# East Harbor/Sandusky Bay Crappie



## rcrook02 (Mar 17, 2014)

Looking to plan our annual boy's fishing trip (my 7 y/o son and dad). We usually take 4 days off to fish which starts this Thursday and goes through the weekend. 

We prefer crappie fishing and wanted to know when we should make the trip to fish the Harbor or Bay or if it is still unseasonably early for both.

A reply or PM with any information (positive or negative) is much appreciated!

Thank you ahead of time!


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## Just One More (Oct 6, 2009)

We were up two weeks ago and only caught one. It should be getting better by now.


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## Jim Stedke (Dec 5, 2005)

I played around in W Harbor last thur. Long enough to know its wasn't happening then. Got the gills going and if there were a few crappies around I'd have got a couple.


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## Walleyeguy46 (Jul 10, 2015)

They were in East Harbor this weekend.


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## rustyolddad (Aug 12, 2014)

Holy googleplex.......Those slabs are ginormous! Nice catch young man!


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## HookSet Harvey (Aug 12, 2010)

There's crappie in the harbors?


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Holly Smokes! Those are fat! What did he use for bait?


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## Walleyeguy46 (Jul 10, 2015)

Little Gulp minnows and a 1/32 jig. Only a few took the shiners. Had to jig em.


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## perfcetion (May 3, 2006)

Plenty of them nipping at baits Thursday in the canels off portage when bass fishing


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## rcrook02 (Mar 17, 2014)

perfcetion said:


> Plenty of them nipping at baits Thursday in the canels off portage when bass fishing


Which harbor were you fishing?

Which Harbor would folks recommend? It looks like West Harbor would be top notch but we have always fished Middle Harbor and East Harbor.


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## Brahmabull71 (Jul 30, 2014)

That place SPOILS you Crappie fishing. Planning to head up Friday to try.

Nice job!


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

Wow!!!! Nice slabs!!!


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## Philfish360 (Jan 11, 2015)

I wish we had slabs like that here


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## redthirty (Sep 19, 2014)

Headed up fri. am. Hope its not to muddy.


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## Brahmabull71 (Jul 30, 2014)

We started about 10am today and fished East Harbor. Water temp was 56.5 when we started and got up to 60.5 in a few spots when we finished at 7pm. We used jigs under a float, minnows but the best seemed to be 1/16th oz Roadrunner pink or orange with blue/chartreuse paddle tail fished slow. We caught 18-20 was it. Clarity was 12-15" and fish we caught were back a little in 4-6 FOW. Tomorrow should be a nice day to get a few!


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## redthirty (Sep 19, 2014)

Thanks for the info. Good luck!


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## Hoosier77 (Sep 22, 2014)

Thanks for the report Brahmabull


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## Walleyeguy46 (Jul 10, 2015)

Those are all white crappies. Nice! We did catch a few on road runners last week. Hope they are still there tomorrow.


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## 1more (Jan 10, 2015)

Good report, I will be at TC tomorrow at 4.


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## redthirty (Sep 19, 2014)

Did well on gills and bass today. Crappie were still scattered for us . We kept enough for dinner. Released the rest. Tube jigs with wax worms.


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## rcrook02 (Mar 17, 2014)

Ended up fishing a marina with my 3 year old and 7 year old from 8:30-1:30. Caught about 180 gills and kept 60. Between baiting their hooks, taking their fish off, and untangling their lines we managed 4 decent sized crappie.

All crappie were taken with jigs about 4-6 feet under bobber. Jigs were not tipped because blue gill were too pesky.


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## aquaholic2 (Feb 17, 2010)

redthirty said:


> Did well on gills and bass today. Crappie were still scattered for us . We kept enough for dinner. Released the rest. Tube jigs with wax worms.


Hit them hard in west harbor 5/4/16....only a few, and they were out at the ends of our docks, nothing against the rip rap, all deep which tells me they are not in spawn mode yet. I had about 56 under my boat mid day. If the temps stay up the next two weeks should be prime,but all it takes is a couple on shore blows and the fish will go blank again........the ones I did catch were real nice size.....AH2


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## redthirty (Sep 19, 2014)

water temp 62 today. Lots of gills and bass again. Had to work hard to catch 10 crappie today.


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## Skip2myalou (Apr 2, 2013)

A family was fishing around our dock in east harbor today. They had a few real nice crappie. 11-12 inches. Said jigs were better than minnows. They had about a dozen nice ones but had been at it for a few hours.


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## Walleyeguy46 (Jul 10, 2015)

We caught some this weekend but definitely not as good as the past weekend. I think they are on their way out.


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## Brahmabull71 (Jul 30, 2014)

I'm going to give it a shot Thursday and MAYBE Friday. I will report back.

My uncle had one last Thursday that was 17" so he's going too...he can't take slabmania!


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## Sumthin' Fishy (Mar 16, 2006)

Fish have not spawned in southern Ohio yet.


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## redthirty (Sep 19, 2014)

Sumthin' Fishy said:


> Fish have not spawned in southern Ohio yet.


Still early up here. It will get better.


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## Buck-Eye (Jul 9, 2008)

Turned on yesterday afternoon. All on jigs with a 2" twister. Fished stained water and shaded docks. Fish were 2' off the wood. All males.


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## 1more (Jan 10, 2015)

Girls won't be far behind!


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## FishDoc (Sep 23, 2014)

Buck-Eye you get those from shore or in a boat?


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## jeepguyjames (Sep 24, 2008)

Any one know current water temps in east / west harbor or Sandusky bay?? We are heading up next weekend to crappie fish.


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## Panfisher1402 (Apr 8, 2011)

58 in west harbor yesterday. But I'm sure the blow and cold front coming this weekend will change that.


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## 1more (Jan 10, 2015)

Minnows or jigs? Are they close to being on the bank. Were they all males? Thanks for the report!


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## Brahmabull71 (Jul 30, 2014)

We found 64-65 water in West Harbor. Bite was slow and bigger fish were deep. Fished 1.5 hrs and had 8 nice fish. Roadrunner with 2" paddle tail.


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## russh (Feb 12, 2007)

Walleyeguy46 said:


> They were in East Harbor this weekend.
> View attachment 208646


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## Walleyeguy46 (Jul 10, 2015)

Didn't venture to the lake. Boy had a baseball game. Good thing it got rained out. Found them at home. Same thing gulp minnows small jig.


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## Brahmabull71 (Jul 30, 2014)

Any numbers or just a few here and there?


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## JimmyZ (May 18, 2004)

Thats a nice crappie. I fished west harbor a few hours friday. It was tough with the west wind blowing hard. Found a channel out of the wind and kept 12 crappie. Caught some small ones as well. Almost all casting a 2" twister tail on jig. They were thumping it hard.

I think fish are in all different phases rigbt now. Females were out from the bank. Did get some blacks against the bank.

I still think next weekend will be good.


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## Walleyeguy46 (Jul 10, 2015)

We did keep 60. Found a little honey hole here at home. Averages weren't like the East Harbor ones. Had 5 over 12 inches. Plus that one13 1/4.


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## Brahmabull71 (Jul 30, 2014)

Walleyeguy46 said:


> We did keep 60. Found a little honey hole here at home. Averages weren't like the East Harbor ones. Had 5 over 12 inches. Plus that one13 1/4.


So those didn't come from Erie???


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## Walleyeguy46 (Jul 10, 2015)

The one from yesterday is from streetsboro. We didn't go up to our trailer this weekend because of game/weather. All others I posted are East Harbor crappie.


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## Brahmabull71 (Jul 30, 2014)

Walleyeguy46 said:


> The one from yesterday is from streetsboro. We didn't go up to our trailer this weekend because of game/weather. All others I posted are East Harbor crappie.


Ok thx. I'm looking to see if anyone is getting any numbers from ERIE around harbors. Thx


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## KPI (Jun 4, 2011)

We tried Sandusky bay this weekend at my marina slow slow slow


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## island troller (Nov 14, 2007)

Portage River still slow but catching. Nothing like last year at this time.


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

island troller said:


> Portage River still slow but catching. Nothing like last year at this time.


Seams like everything is a couple weeks behind this year.


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## TitanFreak9 (Feb 7, 2016)

Any one fish portage river, west/east harbor today? Water clarity?


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## redthirty (Sep 19, 2014)

TitanFreak9 said:


> Any one fish portage river, west/east harbor today? Water clarity?


West harbor 18in. vis . Got 15 nice crappie water temp. 62-63


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## slowrollin (May 20, 2012)

Tried in a couple marinas in Sandusky from 9-11 this morning with no luck


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## kevn357 (Oct 15, 2014)

Any luck lately? Thinking of trying portage or west harbor this weekend with the little one.


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## redthirty (Sep 19, 2014)

Got 15 nice crappie sat .had to work for them. West harbor.


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## Buck-Eye (Jul 9, 2008)

redthirty said:


> Got 15 nice crappie sat .had to work for them. West harbor.


Caught 15 nice keepers in the bay last night out of my Yak. Had to work for them, all on jigs. Lots of small males. Did catch one 13" female. Seems to be tapering off, but may be due to the super clear water. Might be time to hit them at night with a light?


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## jeepguyjames (Sep 24, 2008)

Any current crappie updates? Heading up this weekend


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## redthirty (Sep 19, 2014)

been chasing cats in the bay. doing well. haven't went for crappie.


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## Skip2myalou (Apr 2, 2013)

We caught some really nice ones off the boat in East Harbor last night. We were tied to our dock and just playing around in the evening. Had 4 over 12 inches.


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