Lake Erie Perch Schools are Primarily Mixed Age Classes

Recently, I went out fishing on my friend Rob's boat and we have been doing pretty well on perch.
This year, we seem to be catching more White Perch than in other years.  Also, the age classes of the Yellow Perch seem to be mixed.

There are quite a few smaller fish mixed in with the jumbos.  Here is a video of our latest Lake Erie trip.  We caught quite a few Yellow Perch and White Perch.  My friend Rob also caught an extraordinary double that you can see in the video.  Good luck fishing!

Perch Out...Bass In.

Today I went fishing down to the South Pier to try for a trophy smallmouth bass.  Bass have to be at least 20 inches to keep in Lake Erie until June 15 when they only have to be 15 inches.  I don't keep bass but they are fun to catch.

I only had about two hours to fish before dark and I tried a bright red rattle spoon.  After about an hour and not catching any fish, I moved out towards the end of the pier.  Immediately, I started catching those pesky gobies.  Then, my rod bent in half and I had a big fish on.  The fish raced towards the surface and I knew I had a big smallmouth hooked.  The fish fought hard and after several minutes I had him to the surface.  My net was not long enough though to reach down into the water so I asked a gentleman to net the fish for me.  He came over and netted the fish and said, "you'll be eating good tonight."  I looked at him and said I was going to toss it back in because it was shy of 20 inches I thought.  I quickly measured the fish and it was just over 18 inches.  It was a fat female, I am guessing around 3 to 4 pounds.  I released the fish unharmed and cast out again.  This time, a white perch nailed my bait and I reeled him in.

That's all I caught today but it was fun.  Remember, June 15 is the bass opener in PA.  Have fun fishing and hook a big one!!!

(sorry folks, did not have my camera today :(

Fantastic Spring Perch Season Still Going Strong.

I have been fishing quite a bit lately and sorry have not had time to update my blog.  The Yellow Perch fishing in Presque Isle Bay has been fantastic this year with many fish and quite a few jumbos.  As of today, the perch are present in heavy numbers in the channel.  Many people are catching limits of nice fish. 

My last outing was with my good friend Rob and his son.  He also blogs about his outdoor experiences at:  Robfisherie.  We caught a lot of perch.  Most of them were not jumbos but good eating size of 8 to 10 inches.  We also threw back a number of smaller fish that we might catch next year. 

I kept 21 fish and Rob and his son kept 22.   After filleting them, I have quite a pile of nice fillets that I will be tossing in the fryer soon.  I estimate another week or two of perch fishing before they head out of the channel into the open Lake Erie. 

Good luck fishing! 

Perch Now in Bay in Good Numbers

Fishing is picking up in Presque Isle Bay.  Crappies are hitting in the Stinkhole area and perch are being caught throughout the bay.  The usual spots are hot.  The second and third parking lots on Presque Isle are yielding a lot of jumbo perch if you have a boat and can get out into 8 feet or so of water.  If you are a shore fisherman, all areas of the bay are good. 

Yesterday, my brother and I went out and caught some nice perch.  He caught a monster 14 incher on a live shiner and then followed it up with a nice 10 inch fish.  I tried jigging; and I used a red glow jig.  I caught three nice perch on the jig and then caught a good one on a live shiner. 

We ended up with 6 good fish that are going to make a great meal.  The perch should be spawning within the next week and then will start moving towards the channel.  Both the south pier and north pier will be getting hot within the next couple weeks.  Good luck fishing!

Ice Fishing Condition Report Presque Isle February 22 2013

Today I went to Presque Isle searching for good ice fishing spots.  The bay still has open water and tons of waterfowl swimming around.  Generally, we miss the swan migration as they pass over the bay in search of open water to the north.  Not this year!  Today, there were hundreds of swans and canadian geese swimming in the open waters along with hundreds of ducks and coots.

There are only two areas that are fishable.  And, if you want to get some ice fishing in, you better go this weekend as the ice will be unsafe everywhere next week.  The second waterworks pond was recently stocked with 800 trout and there were a few guys fishing it today through the ice.  Misery Bay is barely fishable and seems to have about 4 to 5 inches of snow ice once you get out a ways.  Next to shore the ice is shaky and just off the parking lot there is a stretch of open water lining the shoreline.  Today there was 5 huts on Misery.

Later tonight I am going to post a couple videos on my youtube channel showing the waterfowl and a few brave souls in their huts on Misery Bay today.  My channel is JeffTom66.

Good luck fishing and open water crappie season is right around the corner!

Ice Is Not Safe on Presque Isle Bay

Ice fishing report February 16 2013-

Today, I thought I could go ice fishing and catch some big fat bluegill that I heard are biting in Misery Bay on Presque Isle.  Boy, was I wrong!  Apparently, the wind shifted and blew in warmer lake waters because today there is no good ice anywhere.  The normal fishing hotspots had open water today which is pretty unusual for this time of year. 

I thought Misery Bay was going to be fishable but there is about 10 feet of water by the shore and the ice does not look thick.  There was nobody fishing today on Misery Bay.  The only place that one could fish on Presque Isle today was on the Waterworks pond.  And, the ice was maybe 4 inch thick. 

The weather over the next few days is going to be favorable for the development of ice.  Sunday there is going to be a low of 16 but Monday it gets near 40 again with forecasted wind and possible rain.  Later next week looks optimistic for ice fishing.

On a bright note; the local streams are almost totally blown out as seen in the photo and there are fresh run steelies ready to be caught.  Tight lines!

Quick Ice Fishing Update for Presque Isle Bay

Well, Mother Nature cannot make up her mind.  Conditions right now are terrible for sustaining hard water on the bay.  It is 1:30 am on Monday morning and it is raining and very windy which is the worst we could have asked for.  The temperature right now at the lakefront is about 42 degrees. 

I think the ice will be wrecked again tonight.  Tomorrow it is also supposed to remain above freezing until near dark.  If you head out be extremely careful.  I was finally getting ready to head out and fish Tuesday and Wednesday but I don't think the ice will be safe enough. 

Later this week, temperatures are going to be favorable once again to form ice.  Please check back later this week for another update.  On Presque Isle, the safest places to ice fish are Horseshoe Pond by the coast guard station and Misery Bay by the Perry Monument.  These areas are sheltered from the brunt of the wind and maintain hardwater longer than the open bay does.  Although, I do not recommend going out today, it may be possible to fish these areas.  I walked around yesterday and only saw small perch and bluegills being caught with a few decent perch tossed it.  It is really not worth risking your tail for.  Wait until late this week and I will get out there and see if it is fishable. 

The bright side is that pretty soon the bay will open up and jumbo perch will be spawned out and hungry.  On good years we get to pull them up through our little holes in the ice but this year we might have to haul them in off of the many docks and channels located on both sides of the bay. 

Either way, this long winter has made me eager to get out and wet my lines.  I long for the taste of fried jumbo perch fillets!

Ice is Good for Fishing Presque Isle Bay

Today I ventured out and scouted the popular ice fishing spots around the Erie PA area.  The past couple days have been cold with nights in the teens.  The ice on the bay really tightened up and is now fishable. 

Fisherman are heading out to the jumbo perch grounds off of the second and third parking lots.  Misery Bay also has quite a few fisherman.  Nobody is fishing the foot of Chestnut Street and one hut was seen way out off of the dock.  The ice looks a little shaky off of Chestnut.  The ice appears to be about 4.5 to 6 inches at the second parking lot and in Misery Bay.  After tonight it will even be thicker.  However, the next couple days are going to reach nearly 45 degrees.  The ice should be fine for a few days as long as it does not rain and get too windy.

Be careful while on the ice and good luck fishing!

Unsafe Ice Conditions on Presque Isle Bay

Yesterday temps crept up to 37 degrees fahrenheit.  The ice began to get a little slushy.  Today, it was terrible weather for maintaining ice.  It reached about 43 degrees and rained all morning.  Now the ice is unsafe to go out on.  Tonight and tomorrow is going to be cold again and it might tighten up, but there are going to be dangerous spots.  I am hearing reports of people falling through daily, so venture out knowing that you might crash through. 

I would wait until Sunday February 10, 2013 to go out at the earliest.  Sure it is great fun to catch fish through the ice but it's not worth the risk of plunging through into water that is so cold it burns when you go through.  Be very careful if you go out Sunday and stick to other people's tracks.  When you venture out onto new spots it increases the danger. 

Presque Isle Bay open bay ice is not safe.  Don't go on it yet.  Misery Bay and Horseshoe Pond have ice but it is barely fishable and less than a couple inches in spots. 

Ice Fishing Conditions are Improving

Today there was quite a few fisherman in Misery Bay and a few on Horshoe Pond.  I heard that at least a couple people fell through the thin ice, so if you go out be extremely careful and have your hand spikes ready.  You can fall through the ice even if it is thick.  I personally would recommend waiting another couple days before going on the ice. 

The bluegills are biting really well in Misery with a few nice crappies being caught also.  As of this writing, the ice thickness is around 3 inches thick.  The rest of Presque Isle Bay is not fishable.

This weekend will be huge for Misery bay and there will probably be quite a few fisherman off of the foot of Chestnut and first and second parking lots on Presque Isle.

The weather may warm up again and ruin the ice on Monday of next week.  Hopefully, the temperatures will stay in the 30's so we don't lose too much ice.  The rest of the next week should be cold enough to form new ice.  Good luck fishing and be safe. 

2013 Winter Trout Stocking in Erie County PA- Lake Pleasant

The good news is that thousands of rainbow trout were stocked into Lake Pleasant today for the 2013 ice fishing season.  The bad news is that the ice was not too safe to fish for them today.  There was a few brave souls that ventured onto Lake Pleasant today but they did not go out very far for fear they would go through.

According to a report I received, the ice thickness is about 2.5 inches of cloudy snow ice.  Cloudy snow ice is far more dangerous than clear ice with little to no air bubbles.  I, personally, would wait until the cloudy ice is 5 inches before going out on it.

If you are looking to catch trout through the ice; Lake Pleasant is a great place to fish when the ice is safe.  It is a large inland lake that offers enough room for hundreds of fisherman. 

Lake Pleasant also has quite a few bluegill, some perch, largemouth bass, and huge northern pike that dine on the trout. 

You can access the Lake by heading south out of Erie PA on Route 8.  When you reach Hammett Motors on the left about 2 miles south of I-90, take a right and the next road you hit is Lake Pleasant.  Turn left and follow Lake Pleasant Road for a couple miles and the lake will be on your right. 

Good luck fishing and please be safe when going out on the ice. 

February 3 2013 Fishing Conditions Report

Today, I ventured out and scouted to see if the recently cold days reformed ice on Presque Isle Bay.  On Friday, the bay was wide open with little, if any, ice.  Today, the ice is covering the bay but it is very thin.  Too thin to walk on.  I am optimistic that this weeks cold temperatures will freeze the bay a few inches and ice fisherman will be able to fish by the end of the week.

The local streams are frozen again.  There are some holes that are open but for the most part the stream steelhead fishing will have to wait until the next warm spell. 

I will post again later this week and check out the popular places to ice fish.  I think the ice will be safe by Thursday or Friday. 

Forget Ice Fishing for this Weekend!

Just a quick update for my readers that live in Pittsburgh and elsewhere.  Don't bother coming to Erie to ice fish this weekend.  The warm temperatures along with numerous rain showers have made the ice very hazardous.  It is supposed to get cold again in a couple days so the ice may form again.

The good news is that the streams are blowing out and running high.  Therefore, in a couple days there might be some very good steelhead fishing in the area streams.  We should get at least a couple really good fishable days before the streams freeze again. 

I will try to get out and take pictures of stream conditions tomorrow. 

2013 Ice Fishing Season Underway

Today, I headed out to Presque Isle for a scouting expedition.  This past week has been cold and I ventured out to see how thick the ice is, and to see if anyone was catching any fish. 

The ice in Misery Bay which is on Presque Isle is pretty safe.  It appears to be about 5 inches of good clear ice and a lot of fisherman were on it today.  The fisherman I talked to were catching quite a few bluegill but I suspect that a few crappies are being caught also. 

Ice fisherman were also seen off of the foot of Chestnut and off of the second parking lot on Presque Isle.  The ice at both places looked a little sketchy to me so I did not venture out on it.  I like ice to be 5 or 6 inches before I am comfortable.  All it takes is falling through one time and it changes your perception about ice fishing.  Sure, it is lots of fun.  But it is also important to be very safe and comfortable while you are doing it.  When I fell through the ice, there was no warning.  The ice did not crack nor shake; I took one step and then the next thing I know I was flailing for my life.  Luckily for me a couple friends were behind me and pulled me out with a big stick.  Falling through the ice is no picnic and everyone going out on the ice should be prepared in case you hit a spot that is thin and go crashing through.  It is always a good idea to go with someone and carry a big towel and change of clothes in your vehicle.  Also, be sure that you have those fancy hand picks that you can use to drive into the ice if you go through.  They will keep you up and can help you crawl out onto safer ice.

I filmed a short video today and you can see it at my youtube channel: JeffTom66.  Over the next few months I am going to be filming quite a few videos so please stop by and subscribe.  May your lines be tight and your hooks be happy!

Forget Steelhead Fishing in the Streams this Weekend!

A real quick update to help out my readers that are in Pittsburgh and elsewhere.  The warm temperatures along with rain have raised the area streams to extremely high levels.  They are running very high and muddy.  I don't think there will be any stream steelhead fishing this weekend.  Perhaps, Sunday afternoon at the earliest.

Steelhead are also in the bay and strong southern winds are forecast for tomorrow.  These conditions won't be bad for fishing on the north side of the bay.  The new Sons of Lake Erie Pier should be a good spot this weekend, as well as the public dock and maybe even off of the Chestnut pier where they rent boats and jetskis during the summer months. 

High stream levels are blowing out the mouths of the streams so the smaller stream mouths should be good fishing this weekend.  The smaller streams include Trout Run and Godfrey Run on the west side. 

On the positive side, when the streams go down there will most likely be steelhead everywhere!  Next week should prove to be excellent fishing.  Use bright egg patterns or live eggs in cloudy water and a real good tip is to tip your egg with a maggot.  The steelhead seem to go nuts for a squiggly maggot popping out of a bright salmon egg!  Good luck fishing!

Lake Erie Ice Fishing Season Is Not Looking Good.

The recent warm weather has melted the nice clear ice that was developing up until a few days ago.  The Presque Isle Bay ice is unsafe and it is not looking good right now for a lengthy ice fishing season.  One of the positives is that the bay does freeze relatively quickly.  If we get a week and a half of cold temperatures, the ice will be good. 

I will post when the ice is safe and you can venture out on it.  Being a heavy guy, I don't go out on the ice until it is 5 inches thick.  Some people go out on 3 inches but sometimes this practice ends up in a wet, cold, outing.  It is better to be safe than sorry so please be careful if you plan on going out on ice thinner than 5 inches or so. 

I don't know about you guys but I have bought a bunch of new ice fishing equipment so I hope I get to use it this year.  The best month to be out on the ice is March if there is safe ice.  Hopefully, a cold February will appear and along with it good, hard, and clear ice. 

I recently was asked what kind of fish we catch through the ice on Presque Isle Bay in Erie Pennsylvania.  We catch perch, with many of them being jumbos, black and white crappie, bluegills, largemouth bass, quite a few steelhead, and occasional northern pike, walleye, and smallmouth bass. 

Steelhead are commonly caught in real shallow water near shore.  Most of the fisherman venture out into the deeper water to catch tasty jumbo perch.  Crappies, bluegills, and bass are usually found in 4 to 8 feet of water.  The ticket to catching fish through the ice on Presque Isle Bay is to move around until you find fish.  Many times one hut will be killing the fish while 25 feet away they are catching zip. 

Stay tuned for more ice fishing reports as the weather improves.  Let's all cross our fingers and hope we can get out on the ice this season!