# CAG Ohio Lake Erie Regional Carp-In: East Harbor State Park April 8-10



## tpet96

*CAG Ohio Lake Erie-NW Season Opener*
* East Harbor State Park*
* Port Clinton, Ohio*​ 


*DATES:* 3PM April 8 til NOON April 10, 2004

*ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:* 

Check this link for East Harbor Information 
Here's an overhead view to give you an idea of the layout.
Visit This Link for Photos of the Venue Areas (Courtesy of "Buckeye" Bob Bernowski from 2002)
Click This Link for Ohio Fishing Regulations. 3 Day NonResident fishing license is $15, and can be purchased at local bait shops. If you are planning to attend from out of state, drop me an email at [email protected] and I'll give you directions to the nearest shop.
Here is a map of where we will be fishing

I will post directions to our fishing location at the rangers station at the entrance to the park. The directions will be placed on their bulletin board. If you are in doubt when arriving, call me, Shawn, at Cell: (419) 512-6644

*Listing of Motels in Area:*

*Super 8 Motel Port Clinton *
1704 Perry St., State Route 2 to State Route 163 West 
Port Clinton OH 
US Tel: 419-734-4446 
Reservation: 1-800-800-8000
FAX: 419-734-4446

$38.70-$90 per night, depending on choice of rooms. 

Directions:North SR 53 South to SR 163 W to E Perry St. Hotel is on the leftSouth SR 53 North to Rt 2 East to Rt 163 (Port Clinton/Catawba Island Exit) Travel west on Rt 163, hotel is 1/2 mile on the left.East SR 2 West to Rt 163 West (Port Clinton/Catawba Island Exit) Travel West on 163, hotel is on the left.West I 80/90 East to Exit 91/6 (Port Clinton). Travel SR 53 Norht to Rt 2 East to the Port Clinton/Catawba Island Exit. Then travel east on 163. Hotel is 1/2 mile on right.Airport - Cleveland Take 480 West to 80-90 West to Exit 91/6. Then take SR 53 North to Rt 2 East to the Port Clinton/ Catawba Island Exit) Travel east on 163, hotel is on the left. 

*Best Western Port Clinton *
1734 East Perry Street 
Port Clinton OH 
US Tel: (419)734-2274 
Reservation: US/Canada toll free 800-780-7234
FAX: 419-734-2274 

$34.50-$98.00 per night, depending on choice of rooms. 

*Fairfield Inn by Marriott Port Clinton Ohio *
3760 East State Road 
Port Clinton OH 
US Tel: 419-732-2434 
Reservation: 1-800-228-2800 

$50-$94.00 per night, depending on choice of rooms. 

Directions:the Ohio Turnpike: Take exit 6 for Route 53 North * Travel north on Route 53 for approximately seventeen miles to Route 2 East * Proceed east on Route 2 to the exit for Route 53 North: Hotel is on the right just off the exit 

*Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites *
PORT CLINTON-CATAWBA ISLAND 
50 N.E. Catawba Road 
Port Clinton OH 
US Tel: 1-419-7327322 
Reservation: 1-419-7327322
FAX: 1-419-7321919 

$42.50-$80.00 per night, depending on choice of rooms. 

A good place to book a room online is at http://www.worldweb.com Just do a search for Port Clinton, Ohio. You will get pretty good prices there (the quotes I gave you are from there). You might try http://www.priceline.com for Port Clinton Ohio. Sometimes Priceline gives GREAT rates (like 20 bucks/night...you name your price, and if the accept, you are booked). Only problem with that is if you book, you are stuck with it. No cancelling. At least with WorldWeb you can cancel. 

If you're interested in camping, rates are as follows: Non Electric- $16/night, Electric- $21-25/night. Feel free to conserve plots and share tents. For more information, call camp office at (419) 734-5857. There shouldn't be any problem getting a camp plot this early in the season. 

*Driving Directions: *

_From Cleveland, Ohio:_ Take State Route 2 West to State Route 269 North. Park is located on State Route 269.
_From Columbus, Ohio:_ Take State Route 23 to State Route 4. Go North on State Route 4 to State Route 2. Go West on State Route 2 to to State Route 269 North. Park is located on State Route 269. 
_From Cincinnati, Ohio:_ Take Route 75 North to S.R. 12 (at Findlay), go North/Northeast on S.R. 12 to S.R. 53 (at Fremont), North on S.R. 53 to S.R. 2, go east on S.R. 2 to S.R. 269 North. Park is located on State Route 269. 
_From Toledo, Ohio: _Take S.R. 2 to S.R. 269 North. Park is located on State Route 269. 
_From Port Clinton, Ohio:_ Go East on S.R. 163 to S.R. 269 North. Park is located on State Route 269. 

*IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS OR QUESTIONS ON HOW TO GET THERE, GIVE ME A RING ON MY CELL AT 419-512-6644. We will guide you in the rest of the way!*

Night fishing is authorized, and brolly type shelters are permitted as long as:

1.) NO camping gear allowed in the brolly's (Heaters, Sleeping bags, etc. Lanterns and flashlights are permitted, and highly recommended) 
2.) 1 side has to be completely open. No Bivvy's that are closed up. 
3.) Absolutely NO sleeping while on that bank. According to them.......if you are sleeping then you are not fishing, but camping on the bank rather. And that is not permitted. You will be asked to leave, by the rangers, if you sleep on that bank.

Not my rules guys.....I just have to pass the info on to you...and try to abide by them. Thanks! Depending on camping areas, you may have a 100 yard walk to the fishing area. Be prepared to haul your gear if this is necessary. Fish up to 25-30lbs are common this time of year in this area. This is a inlet bay of Lake Erie.

If you have any questions or are interested in attending please... email me at [email protected] or contact me via cellphone at (419) 512-6644. If you can only attend for one day; that's fine. 

SEE YOU ON THE BANK......

PS: Gang.....this is about 2 weeks earlier than in years past. Some wanted it earlier, some wanted it later. Last year, we had a cold spring. 2 weeks before the event, we were landing many fish in the 20 range. The netters were not out working then either. TONS of fish in the area. The later you wait......the more you have to deal with the netters. It will be chilly at night, but as long as the winds don't blow the water out of the harbor, we should be good to go.


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## tpet96

Also, we will be having a cookout bankside on that Saturday, April 9 at 2:30 PM. If you wish to contribute to the cookout, please post here what you would like to bring, or email me at [email protected] and I will keep an updated list.


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## crappielooker

you guys are more than welcome to use my cart to haul your stuff.. 
i'll try to whip up something to munch on late at night again.. not sure just yet tho.. i promise, no shrimp this time..


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## radaarphl

Thanks AK, I'm still picking those shrimp shells out of my teeth. LOL


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## crappielooker

Phil.. No soup for you!!..  those shells give you extra calcium.. and idodine  
i'm thinkin along the line of gumbo..  BAAAM!!


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## tpet96

Where do I sign?


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## bcapien

let me use your cart...lol....you know i travel lite.....hahahaha


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## crappielooker

brian..i know how light you travel dood..5 trips oughtta do it...


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## Carp Chaser

Ak,

Really don't need your cart.... But could I just get YOU to pack my gear for me ??


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## TimJC

and bring the boat


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## crappielooker

john..how about unpacking them?? u want me to set it all up, baited and cast out too??  hehe.. i know u'll use my cart..  
tim..the boat??  i prefer to call it the chummin machine


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## TimJC

Ak, do you have the trolling motor mount for it yet?


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## crappielooker

not right at the moment..


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## catking

I won't know if I'm heading up there or not until a few days before the event. Hopefully I will. I have a new bait that I've seen nobody use and I have been working on it all winter  It releases a clouded scent very slowly , and I have multi colors........ I've tested them a few times and they work GREAT in water.......... We will see............  ..THE CARPKING !!!


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## fish 4 bass

The way this weather is going hope you guys don't need ice augers to fish.  Good luck .


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## tpet96

> I've tested them a few times and they work GREAT in water


I would hope so King.......actually, that might be the explanation why you never catch anything. The fish ARE in the water


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## crappielooker

ok guys..according to long term forecast.. the last few days of this month leading into april will be in our favor.. several days of 50s and even some 60s going into the first few days of april.. this is the same pattern as last year when me and shawn went up there and hauled fish including his 20s somethin.. i'm keeping my fingers cross about the netters.. hope they aren't as dedicated as we are..


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## tpet96

Should be ready to rock and roll Ak. Looking forward to it.


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## catking

That was rather a stupid thing to say about the water.........  .....Thanks for catching that Shawn...........  .................................


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## RiverRat

Hey guys, ive heard that the "pay to park" bill passed, so do we need to pay to enter the East Harbor state park?

Scott


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## crappielooker

the pay to park thing doesn't start until may..
at least thats what i heard..besides, i got the $25 ready to hand to them..


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## RiverRat

Thanks AK...yup i got my $25 ready too....just needed to know when to go buy the pass.

Yea i guess if you want to fish your famous spot on Alum you'd have to pay the fees.....i know a lot of my spots are included so im in no matter what the fee was.


Scott


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## flathunter

I have read some rumors on other message boards that in the near future we could face closing of the state parks?????..Hope that is just a rumor.


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## crappielooker

i highly doubt they will be bothering me over there.. i'm just gonna pay it anyways, because i know those guys can't possibly be checking every vehicles 24/7..
and if they are closing state parks, i'm moving to different state..


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## RiverRat

Man Jack...i sure hope thats just a rumor.....would really hate to see that happen!!!


Scott


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## crappielooker

well..i'm not quite sure if i heard the weatherman right or not.. but i thought i heard he mentioned a certain 4 letters "S" word in our long term forecast...
maan, i hope i'm hearing things.....if not, somebody need to do some sunshine dance or something..


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## RiverRat

Who's ready for next weekend yet??

Ive got my big pit reels freshly spooled, brand new rods ready to get fish slime on them..my rigs are tied, baits are made(except for some chum)....brolly is ready, cloths bag about packed, checked the tire psi in my cart tires(was a little low from sitting all winter)......all i need is for this work week to be over already..im READY to get to some fishing!!!

Anyone checked the forecast yet for East Harbor next week???? I dont care what the temps are, as long as the days before are warm and sunny...just no "WET STUFF" from the sky and i'll be happy during the weekend...cloudy and over cast would be great!!


Scott


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## TimJC

I'm getting there. I only have five more days of work Then I hope to get there on thursday. I still need to order some stuff and get the bait situation figured out.


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## flathunter

for what it is worth the temps are suppose to be in the high 40's with a chance of rain for the event..but that probably will change.


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## RiverRat

http://www.weather.com/activities/recreation/outdoors/weather/tenday.html?locid=USOH0783

Well so far:

Friday-42/38 *Partly Cloudy
Saturday-49/42 * Partly Cloudy
Sunday-53/39 * Scattered Showers, 30% chance

Well see how much it changes the closer we get to the event.

Scott


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## TimJC

At least it is looking better


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## TimJC

Alright, so who all is coming to this adventurous little shindig? Like I stated earlier I hope to arrive on thursday. Monday through wednesday will be busy for me so I'll be there on thursday if I can get my gear together in time.


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## cwcarper

Bambi and I should be there midday on friday...and stay until we're too cold (or tired) to fish. Someone save me a spot so I don't have to walk too far  .


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## RiverRat

On my side as of today, i know Dave Skulich, Jake Skulich and I will be there friday-sunday.

Im still keeping a close eye on the weather, if the forecast turns really sour by weds-thursday for the weekend, i will not make the trip up there and waste my time and gas $.

Tim, i saw you were looking a getting a bedchair, too bad i didnt know about this a short time ago.....I got a Fox Ultra 2 leg bedchair coming from Specialist tackle that they put on there container coming from the UK..I was charged NO SHIPPING cost from the UK...only going to pay from NEW YORK to COLUMBUS...bed cost was $151.00 - shipping cost. I also got a sweet deal on my Fox Evo Brolly through them, ive used it a few times already and i love it.
Now Paul P. at wackerbaits.com sells the same bed for $180 + shipping from Chicago to your door(so i saved a good bit of money on my deal) but he can have it to you before the event next week if you order it this weekend on line and he ships it out monday UPS(normally 3 days til it arrives from Paul on my orders).

He also i think got in some of the Fox STALKER bedchairs which are the cheaper models , they might be what you are looking for, not sure what your looking to spend.?

Hey i think i heard that Westside bait & tackle in Indy got a shipment of X2 stuff..if they got in the bedchairs like AK's got....for that price thats the best deal going on bedchairs!! Give AK a shout he might know more about what they got in.


Scott


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## RiverRat

WEATHER UPDATE*
Port Clinton, Ohio

4/8 Friday-44/35 Partly Cloudy-20% chance
4/9 Saturday-46/38 Rain/Snow showers-30% chance
4/10 Sunday-48/40 Partly Cloudy-10% chance

Lets hope it changes for the better as the weekend gets closer!!!


For those going up Thursday 4/7-50/39 Showers-30% chance

Scott


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## flathunter

Can you believe this crap, Ohio's weather sucks!


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## cwcarper

I'm hoping the weather looks better too, as I'm sure we all are. I'm with Scott...if it's too nasty out I probably won't be making the trip up there.

Speaking of ordering brollies and such...I finally got my Fox Oval Plus. Ordered it through Paul at Wackerbaits...it was actually cheaper for me to get it from him than to order one through Specialist, even if it came at reduced shipping, so I guess it all depends on what you order.


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## RiverRat

Another Update*

Thursday-48°/38°/ thundershowers-30% chance
Friday-45°/38°/few showers-30% chance
Saturday-51°/39°/partly cloudy-20% chance
Sunday-53°/40°/partly cloudy-0% chance

Looking better everyday guys..lets hope its all 60's/40's and DRY!!!!

It would have to take a hard turn for the worst for me not to go now...but well see.

Scott


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## ohioiceman

Carp are in the bay,nuff said.


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## RiverRat

THANKS for the fish update iceman.....GREAT NEWS!!!


Scott


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## GMR_Guy

I hope the weather gets better for you guys. Hopefully a few monsters will be landed. I may be headed up to an undisclosed location on Lake Erie for some carp fishing within the next two weeks.


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## TimJC

The car is loaded. Now all I'm waiting on is for two more days of work to pass and then cook some particles and load my bait


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## Tornichio

I hope you guys catch some big ones. I will not be able to drive up there this year. I am just going to stay around here and fish.

Can't wait to see what all you guys catch.

Marc


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## crappielooker

as much as i would love to come up there, with the gas being as high as it is right now..i know i can't afford to go up there with you guys..have fun and do some catching for me..


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## catking

You all have a GREAT time up there !!!!! My predictions to who will get :B are as follows : couldn't decide between cwcarper and RiverRat , but since carperboy is my son, I'll go with him ........  I really wish I was heading up, but I'm working both days , wife said something about bills .......  ...TimmyBoy , ya sounding like a kid on xmas eve....... ........... THE CATKING !!!


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## cwcarper

The only chance I'll have at getting big fish of the event is if I use Da King's new secret bait  . Seriously, though, this will be the first year I fish East Harbor at night, so I'm just hoping for some steady action...doesn't have to be anything big for me. I'd love to see someone pull a 30 (or bigger) out of there though...


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## TimJC

Well, with AK not going, I have have an opening for anyone wanting to share a campsite. This would allow for closer parking and use of my tent (if needed). Only asking $20 

Shawn, was the campsite you used last year in the electric or non-electric section of the campground?


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## RiverRat

Say it aint so...?...DaKing and AK not going to East Harbor, geez it wont be the same.
Thanks for the vote of confidence Rick..but my money is always on Richie, i think this guy could haul in a mud puddle in his driveway..geez us!!(but im ready for him this year)

Should be fun as always but like everyone else i just hope the fish are there and we can catch some goodones this time....would like to see the mark to beat going to West Branch being over 25lbs.

Depending on this years fish turn out will determine if i'll be back up there next April.

Tim, I think the site Shawn & I shared last year was non-electric and was the very first one next to the path to the harbor..awsome camp site.

CW, the night bite on Saturday last year was my best time during the event, but if i remember right, Richie and his cousin showed up friday and they fish all friday night and they hauled from 3am til just after daybreak sat. I also think the biggest numbers of fish were landed at night for most.

See you guys up there..hey Tim i will bring the DVDs for ya for sure...lol...already packed them.

Scott


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## RiverRat

Hey does ANYONE have either an old 2004 Tackle Box catalog that i can have or a newer 2005 that i can look at that they can bring to the event??????



Thanks,
Scott


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## TimJC

I have five 2003-2004 (june to june) tackle box catalogs and one 2003 leslies of luton.


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## crappielooker

ya never know..i might just show up out of nowhere..


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## RiverRat

.......and thats EXACTLY what i was expecting when ya told me on the phone yeserday...i said to my self...YEA RIGHT!!!

AK will show up, watch and see.


Scott


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## RiverRat

Hey Tim, ya mind bringing the 2004's so i can check them out??

Scott


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## catking

I'll surly miss going to this event. Been to the last couple......in fact I believe I caught the largest a couple years ago that held the biggest carp award for the whole year........up until CAG hired a dude from "over there " .  to break my mark.........anybody remember that story......  ........ Looks like great weather for your event guys !!!........ DA KING !!!


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## GMR_Guy

I did pretty decent up there last year using nightcrawlers. The nightcrawlers produced just as well as sweet corn did in a side-by-side test.


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## TimJC

Well should I buy a heater or not? I was thinking of getting one of the two more expensive coleman's ($70 and $80). It's quite a chunk of change, but does anyone see it as necessary with the expected weather conditions? all thoughts appreciated.


Also, if you have FRS (family radio service) walkie talkies (motorola calls them talkabouts), please bring them as this venue is very big and with tons of space to spread out. Since Shawn has anointed me as "official big fish weigher person," it would help greatly. Tune to channel 3 subcode 0.


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## flathunter

I hope to see plenty of pics of big fish from you guys!


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## RiverRat

Hope to Jack, but this area has only given up a few upper 20's and i dont think other than the very first EH event that any carp over 25 lbs have been banked during an event.

Tim, i hear ya...everyone bring your walkie-talkies please...i'll bring mine.

scott


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## cwcarper

As is typical with most outings/tournies, the bigger fish always seem to fall to the people who are fortunate to fish a day or two before or after the outing. Last year the big fish just weren't in there when we were fishing it...I'm hoping this year things will be a bit different.


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## TimJC

I want big fish but I don't care if they are during the outing.

I still have an opening my campsite if anyone is interested in spliting the cost...

Scott, I packed the catalogs for you


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## RiverRat

Thanks Tim, Gardner Carpwise DVD's #3-#6 are packed for you.

Scott

All ive got to do now is wait for the UPS man and the FedEx guy today and im set .


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## TimJC

Yeah, I'm waiting for FedEx myself, but I don't intend on waiting all day.


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## RiverRat

Hey Tim, i forgot about your question about the heater...in my opinion its not needed, the nights will be cool for sure, but i think if you dress corectly and have a shelter to block any wind you should be fine up there....now you SHOULD buy one before the Alum event as you know that one can be very bad for cold and windy conditions. I will have one for that event myself.

Scott


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## TimJC

yeah I'm to lazy to drive to BPS now anyway. Worst case, I'll be in my tent in my sleeping bag, but hopefully it won't come to that.


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## crappielooker

tim..i got a heat source you can use if needed.. 
see you there dood..


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## RiverRat

..."see you there dood.."....YUP told ya AK could'nt stay home during an event lol...just hope its worth the $$ for gas buddy!!!!!


Scott


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## TimJC

gotta grab my bait, get gas, and drive 4 hours. See everyone there...


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## RiverRat

See ya Tim...dont forget your baits, not like i have ever done that one..lol.geez!

Scott

HEY the FedEx man just came..i like that guy, he always brings me fishing goodies..lol...one delivery guy down..one more to go! The UPS guy never gets here until 2:30pm..GEEZ US!


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## Fishman

Looks like you guys have a great weekend for it. Good luck up there this year. I'm not going to be able to make it, I think this will be the first year I've missed it 

Catch a big one for me, and make sure Ak get's skunked!


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## cypry

I should be getting up there sometime friday evening , looking forward to the fishing and seeing everyone again . first time out this year .

Hey , does anyone know if your allowed to park for free if your not setting up a tent or do you have to pay for a camping spot regardless ?


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## RiverRat

cypry, You will have to drive back..unload your gear at the lake, then drive your car back up to the main gate and park in the "visitors" parking area.....im sure any of us would be happy to follow you back up and bring ya back to the lake no problems.
Also anyone sharring a camp site will have to do the same..only one car per site...this is what i had to do last year when i shared a tent/lot with Shawn W....if not the RANGER will tell ya to do so anyway.

Scott


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## cypry

Thanks for the info Scott . 

See you all friday. Looks like the weather is gonna be an improvement on my last outing at alum and with the high temps this week there should be plenty of carp in the bay .


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## BuckeyeFishinNut

Once again I worked my magic at work and was able to get the whole day off instead of just half a day so I am planning on being up there fairly early. I do planning on sleeping in a lil but I plan to be there before noon. Hopefully the fishing is on!! Cya all there.

Jake


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## cwcarper

I thought there was another parking lot that we could park in as well...further over by the shelter?? Is that area not going to be open this year...or was I mistaken that we could park there if not camping?? I wouldn't know as I camped the past couple years...


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## RiverRat

Your welcome Craig....CW that was the case last year...i might have been completely mistakin, but the visitors parking was the big grass lot to your right when you come to the gate/guard shack, thats where i was told to park.
Maybe Shawn W. or Bob B. would know for 100%..it sure would make things SO much easier.....thats the only reason im not sharing a site, i want to park close enough to the area so if i want to crash out during the day...im not walking a mile to my van.

See ya all there,
Scott


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## catking

The water in East Harbor is warm, the guys and gals are set up and the fish are BITING  Looks like a great turnout and I'll call cwcarper tomorrow for another update. RiverRat caught a 21 pounder so far , but it was before the official starting time of 3 pm. But sounds like he and his buddies were slaying them Friday morning........... THE CATKING !!!


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## catking

Gill Girl ( cwcarpers fiance') just called to report on the fishing .....She and cwcarper have caught 18 carp between them , with her getting a very nice 16 pounder moments before calling DA KING !!!.RiverRat & BuckeyeFishnNut are or at least were catching a bunch also, with RiverRat still having the largest to date, that I know of............ Sounds like everything is going fantastic.......They are getting ready to eat shore side......  ....... THE CATKING !!!


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## GMR_Guy

Catking, keep the updates coming. I'm glad the weather is decent and the fish are biting. Now lets hope a few monsters move in. I'll be heading up to a Lake Erie backwater area in about a week, so these their results are very interesting to me.


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## Fishman

Glad to hear they are catching them, thanks for the reports. Wish I was up there


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## atrkyhntr

sounds like they are having fun....


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## TimJC

Well I gave up and decided to head home. The wind roared off Lake Erie like something fierce most of the time. The cool wind made being out in the open pretty unbearable, while the temps were pretty good, at least during the day.

When I arrived at 3pm on thursday (a day early to start a chum bed)the ground was was wet from raining off and on most of the day. Shortly after I started scouting, and seeing no fish activity, I get a call from Ak needing me to help get him out of jail (he can fill you all in on the cause of this) and pick up rover over at the impound lot. After Sean (Miso) quickly wired funds for bail I was able to pick up Ak, who never even had to see a holding cell, from the Milan Township Police Department. The drive to the police department and impound lot was roughly a half hour drive from East Harbor, which took quite a bit longer the first time due to Ak's directions, but I managed to get that drive down to a speedy routine after making several trips.

After picking up Ak, it was time to go get Rover from his impounded van. This posed a problem because I hadn't even had time to dump my gear before this all happened. My little car was packed tight, so tight in fact that Ak had to sit in the front passenger seat with a bucket of corn where his legs should go. Ak somehow convinced a lady at a local hotel to let us leave my gear at the front desk while we picked up rover and "the essentials." His resourcefulness never ceases to amaze me in these situations.

After picking up Ak's gear it was back to East Harbor (25 minutes) to drop him and the stuff off. Then it was back to the hotel (25minutes) to get my gear, and then back to East Harbor, again, to start setting up. By this point it is 6:30pm and all we could do was set up our base of operations and lazily cast our lines out as carp splash everwhere around us.

The next morning brought Sean and John down to watch our gear while Ak and I headed to court and then the impound lot to get the rest of his gear (50 minutes of driving roundtrip). When we finally returned a few others had arrived and had begun setting up. At this point we conmence with chumming and start fishing.

As more people arrive, Ak decides that he's had enough of watching others catch fish from 5 to 21 pounds, while we sit and blank.

After Ak left I decided to join Sean and John in inbibing some refreshing refreshing spirits. This single act begun to make my alarms sing. After missing a few runs due to being a couple hundred yards away, I was able to land a fish that went about 5 pounds or so. As it would turn out, this would end up being the only fish that I would net during the event. That night brought cool temps from the cold air coming from the main lake and a few more runs. Unfortunately, with all the runs I had that night I only hooked two fish just to lose them near the bankbefore netting.

Saturday brought some good fishing to those in other locations, and good food to all. after our bankside feast I started chumming my area again in hopes of being able to slay fish all night. But the fish came, taunted me, and left in a short span of time. At this point I was frustrated from all my work and planning, and I decided to pack up and retreat home.

Before I left, the people that were catching all day lost the bite, and those that had just arrived earlier on saturday managed a few, in another location, before darkness set in.

East Harbor was frustrating this year, and I hope to be able to figure out what exactly I did wrong before regrouping for West Branch in May.


(I'm off to bed now and I'll try to proof this in the morning)


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## RiverRat

Glad to hear ya made it home safe and sound Tim.

Well, Dave & I got up to EH at 9:30am on Friday morning, as we walked out to the harbor we thought no one was there but then saw Tim, Ak, Sean and John over in the "swamp" area and nobody was in the main point area...so we jumped into "Richies point" , the spot he fihed last year. The wind was BLOWING very hard right in our faces. I dont think with the wind chill it made it close to 50 degrees friday
I had action with in the first 1/2 hour after getting my rods out....a nice 10 lb big scaled Miror carp. I had another 2 fish before 3pm(offical start time) with big fish being landed at 2:47pm...21 lbs. Jake showed around 12pm.
Action slowed but picked up again in the evening and i caught pretty consistant through the evening til around 3am when i took my rods out of the water a decieded to TRY to get some shut eye. Dave had caught some nice ones along with Jake too. The winds were blowing a steady 15 miles an hour with gusts to 25mph. It got down right cold friday night and even with all my warm gear on i still almost froze to death(no kidding). Saturday was another wind howling day and if you didnt have a shelter to get behind you were crazy..lckly i did and the 3 of us hid behind it all day and night.My big fish friday night was 18 lbs.
CW & Bambi caught pretty well through the evening too with big fish of 14 lbs to CW on one of Richies rods and Bambi at 16 lbs.
Everyone had loads of the small 4-6 lbers and i got a good bit of 10-14 lbers. saturday evening was slow and Richie started to get on the fish pretty consistant..lots of fun to fish next to him as always.

We had enough with the wind ,cold and small fish and called it quits around 12am on saturday night. We got a few hours sleep and headed home at 5am sunday morning.

All in all it was OK, but the wind and cold was enough to drive ya mad and the small fish added with the sometimes hours of nothing made for a rough time. Plus it seems like most anglers decieded to set up over on the other bank away from the group...i think we only had 6-8 anglers on the main side.

I ended up with 30 carp(33 unoffical) with an unoffical 21lber before 3pm and an 18 lber during the event. Including 2 big scaled mirrors.(pictures to come)

I dont think i will be heading to EH next year...the 2 hour drive + the weather in April added with the lack of bigger fish will keep me closer to home.

Once again, very good to meet & see everyone on the campground side , sorry i didnt get to meet everyone else who fished elsewhere...i was going to stop up at the "cook out" but i ended up getting on some good fish during that time and didnt want to stop fishing..lol.

See ya all at West Branch..or the OCC event in 2 weeks.


Scott


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## crappielooker

thanks scott..for being such a nice guy by offering to help me bring some of my stuff home... but i guess you did NOT really mean it.. because i sure didn't hear from you before you leave..
thanks a bunch to CWcarper, miso and tim for everything you guys have done for me this weekend.. i owe you guys big time..


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## RiverRat

Hey Akster......I had no idea where the hell ya was man.....i sure could of came over and found you at 5am when we left, no problem with me but i did not know where you were!!!

If you stopped fishing you should of came by and dropped off the stuff you needed me to bring home for you, i didnt see you almost 3/4 of saturday and didnt know what was going on...you knew where i was the whole time!!! I told ya i'd help you out but was NOT going to track you down all over the place!!



Scott


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## crappielooker

maybe i should say sorry to you for asking with a little help..


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## RiverRat

May be just say sorry for jumping my butt because you didnt bring gear to ME to bring back for ya!
I told ya i'd help....i met ya half way, it was up to you to go the other half.

Guess ya should of went with your first choice and stayed in C town, costly weekend i'd say for a few carp.



End of topic,
Scott


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## crappielooker

alright... i'm sorry for jumping on you maan..its a wrong thing for me to do on here anyways.. hope you understand..
its been a really challenging weekend to me to say the least.. i would have give any amount of $$$ to be up there with my friends enjoying time on the bank anydays...


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## flathunter

Just wondering, since this event is up north, and along lake erie where you have cold winds..Why dont they move this event forward till the end of april, that way the weather could settle down a little, and hopefully be a little more warm for you guys.


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## crappielooker

jack..because a couple of weeks from now, that place would be almost unfishable due to the weeds and pads..
you can fish it, but its kinda hairy to do so....at least to me..


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## RiverRat

Jack, like AK said..but also the netters run that place pretty hard..we talked with the Ranger Friday night and he said the netters were in the bay all last weekend..and for the COLD the wind blowing off the main lake and it would have to be atleast 50+ degree main lake temp to feel warm with the wind.

As i said it was OK, but the 2 new CAG members(Dave & Jake) already decided they will not return either because of the long drive..CAMPING money spent for the weekend and lack of numbers and size of fish everyone was catching.
I know there were many anglers that drove far only to catch a handful of fish with avg. size being under 8 lbs. but i guess its the "bankside" hanging out that draws everyone from whats been posted before...but...most guys where fishing other areas and we did not get to talk with them.

Heck TimJC drove 4+ hrs to catch 2 fish...he returned home and fished today and caught 5 carp....hmmm.
If i was someone that drove that far and caught what i did i would be more upset...but hey i guess they can say thats "fishing" sometimes, but it happens to a lot every year up there.


IMO....I hope Westbranch is better?

Scott


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## crappielooker

naah..west branch will suck as well..loads of small fish..wont be worth your trip up there maan.. 
ps..fishing at east habor sometimes requires you to be a bit mobile..if you aren't catching at one place..move to a new spot, and you might just hauled.. you don't need to be sittin at the same spot days in days out..


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## TimJC

First of all, I caught one fish and I lost 2 more at the net. Second, it takes 3 hours 40 minutes to get there and I get awesome gas milage on that trip. The drive really isn't that bad.

The reason for fishing this venue in early April is that there is evidence (In-Fisherman article on Lake Erie carp) that shows that big carp are the first to move into these areas. This can be correlated to the upper 20 fish that Shawn caught last year before the event


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## RiverRat

..."that big carp are the first to move into these areas." 
Guess thats why the netters where there all LAST weekend ?



..."This can be correlated to the upper 20 fish that Shawn caught last year before the event"

I know a few like Shawn, Bob and Richie have caught upper 20 lb carp from this area, but thats stil not close to being considered BIG fish...if you look at the size that lake DOES produce in other areas.
I think a lot of the real big fish do not come to the bays like EH and spawn in other areas like the bays along the islands. I know my buddy Dave has fished for them off of South Bass Is. in a cove and they caught loads of mid-upper 20's day and night with avg. fish caught going around 20lbs. I still think this is small considering the size of lake Erie.

The bigger fish caught at the Nov. COSI event rival the bigger ones caught during an event at EH. I had for big fish an 18lber at COSI and an 18 lber at EH...but one only took me 15mins to get to(with traffic). 


AK..lol......i sat in the same spot and banked 30+ carp..while guys sitting on my right and left caught 12-14 ea. I think if you have the right combo of chum and hookbaits you'll catch....your spot does matter, but you have to select either a spot you yourself have caught in before or fish a spot known for producing fish.

And going back to our discussion about too many hookbaits, chum ect that went on right before the event.....guess my combo worked out pretty fair compared to others??
And it didnt take long for the fish to let me know what they wanted..lol.
For the record i had 37 different hookbaits and some of the baits i caught on i knew i would...a few others surprised me but i ended up with 4 strong flavors that caught well......PLUS i was fish out around 60-70 yrds. (both rods) compared to most fish 20-30 yrds out. I went through almost 8 gals worth of corn and a good bit of method mix.
Spodding into the wind is NOT fun at all...geez!...unless you like the taste of your chum...ooh.

Scott


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## crappielooker

oh..my swim i found yesterday was very good to me.. i netted probably around 15 carp on just saturday and night... lost one that snapped the line on my alum rig..couldn't even stop the run..


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## RiverRat

Cool, i hear there was some 20's caught over on the other side...anyone know the details?

Also, does anyone know how Richie E. did after we packed up?? He was kill'in them pretty quick once they found his area..hes a heck of a guy, great angler too.


Scott


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## cwcarper

Best bait for me was plain maize...with my pva mix on one rod and a method feeder with boiled cracked corn on another rod. Bambi and I caught over 30 fish for the time that we fished and could have caught plenty more if we didn't get so cold out there...biggest went around 16 lbs or so. Not bad for about 20 hours worth of fishing...

Overall I had a great time as usual...the food was awesome, it was great to fish with all the carpers again...and I don't care what anyone says, I love fishing up there.


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## crappielooker

ok..i have to give a big thank yous to these people, because without them..i could possibly miss the fish in all together and be in even more trouble..
first person on my list is Miso..sean.. You, my friend, are the one i owe the most to.. i'm sure not everyone would do what you did to help me out.. but you didn't even think twice about doing it.. and for this i owe you big time.. like what i told you over there.. you are top notch in my book doood..
secondly..timjc.. you too man are one of the greatest person i know.. you come right over when you heard what had happen and again i thank you soo much..i know rover really appreciate your help as well.. without you being there already at that time, i probably would not be able to make the fish in..and make it home...
third group of folks i like to thank are cwcarper and bambi.. i thank you guys for giving us a ride back to columbus..i dont know how we could have made it back without you guys..
and shawn.. thank you for takin some of my stuff with you maan.. if it wasn't because of you, i prolly would have to say bye bye to those stuff..
its still amazes me how a single website and some banktime company can turn some strangers into some really great and true friends.. you guys know that if i can help you guys with anything, just give me a shout and its done..


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## catking

Ya forgot DA KING !!! I'm cwcarpers daddy, and without me , he's not even here  so come on AK , give DA KING !!! some credit......  .Hey, I know some uys don't like that long ride,I'm one of them for sure. But it never was about catching large carp or whatever. It's a diffrent location , and just something about kicking off the carping season on BEAUTIFUL Lake Erie makes it worth the trip.........life is short, soak up the scenery  Sounds like you all had a good time regardless of what went on.......... THE CATKING !!!


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## crappielooker

ok..i thank da king and da catqueen for creating cwcarper..
hows that buddy?? are ya feelin better now..


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## tpet96

Not a problem Ak. I'll get that stuff to you this weekend. SOmehow....somewhere


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