Considering a Lake Erie Trip in 2 weeks

[kickinchicken83]

Good morning! I'm considering driving up from NC to the Sandusky area for my bday weekend in hopes to catch some smallmouth on Erie.

I've never been on a smallmouth fishery, and would like to go when the fishing is better than average.

Ideally, I would like to catch em deep on a drop shot.

How has the fishing been in the western basin? Would it be worth making the trip?

Any insight would be appreciated.

[bjranger]

419 230 6145. text me if you want
Brandon

[jc2bg]

Somebody is surely on them, but typically late summer is the absolute worst smallmouth fishing. Late September, or whenever the water starts significantly cooling, the fish start to group up and perk up. Something to consider is that if you're traveling from NC, you could increase your fish catching odds by continuing on up to Lake St. Clair. From Sandusky, the best chances for August smallmouth are 20-40 miles offshore, and the areas they might be inhabiting are vast. On LSC, the areas to search are nowhere near as large (although still substantial), and a run of 15 miles is almost the limit, with some decent fishing just a mile or two offshore.

[Basshole413]

Somebody is surely on them, but typically late summer is the absolute worst smallmouth fishing. Late September, or whenever the water starts significantly cooling, the fish start to group up and perk up. Something to consider is that if you're traveling from NC, you could increase your fish catching odds by continuing on up to Lake St. Clair. From Sandusky, the best chances for August smallmouth are 20-40 miles offshore, and the areas they might be inhabiting are vast. On LSC, the areas to search are nowhere near as large (although still substantial), and a run of 15 miles is almost the limit, with some decent fishing just a mile or two offshore.

I will second that

[kickinchicken83]

I will second that

i appreciate the tips. However the weekend I would be coming up is the same weekend as the elite series tournament on st. Clair. Don't think I want to get in the way of those guys.

[gordonsweb]

Fished weekend before last around Kellys Island, 3 fish limit we had 10.85# all drop shotting tubes. We went out of Mizurik ramp in Marblehead.

3 fish 13# won it all smallies..

[nitro2130]

Erie is a different world lol. There are days NO ONE goes out on erie and if you have a bass boat there are a lot of days you can't get on erie. But you can catch good largemouth in the bays and harbors.

[kickinchicken83]

I really appreciate the feedback from everyone on here. Making a vacation trip to the big water has been on my bucket list for a while. I think I'm going to postpone my trip until next year when i'll have a week off rather than 2.5 days to fish.

[Whitaker201]

That is a smart decision.
It takes time to find them on the big water and sometimes the weather does not cooperate. When you do come up here get the NOAA app for your phone so you can keep up with the weather/wave conditions and watch out for the NE wind. That blows down the lake and can make some rough conditions.

[OH_Ranger]

I really appreciate the feedback from everyone on here. Making a vacation trip to the big water has been on my bucket list for a while. I think I'm going to postpone my trip until next year when i'll have a week off rather than 2.5 days to fish.

Just do both trips. YOLO.