Coldfeet

It's typicle.  They don't want to hire PT help to watch the marina. I do understand if weather didn't allow safe boating. Such as ice or extreme high waters to launch safely then keep it closed. But this winter was beyond mild. No reason not to adjust accordingly. There is no reason not to have at least one launch ramp In place. I know I would use it when weather permits to be out on the lake.  Funny how Ohio is taking in thousands of dollars this time of year from sportsman utilizing Eries waters

Taking fish is fine. Over harvesting is another. Selling is greed.  With the internet and fishing sites. It's become a norm for guys to brag about their success. All you need to do is post you boxed out at any given area and you can bet the next day you'd have 50 guys there.  I've seen it on lakes where species get wiped out or numbers decline so bad that catching a species which was holding it's own are almost non existent.  I'm surely not against those who go out and catch fish take them home and share them or eat them themselves. It's what I do. But within reason too.  We all know most species now are egg laiden.  So simply return some of them if possible to keep the lakes self sustaining. 

NY could care less. It's always been that way.  With the talk of putting turbines in eries waters to planting those things all across the country sides.  The management of a panfish limit by my thoughts hasn't produced more fish. Some inland lakes are void of some species because limit fishing through the ice has stripped out egg laiden fish.  Erie is a vast body of water it's sustained itself for the most but still market fishing isn't a smart idea. If your idea of bragging about boxing out is what gets you off nothing anyone would say will change your mind.  All I know is having that sandbar year in year out has pretty much screwed with my enjoyment. Same as on a mild year like we had over winter why couldn't a single launch dock be left in for those diehard who would use them. 

45 minutes ago, Jimdski said:

After half the summer is gone and the fishery moves to the west, it will open then????????

The whole deal is a joke.  If they aren't going to hire a responsible architect to design a inlet that won't sand in monthly then contract a company to keep it cleared.  All the work they did last spring obviously didn't help matters.  And million plus waisted money is gone. On top of that the state will simply move on using money elsewhere.  Sturgeon  Pt had it chance to make it right and blew it. 

Too much false information has been given.  The dredging of the harbor mouth will be complete and I guess if you need safe harbor in emergency it could be used. But launching won't be allowed till at least the 15th. 

July 15th is the date. Not the 1st. 

Took the wife out Perch fishing. Went to the river to dip some emeralds and none to be found.  Only minnow to be had is Goldies uggg.  What is happening to our lake?   Never have I not been able to get minnows by either buying at Russ's or spending 2 min tossing a net and getting a bucket full.  All my haunts were void of bait. Seriously I know Comorants are a major Pain but have they devastated the food source this bad?   

Understood dredging will start.  Union concrete won the bid to repair the wall. Does anyone have knowledge to what repairs are to be made? What will be done if anything to keep the sand out of the gap?  Simple dredging is pretty much useless as we all know

Bottom line. Those incharge of this region only get concerned when tax dollars fall. Queen Hochul is directly tied to this area and her only concern was to plant windmills on spawning grounds. What is needed is to first go after businesses getting the on board showing them revenue that is lost. My lord just look at simple things we use. Bait shops!! We keep losing them and once gone no one replaces them.  Buy local guys frig going to Cabelas Dicks or internet.  These guys run on a shoestring. Give them some reasons to stay open.. this is a drop in the hat. This will never happen in my lifetime but the future of acess to erie for the future depends on more than just us fishermen

Totally agree that the lake is 100% unutilized by the state or whoever has any control of access points.  This state is a waste of time talking to.  The repair of sturgeon point is nothing more than a bandaid. I worked on the dredging of Buffalo river. The company dredging was from Michigan. The Scow they used was over 100ft long and easily 10 ft deep and approx 15ft width.  The dredge clam held close to 12 yards material per dip.  The Sturgeon Pt sand problem needs to be addressed to remove all the sand to the east of the wall where fuel pump sits it should be dredged at least 15 ft deep and placed in a bottom drop scow and taken 2 miles out and east of the harbor and dropped on the move.  We all know a wing wall of tight sheet piles would deflect sand but I can guess we will never see this in my lifetime.  I took a ride yesterday to obviously look for launch sites.  NY is a joke. I'm seriously thinking of heading to the west.  Ohio, PA at least has launch sites capable of handling more than 50 vehicles each.  

Understand what your saying but does this condition run through summer?? Obviously not looking to launch this time of year. Looking for summer options. 

So as expected construction of new wall or repair of old will begin this spring. Woth it the marina will be closed. This will leave us with few launch sites to hit the lake.  We already know of all the launches and most we know have very limited parking.  My question is because I've never had to use it. How's Barcelona ?  Anything needed to know? Hazards? Parking limitations and fishing areas?  No need for numbers or "secret" spots. But what's the basic travel distance to decent fish able water. Thanks in advance. 

Just a FYI if your stick baits don't have split rings you can add one or I prefer using a small cross lock snap. Not a swivel mind you but just a snap  run the swivel like 2 ft up line or because I use Lite Bite divers I run off my braid a  tiny spro swivel (which goes through all the eyes )tied to braid Palomar knot then tie 20lb floro (Palomar knot) to swivel rig the lite bite and put a snap swivel at the end.  It stays clean and never a breakoff.

Went out yesterday out of SP. Found perch from 56 to 60 for everywhere we went quit a few shorts but still manage 38 with a dozen or so 14" empty females. Many more 10+ inches.  They are not really schooled up and for sure your not going to see them on your Graff. They're belly to the bottom and loaded with baifish.  Did manage one decent eye too.  Only fished 4 hrs so not a bad day at all.   Beware of tree out straight from the entrance of harbor sticking up like 18" out of water.  In about 30fow. 

Perch are west at least that's the word. Out in front of Chaut creek Silver creek area

Spent entire week at sunset rented cottage there. What a crap week. Winds every day kept us off the water. We went out trying it but 2 days off shore winds which were supposed to be under 1 foot we found 2 1/2 footers out 60 ft. Not one fish suspended no baitfish  couple bumps on bottom but why bother rigging up when it's a baron wasteland.  I refused to go out to 80fow due to waves. My boat isn't capable of handling 4 footers.  I'm throughly disgusted. 

All fish have a preferred Temperature range. Cold water species such as Trout and Salmons head to deeper waters come summer and thrive below thermoclines.  Bass prefer warmer Temps and stay in the upper Temps. Walleye and Perch like the same temperature range so as the lake turns and is at this time somewhat unstable they'll go to the preferred zone.  Which happens to be above the thermocline.  Most of our electronics if tuned properly can pick it up.  So as bait rises with the thermocline so do the predators.   These surface temperature drops will also trigger the trout to prepare to invade the creeks.  So fishing cooler shallower water will trigger lots of hook ups with steelhead now

Just finished cleaning a few from this Am outing.   Started at 64fow trolled out to 74fow. Took 4 min to boat the first eye.  Tossed back 3 more.  Made loop back into 68 fow and headed west.  Lots of light hits.   Turned back east and picked up another for cooler and that was it. The wind picked up big time and started capping big.  Long slow ride in it made ya pucker up a few times.  Going to release 2 in hot oil for dinner.  Got them early on firetiger bronze. As sun got higher purple black was the number. Towed behind a lit bite 180' back  they were tight to bottom for the most.  

On 8/7/2021 at 2:06 PM, ciscokid said:

THE OIL IS GOING TO BE HOT TONITE SWEET MEAT AND CORN ON THE COB.

I don't crank the drag down. Quite opposite. I leave clicker on. Set drag to pull line out on lightest bite possible. Most days I fish myself.  So driving boat and running rods I don't see everything. When fish hits the clicker sound off giving me fair warning. Also pulling rod out of holder if your dragging weight of fish a dipsey or weight of 3 way can be a challenge if drag is cranked down. I like the slippage on the clicker. Once rods in hand I give star drag a twist pull rod. Not jerk like setting hook. That's more than enough to bury good hooks.   My blunder when I pulled fish didn't budge. It felt like a snag. I put thumb on spool.pulled little harder. At that point the first head shake. And it was then I knew it was friggen big. I only had 2 rods out should have had wife neutral boat bring in second rod. My bad. Instead I tried to move fish.  Second head shake and in a split second game over.  Not the first big fish I've lost not the last. I tie Palomar knots exclusively on my terminal tackle.  But haven't retired in a trip or 2. Again my bad.   Breaking point wasn't 20 lbs that's for sure most likely 12 to 15.  Due to hrs of trolling previous to this trip out.  Live and learn. Retire terminal daily and after a few fish to keep this from happening. No one to blame but me. 

Went out with the flotilla Sunday morning. Wife and I started at 60 fow trolled out towards 70s. Sure wasn't as flat as they said it was to be. Waves were beating up up pretty good.  Picked up first fish at 63fow. Pulling harnesses under 5 Oz 3 way. First fish came on a firetiger brass  out 120ft.  Had one fish hitting other rod purple black. Wife said hey is that a bite?  Firetiger was hooked up. 20" eye.  Went 1/4 mile rod doubles over. Set hook felt like snag. 2 head shake and snapped 20lb floro leader like a twig. Fish was huge. Either a cat big carp or who knows big eye.  Trolled ot to 74ft most  fish around 68 too fow. Picked up one more like 19" on purple black.  Called it a day at 11.   That big stump is still straight out the Catt at 32fow. Be careful. No markings on it. When I go out again I'll try to hang jug on .  it

Runout

Early morning I ran 4oz weights to get to bottom. Trolled at .9 to 1.3 running blades.   I ran 2 rods this way and would also bring rigs up the water column to the suspended big fish marks which seemed to be around 62 ft over 78 fow.  I played all morning fishing high and low in the water column. When I flipped over to cranks on the  light bites ( dipsey) I set 30 ft back off the dipsey and sent it down to match depth  so 80 ft on reel over 80 fow. Which gives me anywhere from 55 to 65 ft.  down approx.   I had lots of hits but the ones I got just slammed the lures.   I ended up putting drift socks out to slow me down too.   I looked for nice wide wobble. I personally think the waves or chop was playing havoc with presentation kind of Jenkins the bait and lures too much.  

Fished out of Catt yesterday. Long day with some results. Marked fish all day. 75 to 83 fow.  Ran harnesses in morning and picked up first eye in under 1/2 hr.  Most  fish were within 10 ft of bottom. Started to get bugged by catching tons of white Perch so swapped out to running dipseys and cranks. Took 40 ft to boat a 23" eye. In 76 fow.  Wind was a game all day. Swirling out of south the from east and back and forth.  Picked up last eye in 78 for. Again another 23"  but fat fish.  Wind was making lots of chop and it started capping.  Boats were everywhere. 70s out beyond the 80ft. Talked to few guys. Fish are being caught but it's slow and you need to work for every one.  Last note. Pods and pods of baitfish ( I'm guessing) they're everywhere. No wonder fish are tight lipped.  

Hard to say when projects like this are run by local govt. Sure we can say yeah they did. But how much money is alloted per year?  It's obvious Covid killed any surplus of funds if they had a surplus.  Govt in general wastes more money than is in its coffers. 

The bodies are my design. It took many trial and error attempts to get a proper weight. Casting the body in all lead or a zing base still makes a heavy lure. Too heavy to fish. So I had to come up with a way to lighten them. That's my secret. The mold also is home made. Part of these lures are of lead some zink. Depends on what I want weight wise.  Some of these are also covered with real fish skin I got from fishing which I treat previous to applying to the lure. It's a process I learned from a lure builder from Finland.  They're fun to build they fish great and not profitable in this country to sell. Guys here love the 3.00 Chinese crap.  My hooks alone cost that per lure.