Frying Lake Erie Perch

Yesterday, a couple of my friends and I had a fish fry.  I used Legendary Northwoods Mild Cajun breading and everyone loved it.  The key is to not overfry the perch.  Fry them at 375 degrees for about 4 minutes and that's all it takes.  Be sure that if there are kids coming to your perch fry that you bring along hot dogs and fries.  Mild cajun breading is usually too spicy for kids and they might not like it.  You can also fry up a few fish using lemon pepper breading which is not so spicy.  I like the Northwoods breadings because all you have to do is wet the perch filet and then roll the filet in the breading.  You can also place the breading in a zip lock back, add the fish, and shake them until the filets are lightly coated.  

 Perch are excellent tasting fried but also taste good if grilled or baked.  Have fun catching and dining on your fish!

Big Smallmouth Bass but no Perch - 4/28/12

Today the weather looked perfect for perch fishing but I did not catch any.  I did a little bit of bass fishing also, and caught this nice smallmouth.  Great fighter...fish did not give up easily even though the water is still frigid. 

I caught this fish off of the north pier.  I used a glo-jig with a pink head.  Still too early for my homemade bass lures I think.

I did not see anyone catching any perch today off of the north pier.  

I will be going out again soon for Lake Erie jumbo perch.  They gotta start biting soon!  Good luck fishing!

Quick Lake Erie Fishing Reports and Conditions.

I am now on Twitter also, so for quick reports on fishing in the area, you can check out my recent tweets.  And, if you follow me on twitter, I will always follow back.

https://twitter.com/#!/JeffTombaugh

Walleye Tour Headed to Lake Erie

National Guard FLW Walleye Tour Headed to Lake Erie


Published April 25, 2012

PORT CLINTON, Ohio (April 25, 2012) - The warm winter of 2012 had Lake Erie about a month ahead of where it normally would have been in March for walleye habitat and spawning. So when the National Guard FLW Walleye Tour presented by Dr Pepper visits the Great Lake May 12-14 anglers may not expect to see some of the spectacular weights that have been seen in past years. Jeff Graves of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, won the 2011 event with more than 117 pounds. It is predicted that the winning weight will be right around the century mark - still nothing to sneeze about and one of the reasons anglers look forward to this stop on the FLW Walleye Tour year after year.

Hosted by the City of Port Clinton and Lake Erie Shores and Islands, the tournament will feature as many as 150 of the world's best walleye anglers in each of the pro and co-angler divisions. They will be casting for top awards up to $63,000 in the Pro Division and $10,500 in the Co-angler Division.

According to FLW Walleye pro Joe Whitten of Toledo, Ohio, current water temperatures are right around 53 degrees. These earlier-than-normal temps have moved the walleye out of their traditional holding spots for this time of year and have spread the fish all the way from Toledo to Cleveland.

"The fish are all spawned out," said Whitten, who is coming off a seventh-place finish at the 2012 FLW Walleye Tour event on the Mississippi River last week. "The fish have scattered; you will not see the concentrations of fish that have been seen in the past. There are no large schools of fish swimming around anymore.

"This tournament is going to be different than we have seen in any other year. Anglers are going to have to learn the lake all over again. Warm water temperatures have caused havoc amongst the walleye. The key is going to be finding decent water to fish. In the past, fishing island structures has always been a good pattern. Not so this year. The fish could be anywhere, and it is going to be finding the perfect water clarity that is going to make the difference."

While Whitten believes that weights will be down from last year, he still thinks it is going to take 33 to 35 pounds per day to win. "The good news is that everyone is still going to catch fish. Anglers will be able to catch fish pulling crankbaits or spinners; it's not going to matter. However, if this tournament would have been held a month ago, we would have been bringing in 50-pound sacks. But 35 pounds is still fun to catch!"

Anglers will take off from the Nor'Easter Club located at 2801 Nor'Easter Cove Road in Port Clinton at 6:30 each morning. Thursday's and Friday's weigh-ins will be held at Waterworks Park in Port Clinton beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday's final weigh-in will be held at the Walmart located at 2826 East Harbor Road in Port Clinton beginning at 4 p.m.

Prior to the final weigh-in on Saturday fans will be treated to the FLW Expo at Walmart from noon-4 p.m. The Expo includes the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, a trout pond and interactive games and activities. The NPAA will be offering a free Youth and Family Fishing Clinic beginning at 2:30 p.m. Prizes, including rods & reels, will be given away after the clinic. All activities are free and open to the public.

FLW Walleye Tour pro anglers will be on hand to sign autographs, take pictures and talk fishing to fans of all ages prior to the tournament when Baumann Auto Center, located at 625 Southeast Catawba Road in Port Clinton, hosts Chevy Pro Night Tuesday, May 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. Scheduled to appear are Chevy pro Jason Przekurat, Walmart pro Dean Arnoldussen, Dr Pepper pro John Balla, Eggo pro Brian Brosdahl, Straight Talk pro Tom Keenan and 2011 FLW Walleye Tour Champion EverStart pro Dan Stier.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWOutdoors.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.



ABOUT FLW

FLW is the industry's premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 191 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport's richest payday and most coveted championship trophy - the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the "Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water," through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world's richest fantasy sports game - FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.

Do You Have Too Many Minnows in Your Bucket?

The Pa Fish and Boat Commission is going to start counting minnows in your bucket.  It appears that some people net as many minnows as they can, not knowing that this practice is illegal.  Remember, your PA fishing license only entitles you to have a total of 50 minnows in your bucket and in possession; unless your minnows were purchased from a licensed commercial bait dealer. 

If you do purchase your minnows, make sure that you keep a receipt if you have more than 50 minnows in your bucket.  The receipt can be thrown away (please keep it out of the water) once your minnows are dumped back into the lake or disposed of. 

If you would like to catch more than 50 minnows a day, you can now purchase a netting license for $10.00.   This annual license allows you to net 200 minnows a day and have a total of 200 minnows in possession.  If you do not have this license and you net minnows, expect to be checked.  I do not know what the fine is for having too many minnows in your bucket is, but I would not risk it.  You could probably lose your fishing privileges or get slapped with a hefty fine.  For more information on this new netting license, please visit: 

Lake Erie Cast Net Permit Application

NOTE:  This license only applies to those who fish Lake Erie and Presque Isle Peninsula waters.  Other areas of the state must have a different net permit.  Minnows taken out of Lake Erie or the bay must only be fished in Lake Erie or the bay.  They cannot be legally transported to other waters in or out of the state.

PFBC Sets 2012 Walleye and Perch Limits in Lake Erie

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) today announced that the 2012 creel limits for Lake Erie yellow perch will be remain at 30 per day and walleye will remain at six per day.


Earlier this year, the PFBC adopted new regulations establishing adaptive creel limits for walleye and yellow perch based on the annual quotas established by the Lake Erie Committee, which consists of fisheries managers from Pa., Ohio, N.Y., Mich., and Ontario, Canada.

“Adaptive fishing regulations are based on the most recent fishery assessment results and are better aligned with the current status of the yellow perch and walleye stocks,” said Chuck Murray, the PFBC’s Lake Erie biologist. “This regulatory flexibility gave fisheries managers the ability to change daily harvest limits prior to the onset of the summer boat fishing season on Lake Erie.”

Murray said this year’s assessment showed that both yellow perch and walleye populations remain stable. Based on this, the creel limits are being held at the 2011 limits.

(PFBC- April 20, 2012)

Emerald Shiners: The Meal Ticket for Perch.

The past few days have been slow perch fishing in the bay.  A few jumbos are being caught most everywhere in the bay.  The problem this year is twofold.  Due to the lack of ice, there are literally millions of emerald shiners in the bay that the fish can feed on.  The other problem is that this April has been mostly sunny with few fronts moving through. 

I managed to catch a few nice perch over the past couple days and noticed that they are now done spawning and engulfing and gorging themselves on the shiners.  Check out the fish below.  It had 16 shiners in its' belly!  I have never seen that many minnows in a fish.  This illustrates that the perch are having little problem finding food.  With the millions of minnows in the bay, it is a wonder that any fish can be caught.  They probably feed for just a couple minutes and then they are stuffed for a few days.  Warmer weather will drive the perch out of the bay and into Lake Erie.  The perch will start to follow them out and thats when we should catch a lot more fish.  Good luck fishing! 

Perch Biting Right at Dark.

Today, my brother Bobby and I headed down to the bay to try our luck for perch.  The dock was crowded with fisherman.  It was cold and sunny with temperatures in the low 40's dropping down into the 30's around dark.  We both fished for an hour and a half without even a bite.  Then my brother caught a jumbo perch measuring 13 and a half inches. 

The sun was now sinking fast and right when it was sinking below the horizon, the fish started to bite.  Within the next half hour, we caught another three big perch and 8 small ones we tossed back.  My brother even caught a little crappie and threw it back in to get bigger. 

The weather pattern has not been good for perch fishing.  High pressure has been sitting on us for a few days now with skies clear and sunny.  Not at all typical for April in Erie PA.  The perch are still in the bay and the next front is going to turn them on. 

A few nice crappies are being caught in the waters in and around Presque Isle but I have not had any reports of limits being caught.  Steelhead fishing in the streams is slow because we have not had any rains for awhile.  We might get one last run of steelies before they head out into the lake for the summer. 

Good luck fishing!

Slow Couple Days of Fishing

Yesterday I went fishing for a couple hours in the afternoon.  The only fish I caught was a big fat female smallmouth.  The smallie put up one heck of a fight and I forgot my camera so I could not take a picture.  It was one of the largest smallies I have ever caught and was over 20 inches and full of eggs. 

Today, instead of fishing the city side of the bay, I headed over to try my luck on some crappie in the bay.  I had a couple bites but caught no fish.  There were literally thousands of minnows near the shore so the fish did not have trouble filling their bellies.  My brother fished with me today and he managed to catch one nice perch and a bluegill. 

The weather today was too nice.  The peninsula side of the bay was very calm and the skies were cloudless.  Not a great day for the fish to bite.  I am going to wait until the next front comes and then I will fish again.  Good luck fishing!

Nasty Fishing Conditions Today

Today I got up before daylight and ventured down to the bay to try for jumbo perch.  Just as I got set up, it started downpouring and I was soaked within a couple minutes.  I was almost ready to call it quits when it suddenly quit raining so I decided to fish a little while.  The bite was slow as the waves started to grow.  The wind was blowing hard out of the west and the bay was engulfed with 5 foot swells.  The south pier was unfishable. 

All I could do, was drop my bait next to the wall and hope that some fish were close.  I got a few bites and then managed to catch a couple nice perch around 10 - 11 inches.  The sun then appeared as the sky cleared while the wind was howling hard.  I gave up with my two fish and will try again soon.  Good luck fishing!

Perch Now Biting in Bay.

The warm winter spell of 2012 is over and now temperatures have fallen back to normal.  This past weekend the perch were cooperating throughout the bay.  Many very large fish have been caught.  Some in the 15 to 16 inch range which is huge for even Lake Erie perch.  The crappier the weather the better fishing.  Smallmouth bass are also hitting.  They are not too active but are grabbing some minnows.  Crappie fishing is spotty so if you are not getting them, keep moving around until you find a school. 

Steelhead fishing has slowed down but fish are being caught at the mouths of the creeks.  We need the heavy spring rains so the fish can travel up the streams. 

Don't forget that on April 1 is the SONS ice out party at the Shriners Club from 1 to 5 pm.  Admission is $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for kids under 16.  This is a great party if you have never attended.  All the beer you can drink, pop for the kids, and Smith hotdogs will be served.  All the money raised goes to improving the fishing in Lake Erie.  Without the SONS, the perch fishing would not be nearly as good as it is. 

Good luck fishing!

Perch Fishing at a Lull.

Today I received reports from a few of my fishing buddies and my uncle.  The past few days have been warm and mild but the perch are not biting too well.  All of the reports that I received today are very similar.  The fishing is slow with a couple jumbos being caught.  Everyone said that this week they are averaging about one good fish an hour.  I think the fishing will improve greatly within the next few weeks as the spawners start to gorge themselves before going back into the lake. 

Steelhead fishing is also slow due to a lack of rain within the past week.  After the next heavy rains the streams should get a fresh run of fish.  Good luck fishin"

Sunny Day - No Fish Biting.

Today was a beautiful day.  The high was near 60 and it was very sunny.  I went fishing for bass or northern pike and today was my trials for my new soft bait lures.  I tried the south pier off of the parking lot.

They performed very well and stayed on the jig head even through some very tough snags.  Unfortunately, I did not even have a hit.  And, everybody else that was fishing around me were skunked.  Some days the fish just aren't biting; today was one of those days.

This week the weather looks good and here is the latest fishing report.

Crappies are being caught all around Presque Isle and even in the lagoons.
Perch are still near the head of the bay and many small ones are being caught off Liberty and Border Patrol
Some jumbos showed up at the dock but quickly disappeared the past few days.
Boat fisherman are getting nice perch off 1st and 2nd parking lots.

A few largemouth bass are being caught all around Presque Isle. 

This week should be good fishing so check back for updates.  Good luck!

My New Go Be a Meal Lures!

I am in the process now of making lures that will catch fish in Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay, as well as, any other places with the same species of fish.  I made my first lure today and it turned out great.  I will be testing them soon and will post pictures of the fish my new lures catch.

I started with a Goby mold and will tweak the colors and glitter combinations until I find out which works best.  I know the one I made today will catch fish.  It is kinda close to the same color of gobies in the bay. 

Each of my lures will be hand poured and I bought a special scent for them.  Soon I will post videos on how best to fish them, as well as videos of me and whoever wants to fish with me catching fish on them. 

This lure I just made will catch both species of bass; largemouth and smallmouth.  My grub tail goby will be offered for sale on my new website:  JT Starboards Fishing Tackle  along with other fishing gear.  The address is http://www.jtstarboards.com/

JT Starboards Go be A Meal Lures

Worm plastic, molds, and materials are pretty pricey when you buy the best stuff.  I went out of my way to buy the best lure making materials I could find.  Right now, I am selling the Goby lure for $1.49.  This lure is very detailed and when the fish get close they won't be able to resist it.  Also, the plastic combination is perfect.  It is not too soft and not too hard.  I bet the fish will hold onto it until I reef into them with the hook set.  Good luck fishing and Please check out my website frequently as I am going to making all kinds of lures and tackle.  May your lines be tight and your fish be heavy!

Making New Soft Bait Lures for Spring Fishing Season.

Trophy Bass season in Pennsylvania is right around the corner and this year I am going to hit them hard.  Recently, I purchased several fishing lure molds and I will be making lures that will catch fish. 

With the invasion of the Round Goby, I thought it was important that I could offer Goby lures that will kill the bass.  A lot of local fisherman have discovered that both Largemouth and Smallmouth bass are eating gobies.  In fact, many put them on their hooks and toss them in and then reel in big bass.

I am unsure about this practice and I believe it may be illegal to catch and hook gobies for bait.  I just contacted the fish commission and should have an answer soon regarding the legality of this practice.

Anyway, my new lure that will be out soon is an imitation goby.  It will come in a variety of colors and I will be testing them to find out the ones that work best.   Bass season is in right now.  Usually, we catch them through the ice off of the second and third parking lots off of Presque Isle.  No ice this year, means that the bass are most likely hanging out in the shallows.  The water is still too cold for bass to be aggressive.  Next month should be really good bass fishing. 

My new goby lure will be able to be fished slowly in colder water.  And, the plastic I am using is soft so the bass will hang on to it.  Stay tuned for more posts where I will be showing off my lures and teaching how to best fish them.  I will be utilizing Youtube for videos and this fishing blog for photos and information.  Good luck fishing!