# 3/13 Catawba



## puge (May 14, 2009)

Started around F can like I do each season. Picked up a double in the first 15 minutes and picked 2 more in a couple hours. After going to pick my dad up back at the dock we headed toward the west reefs, and well let's just say easy pickings, nice 20-24 inch fish. We didnt get any fish O's but several were close. We had an absolute fire drill when all three of the rods on my dad's side fired at once, and one on my side, he landed all 3 of his and I never got to mine dealing with netting issues. All caught on bandits 35-105 (80-90 best) back 1.2-1.8mph. Pink lemonade (coconut candy) and flush were really hot.

There were well over a hundred boats boats out that way. What is up with the lack of reports? It is my understanding it has been good fishing all week when the weather has cooperated. Are we trying to deter the out of staters from coming or is this forum dying? There have been so many great fisherman that used to be heavy contributors who have stopped posting altogether in the last few years.....


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## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

When we got to catawba today it was full and the division of watercraft turned us away, so we went elsewhere to launch and yes 24 fish fast and played c&r for a while but, why post for everyone from out of state with a closed walleye season to come here and park their trailers crooked taking up multiple spots? Lot was only 1/2 full yesterday, pulled good fish yesterday too.

reelylivinsportfishing.com


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## bearcat3993 (Oct 2, 2015)

Nice report. Sounds like a great day. I was hoping to get up to Erie but I spent the day at a local lake breaking in my kicker. 


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## puge (May 14, 2009)

Why post a fishing report in a fishing report forum???? hhhhhmmm not sure, I guess I thought that's why we were here.... but apparently not... maybe this is why top contributors have stopped sharing info.👍👍👍dually noted.


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## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

I post as many reports as anyone on here, if a ramp is full and closed I'm guessing it's not any secret and people know....

reelylivinsportfishing.com


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## bearcat3993 (Oct 2, 2015)

Puge, I for one, appreciate your fishing report in the fishing report section. Don’t let some of these folks get to you. 


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## allwayzfishin (Apr 30, 2008)

We also did great out there. Lots of bonus jumbo perch too. We got our fish on jigging raps and shiver minnows. Spot locked in 31ft and never moved. Laughed and made a hot lunch, listened to music, took nap...such a beautiful day out there. Gotta nice sun burn too. Lol. I'll be back out tomorrow morning.


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## puge (May 14, 2009)

miked913 said:


> I post as many reports as anyone on here, if a ramp is full and closed I'm guessing it's not any secret and people know....
> 
> reelylivinsportfishing.com


The ramp was full because it was basically the first nice weekend day since ice out, it had absolutely nothing to do with reports since there have been none.


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## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

puge said:


> The ramp was full because it was basically the first nice weekend day since ice out, it had absolutely nothing to do with reports since there have been none.


I talked to 3 boats yesterday at the ramp, who caught 0 fish so maybe there wasn't much to report then?

reelylivinsportfishing.com


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## Eye Doctor (Mar 15, 2014)

miked913 said:


> When we got to catawba today it was full and the division of watercraft turned us away, so we went elsewhere to launch and yes 24 fish fast and played c&r for a while but, why post for everyone from out of state with a closed walleye season to come here and park their trailers crooked taking up multiple spots? Lot was only 1/2 full yesterday, pulled good fish yesterday too.
> 
> reelylivinsportfishing.com


Wow...selfish much. If “YOUR” launch was full of “out-of-staters” get up earlier.


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## loomis82 (Nov 27, 2012)

The out of state thing is really in bad taste. You run charters correct??? I'm guessing all your customers are in state?? I highly doubt and if so then you don't run many trips. I worked on charters for years and I'd say half of customers were out of state. You may have seen some out of state people parked Bad but in state do the same thing. It happens all over. I'm originally from Ohio and live in Michigan now. Does this mean I'm a out of stater if I come to Ohio fish??? Really in bad taste my friend. I was a fan of you and your reports. And same crap happened with with property getting torn up at camp perry ice fishing. Blame got put on "out of town people" when it was people from everywhere doing harm.


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## Gottagofishn (Nov 18, 2009)

Relax... It’s spring... Fishin is ALWAYS spectacular right after ice out on Erie. If you want, you can look through the reports from years past in March. If the weather has been good they will all read the same.... Slow troll cranks, jig if you want, blade baits, hair jigs, ice fishing tactics....Fish porno galore!
Good fishin Boys! Enjoy it out there and stay safe.


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## 21579 (Jan 15, 2010)

Gottagofishn said:


> Relax... It’s spring... Fishin is ALWAYS spectacular right after ice out on Erie. If you want, you can look through the reports from years past in March. If the weather has been good they will all read the same.... Slow troll cranks, jig if you want, blade baits, hair jigs, ice fishing tactics....Fish porno galore!
> Good fishin Boys! Enjoy it out there and stay safe.


Exactly! This fishery plays out the same every year. No secret. Do your homework and the fish are not a problem. 


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## fisherman 2 (Dec 29, 2012)

as someone pointed out not everybody wacks them so there are those who need some help and guidence...


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## SNOOK5151 (Sep 22, 2014)

Thank you for the report, it’s a 2 hr trip for me to get up to that end of the lake and any information is greatly appreciated.


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## Jim Stedke (Dec 5, 2005)

puge said:


> Started around F can like I do each season. Picked up a double in the first 15 minutes and picked 2 more in a couple hours. After going to pick my dad up back at the dock we headed toward the west reefs, and well let's just say easy pickings, nice 20-24 inch fish. We didnt get any fish O's but several were close. We had an absolute fire drill when all three of the rods on my dad's side fired at once, and one on my side, he landed all 3 of his and I never got to mine dealing with netting issues. All caught on bandits 35-105 (80-90 best) back 1.2-1.8mph. Pink lemonade (coconut candy) and flush were really hot.
> 
> There were well over a hundred boats boats out that way. What is up with the lack of reports? It is my understanding it has been good fishing all week when the weather has cooperated. Are we trying to deter the out of staters from coming or is this forum dying? There have been so many great fisherman that used to be heavy contributors who have stopped posting altogether in the last few years.....



Sadly I'm afraid you're right, the site may be dying. It has never recovered from the format change, and it's complexities. Thanks for the report. There's fish from W Sister to L can to Niagera to within 3 mikes of the ramp. If you're not catching go looking.

PS also off West Reef. In 30 plus yrs of ice out trolling I have never fished N of Green this early.


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## ducknut141 (Apr 26, 2017)

Complexities ?I think it's easier now. I just think people are tired of internet scouters and over full parking lots because of well may I say internet bragging or reports. Thanks to this report I decided to make the two and half hour drive to fish. I was waiting for them to show up before I did.


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## puge (May 14, 2009)

Jim, I was referring to the west end of the reef complex not West Reef. No one needs to be super specific to give a good report which is why it was written that way. There is probably over 100 square miles of good fishing on the west end right now, plenty of room for everyone.


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## nightranger (Oct 2, 2011)

the reality here is the more experienced fisherman are continueing to catch fish and most pm their favorite friends without any help from any website or forum.i have almost 100 pm,s with my circle of fishing buddies since wednesday,but this is the first post on ogf public forum.i,ve learned to keep some details private if i want to return to my favorite spot and have the same luck.way too many trolls here looking for an easy trip.the explorers ,trend setters and followers all play their part,but privacy and great friends to fish with and share with are golden.the regular fisherman are still communicating,just not with everyone publically.we all have to work in our fishing addiction when our schedule and life will allow and none of us want to show up at a ramp with no place to park or at a spot that has too many boats to fish appropriately.people that bash ANY OF MY POSTS ARE IMMEDIATELY AND PERMANENTLY BLOCKED BY ME FOR LIFE,NO EXCEPTIONS.i,m too old,too experienced,and way too successful without any public forum,s help to ever believe my comments are the problem.if i share,thank me and treat my advice like a fragile flower or it will be the last knowledge nugget of mine you will ever have the privelege of hearing.i had 28 trips last year and limited 27 of those trips,the one i didn,t limit out on,i had 5 fish.never skunked.if thats the kind of successful knowledge your looking for,remember please,thank you ,and congratulations will get you far more info than a bac k handed,mean spirited,insult will.if you have nothing positive to add,then add nothing.i find that 90-95% of my negative comments are all coming from people younger than my age of 56.perhaps a much different understanding of social media and it,s benefits are understood differently by people of different ages.i have used this forum to meet so many new friends that i now communicate with personally and not through any social media platform that i can,t possibly believe that this forum is a bad thing.if i were a moderator,i would discriminate harder against younger,more aggresive posters that are posting as many confrontational posts as they can while not giving top quality and COMPLETE POSTS sharing every aspect of their success.way too many key info tidbits left out by "partial posters" only look to pump their chest,s instead of honestly sharing all their info honestly and completely.this forum is not dying,just changing in such a way that those left on the sidelines feel that way.if i truly wanted to pick jim stedke,s vast mind of knowledge,i would call him directly or even invite him to go fishing.the last thing i would do would be to contact him on a public forum and share our conversation with the entire world.the younger participants on this forum could go along way to make it better by showing much more respect for those of us with more than a decade of lake erie experience whether they agree with us or not.


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## fisherman 2 (Dec 29, 2012)

never done a block...does blocking make it so they can't see your posts?


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## Deadeyedeek (Feb 12, 2014)

Puge, I appreciate your report..I sure get jacked up by the whiners that think Erie is there private fishery, The out of towners have just as much right to be there than we do..I spend alot of time in Mich-Wisc and those folks are a heck of alot friendlyer and helpfull than alot on erie..Thats everyones fishery and if the lots full..like previous post, get up earlier!!


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## bowhunter1487 (Aug 13, 2014)

This out of stater will be heading to Catawba as soon as I can get there. No desire to live in the walleye capital of the world but sure as heck going to visit. Prolly be one of the first few at the launch. Just like I always have. Sorry, not sorry. Prolly fish my same cadre of spots. Haha won't be sharing those. Thanks for the reports though it's good to get a general sense of things before driving 300 miles.


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## RinkyDink (Feb 13, 2018)

My best guess as to why good people don’t post anymore is because of the 1% that feel the need to be pricks rather than just saying congrats or thanks for the report. There’s great ppl on this site only takes a few morons to ruin it.


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## bowhunter1487 (Aug 13, 2014)

I don't think on Erie though there are too many secrets. If one can't do well there with the amount of fish in the lake now it's prolly time to take a hard look at bass fishing.


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## nightranger (Oct 2, 2011)

fisherman 2 said:


> never done a block...does blocking make it so they can't see your posts?


not sure if they can see mine,but i never have to read any of their posts or comments.i think they even have different levels of blocking where they ask you if you want to read their posts each time,i had 1 heartattack,not going to get my blood pressure raised by someone i probably wouldn,t be friends with if i met them in public.life,s too short.most people that post that much negative stuff don,t work as many hours as i do and have way too much free time on their hands.


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## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

bowhunter1487 said:


> I don't think on Erie though there are too many secrets. If one can't do well there with the amount of fish in the lake now it's prolly time to take a hard look at bass fishing.


Was gonna say...you could be blind and do good on Erie...


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## fisherman 2 (Dec 29, 2012)

like i said before everybody doesn't wack them every time...there are those who are just starting and struggle...reports help them learn...heck the pros struggle some times too even with their vast network of info gathering.


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## Jim Stedke (Dec 5, 2005)

puge said:


> Jim, I was referring to the west end of the reef complex not West Reef. No one needs to be super specific to give a good report which is why it was written that way. There is probably over 100 square miles of good fishing on the west end right now, plenty of room for everyone.


Puge, my bad, I was reading too fast I guess. I totally agree no need for specific locations. Heck fish move, speed, color, depth all change especially this time of year. These fish won't stay put for anyone. I was trying to show that they can be literally any place. Thanks for straightening me out. Good fishing!


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## italladdsup (Jan 20, 2015)

Do any of you guys actually fish. Not troll


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## portney (Aug 7, 2015)

Ok, so been hibernating all winter. God knows when I’ll be getting my boat launched this season. Waiting on repairs and docks to open up. Looks like might be until May. I’ll post almost every time out. Will try to catch an open seat with someone late March or early April. Appreciate all the posts.

Best
Port


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## allwayzfishin (Apr 30, 2008)

Yup, they moved with the warmer water today. The winds shifted later in the morning and , so did the water temperature. The fish just disappeared and we had to move again and again to stay on them. Yesterday tho was lights out ...just fantastic jig fishing. Can't wait to get out there again. Nothing beats using light tackle and feeling the head shakes of a huge hen.


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## penalty box (Nov 2, 2011)

I think some people just get burned out on posting for a lot of reasons. Relax enjoy the posts that do come in and enjoy this great fishery we have


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

italladdsup said:


> Do any of you guys actually fish. Not troll


Seems you like trolling.


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## kisherfisher (Jul 16, 2012)

Has happened twice so far. Easy catch one day , same area same program , fish locked down . Must be flexible and look for temp and water color fellas. Just they way it is !


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## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

We fished on fri 3/12 found a school of fish after an hour plus of graphing, was getting them pretty good after playing with leads etc, went back same #'s on Sat 17 hours later ghost town fish were gone, phone a friend, 4 mi away, quick run and an hour later 24 in the box. Be mobile dont just stay in a spot and say oh well fish aren't biting today.

reelylivinsportfishing.com


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## 419fastrascal (Apr 30, 2008)

Are the docks in at catawba yet guys?


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## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

419fastrascal said:


> Are the docks in at catawba yet guys?


Yes

reelylivinsportfishing.com


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## MuskieDan (Nov 8, 2012)

bowhunter1487 said:


> I don't think on Erie though there are too many secrets. If one can't do well there with the amount of fish in the lake now it's prolly time to take a hard look at bass fishing.


Man I hope your trip is the day after a 3 day northeast blow so you can see what it's like when you're sitting on top of 100 million walleye and can't get a single one to bite. That frustration is unrivaled, and when you live in the walleye capital of the world you get to experience it quite often. Obviously you're going to limit out every day though, right Gary Parsons?

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## bowhunter1487 (Aug 13, 2014)

MuskieDan said:


> Man I hope your trip is the day after a 3 day northeast blow so you can see what it's like when you're sitting on top of 100 million walleye and can't get a single one to bite. That frustration is unrivaled, and when you live in the walleye capital of the world you get to experience it quite often. Obviously you're going to limit out every day though, right Gary Parsons?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk


Nope, certainly been there during those times. All part of the game with walleye, they are moodier than my wife.

But who the bleep is Gary Parsons?


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## MuskieDan (Nov 8, 2012)

bowhunter1487 said:


> Nope, certainly been there during those times. All part of the game with walleye, they are moodier than my wife.
> 
> But who the bleep is Gary Parsons?


Old, obviously obscure professional walleye angler  

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## dgfidler (Sep 22, 2014)

MuskieDan said:


> Man I hope your trip is the day after a 3 day northeast blow so you can see what it's like when you're sitting on top of 100 million walleye and can't get a single one to bite. That frustration is unrivaled, and when you live in the walleye capital of the world you get to experience it quite often. Obviously you're going to limit out every day though, right Gary Parsons?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk


This happens to me, but it doesn’t necessarily take a 3 day NE blow. Something as simple as a minor cold front or weather change overnight. I’ll hear of a good bite on Friday, go Saturday and really struggle. The one thing I’ve noticed about these days is they’re usually days with decreasing winds ie it’s borderline too rough to go out in morning, but lake is settling. I put as much focus on choosing the right day to fish as having the right gear, etc. I do not doubt that some people can muster up a decent catch on these tough days, but I do believe that ability is not widespread. It’s certainly not a situation where you’d just give up walleye fishing just because you have days where you can’t get a good catch despite a large fish population. I follow a guy on FB who runs a charter and he’ll often post limit catches on tough days. 


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## fisherman 2 (Dec 29, 2012)

because he's working with other captains and contacts...if he didn't have the info network he prolly would struggle some times...captain friend of mine say's it's all about knowing where the hot bite is going on.


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

dgfidler said:


> This happens to me, but it doesn’t necessarily take a 3 day NE blow. Something as simple as a minor cold front or weather change overnight. I’ll hear of a good bite on Friday, go Saturday and really struggle. The one thing I’ve noticed about these days is they’re usually days with decreasing winds ie it’s borderline too rough to go out in morning, but lake is settling. I put as much focus on choosing the right day to fish as having the right gear, etc. I do not doubt that some people can muster up a decent catch on these tough days, but I do believe that ability is not widespread. It’s certainly not a situation where you’d just give up walleye fishing just because you have days where you can’t get a good catch despite a large fish population. I follow a guy on FB who runs a charter and he’ll often post limit catches on tough days.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yesterday was a perfect example of this for me, I have only been doing this for a few years but I'm lucky enough to know quite a few people with lots of experience. The wind was out of the ENE yesterday and I trolled for three hours over incredible marks in good water clarity and didn't get a single bite. Another poster on this thread told me that he had done better in dirtier water so I tried trolling that and got nothing. I finally went to the downwind edge of a reef where the water was really dirty and anchored and jigged under my flasher and finally caught fish, but only ended up with two keepers but it was fun catching shorts and white bass at least. I felt kind of frustrated and when I got back to the ramp I talked to three other boats and none of them had a single keeper. 

I was in 24' and using jigging shad raps tipped with shiners and small vibees. If my experience is any indication there are a lot of juvenile walleye in the lake right now.


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## rangerpig250 (Apr 10, 2011)

swone said:


> Yesterday was a perfect example of this for me, I have only been doing this for a few years but I'm lucky enough to know quite a few people with lots of experience. The wind was out of the ENE yesterday and I trolled for three hours over incredible marks in good water clarity and didn't get a single bite. Another poster on this thread told me that he had done better in dirtier water so I tried trolling that and got nothing. I finally went to the downwind edge of a reef where the water was really dirty and anchored and jigged under my flasher and finally caught fish, but only ended up with two keepers but it was fun catching shorts and white bass at least. I felt kind of frustrated and when I got back to the ramp I talked to three other boats and none of them had a single keeper.
> 
> I was in 24' and using jigging shad raps tipped with shiners and small vibees. If my experience is any indication there are a lot of juvenile walleye in the lake right now.


Was out there yesterday also, started off jigging Cone and pickerel, we only caught 2, one was a fat 9lb’er which was released. After a few hours of this I pulled out the trolling gear and managed 9 more keepers, a few shorts and a nice smallmouth. I covered a lot of water for those fish, the only thing that was consistent was stained water was best , dirty and clear I couldn’t catch a thing. Speed was .9-1.3, Beetlejuice Yozuris and purple Lambo Bandits caught most of the fish. Sorry for another not so good report, I couldn’t figure em out yesterday . I heard a bunch of good reports out this way from the weekend and I had high hopes , it was just not one of those days!


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## allwayzfishin (Apr 30, 2008)

swone said:


> Yesterday was a perfect example of this for me, I have only been doing this for a few years but I'm lucky enough to know quite a few people with lots of experience. The wind was out of the ENE yesterday and I trolled for three hours over incredible marks in good water clarity and didn't get a single bite. Another poster on this thread told me that he had done better in dirtier water so I tried trolling that and got nothing. I finally went to the downwind edge of a reef where the water was really dirty and anchored and jigged under my flasher and finally caught fish, but only ended up with two keepers but it was fun catching shorts and white bass at least. I felt kind of frustrated and when I got back to the ramp I talked to three other boats and none of them had a single keeper.
> 
> I was in 24' and using jigging shad raps tipped with shiners and small vibees. If my experience is any indication there are a lot of juvenile walleye in the lake right now.


Next time you go, take your lil cleo's, #5 & #7 jigging raps and tip with shiners, do big 2ft rips off the bottom. Also, use your boat graph instead or the vex. Bigger cone to track your bait. When the fish don't bite, force it by getting a reaction bite.


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## swone (Jan 24, 2007)

allwayzfishin said:


> Next time you go, take your lil cleo's, #5 & #7 jigging raps and tip with shiners, do big 2ft rips off the bottom. Also, use your boat graph instead or the vex. Bigger cone to track your bait. When the fish don't bite, force it by getting a reaction bite.


It's funny, that was the first time I used the "flasher" on my boat's sonar, and it worked well for just that reason. Even funnier, I tried the big rips with big baits and couldn't get anything to hit, but when I slowed down and used smaller baits, they started hitting. I went back to upsize baits several times, but then I couldn't get anything. Hey, at least I caught a bunch of fish and had fun. And all the fish I caught came on the jigging shad rap and smallest vibees.


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## 444fish (Jul 7, 2017)

rangerpig250 said:


> Was out there yesterday also, started off jigging Cone and pickerel, we only caught 2, one was a fat 9lb’er which was released. After a few hours of this I pulled out the trolling gear and managed 9 more keepers, a few shorts and a nice smallmouth. I covered a lot of water for those fish, the only thing that was consistent was stained water was best , dirty and clear I couldn’t catch a thing. Speed was .9-1.3, Beetlejuice Yozuris and purple Lambo Bandits caught most of the fish. Sorry for another not so good report, I couldn’t figure em out yesterday . I heard a bunch of good reports out this way from the weekend and I had high hopes , it was just not one of those days!
> View attachment 466359


Beautiful Smallie and great report. Im always busy during the transition from Ice to saft water. I will be taking the boat up to W basin on the 27th...cant wait to get busy jiggin.


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## butchers. (Aug 5, 2014)

miked913 said:


> When we got to catawba today it was full and the division of watercraft turned us away, so we went elsewhere to launch and yes 24 fish fast and played c&r for a while but, why post for everyone from out of state with a closed walleye season to come here and park their trailers crooked taking up multiple spots? Lot was only 1/2 full yesterday, pulled good fish yesterday too.
> 
> reelylivinsportfishing.com


To stop and think of what you just said,,,,,if us out of staters,,,including me did not come over there and fish, who do you think the odnr would pick on then? have you ever measured your trailer to make sure it was perfectly parked? how much money would be lost to lack of tourism? the list goes on and on. just think about what you said.


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