Lake Erie trip

[oteymc]

Hi all!  I am looking to do a weekend trip to western lake Erie sometime this coming winter.  Could I get an idea of where to stay, access lake, etc.  Should a guy hire a guide or can some newbies find their way?  We aren't new to ice fishing, just never been to Erie.  We are only about 5 hours to the western edge of the lake.  It just seems like we are too close not to try it sometime.  Thanks in advance.

[Cantgetenough]

I cant tell you where to stay but if you dont know the lake a guide is a MUST. A slight change in the wind and your calling the coast guard!!!!

[oteymc]

Thanks for the reply. 

Any suggestions on guides? 

Or places to access the lake?

[gdccsc]

you can use Catawba state park to get on the ice..I fish out of put in bay all winter,several guides out there to..Just do a search..Ill be takin my stuff up in 3 weeks or so..com on ice!!!

[Lipripper88]

If your new to erie be careful. I fished from crane last year.

[oteymc]

Thanks again guys. Is put in bay the whole area from Catawba to the island. Or is it just the area out past the island?

[turkey09]

Look up Reel Sport Fishing Charters. They are the only license ice taxi service on the lake. They will take you out near where they are guiding people. They also checking on you to see if your catching fish and if your not they will show you how. They fish out of Maggie's Marsh and Catawba State Park but mostly Camp Perry. Hope this helps.

[revpilot]

pm sent

[Erieguy1]

Plenty of licensed ice Guides on Erie. No license needed to run a taxi service at all. Got a sled or quad with a trailer, you can taxi people out. Don't know much about Reel Sports but remember seeing several post that they were warning people that the ice was real bad but was still good for 2 weeks after the warning. Do your homework when picking a guide. Some have been around a while and some come and go. Pick one that has a long history as safety is number one on Erie during the ice season .
A season like last year brought out many guys that were guides for the first time. The ice was the best ice since the 80s. Anyone can take you out on the best ice season ever and get you back in. When its a normal year, caution is needed choosing. If you have a sled or quad, bring it and follow the 1000s of guys going out on any giving day .

Good Luck

[revpilot]

Plenty of licensed ice Guides on Erie. No license needed to run a taxi service at all. Got a sled or quad with a trailer, you can taxi people out. Don't know much about Reel Sports but remember seeing several post that they were warning people that the ice was real bad but was still good for 2 weeks after the warning. Do your homework when picking a guide. Some have been around a while and some come and go. Pick one that has a long history as safety is number one on Erie during the ice season .
A season like last year brought out many guys that were guides for the first time. The ice was the best ice since the 80s. Anyone can take you out on the best ice season ever and get you back in. When its a normal year, caution is needed choosing. If you have a sled or quad, bring it and follow the 1000s of guys going out on any giving day .

Good Luck

some good advice Dale, like I told him in the PM , when its gets closer to ice season, ask on here and most on here who live near the lake and fish it often will share info and help yah out. There's plenty of fish for everyone......

[Lipripper88]

Well said from dale

[leftydeadeye]

No need for a guide unless you don't have much experience or it you have money to burn. Stay tuned to the ice conditions. If we have weather on par with last year heck the ice cannot move very much. If it is like the prior 20 years, ice can be much more prone to move. Stay tuned to this forum and you will get up to date info. Unless you like to walk a long way, a quad or sled is the way to go.  Just follow the pack and well worn tracks. Hotels are cheap this time of year, there are plenty of them around to handle the tourism of the summer, Put-in-Bay, Cedar point, etc. They need money now.

[oteymc]

Thank you guys so much.  I appreciate it.  This is the exact info I needed.  We are not new to ice fishing, just never been to Erie.  We go up to LOW every year and go out by ourselves, find fish and have a great time, but the first couple of years we fished with outfitters.  Mainly wanted to know if we would be naive to think we could do the same thing on Erie.It is 14 hours to LOW, 6 hours to Erie, kind of silly to not try out such a world class fishery.  I will keep an eye out for ice reports, thanks again for all the offers to help.

[icebucketjohn]

I havent ice fished Lake Erie since the late 60's, but my son went up there 2x last ice season and did good.  He fished near Mouse Island.  Think I may join him this season.

[googan7]

Your right leftydeadeye if you do your reading watch the weather plus study your contour maps you can do just as good as a guided trip. Plus keep a few bucks in your pocket. Im from buffalo area and last year was first time fishing Erie and the eyes are just not in our area but cant beat the monster perch. I have been reading posts for weeks now bc my partner and I are making the trip this year for sure . Im kinda familar with the area I lived in Sandusky for a summer playing ball for the Sandusky stars . Good luck and hope forthe cold to come and stay

[Erieguy1]

icebucketjohn, be very very aware of the ice around the Mouse Island area . Last year was record ice and there was still very sketchy ice around there that got people in trouble . normal years for the ice , that area is open water all through the South passage while fishing to the West of the State Park is booming . Been on Erie and the ice for over 35 years and only have fished the Mouse area a few times during hard winters .Just a heads up bud.

Dale

[icebucketjohn]

THANKS Erieguy1 for the heads up.  My son heard that too that particular area is normally questionable at best.  He went with a guy who supposedly knew the area. Will definitely look at that area more carefully.

[dano1031]

We always went out of catawba state park last year. we headed north about two miles out. just follow every one else all the locals know where to go. we did very well last year. we got our bait at rickards on the corner of st rt53 and st rt 163. They have everything u need. there is hotels in the port clintion area. i would defently wait till u know the ice is safe. lake erie can be a lil scary out on the ice. the under water currents changes the ice every day

[mdrobny]

icebucketjohn, be very very aware of the ice around the Mouse Island area . Last year was record ice and there was still very sketchy ice around there that got people in trouble . normal years for the ice , that area is open water all through the South passage while fishing to the West of the State Park is booming . Been on Erie and the ice for over 35 years and only have fished the Mouse area a few times during hard winters .Just a heads up bud.

Dale

x2 on that area!! that said, most years theres fishing between the islands, but you have to get to the islands.( airplane or airboat)
most limit your gear so a guide works easier there. more of a chance to fish there if your planning a trip. just another thought, I'll do it when
there's no access from the mainland.

[stampman60]

Going off the main land can be iffy almost any year. (except last year) When in doubt I go over to puy-in-bay and get a guide.

[justinl8688]

I've been considering the trip for a couple years and plan on pulling the trigger this year as well. What is the primary forage for winter eyes in the western basin? Perch, gobies, emerald shiners? I've smallmouth fish St. Claire and Erie, Pa so I would assume it's similar for eyes.

[gdccsc]

shiners   shiners   shiners   

[thebear]

Lots of good info on here but just a couple more tips.

Don't EVER follow an airboat, EVER. Don't even go near an airboat when theyre on the way out.

Strength in numbers, being the first on the ice isn't always a good thing.

Give yourself distance, people passed us plenty on the drives out last year but we always made it on and off safely, we allowed plenty of distance from the vehicle infront of us.

Take your time! Some days we went 4miles, 6, or even 8 miles out.there's plenty of fish to catch and if you get there at 7am or 8am, there's still fish.

Clown, chrome blue, and fire tiger 7 and 9 seemed to be the ticket for us last year. Minnow head on the end hook, full minnow on treble. Gold and orange #5 pimple did us solid too.

THERE IS NO SHAME IN ASKING FOR ADVICE OR HELP. I can not emphasize that enough, lake erie IS NOT your standard lake, she will kill you if you give her a chance. I know that sounds morbid but trust me, she will.

Pick your wind and pick your times properly. Lake erie will NOT freeze like last year, atleast not for awhile. It is possible we will be fishing it in the next week or 2, however that will be select days. If the wind is out of the south, and the crack opens, you might want to just close your shanty and keep fishing until it blows closed. I would rather not go, than not be able to get in safely.

[Chi]

Lots of good info on here but just a couple more tips.

Don't EVER follow an airboat, EVER. Don't even go near an airboat when theyre on the way out.

Strength in numbers, being the first on the ice isn't always a good thing.

Give yourself distance, people passed us plenty on the drives out last year but we always made it on and off safely, we allowed plenty of distance from the vehicle infront of us.

Take your time! Some days we went 4miles, 6, or even 8 miles out.there's plenty of fish to catch and if you get there at 7am or 8am, there's still fish.

Clown, chrome blue, and fire tiger 7 and 9 seemed to be the ticket for us last year. Minnow head on the end hook, full minnow on treble. Gold and orange #5 pimple did us solid too.

THERE IS NO SHAME IN ASKING FOR ADVICE OR HELP. I can not emphasize that enough, lake erie IS NOT your standard lake, she will kill you if you give her a chance. I know that sounds morbid but trust me, she will.

Pick your wind and pick your times properly. Lake erie will NOT freeze like last year, atleast not for awhile. It is possible we will be fishing it in the next week or 2, however that will be select days. If the wind is out of the south, and the crack opens, you might want to just close your shanty and keep fishing until it blows closed. I would rather not go, than not be able to get in safely.

Being a eastern basin fisherman as I am, our safer winds would be SouthWest and West, never have ice fished the western basin but I would think those could be dangerous winds down your way, especially if there's any open water between west and east. maybe you could share some knowledge on this. Thanks

[thebear]

Being a eastern basin fisherman as I am, our safer winds would be SouthWest and West, never have ice fished the western basin but I would think those could be dangerous winds down your way, especially if there's any open water between west and east. maybe you could share some knowledge on this. Thanks

Let me preface this with there are plenty of people more experienced and my knowledge is limited to personal experience and information from mentors BUT.

With a south or west wind here in the western basin you run the risk of the crack opened, ice breaking and blowing into open water. With a North or East wind it will blow against the ice that is locked to the shore. The reason lake erie was so safe last year was because she froze 100% solid. Any open water is an area for ice the break and drift. I remember 3-4 years ago guys were out fishing the western basin and the crack opened and they could not get back. I believe 1 was rescued and the other simply kept fishing until it closed the next day.

So obviously in the western basin we hand land south and west, with open water North and east; so it would be basically reversed for you guys way east in NY and PA

[Chi]

Let me preface this with there are plenty of people more experienced and my knowledge is limited to personal experience and information from mentors BUT.

With a south or west wind here in the western basin you run the risk of the crack opened, ice breaking and blowing into open water. With a North or East wind it will blow against the ice that is locked to the shore. The reason lake erie was so safe last year was because she froze 100% solid. Any open water is an area for ice the break and drift. I remember 3-4 years ago guys were out fishing the western basin and the crack opened and they could not get back. I believe 1 was rescued and the other simply kept fishing until it closed the next day.

So obviously in the western basin we hand land south and west, with open water North and east; so it would be basically reversed for you guys way east in NY and PA

Yes she was locked in 100% last year, won't see another season like that for a very long time. thanks for your input.

[jakeesspoo]

I like how many posts end up with "just follow all the locals out of (place any parking lot or park name here)" some days the guy in he front of the line or trail heading out is not "local" and only guessing where hes going then you could have a pack of few hundred other people leading them out a few miles.    Every time i go out there is a possibility that something bad can happen and if it does it is knowones fault but my own.   If people want to icefish they should be aware of this.   Im often the first person on lots of public ice but seeing me out there does not necessarily mean its safe it may just mean im dumb or a lot braver than you.    Thats why when i get off the ice and everyone wants to know how he ice is from there cars in the parking lot i tell them to go check themselves rather than give a real answer.     I dont want them leaving there after there sunday drive to go sit at the counter of the local greasy spoon for lunch and tell everyone that the ice is "safe" and its so many inches without having checked it themselves.    What i can say is that 4" inches of ice to me can be very different then 4" of ice to you.     I ask one of me best friends how many inches we have and he will say 8.  We get out there and its really more like 4.     He also shoots 300 lb deer on a regular basis though

[rutnut245]

No need for a guide unless you don't have much experience or it you have money to burn. Stay tuned to the ice conditions. If we have weather on par with last year heck the ice cannot move very much. If it is like the prior 20 years, ice can be much more prone to move. Stay tuned to this forum and you will get up to date info. Unless you like to walk a long way, a quad or sled is the way to go.  Just follow the pack and well worn tracks. Hotels are cheap this time of year, there are plenty of them around to handle the tourism of the summer, Put-in-Bay, Cedar point, etc. They need money now.

I've been fishing Erie for 40+years, when we have fishable ice. If the ice is 2' thick, it is gonna move with an offshore wind if they are running the ice cutters. I've seen it happen many times at the west end. We used to take a boat out to row back across the crack till the wind blew it back. Now the Coast Gaurd is called to bring back those without a backup plan and it ends up all over the news. The last big rescue a few years back is a prime example as there was 18"+ when it moved. I was on it and went n.e 9 miles to the hinge point to get back in. The only place immune to this is around the islands.

Not trying to be a downer, just giving a heads up to what I've seen in the past. Keep an eye on what the Coasties are doing and if the shipping lanes are open.

[Hoosier]

The best info a guy could find when it comes to being safe on the ice      TY     

[leftydeadeye]

Hey googan7,  we have ice on Erie. I will be hitting it from Friday till Monday.  Like I read on another post quys will probably fish around Mouse Is., but like Erie Guy said, that allways has sketchy ice. ODNR put a Range Rover through the ice there last season with record ice. The current is very strong there even during the summer.  I will probably shoot from Catabwa and aim towards Davis Besse but a little more North. Good luck all of you. Be safe and watch where you go.