Around Erie Pennsylvania there will be very large steelhead runs making this area one of the top destinations for steelhead trout fisherman in 2009 thru 2011. Pennsylvania's Fish Commission releases approximately one million (that number is correct!) steelhead smolts annually into Lake Erie. Many of these fish venture out into the depths of Lake Erie and become very large and then return to local streams.

Most fisherman not familiar with the Erie area fish just a couple of the many streams that harbor steelhead in the fall, winter, and spring months. For your information I have included a very good link for you steelheaders to browse through. It shows our local steelhead streams and here it is: http://www.fish.state.pa.us/steelhead.htm

The date today is September 28 2009. The past couple days we have received quite a bit of rain that increased stream levels. The steelhead that have been staging the past couple weeks are now most likely moving up the streams and fishing for them will greatly improve over the next few days. Remember to pick up all of your trash as a lot of our fishing is on private lands. May your lines be tight and your hooks be happy!

Perch Showing Up Along Piers.

The cool nights are cooling down the lake temperature. Steelhead are moving into the shallows and streams and the jumbo perch are beginning to show up along the piers. Today I scouted the south pier and hardly anyone was fishing. I don't know why as conditions were perfect. Anyhow, the two men that were fishing near the end of the pier were catching quite a few fish. They had a whopper of a perch which was 13 and one-half inches and a couple around 11 inches. They also had four crappie and a 27 inch channel catfish.

Today was the first day I saw any signs of perch showing up for the fall. Fishing for perch should improve over the next month as more jumbos move into the shallows to feed on the baitfish. I will be trying it again this coming Saturday and am hoping for conditions like today. Last Saturday it was extremely windy and chilly and all I caught were two small bluegills. Happy Fishing!

Big Fish -Catch Big Fish Game

With the fall and winter weather coming, I thought I would post a neat fishing game on my blog. So when the weather is too bad to get out, you can stay home and catch these computer fish. Here it is, have fun!

Big Catch Land as many fish as possible. Can you make the Big Catch?

Play this free game now!!

Panfish Hitting Fairly Well.

Today was sunny and quite warm (around 75) for a September day. I tried to fish for crappies anyway and bought some minnows from a bait store. The minnows were all extremely large and I thought that I would not catch any fish on them. I headed out to the North Pier on Presque Isle around 5:00 p.m. and fished until dark. The bite was late, as I expected, and I managed to pull in a few crappies and a couple nice bluegills. A gentlemen came up to me and told me that they killed the crappies yesterday and that he too thought my minnows were way too large.

It all depends on the weather. The crappies are now staged along the piers and the fishing will be best on dark overcast days. No perch showing up along the piers yet but I look forward to catching some pretty soon. Good luck fishin'

Fishing Improves for Local Panfish.

The cooler temperatures and more stable fronts have the fish biting pretty well. Last Friday my cousin and I caught 15 nice bluegill and 1 crappie off of the south pier. Other fisherman were doing equally well and the past couple days the fishing is improving. On Monday, there were a few fisherman catching quite a few crappies during the evening hours. I saw a gentlemen with about 15 average sized crappies.

The North Pier at Presque Isle is heating up. Yesterday, I watched a couple fisherman reeling in crappies one after another. And the best part is that they are pretty big. One fish caught was about a 12 incher. As the water temperature drops a couple of degrees, the fishing should remain good to excellent. If you are fishing the piers and not catching any fish be sure to move around and try to find a school. Some people are not catching any and 50 feet away they are killing them. Good Luck! It's time for me to go fishin'.

Scrappy Bluegills Still Hitting Well

My cousin and I went fishing Friday afternoon and once again the bluegills were hitting pretty well. It was one of those days where you sit for a while without a bite and then the fish turn on like someone flipped a switch. The bite started about 7:00 pm and lasted for about an hour. I caught 9 fat bluegills and my cousin pulled in 4. I kept them all as they were all above average size. If you are fishing the piers and not catching any, simply move around until you find some fish.

The other day I was down at Presque Isle and was amazed at the number of bluegills that are in the Waterworks Pond. There are literally hundreds of bluegills swimming close to shore in the pond, however, due to their large numbers the fish are stunted.
There are some nice ones but the small ones would probably get your bait before the big ones would find it. It would be fun though to take a kid fishing in the Waterworks pond as I am sure they would see a lot of action.

The summer is winding down and in about two weeks we will start seeing steelhead showing up. This fall's run should be excellent again with many large fish. Around September 1, I will start scouting the area streams once again and let you know when the run starts. May your lines be tight and your hooks be happy!

Try the South Pier for Bluegills

My cousin Billy and I headed down to the South Pier in search of catching a mess of bluegills. It was a rather warm partly cloudy day and the bluegills were biting pretty well. In the first 5 minutes, we had three in the bucket. We left when we hit 20 and that is about all I wanted to clean.

We also caught a small yellow perch and a white perch. The bluegills are hitting right off the side of the pier. Good baits to use include grubs, mealworms, redworms, and small jigs.

Bluegill are one of my favourite fish to eat and if you have not eaten them, you may want to give them a try. You don't get a lot of meat off of each fish but when you catch 8 or more, you should have a great meal. I deep fry them. I roll them around in store bought fish fry and plop them in the fryer for a couple minutes; they are very tasty.

I ran into a gentleman who was keeping sheepshead. He said he tried one the night before on his grill and it was one of the best fish he had ever eaten. I cannot remember ever eating one because of the bad reputation they have but hey, maybe they are good. Anyway, I think I will stick to panfish. Good luck fishing and the steelhead should start moving closer to shore pretty soon.

Silver Bass Showing Up

The past couple days I went for a walk on the South Pier to see how the fishing was. I did not fish but rather just walked around and watched others having fun. The weather has been pretty unpredictable with storms and then breaks. In between the breaks, I saw one guy all the way at the end of the pier reeling in nice sized silver bass one after another. He was using white plastic shads and the fish seemed to like what they saw. Another fisherman across the pier hooked into a nice sized channel catfish. It was probably around 26 inches. Pesky gobies were also being caught on worms.

Time flies and in a month or so, steelhead will once again be moving into the shallow waters in preparation for their fall runs. I talked to one fisherman who said he has been catching small ones already off of Trout Run at night. Sounds a little early to me but it is possible. Happy fishin'.

Seaweed Clogging South Pier

Went fishing Friday night after dark. Although the channel was very calm, a storm went through before we fished and seaweed was floating in the channel making fishing difficult. We decided to put nightcrawlers on and fish for catfish on the bottom. Fished for several hours without even a nibble. Only a couple other nightfisherman were out and they also were not catching anything. It was a pretty cool night for the middle of July as temperatures dropped down into the fifties. The fish were not feeding and must have fed before the storm rolled through. Hopefully, we will have better luck next time.

Rock Bass Hitting Hard and Heavy.

Last night I decided to go fishing for either crappies or rock bass. I heard a report that very large crappies are being caught in the vicinity of the new Sheraton Hotel, however, I went to the South Pier and fished it at several different spots.

Caught a lot of gobies to start out with but then it got dark and we turned the lantern on. I was fishing with my cousin and we saw a couple guys with a stringer of about 30 rock bass so we decided to pick up and fish where they were; off of the end of the pier.

It didn't take long and we started catching fish. Rock bass are good fighters and these fish didn't let us down. They were also running pretty large. We fished for a couple hours after dark and as it grew later, the fish were biting better. Finally, after having 12 in the bucket, we decided to call it a night. That's all I wanted to clean.

I also hooked into a monster fish that I fought for awhile. It was real heavy and I had my drag set just a little too tight. It took a big run and zipped out line and my line overstretched and broke. It felt like a big steelhead, but they should not be in the shallows right now, so maybe it was a very big smallmouth bass or walleye. Walleye usually don't make real fast runs though. Oh well, it's the one that got away so I will never know what it was.

The fishing pressure is pretty heavy off of the south pier at night right now but there is plenty of room to move around and find some fish. Good Luck!

Dog Gone Gobies!

Been out fishing off the south pier a couple times over the past week and although I did not catch any perch, I caught a lot of other species. The bass, both smallmouth and largemouth, are abundant and hitting well. Rock bass are beginning to show up and over the next few weeks will be hitting well off of the piers.

The round gobies, which are an invasive species from the Caspian Sea, are making fishing difficult and are attacking live bait shortly after it hits the water. If you are interested in gobies and how they arrived in the Great Lakes, here is a good read from the USGS ==>http://www.glsc.usgs.gov/main.php?content=research_invasive_goby&title=Invasive%20Fish0&menu=research_invasive_fish

I took a picture of one and here it is so you can look at this prehistoric looking badguy. May your hooks be happy and your lines be tight! Remember, bass season is not here yet, so please return your fish unharmed.

P.S. For the boat fisherman. Jumbo perch are being caught in large numbers in 32 to 40 feet of water. The schools are concentrated and can be found in the waters north of Northeast PA.

Pier Fishing Update.

The water is a little warmer now and the smallies are hitting well. Yesterday, I saw quite a few caught off of the south pier in the afternoon. They are still out of season but they are good fighters.

I heard that there were a couple really good days of perch fishing off of the north pier but have not seen it myself. I have been seeing some nice perch in fisherman's buckets on the south pier but not large amounts. The luckiest fisherman yesterday had 8 fish in his bucket and they were all jumbo perch.

Rock bass are also beginning to show up on the north and south piers and should provide some action over the next month of fishing. May your lines be tight and your hooks be happy!

Panfish Hitting Pretty Well

I talked to quite a few fisherman and did some fishing myself over the past couple days. Some nice perch are being caught off of the south pier and I saw one fisherman with 10 nice sized fish in his bucket (8-10 inches).

I managed to catch a few crappies with my nephew off of the south pier but they were pretty small. Bluegills are hitting well. Steelhead fishing is now done for the season. At last look, I did not see any fish remaining in the streams.

Remember, it is not regular bass season yet. Silver bass are in season and are also being caught off of the south pier. Personally, I have been having more success fishing in the evenings than the mornings. I really have not caught a lot of fish yet this season but a few each time makes it worth the while.

Largemouth bass are still hitting very well in Presque Isle Bay and in the lagoons. On Saturday, while fishing for crappies, I hooked seven bass and they were all pretty big again (15 to 20 inches).

My cousin caught one of the largest bluegills I have ever seen caught out of the bay. It was the only fish in the bucket so I threw it back in alive and well after we were done fishing.

The water temperature is around 52 degrees now so all of the panfish should be hitting well. May your lines be tight and your hooks be happy.

Getting Skunked is Pretty Rare.

Yesterday I got up at 5:30 am and met my cousin for a day of fishing at Presque Isle. The wind was blowing hard from the southwest and although it was pretty warm out, it was very difficult to throw and watch bobbers. Around 7:00 my cousin managed to land a decent bass around 15 inches. Surprisingly, that was it for the day. It was one of those days when you sit there and ponder if there are any fish in the water. No perch, crappies, or bluegills. In fact, I only had two bites. Oh well, maybe this week I will catch the big school of crappies. I talked to a bunch of other fisherman with similar reports. I guess all the fish were fat and happy from the day before. Anyway, this time of year it is rare to get skunked so I should feel privileged; it was a rare day. Happy fishing!

Bass, Bass, and More Bass!

Got up at 5:00 am today and went to Presque Isle in search of the elusive crappies. The crappies won today as I got skunked in my pursuit of them. It was extremely windy this morning as a front moved in with an early morning thunderstorm.

I ran to my car and waited out the rain and then went back to fishing. I caught a couple nice blugills and tossed them in the bucket. I moved around a lot searching for the elusive crappies and could find none. One spot I went to, though, I must have been on a large school of largemouth bass. I caught 6 bass in about 45 minutes and one was twenty inches. I lost something much larger as it snapped my 4 pound test. I suspect it was a northern pike as I had my drag set correctly. Whatever it was it was pulling very hard. Going out again tomorrow in search of the crappie. Hopefully, I will find some of these tasty little critters. Come on back for my frequent updates. May your lines be tight and your hooks be happy!

P.S. For you turkey hunters out there. Today I saw a huge tom (8 inch beard??)strutting in front of a couple hens ten feet off of the road on Presque Isle. They are ready for ya'

Brown Trout Stockees Hitting Well.

My 15 year old nephew is enjoying himself fishing 4 mile creek which was heavily stocked with brown trout and palominos before opening day last Saturday. He did not catch any palominos yet but has caught quite a few hungry browns. The Wesleyville Conservation Club is going to be stocking 4 mile again either Thursday April 23 or Friday April 24. Bring your kids so that they can catch some fish. Remember, the first two weeks of the trout season 4 mile is for kids and seniors only. There is still quite a few fish left from the initial stocking and the fishing pressure that I have seen is very light. Come on kids, put away those xboxes and get out fishing! It's more fun! May your lines be tight and your hooks be happy!

Fishing for Crappies

On Sunday my nephew and I headed out to Presque Isle Bay to try our luck on crappies. It was very cold outside and the wind was blowing hard which prevented us from fishing the open bay. We decided to fish the lagoons. The fishing was slow but we managed to catch a couple decent largemouth bass. The bass were returned to the water unharmed as they were not legal size. One was about 14 inches and the other about 17.
I managed to catch one very nice sized crappie, a 14 incher, and lost a couple others but that was it for the morning. I will be trying periodically throughout this week for more panfish. On Saturday, I saw one fisherman with a bucket of about 10 jumbo perch and it still appears that the jumbo perch really have not moved towards the dock or South Pier as of yet. The steelhead numbers in the creeks are rapidly decreasing and almost all of the fish are dark. Steelhead fishing will be wrapping up for the spring season over the next couple weeks.


If you head out to Presque Isle to fish for crappies make sure to use light line and try different colors of jigs tipped with minnows. The one I caught was on a very small white jig tipped with a live shiner. I was about three feet down from a small bobber. Rain and wind in the forecast may prevent a lot of fisherman from getting out this week (myself included) but when the opportunities present themselves, it should be a decent week of fishing.

Crappies and Bluegills are Hitting Well.

Over the past week, I have chatted with many fisherman as I am trying to find out where the big panfish are. The jumbo crappies are now hitting full force on the peninsula. You have to move around and find them but according to the fisherman I have talked to, the fish being caught this year are very large.

My friend Frank caught over 40 yesterday and said he only kept those 12 inches or larger. He also said he caught quite a few jumbo bluegills. The perch are beginning to show up along the piers but most are still on the small side.

The weather for opening day of trout season looks good. The steelhead are still in the streams in large numbers. This weekend there are plenty of fishing opportunities in the area.

Northern pike and largemouth bass are starting to hit in Presque Isle Bay also. It is time to put new line on and head out, the time to fish is now. May your lines be tight and your hooks be happy! Good luck opening day!

Steelhead Spawning Video

The steelhead are still in the area streams in good numbers. Today (4/10/09) there was quite a bit of wind which prevented fisherman from gathering at stream mouths. Fish were still being caught on the westside in decent numbers. Once again we need more rain to bring in more fish which may be cruising around the stream mouths. Opening day of regular trout season is April 18. Due to cold water conditions, there will still be plenty of steelhead in the tributaries. I ventured out to Trout Run nursery water today and filmed some fish trying to make their way further upstream. Notice that some of these fish are rather new but the majority have been in the stream for some time as they are darker. In the video, you will see one trout easily clear the waterfall of the fish ladder. Today I saw quite a few fisherman from surrounding states. I thought I would mention that this year thousands of brown trout are going to be stocked near stream mouths so that they can go out in Lake Erie and become monsters and then return to the streams to spawn. Soon, tourists will be flocking to the Erie area in search of these monster brown trout in addition to the excellent steelhead fishery. Browns can be a little trickier to catch than steelhead. A couple years from now, we will be seeing some fine brown trout being caught. We will have to see if the numbers of steelhead decrease as the large browns will probably feed on quite a few of the steelhead smolts if they can't find smelt to feed on. Happy Fishing!

Lake Pleasant is Good for Trout, Bass and Panfish.

In 2009, Lake Pleasant is going to be stocked with a lot of rainbow trout but did you know that this small lake is home to other gamefish as well? Huge Northern Pike are caught here, as well as, some pretty nice sized largemouth bass. The lake is also good fishing for panfish and these along with the trout are routinely caught through the ice. During the spring and early summer, huge bluegills can be caught from shore or from boat. The best time to pursue them is usually in the early mornings and I have been out there catching them one after another and then the sun gets up and they shut off like a lightbulb being turned off.

A couple seasons ago, my brother, nephew, and I headed out to Lake Pleasant to do some fishing. It was still late April and the other fisherman were not doing so well. I decided I would try using a bobber with a small worm and catch a few bluegills. This was the ticket. I wasn't catching bluegills but I started reeling the trout in one after another. I quickly had my limit of eight and went over to tell my brother and nephew to do the same thing. They had one trout but that was all. They switched to the bobbers dangling a worm and they both quickly had their limits also.

Othertimes at Lake Pleasant, I was targeting trout and started catching bluegills. So if you venture out to Lake Pleasant and aren't catching the species you went for, change your tactics and catch something else that's biting. May your lines be tight and your hooks be happy!

Steelhead Fishing Update 4/2

I got out late this afternoon (5:30 pm) to check out conditions and give you a quick update. The streams are once again flowing clear and at good levels. The forecast is not looking good for stream fisherman. It looks like we are going to receive a lot of rain and possibly snow over the next five days. A cold front is approaching that may adversely affect the fishing. I will provide quick updates over the next week. Judging by the conditions as of now, come opening day of trout on April 18 there will still be a lot of hungry fat steelies in the creeks alongside the brown trout that are going to be stocked.

Happy Fishing!

Steelhead Fishing update 4/1

We received a lot of rain in the early morning hours and the streams quickly became unfishable. Warmer temperatures and sunny skies moved into the area today, however, as of 5:00 p.m. the streams are running too high and murky to fish. The smaller streams in the area, like Cascade are fishable but cloudy. Tomorrow should be a decent afternoon to fish if we do not receive any more rain. I will provide quick updates within the next couple days.

My friend Bob told me that he has been fishing regularly the past week on the days where the stream levels were OK and has been catching the fish one after another. He enjoyed great success in the eastern county and was using "chrystal meth" in colors of pink, green, and orange. He says that when they quit biting one color, just switch to another and you will keep reeling them in. May your lines be tight and your hooks be happy!

Back in Action.

Sunny skies and warmer temperatures today lowered stream levels. The area streams are flowing at good levels and the water is clear. They are calling for a lot of rain tomorrow so if you are going to fish make it a morning outing. I will provide you another quick update as to stream levels tomorrow evening. Happy Fishing!

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Raging Rivers Make Steelheadin' a Washout

I would show you pictures of the area streams today but my camera broke. I bought a new one, though, and will take more pictures as this week goes by. We received quite a bit of rain today which caused stream levels to rise quickly. The streams as of today at 6:30 pm are still extremely high and murky making fishing nearly impossible.

Yesterday, was a good fishing day with steelhead being caught in decent numbers. I can't confirm the following report but I think the crappies have turned on in Misery Bay and the lagoons in Presque Isle Bay. If not, there was a heck of a lot of fisherman out there getting skunked. A half dozen or so boats were clustered by the Perry Monument in Misery and there were quite a few people fishing the lagoons. It started raining hard so I did not get out of the car to check on the fishing but I will be fishing for those hefty crappies this week.

Steelheading will probably be poor for the next day or so. It all depends on when the rain will quit. One advantage to all of the rain is that the streams were running high enough to allow more fish to run further up.

The perch fishing in the bay is just starting to pick up. I saw a few in buckets around 10 inches and talked to fisherman who said they returned a lot more tiny guys.
The Lake Erie water temperature is still around 35 F and may be a little warmer in the bay. It needs to get up to about 40 F before the fish really start to hit and good catches become more consistent. May your lines be tight and your hooks be happy!

Update: Here Comes Another Fine Steelhead Weekend

We received a little rain but it only raised the stream levels a little. The local streams are running clear at normal levels and the fish are in the streams in good numbers. I don't really see more fish but the same amount that was present last weekend which was an excellent fishing weekend.

We need heavy rains before more fish can head further up the streams. There are a lot of fish further up the streams, though, so if you are tired of the crowds near the stream mouths, head upstream.

Clear water conditions this weekend with a good amount of sun today which may raise the stream temperatures a bit. Smaller size glo bugs and imitation eggs should fare well. And don't forget your mini-foos. FishUSA.com has a good supply and I have supplied their picture of their steelheader'. Don't forget to tip it with a maggot for best results. May your lines be tight and your hooks be happy!

Watch the Weather...

Just a quick Wednesday update for those who live a couple hours away. The streams as of today are running low and clear. Many steelhead are in the streams and splashing around spawning. The weather forecast starting today is rain and we are supposed to get quite a bit over the next few days. I will post stream pictures showing levels on Friday. This weekend might be a washout for steelheading so stay tuned for my Friday update. If the stream levels rise a little fishing will be excellent. Hopefully, we will receive an ideal amount of rain so that the big steelhead can be caught. See you on Friday!

Trophy Bass Season Nearing.

With the weather warming up the ice on the lake is quickly receding. We have a lot of great fishing to look forward to over the next few months. The rest of this month and April, steelhead are the hot topic for gamefish. However, in April you can fish the open lake or Presque Isle Bay and catch humongous smallmouth bass. The largemouth's are in the bay also, but we generally do not see largemouth's as large as those caught in southern states. The smallmouth fishing is hard to beat in Lake Erie. It is not that uncommon to catch a smallmouth over 20 inches and that is the size that the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has earmarked as a true trophy bass.

The Fish Commission has set a trophy bass only season from April 18 through June 12, 2009. During this time period, only one fish can be kept and it must be over 20 inches. The rest of the year, you may keep 4 bass (combined) over 15 inches. These regulations are for Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay.

When I tell people that bass have to be this size to keep them out of Lake Erie many are extremely surprised. I routinely walk up and down the South Pier which joins the Bay with Lake Erie and see much smaller bass in people's buckets. One day I spoke to a fisherman who could not speak English who had seven bass in his bucket all around 10 to 12 inches. I explained to his English speaking daughter that bass had to be 15 inches to keep and that he needed to toss them back into the water. He did so but this still has me thinking that there are a lot of bass being kept that are much smaller than 15 inches.

Anyway, the size limit, I believe, is set appropriately and it is common to catch fish in the 15 to 20 inch size range. In April and May, the smallmouths especially are very aggressive and can be caught with almost any lure that is run through their spawning redds. I generally do a lot better on largemouth bass in late July and August when the water temperatures are higher and I can use top waters.

I wanted to post a link for you to check out the lake's conditions before traveling here to fish. As many of you are probably aware, the lake conditions can change rapidly. The lake may be calm in the morning only to turn into a high wave nightmare later on in the day. The National Weather Service keeps constant tabs on the lake's conditions and you can check out the conditions for Lake Erie anytime after April 1, 2009 at Lake Erie Wave Forecasts. Make sure you look at the area from Conneaut Ohio to Ripley New York.

Smallmouth bass fishing is very good to excellent from where the Piers exit the bay all the way to Twenty Mile Creek on the east side. In the early season, the bass will be in less than fifteen feet of water and can be caught by wading off shore also. Many fisherman stick close to stream mouth's but I have had very good days when fishing quite a distance from stream mouth's so if you are not catching fish simply move to another spot.

I have a new spinner to test out and if you would like to help me test it out and compare it to other spinners, please email me and I will give you information. I will include your comments and test results in a later post along with my findings.
May your lines be tight and your hooks be happy!

Another Excellent Steelhead Weekend.

Steelhead, steelhead, steelhead; that one word describes this weekend's fishing opportunity. The streams are full of nice shiny fish which have recently entered the streams to spawn. The streams are somewhat low and clear but the fish didn't seem to mind. I saw many fish being caught and there is some really big fish being caught this year. If you have a nice picture of you with a fish and want me to show it off on this website, simply email it to me and I will put it here.

A couple words of importance: fishing organizations recently released a ton of smolts into the area's streams. Please don't target these little guys. Most of them are less than 9 inches but each year I am surprised to see fisherman catch and measure the fingerlings. Although it is not illegal to keep smolts that are larger than 9 inches during the regular trout season that begins on April 18, 2009, these fish should be returned to the stream so that they can venture out into the lake and become adult steelhead. Remember, right now all of your steelhead have to be larger than 15 inches and you can only keep three.

Having said that, warm weather is expected this week. The weather will undoubtedly raise the water temperature in the bay at least a few degrees. Crappies and jumbo perch may start to hit. Any day now I expect to get news of fisherman catching them. My friend Rob is a very avid "bucket" fisherman that tries to go out almost daily the next couple months. I will be talking with him for updates and checking out his blog. If you are interested in following Rob's blog, you can do so at Robfisherie.blogspot.com. He doesn't really care about steelhead but he loves his panfish. He also talks about the history of the old time pier fisherman in Erie and how the "old-timers" are disappearing. A good blog with some fine history. Have fun fishin' this week and stay tuned for more updates!

Fisherman Gearing Up for Excellent Weekend

I just wanted to provide a quick update for the many fisherman who live outside of the area and are thinking of coming to Erie to fish this weekend. The streams are in great shape and as of today are flowing at ideal conditions. We did receive quite a bit of rain but the streams subsided quickly and this weekend is looking like another great weekend to fish for steelhead.

Presque Isle Bay's water temperature is still very cold and I have not yet talked to anyone that is doing great on jumbo perch or crappie. Look for a vast improvement over the next few weeks. Please remember when fishing our area streams to pick up your litter. May your lines be tight and your hooks be happy!

Gourmet Steelhead Recipe

With all these steelhead being caught, I thought I would provide a gourmet recipe that won't let your family or dinner guests down. Many fisherman smoke steelhead and this is definitely a good way to prepare them. However, if you don't have a smoker or would like a change of pace, try this recipe that I got from kitchengrrl at Recipezaar. You can also find many other great fish recipes there. Their web address is http://www.recipezaar.com

Broiled Steelhead Trout with Rosemary, Lemon, and Garlic

5 minutes to prepare/ 20 minutes to cook

Serves 3-4

1 pound steelhead filet, with or without skin
1 clove garlic - chopped fine
1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1 lemon, zest of
1/2 lemon, juice of
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus
additional oil for greasing the baking pan

1. Prepare a baking or roasting pan by lining it with foil and brushing it with olive oil.

2. Preheat broiler
3. Mix together all remaining ingredients except fish into a well blended paste.
4. Place fish skin side down (if it has a skin) on baking sheet, then spread seasoning over the flesh.
5. Broil fish at second rack away from heat for 5 minutes or less, just enough to sear flesh but not burn herbs.
6. Lower fish to 3rd or 4th rack and lower heat to 325 F. Bake for additional 10 minutes or until fish is cooked through in the thickest portion.
7. Serve with steamed veggies, salad, or whatever.

Wesleyville Conservation Club Stocks Trout for Kids

In my personal opinion, there is nothing more rewarding than to teach a youngster how to fish. I do not have any children but I was very lucky to have a much younger brother. When he was just a couple years old he would look at me when I was all decked out in my fishing gear and ask "Can I come?" I would look back at his big smiling face and say, "very soon, it is too cold for you today." I would bring home the fish to show him and tried to teach him the difference between species. Soon, he would not only look at the fish but also would say, "brown trout" or "sunfish" or "perch." At a very young age my little brother not only knew what a fish was but he knew their common names. Shortly after this, he too became an avid fisherman and one day when he was still a youngster he caught a fish that he could not identify and neither could I. It looked like some kind of tropical fish to me but it was caught in the Army Corps of Engineer pond by the South Pier across from Presque Isle State Park in Erie, Pennsylvania. Not exactly where you would expect to catch a tropical fish. He pulled the fish out of the water and said enthusiastically, "what'd I catch?" I did not have a clue so we took the fish to the Pennsylvania Fish Commission for identification. I cannot recall what the fish was, however, it was a tropical fish that somehow got in the pond; either a Jack Dempsey or Oscar. Anyhow, I was proud that my little brother would not keep any fish that he could not identify, he wanted me to check it out before tossing it in the bucket. It is important that we teach youngsters fish identification skills, as well as, teach them to fish. It is really great that around Pennsylvania we have areas where only children can fish. Here they can be taught by adults how to fish and even catch a few because they don't have to worry about the adults catching all of the fish.

Tom Loftus, a friend of mine, wanted me to write an article about the Wesleyville Conservation Club and what they do to help kids learn how to fish for trout.

The Wesleyville Conservation Club maintains a local trout hatchery in North East PA and raises trout to be stocked in area waterways, including Four Mile Creek which is designated as an under 16 fishing program.

They would like fisherman to be aware of who this trout stocking program is designed for. The trout stocking program is designed to benefit kids and senior citizens through the first two weeks of regular trout season. Many local kids in Wesleyville and Lawrence Park do not have the opportunity to trout fish elsewhere. Please leave the trout stocked in between Route 5 and Buffalo Road to the kids to fish for and for senior citizens to pursue. The Four Mile Creek Kid's Program works on the honor system so please give the kids the opportunity to have fun the first couple weeks of the season. The creek is going to be stocked the night before opening day with roughly 1000 brown trout and a good amount of palomino's (golden trout). I visited the hatchery and saw some fine fish.
According to Rob Sanford, the Raceway Manager, the average fish is between 11 and 14 inches. The club is going to restock Four Mile inseason on the Friday after the opener with the same number of fish again.

The Wesleyville Conservation Club is in the Cooperative Nursery Program and part of the local trout organization 3-CU. If you would like to donate to this wonderful non-profit organization, you can purchase skein to be used to raise more trout from East End Angler on East Lake Road in Harborcreek.

Children under the age of 16 do not need to buy a fishing license to catch trout in Four Mile Creek but must follow the general regulations that are in the 2009 Pennsylvania Fish Commission's guide.

If you are an out-of-towner and would like a great place to bring your kids fishing, consider bringing them on opening day to Four Mile Creek. It is very rewarding teaching a kid to fish and with so many trout being stocked, they are sure to bring some home. If you need a place to stay, Jackie at the Lighthouse Inn and Restaurant will give you $5.00 off their regular low hotel rate. Just mention this article to receive the discount. They are located on East Lake Road directly to the east of Four Mile Creek.

If you are from out of town and need directions to Four Mile Creek, please email me and I will get them out to you. May your kid's lines be tight and their hooks be happy!

Light Rains Falling..Steelheading Still Good.

Light rains entered the area today and may raise the streams to ideal conditions. As of this morning, the streams were flowing low and clear and many of the steelhead were spooky. It is hard to imagine if any more fish are gathering at the stream mouth's as this years run has been fantastic thus far. Fish are still being caught at stream mouth's indicating that we have not seen the last of this year's run and more fish will be entering the streams when stream levels increase. This weekend should be excellent fishing, however, if we get too much rain today and tomorrow it may be a washout. I will try to provide an update Friday on stream conditions. The forecast is calling for a dry day Friday so stream levels will be decreasing. This weekend's fishing forecast is definitely dependent on the weather. The fish will be there but if we can fish for them is another thing.

Fisherman Enjoy Great Success!

"This is the best day of steelheading, I've ever had!" "Fantastic!" "They were hitting every fly I cast!" These are just a few of the comments I received today from the many fisherman I interviewed. Tourists from Maryland, Ohio, southern PA, New York State, as well as, local fisherman enjoyed great success this weekend.

Large numbers of steelhead could be found in most of the streams all the way from Elk Creek in western Erie County to Twenty Mile Creek in far eastern Erie County. Stream conditions were ideal and the steelhead were not letting many fisherman down. The sun beating down on the cold streams was making the fish more active.

The only downside is that as of this afternoon, many of the streams are now running a little low and very clear. The fish are beginning to get a little spooky. We might get some rain within the next few days to help out the fishing conditions. If not, the fish will be spooked out of the riffles and be in the deeper holes and congregating at stream mouth's.

Egg sacks, single eggs, Glo Bugs, and wooly buggers worked well for the fisherman I talked to. Good luck fishing this week and please remember to pick up your trash. Many people allow us access but they are not too thrilled when they have to pick up garbage left by fisherman. May your lines be tight and your hooks be happy!

Stream Levels are Good, Steelhead in Streams

The streams are running a little high but have cleared up significantly. Steelhead fishing should be excellent over the next few days. All of the ice has blown out of Presque Isle Bay and perch fishing should start to pick up. I checked Dobbins Landing today and no one was really doing any good yet, just a few small perch. A few steelhead are being caught off the piers in the bay but I have not talked to anyone as of yet that has caught a bucket of perch.

The weather forecast is indicating that this weekend should be excellent steelhead fishing but the clear weather may slow it down a little. Watch for the next front coming early next week which will bring rain.

Remember when steelhead fishing that the water is still very cold so it is best to get your bait down to the fish in the streams. Imitation egg sacks, real spawn sacks, live minnows, and maggots should all perform well for bait fisherman.

Glo bugs, hare's ear nymphs, imitation sucker spawn, imitation eggs, and spring wigglers should be great choices for fly fisherman.

With the recent heavy rains raising stream levels, fish should be well upstream so you should be able to get away from the crowds this weekend. Fishing pressure will be intense, though, so early mornings may be best before fish are spooked out of the riffles. May your lines be tight and your hooks be Happy!

Stream Fishing Conditions Improving

The area received less rain than anticipated. The local stream levels are decreasing and the water is beginning to clear up. If there isn't any rain tonight, streams will be in good shape tomorrow. Today the streams were still a little high and the fishing holes were on the cloudy side. I visited a couple areas and did not see any fish caught. If you are fishing tomorrow, try larger and brighter colors and use a little more weight to get down to the fish. Good Luck!

This is a local photo of Cascade Creek which runs through Erie. The stream gets decent runs of steelhead but today I did not see any fish caught and fisherman reports indicated that no fish were being caught.

Streams Still Running High and Cloudy

After this weekend's rains, the steelhead streams are still running high and somewhat murky. In the deepest holes, fishing is possible and if you try it make sure you use larger and brighter globugs or eggsacks. The fishing will most likely not improve over the next few days as there is a warm front passing over the area tonight through Wednesday bringing more rain. This coming weekend looks good though, temperatures will be in the high 30's to 40's with little chance of rain. I will keep you updated on conditions throughout the week but if I had to bet, I would say Saturday and Sunday will be great days to come and fish! Stay tuned...

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Heavy Steady Rains Ruin Sunday Fishing

Heavy all night rains inundated the area and streams rose quickly. This is good news for the fish as now they can run up the streams. Fishing was nearly impossible Sunday and it will probably be at least a few days before stream levels decrease enough to make fishing permissable. I will post pictures over the next few days so that you know when streams are able to be fished again. You can bet on one thing, though, the warm rains will bring in a large number of fish that have gathered at the stream mouths.

Perch fishing should start to pick up in Presque Isle Bay as the jumbos are now spawning. Generally speaking, the perch follow the ice. As the ice moves out of the channel the perch are close behind. Therefore, Liberty Park Pier is good early and over the next couple months, the perch will head east towards the channel. I would wait awhile until trying the North and South Piers and stick to the bay.

Also remember, if you are not catching fish on the south side of the bay, try the north side which are the piers at Presque Isle State Park. Use at least 6 pound test, though, as this is the time of year you will hook into steelhead also in the bay. Stay tuned for my almost daily updates.

Steelhead Now Running!

Today I ventured out to western Erie County and was surprised to see that the ice around the streams blew out and fishing conditions were perfect. The streams are running at good levels and the next week should provide excellent fishing opportunities. The steelhead are preparing to run further up the streams and will do so when heavy rains occur. Fishing pressure was intense today and many fine fish were being caught towards the mouth of Walnut Creek.

Trout run, which is a nursery water and is illegal to fish, is packed with steelhead of all sizes. Please see photos.

I will be providing frequent updates on this seasons steelhead run and I wanted to provide tourists with a little more information. In order to fish for steelhead in Erie County, you can purchase a 1-3-or 7 day fishing license or you can purchase an annual non-resident fishing license. The 2009 license fees and requirements are as follows:

1 Day tourist (not valid from March 15 to April 30) - $26.70
3 Day tourist - $26.70
7 Day tourist - $34.70
Trout/Salmon permit - $9.70
Lake Erie permit (needed if you are going to fish the lake or its' tribs) - $9.70
Combination Trout/Salmon and Lake Erie Permit - $15.70
Non-resident Annual Fishing License - $52.70

Pennsylvania Annual Fishing Licenses are valid through December 31, 2009. Residents of Pennsylvania need trout/salmon permit to fish for steelhead and a resident annual license priced at $22.70.

May your lines be tight and your hooks be happy!

March 5 2009 - Temperatures Rising

Quick weather update - March 5 2009 - Temperature was in the 50's and streams really starting to open up. With the rising temperatures, fishing will really be picking up. Snowpack is all but non-existent so streams will be running clear until next rainfall. Today is Thursday and this weekend should be excellent steelhead fishing. Be very careful if venturing onto ice in Presque Isle and Misery Bay.

Come Fish Presque Isle and Lake Erie!

Hello: My name is Jeff Tombaugh and I am an avid fisherman. I was born and raised in Erie, PA which offers arguably some of the finest freshwater fishing in the United States. In this article, I will cover the many different species of game fish found in Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay and the best times to pursue these fish. Whether you are a novice or an expert fisherman, you should find this article helpful. It is my goal to share with you what many fisherman do not know. Lake Erie is teeming with many different hard hitting and fighting species of fish!

The area of Lake Erie that I will be covering in this article begins in Girard, PA very close to the Ohio line and follows the lake shore to North East PA which is very close to the New York state border. I am also including Presque Isle Bay, a bay of Lake Erie that offers excellent fishing opportunities.

In the month of January, Erie PA is generally very cold and snowy. High daily temperatures do not frequently reach above freezing and during many seasons, Presque Isle Bay is sufficiently frozen providing ice fishing opportunities. Lake Erie during this time of year may be frozen or open but the Lake is dangerous this time of year and I would not suggest venturing out in a boat. Depending on how bad the weather is, sometimes fisherman do go out a hundred or so yards off of the stream mouths and fish for steelhead in open water. However, most seasons ice is building up preventing open boat fishing. January is a good month to fish the areas streams for steelhead trout but only if they are free of ice. I am going to be posting frequent updates to this article which will cover the weather forecasts and how the fishing is, so keep posted if you are planning a trip. However, if you are planning a trip to Erie to go fishing, you usually will be able to fish for some species of fish. Whether it be in the open streams in January for steelhead or for perch and bluegill on the ice in Presque Isle Bay, it is a rare day when you cannot find something to fish for.


If the streams allow, steelhead fishing in all of the streams of northern Erie County in January is generally very good. In western Erie County, we have two nursery streams where fishing is prohibited in the streams. These are Godfrey Run in Girard PA and Trout Run in Fairview PA. These small streams are packed full of fish during the winter and early spring and many non-fisherman and tourists enjoy going down to Trout Run to look at all of the big steelhead. In case you are unfamiliar with steelhead, steelhead are rainbow trout that migrate from the streams out into the open lake and then return to the streams to mate. In our area, 28 to 30 inch steelhead are common and they weigh between 6 and 10 pounds on average. They fight hard when hooked but do not fight as hard in colder water.

The fishable streams in western Erie County include Elk Creek which has numerous areas where you can legally fish and Walnut Creek. Both streams have large access areas by the stream mouths and are not fished as hard in January as in later months such as the beginning of March and April. You can access both of these larger streams by going west on Route 5 past Tom Ridge International Airport just west of the city of Erie and following the road for several miles.


In January, steelhead can also be caught through the ice, if conditions are good, at the head of Presque Isle Bay. and sometimes you can venture out on the Lake ice around stream mouths. Use extreme caution when venturing onto ice around streams. And never go out on ice in the bay unless it is at least 3 to 4 inches thick. Perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed sunfish, and smelt are readily caught in Preque Isle Bay through the ice in January and sometimes you can find a school of great tasting crappie. Try Misery Bay for crappie. Misery Bay is a small bay located in between Presque Isle Bay and the lagoons. You will know you have reached Misery Bay when you cross over the second bridge on Presque Isle. The lagoons will be on your left which looks like a large stream. A monument commemorating Oliver Hazard Perry is located right next to Misery Bay.

If the weather has been warmer than usual in the Erie area, there are many streams in eastern Erie County that do not get fished as hard as the western streams. My favorite is 12 mile which is approximately 12 miles east of Erie, hence its' name. You can fish this stream from the mouth up to Route 5. Very few fish get above Route 5 due to a steep cascade. Twenty mile creek is by far the best steelhead stream in eastern Erie County and can be fished in many access areas all the way up to Interstate 90.

Fishing in Erie County in February is very similar to fishing in January with the exception of better ice and usually solid streams. Crappie fishing picks up in intensity in Misery Bay and at the head of the bay in parking lots 1 and 2. Steelhead appear to be everywhere in the month of February.

March is still cold in Erie but one of the best months of the year for the shore fisherman. When the streams thaw, steelhead are in the streams in large numbers. And when the ice breaks up in the bay, open water fishing from the public dock and other piers along the bayfront highway is excellent for steelhead and jumbo perch. During this time of year, I like to throw out one line for steelhead and one for perch but steelhead will also hit minnows which are the best bait to use this time of year. If you are looking to fill a bucket full of great eating jumbo perch, March is the month to do it in Erie PA. April and May can be good also but in March right after ice out, it is hard to come home with an empty bucket. Huge crappies are also caught in Misery Bay and the lagoons right after ice out.

In the next post, I will cover fishing in the spring and summer months. Happy Fishing! And if you have some spare change, please consider donating to the Erie organization that is working for the future of fishing in our region. Sons of Lake Erie Thanks!

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