# Erie Ice Eyes



## hunt_fish_ohio

It’s go time! Started fishing at 9 and had my 6th fish by 1, a couple miles out of crane creek


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## K gonefishin

Bad idea to post this, guy lost a sled today and ice is terrible all over. Why post?


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## ArtieT

hunt_fish_ohio said:


> It’s go time! Started fishing at 9 and had my 6th fish by 1, a couple miles out of crane creek


How was the ice? Walking or sled/atv?


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## loomis82

They just started venturing out at PIB. That is always a go a decent amount earlier than mainland ice. Call me a pansy but I wouldn't be venturing out of crane creek just yet and definitely wouldn't be broadcasting that. And yes I do have experience on Erie about 20 years worth


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## jmciw17

thanks for the report ice was great 2 days ago go get them i was on it just could'nt get them to bite will be out monday and give a report


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## JerryA

I am not an ice guy. But this stuff is the stupidest. It's either the ice is great - come and gettem or if you go out there you're gonna die. Personally, I'm waiting for spring - I have a whole freezer full of walleye. Isn't the internet the greatest thing. There will probably be a 1000 people at catawba tomorrow morning with snowmobiles. Just be careful.....


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## TheStinger

Great work HFO! You don't need permission to post a fishing report, that's what this site is for.


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## floater99

Good luck all who venture out I am not able to ( recent surgery) be safe


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## s.a.m

K gonefishin said:


> Bad idea to post this, guy lost a sled today and ice is terrible all over. Why post?


Where'd they lose the sled? Heard of a quad off catawba day or two ago.


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## KPI

I was at crane today saw no one just an observation 


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## RStock521

Hoping Crane Creek area is a go for next weekend. Looks like much less shove ice and easy traveling. Just need it to build, so I hope we don't get too much snow Mon/Tues.


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## Rayman

hunt_fish_ohio said:


> It’s go time! Started fishing at 9 and had my 6th fish by 1, a couple miles out of crane creek


Any shove in your way?


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## fishermanbob

JerryA said:


> I am not an ice guy. But this stuff is the stupidest. It's either the ice is great - come and gettem or if you go out there you're gonna die. Personally, I'm waiting for spring - I have a whole freezer full of walleye. Isn't the internet the greatest thing. There will probably be a 1000 people at catawba tomorrow morning with snowmobiles. Just be careful.....


w
What is the possession limit for walleye. Don't see any in regulations.


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## Eyeonthefly

fishermanbob said:


> w
> What is the possession limit for walleye. Don't see any in regulations.


There is not a possession limit for walleye in ohio.


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## AKAbigchief

The op must have been on an airboat. There is not one track leaving off land at crane creek. I was there today and parking lot was empty.


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## UKNOWIT

He didn’t say he accessed the lake from crane creek he said he was fishing in front of crane creek.


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## s.a.m

AKAbigchief said:


> The op must have been on an airboat. There is not one track leaving off land at crane creek. I was there today and parking lot was empty.


I saw a trail where someone pulled a sled/shanty at crane creek beach


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## gatorman841

Crane is NOT SAFE!!! Goes from 5 - 2” fast I don’t see how anyone made it out a couple miles even walking. One of ours groups sleds started busting up ice few hundred yards off shore. Give it till next wknd


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## HappySnag

hunt_fish_ohio said:


> It’s go time! Started fishing at 9 and had my 6th fish by 1, a couple miles out of crane creek


i like your post.good job on fish.


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## 21579

hunt_fish_ohio said:


> It’s go time! Started fishing at 9 and had my 6th fish by 1, a couple miles out of crane creek


Posting a fake news limit on sketchy ice will get somebody killed. 



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## HappySnag

yrick82 said:


> Posting a fake news limit on sketchy ice will get somebody killed.
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


i fish with him few times,i beleeve him.
his post is as refrence what is hapening.
if you go fishing make your decision and be responsible for yourself,take spod bar and spud thet out,if you can not spud thet out stop and find place where is safe for you that day,next day could be complete defrence.
this is not using GPS to travel,this is spud,spud every day.


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## UKNOWIT

yrick82 said:


> Posting a fake news limit on sketchy ice will get somebody killed.
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


how do you know this is fake news? Where you on the lake? Could be totally legit and he has nuts the size of cannonballs that doesn’t mean that I’m going out there just yet. He also could be very knowledgeable and experienced and done his research on the area and ice. He also didn’t tell anyone else to fish he simply provided a fishing report. You know... what this site was made for!


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## 21579

Was just told a sled went in in front of Lakefront Marina! 
He may have caught fish, but inviting people to go out and get them without posting anything of an ice report on a public forum is irresponsible at best, deadly at worst. 
I was out Friday and caught fish. I sure as hell wasn’t gonna post it on here, that ice isn’t anything to mess with right now. If you don’t have a float suit, picks, and a spud, you should not be out there, period. 
But please post about catching a limit of fish with no pics and no ice report.....



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## HappySnag

when you step on ice you responsible for yourself,not whot anybody say,you have brain and make decision for yourself.
that is your choice to put fish report,i will put my fish report every time.
the report give me idea when i should go fishing,i am not going scout every day 200 miles drive,if i lived 30 minutes from catawba i would go scout every day.
and now i am happy with every report.
that is my job to sort them out.
not my job cretisize the poster report.
what he will do next time. He Will not post.
you can not stop me from posting,you would have to ben me from this site.
if you like to argue,do that with your wife or gelfrend ,not with poster report.


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## Decoy hound

Places I checked on Saturday off Marblehead did not have good ice very far from shore, broke thru the ice after a short distance. I don’t think the ice west of South Bass is thick enough yet to support me so I did not make the trip. Think I’ll give it a week or so and check again. The places I broke thru off Marblehead are Not places people walk out from or take wheelers or sleds!


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## RMK

Decoy hound said:


> View attachment 464167
> Places I checked on Saturday off Marblehead did not have good ice very far from shore, broke thru the ice after a short distance. I don’t think the ice west of South Bass is thick enough yet to support me so I did not make the trip. Think I’ll give it a week or so and check again. The places I broke thru off Marblehead are Not places people walk out from or take wheelers or sleds!
> View attachment 464167


that thing is SAWEET! how fast does it go?


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## joekacz

Decoy hound said:


> View attachment 464167
> Places I checked on Saturday off Marblehead did not have good ice very far from shore, broke thru the ice after a short distance. I don’t think the ice west of South Bass is thick enough yet to support me so I did not make the trip. Think I’ll give it a week or so and check again. The places I broke thru off Marblehead are Not places people walk out from or take wheelers or sleds!
> View attachment 464167


Very nice! You must just miss wires traveling down the road?


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## Decoy hound

RMK said:


> that thing is SAWEET! how fast does it go?


It’s not really for speed, it’s more for safety to cross open water to get to safe ice.


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## Decoy hound

joekacz said:


> Very nice! You must just miss wires traveling down the road?


It’s a tight fit some places.


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## RMK

Decoy hound said:


> It’s not really for speed, it’s more for safety to cross open water to get to safe ice.


no matter what its for its always fun to go fast! haha! awesome rig.


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## joekacz

Decoy hound said:


> It’s not really for speed, it’s more for safety to cross open water to get to safe ice.


Did plenty of duck hunting out of a 16' airboat in Florida. Put the goggles,ear muffs on and keep your mouth shut and hang on. On hell of a ride and some great hunting. Never did the ice journey yet but maybe next year. Enjoy your toy!


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## gatorman841

UKNOWIT said:


> how do you know this is fake news? Where you on the lake? Could be totally legit and he has nuts the size of cannonballs that doesn’t mean that I’m going out there just yet. He also could be very knowledgeable and experienced and done his research on the area and ice. He also didn’t tell anyone else to fish he simply provided a fishing report. You know... what this site was made for!


Nobody has been out of crane creek or fishing in front of it unless they were on a airboat and didn’t launch from crane, it wasn’t even safe enough for foot travel. I know I was there today


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## hoppy63

What did you find??


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## ErieRider

Crane was open water 1 mile or less off shore less than a week ago..... it was ice, open water for a mile or two, then ice again, thanks to a very heavy SW blow. I'm not telling you to go or stay home. Just use your knowledge from your time fishing the lake in the past. If you don't know it, now is not the time to learn. Also keep in mind, we have a ton of snow potentially this week and Temps will not be as cold as predicted so it is not shaping up to fix the issue in one week. 

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## HappySnag

last year catawba had open pases water between shoved ice from 100 yards to 300 yards wide,on thursday the open water had 8" ice,everybody was using them.
you know only when you step on ice and use spud bar.


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## fisherman 2

from the put-h-bay cam the shanty town in the harbour hasn't moved much...either their getting them there or the ice isn't safe enough yet to move farther out.


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## "chillin"

Decoy hound said:


> View attachment 464167
> Places I checked on Saturday off Marblehead did not have good ice very far from shore, broke thru the ice after a short distance. I don’t think the ice west of South Bass is thick enough yet to support me so I did not make the trip. Think I’ll give it a week or so and check again. The places I broke thru off Marblehead are Not places people walk out from or take wheelers or sleds!
> View attachment 464167


You got cool toys bruh. Lol!

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## youngblood

Nice ride Decoy hound


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## fishingful

floater99 said:


> Good luck all who venture out I am not able to ( recent surgery) be safe


I am in the same boat. Surgery Thursday.

However, I did fish off Catawba on Friday and Saturday. No fish 2 bites probably perch and a few lookers. Heard from guys at the ramp 2 sleds went in a quad and a 3 wheeler. Ice goes frome 10 inches to 1 in yards. Lots of rough ice blew back in.

We had a quad but if you don't know what you are doing don't go.


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## jmciw17

K gonefishin said:


> Bad idea to post this, guy lost a sled today and ice is terrible all over. Why post?


How do you have the time to make comments and posts of almost 500 a year since you have been a member and have even ben on the ice or water and fishing. I have only made 139 posts since 2007 and they are only boots on the ice or on the water reports,just a ?,you sure must spend a lot of time on a computer,or not actually fishing. I thought this site is for fishing reports,not telling people to not post there reports and then say there reports are false.


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## FISHIN 2

fishermanbob said:


> w
> What is the possession limit for walleye. Don't see any in regulations.


Daily limit is 6 walleye per day.


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## Evileye

jmciw17 said:


> How do you have the time to make comments and posts of almost 500 a year since you have been a member and have even ben on the ice or water and fishing. I have only made 139 posts since 2007 and they are only boots on the ice or on the water reports,just a ?,you sure must spend a lot of time on a computer,or not actually fishing. I thought this site is for fishing reports,not telling people to not post there reports and then say there reports are false.


Dude this guy's probably seen more water than you will see in a lifetime. Learned a lot of good things from his posts

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## K gonefishin

jmciw17 said:


> How do you have the time to make comments and posts of almost 500 a year since you have been a member and have even ben on the ice or water and fishing. I have only made 139 posts since 2007 and they are only boots on the ice or on the water reports,just a ?,you sure must spend a lot of time on a computer,or not actually fishing. I thought this site is for fishing reports,not telling people to not post there reports and then say there reports are false.


LOL


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## Deadeyedeek

Decoy Hound, if I may ask, is that a store bought airboat? looks a little coustom, I have an ol one, gonna invest in a new ride..Thanks DD


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## Deadeyedeek

Kinda resembles a Duckwater


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## Decoy hound

Deadeyedeek said:


> Kinda resembles a Duckwater


Yes it’s a Duckwater


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## Deadeyedeek

I looked at a 20X8 air Ranger in Lousiana couple weeks ago, got a motor issue, needs a little work, but can buy it right..going to get it off my bucket list and have ready for next year..Thanks


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## EYE HUNTER

Usually try to stay out of the drama, but here i go. For those of you pounding the guy that says the post saying its on go get them is irresponsible you are missing the point. We all know there is no safe ice on any big body of water. We also know that with experience comes knowledge and Erie can be fishable with that knowledge. Im not saying the guy was trying to get anyone hurt or posting bad info but partial info can get a lot of people in a bad situation. There are a ton of people that dont realize how fast conditions can change. Cracks you walk over without noticing can open up wide with the wrong wind. With bitter temps open water can get thin ice quick. You can go from 10" of ice to skim ice within steps. There are also a lot of areas where current is a problem and not knowing to avoid them can get you in trouble. For those of us with experience we will never think we have mastered ice fishing on Erie. We know how and when to reduce our odds of making a mistake, but always respect the level of danger. Comments like its on go get them fires a lot of people up. When you say an area is good a lot of people will take you at your word. One person with no experience walking out will give 10 more people confidence and that will snowball into a mass of people. Most of us know that crane is one of the last places that becomes fishable. With sketchy reports coming out of Catawaba its highly unlikely that crane is good to go. I HAVE NOT BEEN THERE THIS WINTER, but I can tell you this. Dont take a machine out there right now. Spud your way out and pay attention to wind speed and direction. Stay on others trails and dont venture off of them. Good ice can turn to bad ice within feet. If it looks bad trust your instinct, no fish is worth it. Dont be a trailblazer if you arent experienced. Floation suits are worth every penny, but doesnt mean you cant die. The last piece of advice I have should be common sense but it happens every year. NEVER intentionally go into the water. If you find yourself on the wrong side of a crack that is opening or you are floating away, you are floating and most likely safe. Yes you may have to be rescued, but never swim for the other side. A few years ago several guys dove in and swam across and opening that was getting wider. Even with a floatation suit that is a horrible idea. Hypothermia kills you just as fast as drowning. If you decide to go out, be smart, take safety equipment and give detailed reports for others. Good luck.


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## UKNOWIT

Great post EYE HUNTER!


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## steelhead1

Yes, Great post EYE HUNTER!

Here's how I ice fish Lake Erie: One of my dear friends is a charter captain with 35 plus years on the lake. Over the last week he has been networking with his other charter captain buddies about ice conditions and the various details. When I am on the ice tomorrow I know I will be as safe as one could be on Erie ice. Of course I will still have all the appropriate PPE. I know I'm lucky. Otherwise I'd rarely ice fish Erie.


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## Frickster

First let me be clear, this is my opinion.

I've ice fished Ohio for 20+ years and how I ice fish Lake Erie, I don't. It comes down to risk over reward. For me risk is too high and I don't know anybody with the years experience doing it to follow. If I had a buddy like others mention with the local knowledge I'd probably do it. I would however book a ice charter with the guides up there, they know what they're doing. Every year there's ice, folks on the ice drift away because its rare Erie locks up completely. I've been watching Cleveland Crib Cam every morning since ice started to show up and I thought a week ago the ice was locked up but everyday that ice shifted. The past couple days it seems to not move but all it takes is one heavy wind out of SW. 

Just be smart about it if you do go like others have said, Especially the out of town guys.

Good Luck!!
Frickster


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## Frickster

This is what I'm talking about. As long as there is space in Lake Erie for the ice to shift, it's too dangerous. This is was taken yesterday.


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## GRW

Ice fishermen are a hardy bunch for sure. Got to love it. I believe majority know their stuff. Had a bud visit Minnesota couple yrs back sent pic of lake covered with shanties. Thought it would be great little business to drag a burger , dog, n fries shack around. He said they already do. I get enough in warm wearher. Just saw frozen walleye at local store $7.75 a lb. Not bad if your freezer runs short. A local fish fry will get me by as well. Hopping I don’t read of a ice island rescue. Looking forward to spring!!


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## K gonefishin

EYE HUNTER said:


> Usually try to stay out of the drama, but here i go. For those of you pounding the guy that says the post saying its on go get them is irresponsible you are missing the point. We all know there is no safe ice on any big body of water. We also know that with experience comes knowledge and Erie can be fishable with that knowledge. Im not saying the guy was trying to get anyone hurt or posting bad info but partial info can get a lot of people in a bad situation. There are a ton of people that dont realize how fast conditions can change. Cracks you walk over without noticing can open up wide with the wrong wind. With bitter temps open water can get thin ice quick. You can go from 10" of ice to skim ice within steps. There are also a lot of areas where current is a problem and not knowing to avoid them can get you in trouble. For those of us with experience we will never think we have mastered ice fishing on Erie. We know how and when to reduce our odds of making a mistake, but always respect the level of danger. Comments like its on go get them fires a lot of people up. When you say an area is good a lot of people will take you at your word. One person with no experience walking out will give 10 more people confidence and that will snowball into a mass of people. Most of us know that crane is one of the last places that becomes fishable. With sketchy reports coming out of Catawaba its highly unlikely that crane is good to go. I HAVE NOT BEEN THERE THIS WINTER, but I can tell you this. Dont take a machine out there right now. Spud your way out and pay attention to wind speed and direction. Stay on others trails and dont venture off of them. Good ice can turn to bad ice within feet. If it looks bad trust your instinct, no fish is worth it. Dont be a trailblazer if you arent experienced. Floation suits are worth every penny, but doesnt mean you cant die. The last piece of advice I have should be common sense but it happens every year. NEVER intentionally go into the water. If you find yourself on the wrong side of a crack that is opening or you are floating away, you are floating and most likely safe. Yes you may have to be rescued, but never swim for the other side. A few years ago several guys dove in and swam across and opening that was getting wider. Even with a floatation suit that is a horrible idea. Hypothermia kills you just as fast as drowning. If you decide to go out, be smart, take safety equipment and give detailed reports for others. Good luck.


Thank you great post Eric (I think Eric LOL) 

What they fail to realize before posting here is that when Erie gets ice all of north America wants to come down and get a taste of Erie's sweet bounty. Look at these two ice threads on this page 11K and 14K views. Most of these aren't local folks, local folks know guys who will be out looking around and phone calls get made around crews to figure out when it's go time. 

The majority of people who want to come here hover around Facebook and OGF to wait to see what the deal is before heading down which is fine but you gotta take the little bits of information and make a GOOD judgement call from the chatter you see, I do the same, we all do...HOWEVER. The guy who posted this was lucky and got out and caught some fish, nobody knows this guys experience, who he knows what he knows etc, gave zero details, overall it was a dumb and pointless and invited danger to the lake. 

Ice fishing on Erie brings everyone out of the woodwork and from every nook and cranny of the Midwest, I don't' blame them but the way OP posted is is equivalent to a public broadcast system saying come one come all come fish lake Erie for its winter bounty. Doing that is dumb, eriessponsible and dangerous. 

For those close minded to realize it and take shots at me, well you are one of the less iinformed ones that doesn't see the forest through the trees. Take a step back and consider who is reading these threads, believe me, some really stupid people (I won't go into detail of stuff I've seen on the ice but it's beyond amazing and completely dumbfounded) are reading these threads with zero experience who want to hit the ice and you could get a fellow man killed...unknowingly. Not sure why Eye Hunter or myself needed to explain this but common sense doesn't prevail when it comes to Erie (hard and soft water) so maybe we see it as our responsible to try and enlighten the ones who can't make good decisions for themselves. Sad but required. Rule #1 don't believe everything you read on the internet.


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