Since I (re)started smallmouth bass fishing a few years ago, one of my bucket list items was to fish Lake Erie. Well actually my bigger bucket list fishing spot is La Reserve Beauchene, but Erie or even Lake St. Clair is more attainable. Like how my dream car is a Ferrari F40 but an FD Mazda RX-7 is more likely to end up in my driveway.
Anyway, Karen started pestering me about what I wanted to do for my milestone birthday. I immediately thought of Lake Erie. The only thing hindering such a plan, especially this time of the year, is weather. We actually fished Lake Erie a few years ago on a charter for perch. It was late October and with the weather, it was like fishing on the ocean. Huge waves tossing the boat, all the land lubbers aboard getting seasick.
Karen started searching around for a guide and contacted Corey of A2Z Guide Service. This time of year, he starts off in the Detroit River, which connects Erie and St. Clair, and he moves from there. If the weather is bad, he shelters in the river. If the weather is decent, he moves up to St. Clair or Erie depending on where the action is.
Karen booked the trip and circled the date -- April 30, a Saturday 10 days after my birthday. It was like being a kid counting down the days until Christmas morning.
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| Corey's boat, a 2020 Ranger with a 350HP Mercury. Super quiet with good power. |
Checking the weather in the days leading up, the forecast was up and down. Fifty degrees and rain, 60 degrees and no rain. High winds. Low winds. That Thursday, the forecast for April 30 called for mid 50s and a chance of light rain later on in the day. I don't mind fishing in the rain because the fish don't care -- they are already wet.
We headed out Friday -- roughly an eight-hour trip from Maryland. A little scare with the Crosstrek when the TPMS light came on somewhere on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The left-front tire was a little low, we filled it back up, but the TPMS light came on again about 30 minutes later. We pulled into a service area, and the tire pressures were EXACTLY the same. The warning light blinked and came on at various intervals throughout the rest of the trip, and after Googling symptoms, chalked it up as either a dying battery or a faulty TPMS sensor on one wheel. (I've driven the car to work this week and the warning light hasn't come on).
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| Old school jigging blade. |
Anyway, stopped at a brewery that had awesome wood-fired pizzas. Kept driving. Got stuck in a traffic jam about 10 miles from the hotel around 10 p.m. because of a weird accident. And then made it to the hotel.
The next morning, after maybe four hours of sleep, we were ready to hit the water. We met Corey at a boat ramp on the Detroit River. The forecast called for high winds but at that point things were rather calm. Corey said we could go upriver and chase walleye or venture into Lake Erie and try for smallmouth.
I didn't have to think much. "Smallmouth."
We motored down and setup in about 15 feet of water among scattered rocks that peppered the lake floor. Corey tied on a Buckeye Lures Jiggin' Blade for me and Karen. This lure is about as old-school as they come. It's basically a flat piece of metal shaped like a baitfish with a weight on the front. Cast it out, let it reach bottom, lift or rip it up, let it flutter down. Rinse, repeat.
We did OK with that lure, but Corey was doing even better with a swimbait. Catching walleye. While trying for smallmouth. He was texting and calling other guides who were actually trying to catch walleye, and he was having better luck than them. While targeting smallmouth bass.
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| Double smallmouth! What's it mean?! |
The smallmouth were on par with the fish we had caught on the Susquehanna River but they were noticeably chunkier. All 15-plus inches but FAT. I caught an 18-incher that Corey said might be around three pounds. It tipped the digital scale at 3.75 pounds. Which is probably just an average size for Lake Erie.
Karen and I landed about six smallmouth each while Corey caught the same number of smallmouth and walleye, the latter going in the livewell.
After about four hours and going through a dry spell of not catching anything, the wind picked up. This made it difficult fishing because we were basically jigging off the bottom, and the wind numbed the feel -- boat rising and sinking with the waves, wind catching slack in the line.
Corey suggested either trolling in the same are or heading upriver and out of the wind to jig for walleye. Trolling doesn't really appeal to me -- unless I'm fishing for food, I would rather catch fish with more skill instead of dumb luck.
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| Crispy walleye fillets. |
We headed to Canada, which would be my second time in Canadian waters, although I've never actually set foot in Canada. We hit a few spots with no luck. Even our guide was getting skunked.
Off to another spot, and we drifted down current and didn't get anything. We motored back up a little further and Karen caught a small (eater size) walleye, so at least we had something to contribute to the livewell. Then I caught another walleye about the same size.
Professional guide: 6 keepers
Two amateur fishermen: 2 keepers
We headed back to the ramp just after noon. Corey loaded the boat up then filleted "our" walleye. I was worried he would keep his fish but he generously put all the fillets into one bag for me and Karen.
It was a fun trip but I think there's unfinished business on Lake Erie. I'm looking forward to going back with more stable weather whether it's Erie or Lake St. Clair. Or fishing around Bell Isle on an Indycar weekend.
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| It's in the net! Corey unhooks a smallmouth bass. |
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| Even searching for Lake Erie monsters you don't need heavy tackle. |
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