# Near shore report



## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

I have a 16’ boat. It’s a great vessel but I just don’t feel comfortable going out to 70’. I went last night out of Edgewater and went over to the Gold Coast. I tried some crawler harnesses and caught an eater on a transition from 20-30. The wind died and I tried on another transition with Vi-BEES and caught a couple short walleye and hooked a couple monsters that I never saw. The marks were incredible on every sharp transition. Once the sun went down I noticed that the marks were coming up off the bottom and they stopped hitting the Vi-BEE so I trolled for a couple of hours and had a couple pullbacks but didn’t land anything. I think there’s potential there without having to risk so much to get 15 miles North. I’m going to try it again later this week and I will share what I find.


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## Jim Stedke (Dec 5, 2005)

swone said:


> I have a 16’ boat. It’s a great vessel but I just don’t feel comfortable going out to 70’. I went last night out of Edgewater and went over to the Gold Coast. I tried some crawler harnesses and caught an eater on a transition from 20-30. The wind died and I tried on another transition with Vi-BEES and caught a couple short walleye and hooked a couple monsters that I never saw. The marks were incredible on every sharp transition. Once the sun went down I noticed that the marks were coming up off the bottom and they stopped hitting the Vi-BEE so I trolled for a couple of hours and had a couple pullbacks but didn’t land anything. I think there’s potential there without having to risk so much to get 15 miles North. I’m going to try it again later this week and I will share what I find.


Your monsters where more then likely sheephead , that can be a pain on vibrating lures. Keep working at it . You'll get it figured out.


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## normster30 (Jul 14, 2012)

swone said:


> I have a 16’ boat. It’s a great vessel but I just don’t feel comfortable going out to 70’. I went last night out of Edgewater and went over to the Gold Coast. I tried some crawler harnesses and caught an eater on a transition from 20-30. The wind died and I tried on another transition with Vi-BEES and caught a couple short walleye and hooked a couple monsters that I never saw. The marks were incredible on every sharp transition. Once the sun went down I noticed that the marks were coming up off the bottom and they stopped hitting the Vi-BEE so I trolled for a couple of hours and had a couple pullbacks but didn’t land anything. I think there’s potential there without having to risk so much to get 15 miles North. I’m going to try it again later this week and I will share what I find.


Talked to a DNR guy yesterday and he said he got reports of limits off of Lakewood in 20 ft. early morning best. I've never fished there be it seems to be a rocky shoreline to attract the bait fish and a point coming off the bay.


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## fishhogg (Apr 16, 2009)

Something to keep in mind, there are always fish in close. The big secret at lake Erie is you don't need to run off shore to catch walleye. There always fish relating to inshore stucture, you gotta work for them, but they are there. Trolling will allow you to cover a bunch of water an learn the area you are fishing, then get a few pods of fish marked and then come back and work them over with other techniques. Good luck, and be safe.


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## allwayzfishin (Apr 30, 2008)

Yo Steve-o, bust out those big jiggin raps on 12lb mono with a barrel swivel. Pitch them into those areas where you see big marks on the graph. Let it hit bottom, pop pop, hold your rod high as your watching slack line till it hits bottom. Pop pop, figure out the cadence and hold on! It’s been money in right against sand to rock transitions. Or deep drops off. Trust your graph and work that structure homeboyyyyy! Lol, it’s been so much fun doing this as you’ll catch anything that can choke that bait. I literally just bought another 15 shiver minnows and a bunch more snap raps. Good luck and give this technique a chance


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

Thanks for so many positive comments! I was pretty sure they were sheepshead but I also had a friend get a 32 1/4 walleye in there so my imagination runs wild. I’ve personally caught at least 6 walleye over 30” in that area but I have been stuck on trolling and I need to diversify. I’m also mapping the entire area on my Garmin and I always upload my QuickDraw contours anyone can get them on the Garmin site for free


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

This was caught in my boat last summer right in front of Edgewater Beach


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## foatsboat (Oct 27, 2011)

swone said:


> View attachment 372755
> 
> This was caught in my boat last summer right in front of Edgewater Beach


Last Saturday am Alumadude and I went to 25' off Euclid to target drum for sport. Used medium tackle and had my old mosquito lake bag full of old goodies. Had a blast. No cats. 2 nice fat 23" walleyes. They ended up in the frying pan that afternoon. It was a nice break from trolling. Next time taking a few youngsters out there for the thrill of catching.


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## PapawSmith (Feb 13, 2007)

A guy reported in another Erie thread that he boated 10 keeper eyes in 12'-24' of water in Huron, just west of the river, this past weekend. I believe he said was trolling unassisted Bandits. That is certainly doable in a boat your size, and is about 25 miles closer in than I went out of the same river, only catching nine.


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## allwayzfishin (Apr 30, 2008)

Yeah those big ass drum hit at night too. I mean it’s crazy how hard they slam baits and they just pull like a train. Catching drum is actually a lot of fun and that fish deserves more credit and respect. This one here probably went over 8lbs. Crushed a p10 Marvin. Boated a handful of them that night casting for eyes. They definitely keep ya focused and alert lol


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## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

They are a blast if I'm not fishing to fill freezer I'd love to catch them all day. When I was a kid me and my brother used to fish on the Sandusky river at my grandpa's cottage for them and cats. This is after going on his boat and walleye fishing all day. The good old days in the early 80s


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## foatsboat (Oct 27, 2011)

Back in the party days used to take smaller drum in colder water. Fillet them out. Boil in beer for 4 minutes. Set on paper towels to drain and cool. Eat with cocktail sauce. Poor mans lobster! There never was leftovers and fed a lot of people. Haven't done in years but I liked it then. So did everyone else! Maybe I was crazy then


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## ranger487 (Apr 5, 2005)

foatsboat said:


> Back in the party days used to take smaller drum in colder water. Fillet them out. Boil in beer for 4 minutes. Set on paper towels to drain and cool. Eat with cocktail sauce. Poor mans lobster! There never was leftovers and fed a lot of people. Haven't done in years but I liked it then. So did everyone else! Maybe I was crazy then


Yep have done this also many years ago. My uncle did this for us one time and was not bad


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## alumadude (Mar 25, 2011)

foatsboat said:


> Back in the party days used to take smaller drum in colder water. Fillet them out. Boil in beer for 4 minutes. Set on paper towels to drain and cool. Eat with cocktail sauce. Poor mans lobster! There never was leftovers and fed a lot of people. Haven't done in years but I liked it then. So did everyone else! Maybe I was crazy then


hey foatsboat maybe we should have kept a few of those sheeps for you to eat. think I will stick to the walleye


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## Snookhunter52 (Apr 1, 2019)

alumadude said:


> hey foatsboat maybe we should have kept a few of those sheeps for you to eat. think I will stick to the walleye


Ya I've been tempted to keep drum but read that recommended consumption for drum from lake erie was once a month. It was also once a month for steelhead.


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

Saltwater drum is crazy good. Delicious firm mild meat, I had a friend called it “Inshore Grouper”


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

Snookhunter52 said:


> Ya I've been tempted to keep drum but read that recommended consumption for drum from lake erie was once a month. It was also once a month for steelhead.


I would have thought the recommended consumption for Drum was once in a lifetime. Once you had it, you wouldn't want it again!

Seriously, my old neighbor swore it made a great chowder. Never tried it myself.

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk


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## Gottagofishn (Nov 18, 2009)

I would try 'em.... but the smell...kinda funky. 
Let me know how they are.


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## cheezman (Jul 4, 2011)

Drum...Lake Erie lobster recipe: fillet out only the backstraps (tail meat has too much red meat), cut into cubes, boil it for a few minutes in 7-up soda, remove to an ice bath immediately, serve with melted butter !!! It has a lobster-like consistency !!!
It's not bad really


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Aunt used salted water. Never over cook she said. Last I had it was early 80s. 

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

Back in the MID-SEVENTIES(well before Erie was the Walleye Capital of the Worldj!!), we'd drive the 2 hrs from Akron to fish the islands all day Saturday in our old 18' T&T Thompson lapstrake for whatever we could cobble up for a couple meals of fresh fish. One day, we got three walleye abt 18", two smallies, a dozen white bass, 7 perch, and 3-3# sheepshead. I fileted/skinned, cut everything into nice sized pieces, breaded and deep fried everything in a large stainless steel square pot on a grills for our two families numbering eight people(some grade schoolers). They ate like starving people-nearly five pounds of shoestring french fries, a gallon of coleslaw, every piece of fish and when I asked if anyone noticed a difference in fish flavor, they all agreed it was all the Same-delicious! I've tried Fresh water Dru(Sheephea)different ways, boiled/chilled w/shrimp sauce or garlic butter, fried, and smoked. Have always enjoyed every bite. They get quite a bad "rap" up here but are close cousins to ocean redfish/red drum which are the basis for "blackened red fish"-a delicacy in our southern coastal states!


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## allwayzfishin (Apr 30, 2008)

I’m going drum fishing tomorrow afternoon, gonna keep a few smaller fresh looking ones and give it a go with the suggested recipe. I’ll report back with my honest taste test review.


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## Gottagofishn (Nov 18, 2009)

You’ll never catch any with that attitude! 
Tell yourself you’re going for walleye and you’ll fill the boat with ‘em.


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## allwayzfishin (Apr 30, 2008)

Gottagofishn said:


> You’ll never catch any with that attitude!
> Tell yourself you’re going for walleye and you’ll fill the boat with them
> 
> hahaha! That’s couldn’t be more true, but looks like rain is pushing into the area. I’ll be watching patiently for a window of opportunity


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## fishhogg (Apr 16, 2009)

The only problem I see with keeping a Sheepshead is if my buddies happen to see that in my livewell. Lobster or not, I don't know if I would ever live it down. We used to have a long Shepard's staff that we would always try to stick in somebodies boat, so they had to work around it all day. lol The good ole days. Seems everybody is just so busy these days. Anyway tell us how the lobster turns out.


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## tnt1958 (Sep 20, 2014)

When we want lobster I just make a call and get it flown in in from Maine ........


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## Whitefin (Sep 4, 2008)

Tried it once years ago. Boiled with cocktail sauce. Tasted like cocktail sauce. Not much fillet for the size of the fish. There are better choices out there!


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

You take those drum backstraps,,,, brine & smoke 'em like steelhead, & you'll never keep another TROUT again!

*What Cheezman said,,,, (lol,,,, go on Tom,,,, tell 'em the NC story! 
Like, How many types of fish were on that table,,, next to that ERIE 'lobster'? ;>)
*

I already told this story, maybe last year, But there are still, way too many no-believers!

Young Mikey & I easily limited out last year,, along with 3 or 4 huge drum. He decided to throw a FISH eating cookout, at our sportsman club,,,, 4 different familys, lots of kids.

He cubed & boiled up (7uped) the drum & placed it next to the hot melted garlic butter, w black pepper & toothpicks.
Next came the heaping plate of deep fried breaded drum strips,,,,, last, came the walleye sticks.

Before the eyes hit the table, the 'Lobster' was gone,,,,, had to boil up another batch!
The BREADED DRUM STIXs went next,,,, the kids gobbled them up too!

After the table was bare,,, & the census was in,,,, just about everyone like the walleye *the least*,,,, they said it was way too mushy!????? (moist).

Go figure,,,,,,,,,,
Anyway,,,,, next time your having a HUGE 'FREE' FISH FRY,,,, make sure 1/2 of the fish fillets strips are DRUM. (don't say a word ;>)


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## Blind Owl (Sep 9, 2010)

Jim Stedke said:


> Your monsters where more then likely sheephead , that can be a pain on vibrating lures. Keep working at it . You'll get it figured out.


nobody looses sheephead


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## matticito (Jul 17, 2012)

I missed a monster last night at e 55th. My net was too far away for me to reach. I was casting flicker shads and i gave it a final tug into the corner of the wall and he hit! Problem is I could reach my net, I couldn't play him out or slow retrieve as it hit right below me, my drag is buster and locked on tight. I tried to lift the whole rod over the railing but I'm short and didnt make it. Still could reach my net I wrapped my hand around the line and lifted. Almost made it over when the line snapped. Broke what I think was 10# test. I did catch a 16" and snagged a 6/7 & a 9" fish.


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## foatsboat (Oct 27, 2011)

I took a old timers drum chowder recipe and used walleye fillets instead. Make up a few gallons at a time. Then vacume pack a meal portion. When you have a lot of walleye in the freezer it's a good way to make more room. Also have had a few smorgasbord fish frying sessions not telling anybody in my family what they were. No left overs! My in laws still talk about the walleye cook outs and wonder when will I do it again.


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## captainshotgun (Jul 8, 2009)

allwayzfishin said:


> I’m going drum fishing tomorrow afternoon, gonna keep a few smaller fresh looking ones and give it a go with the suggested recipe. I’ll report back with my honest taste test review.


Bleed them, ice them, skin them, backstrap them. If you are gonna fry them, do not use a thick batter, use a dry meal. You can bleach them for a half hour or so in lemon water also. Delicious fried. Taste like walleye cheeks


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

fishhogg said:


> The only problem I see with keeping a Sheepshead is if my buddies happen to see that in my livewell. Lobster or not, I don't know if I would ever live it down. We used to have a long Shepard's staff that we would always try to stick in somebodies boat, so they had to work around it all day. lol The good ole days. Seems everybody is just so busy these days. Anyway tell us how the lobster turns out.


Freshwater Drum: the moped of Lake Erie


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## Pressman (Mar 31, 2008)

They taste much better if you call them Lake Erie Redfish !!


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## Snookhunter52 (Apr 1, 2019)

Pressman said:


> They taste much better if you call them Lake Erie Redfish !!


Yes I wish I had a grill so I can try making cajun blackened drum like they prepare redfish in Louisiana. That recipe single handedly crashed the redfish stocks in the 1980s.


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

I applaud you for trying em. But freshwater drum are a completely different creature than black drum or red drum as table fare

They do fight like bulldogs tho and will readily eat artificial lures so I guess they share that .


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## captainshotgun (Jul 8, 2009)

Carpn said:


> I applaud you for trying em. But freshwater drum are a completely different creature than black drum or red drum as table fare
> 
> They do fight like bulldogs tho and will readily eat artificial lures so I guess they share that .


Yes, they are different, but imho, they are much better, they are just not as meaty for the size of the fish


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## fishermanbob (Dec 14, 2011)

ress said:


> Aunt used salted water. Never over cook she said. Last I had it was early 80s.
> 
> Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk


for me 1.is smallmouth 2.walleye 3. is perch 4.white bass, sheephead ALL FISH KEEP ALIVE TILL YOU CLEAN THEM.BE SURE TO GET THE BLOOD OUT AND ALL THE BLOOD STREAKS


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## bustedrod (May 13, 2015)

best recipe is cook on cedar plank for 40 mins, toss fish and eat board hahahaah


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## flyphisherman (Jul 7, 2009)

If you're gonna keep some (sheepz), you might as well harvest the semi-precious stones in their skull too


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## Eyes on te ice (Dec 7, 2018)

flyphisherman said:


> If you're gonna keep some (sheepz), you might as well harvest the semi-precious stones in their skull too


We used to have jars of those stones when we were kids. We used to believe they were lucky stones until my dad told me " They were not so lucky for the fish were they"!* Some times grownup logic sucks!*


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## joekacz (Sep 11, 2013)

There's a reason that there's no season or limit restrictions on 'em.


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## kmose (Jul 11, 2012)

I think around 12 to 18 inch fish are best to keep. Bleed them in a bucket and get them on ice immediately. When you clean them, cut out any red or dark meat. It's a dense meat, not flaky. More like catfish than walleye. We mostly do the blackened fish recipe just like in New Orleans, but I think they'd be fine any way that works for catfish. No complaints or leftovers, ever.


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## Snookhunter52 (Apr 1, 2019)

Caught this drum while fishing for walleye tonight. Was a little big for my taste so I turned him loose.


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