# headlands update



## hookedonfishing79 (Sep 21, 2008)

Through thursday 9/25/08 how sussessful has anyone been off the wall at the headlands? I am planning on heading out before work friday morning around 7 am, just want to see if i am wasting time. I would hate to have to go to work depressed on being skunked a couple hours before work. Thanks in advance of the heads up!!!:B


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## Steel Cranium (Aug 22, 2005)

Check the lake cams/forecast before you leave. It felt like it was starting to get windy this afternoon, with north winds and 2' to 4' waves forecast for Friday. You can find a windbreak at the headlands walls with any direction but north.


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## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

The fish aren't very thick yet, but you may be able to hook into a fish or two. I wouldn't expect a slaying. Haha.


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## hookedonfishing79 (Sep 21, 2008)

WEnt down this morning, saw three landed I had one hooked up but got off, also saw someone else hook one and get off. all of this in about a 1 1/2 time frame. Of course everyone was using spoons


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## archman (Apr 30, 2004)

> WEnt down this morning, saw three landed I had one hooked up but got off, also saw someone else hook one and get off. all of this in about a 1 1/2 time frame. Of course everyone was using spoons


Did you go to the long wall or short wall?


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## pymybob (May 28, 2004)

Gonna hit it tomorrow, will post results....


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## pymybob (May 28, 2004)

Didn't see or hear of any caught at either wall this morning. Sure was blowing at a pretty good clip. Much faster than I thought they were predicting. Anyone do good there today?


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## Steel Cranium (Aug 22, 2005)

pymybob said:


> Didn't see or hear of any caught at either wall this morning. Sure was blowing at a pretty good clip. Much faster than I thought they were predicting. Anyone do good there today?


I hit the lakefront a little west of there and never made a cast. Water was too off-color for my liking, along with the wind and waves. Checked out the lower rocky. Nothing biting in the extremely low and clear water. A few fish rolling around, probably looking for some oxygen. Once again, never made a cast. Lakefront with less north wind until we see over 1k on the flow meter.


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## dcfisherman (Jul 25, 2008)

no, i only got 3 bites but that's it


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## The One (Jun 9, 2007)

Fished the long and short walls on 9/28 from about 7:00 am to 11:30 am. Not a bite my son rolled one on the short wall may have snagged it? Went through the gambit of colors and retrieve speeds. Only heard of one being taken on the long.


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## hookedonfishing79 (Sep 21, 2008)

Was down this morning, nothing happening, saw a few flopping around.


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## Get Fish (Mar 16, 2008)

I have been seeing folks make references about the long and short wall...so I took a little ride today, since I had to go to painesville anyway. Went to Headlands all the way to the back and was given directions down a sandy path which lead to a big sandy field and more winding paths of sand!!! Finally I heard water and made a right to some trails and saw a preety long wall with a lighthouse out at the very end of the what i would call a breakwall and to the right was more of a pier...not quite as long as the breakwall and a third breakwall out front of the river. I began walking toward the pier and found myself walking upon some trespass signs, coming to find out that I was in the backyard of the Coast Guard Station at Fairport Harbor. Needless to say they were very helpful and curteous to me, giving me directions and allowing to pass thru their gate which put me right back at my truck at Headlands. They told me one side was Headlands and the other was Fairport Harbor. I said all that to mostly explain my dismay and much needed workout to ask was I in the area that several are posting about as far as the long and short wall (Headlands= Long wall and Fairport=short wall) AND if not could someone please help me out and point me in the right dirrection!

Thanks in advance!!!
Ken


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## The One (Jun 9, 2007)

_I said all that to mostly explain my dismay and much needed workout to ask was I in the area that several are posting about as far as the long and short wall (Headlands= Long wall and Fairport=short wall) AND if not could someone please help me out and point me in the right direction!_

You pretty much have it in a nutshell. The shortwall being Fairport Harbor Pier which you may also hear it referred to when fished as the lake side (East) and the river side (West).


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

> saw a preety long wall with a lighthouse out at the very end of the what i would call a breakwall


thats the long wall. you can even go past the lighthouse. the short wall is on the other side of the river. from the long wall, looking towards that old brown lighthouse up on a hill, is looking also right at the short wall. i like the long wall better. tons of room for casting.


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## dcfisherman (Jul 25, 2008)

I Might Go there Saturday, what rig has been good for steelhead lately?


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## CRAPPIE LOVER (Feb 11, 2007)

...Mrphish42 and I fished the Short Wall last week ...some fish were in I don't think the numbers were that great...saw three caught they were on little cleos and spoons....after this rain and blow and of course the cold nights they have to be there by now...will go up and give it a go next week...will put one rod out with a minnie fo and maggots...cast the other one.....
:B GOOD FISHING GUYS


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## hookedonfishing79 (Sep 21, 2008)

fished the long wall this morning, pulled my first steelie of the year. I was throwing spoons. Spoon was a tri color spoon, blue, green, and gold. I will post picture shortly.:B :B


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## dcfisherman (Jul 25, 2008)

i think it's to hot to fish this weekend for steelhead or am i wrong


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## mrphish42 (Jan 24, 2008)

DC......don't know about you man........but I 'll take getting sun-burned and catching "STEEL", to freezing my --- off on a 20 degree day, fishin open water and wishing I was in my shanty on PI hoping to hook into one...Do really think you should get out and hook a 30" this weekend....and enjoy yourself, all to soon we'll be locked into our 9 months of winter and spring that we call normal for Ohio......GOOD FISHIN<<<<<<ENJOY>>>>>>>>>> Jon Sr.


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## archman (Apr 30, 2004)

It's not too hot this weekend, especially in the lake. Water temperature is what's important, not air temperature.


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## whjr15 (Jun 16, 2005)

Hey Arch,

I'm thinking of making a trip to the long wall Saturday, are Lil Cleo's still the ticket?


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## archman (Apr 30, 2004)

Little Cleos or jig and maggots. It just depends on the hour. Either way you can't go wrong. But if I had to choose one method, you'll get more action on the jig and maggots.


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## pymybob (May 28, 2004)

Anyone make it out today?


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

it was really slow at edgewater yesterday, i caught one in 4 hours of casting. im not sure if anyone else caught anything at all, the place was practically empty when i went to talk to other fishermen. im thinking about going up to the long wall today. really nice conditions though, yesterday. and should be real nice today.


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## dcfisherman (Jul 25, 2008)

i didn't catch anything there either


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## archman (Apr 30, 2004)

It was very slow today. Pymybob's buddy went 1 for 2, and that was the only action I saw out there. Some guy did catch an 8 lb walleye though.


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## pymybob (May 28, 2004)

Slow to say the least. I'm not sure if the dredging they are doing out there had any affect on the fishing but the conditions were near perfect.

Here is a pic of my buddy's fish. 



This was is first and I think he wants to give it another go when the fishing really starts.  

As for the walleye, the guy caught it on a jig and maggot. Unbelievable. It was a beautiful walleye!

On the way out, there were a couple other guys that picked up some too. Still, it was slow. Was anyone else out today on either wall?


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

i was on the long wall from maybe 10:30 or so until around two. i heard of a few caught but i only personally saw 1 fish on, which was landed. shoulda been there yesterday i guess.  i never saw so many people on the short wall before.


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## mrphish42 (Jan 24, 2008)

pymybob......fished the short wall with a small family group sun. More people, than fish, as hardwaterfan pointed out....perfect day weather wise (which led to the over-population of fair weather fishermen.(they wont be there in 25 knot winds and 30 degree temps. Never saw a fish caught on any hardware (spoons or spinners) by anyone.Only saw 4 "steelies" netted all day and my group caught 3 of those..My wife caught the first (25 1/2) only minutes after we got there in the early morning....my oldest daughter caught her first ever (23 1/2" ) and my grandson caught his first (a FO at 28 5/8") which just totally made him (KING of THE Hill) for the day.....and reinforced my belief, that this kind of fishing should and can be enjoyed by all. With a little instruction on fishing presentations... My son-in law and I had our incounters, but this trip was measured in family fun and life long memories, that will prevail, long after I meet my maker......Oh Yes, all of our fish were caught on jig/minnow....jig/maggot combos, fished under floats...... Jon Sr.


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

mrphish, outstanding. sounds like an awesome day.


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## pymybob (May 28, 2004)

Glad to see you got into them. I had my daughter there last week and didn't see anything caught. The season is just starting and the fishing WILL get better.


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## TRIPLE-J (Sep 18, 2006)

was out there yesterday from 8:30-12:00 trolling the harbor. No hits, didn't see any caught. Water temp is still warm and got warmer as the day went on, started at 60.3 and ended at 64.2. Need some good cold rain. Also no bait fish in the harbor, when the bait comes in the steel will follow. Boat traffic was unbelieveable yesterday, with non-stop boats going in and out of the harbor. Once the piers start getting pulled and the boat traffic gets cut down, and the bait moves in look out. Water temp is consistant from the surface all the way down by my down-temp. Need rain.
Triple-j


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

there were tons of shiners along the river side of the long wall and i mean tons. (right by the rocks and wall) i thought maybe thats why it was slow, any steelhead could just cruise by and eat. a lot of minnows swimming sideways and limping along.


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## master of steel (Oct 12, 2008)

hardwaterfan said:


> there were tons of shiners along the river side of the long wall and i mean tons. (right by the rocks and wall) i thought maybe thats why it was slow, any steelhead could just cruise by and eat. a lot of minnows swimming sideways and limping along.


You need a good chop to force the shiners away from the wall. That's when the fishing is the best. If you got there after first light, your chances are not good. With the bright sky and warm water, the fish often retreat to deeper water. 

Once the lake gets below 60F, there is often a large push of fish closer to shore.


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## pymybob (May 28, 2004)

My best day last year on the wall had the same conditions as Sunday...exact. I think the water temps off Fairport should have been on or near 60 degrees too. Not sure why they were'nt turned on like I thought they would be.

George, I thought the same about all the baitfish. There were some ENORMOUS schools of minnows near where we were. Maybe they just had enough to eat!


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

> I have been seeing folks make references about the long and short wall...so I took a little ride today, since I had to go to painesville anyway. Went to Headlands all the way to the back and was given directions down a sandy path which lead to a big sandy field and more winding paths of sand!!! Finally I heard water and made a right to some trails and saw a preety long wall with a lighthouse out at the very end of the what i would call a breakwall and to the right was more of a pier...not quite as long as the breakwall and a third breakwall out front of the river. I began walking toward the pier and found myself walking upon some trespass signs, coming to find out that I was in the backyard of the Coast Guard Station at Fairport Harbor. Needless to say they were very helpful and curteous to me, giving me directions and allowing to pass thru their gate which put me right back at my truck at Headlands. They told me one side was Headlands and the other was Fairport Harbor. I said all that to mostly explain my dismay and much needed workout to ask was I in the area that several are posting about as far as the long and short wall (Headlands= Long wall and Fairport=short wall) AND if not could someone please help me out and point me in the right dirrection!


 
I did the exact same thing about 5 years ago. Go to Google Earth or Google maps. It is much easier than that long walk in the sand in the dark .


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## archman (Apr 30, 2004)

Bob, that day we got into them the water temp was actually 69, much warmer than it was yesterday. There are so many variables. It just wasn't meant to be yesterday.


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## goodday (Dec 24, 2004)

Does any one know how to get into the headlands parking lotbefore 7 am? i wen up a few weekends ago only to wait at the main entrance for the gates to be unlocked, but when I got back to the parking area it was full of vehicles?


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## archman (Apr 30, 2004)

If you make a right into the entrance for that factory, there is another entrance about 200 yards down on your left. Just follow the signs that say 24 hour fishing access.


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## TRIPLE-J (Sep 18, 2006)

Well can't troll right next to the wall to see any minnows in the rocks , but the schools of bait weren't out in the harbor. once the boat traffic slows the steel will be there. Best fishing temps for me over the last 20 years logged has been under 60 degrees. won't be long. And the absolute best has been under 50.
triple-j


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## dcfisherman (Jul 25, 2008)

TRIPLE-J said:


> Well can't troll right next to the wall to see any minnows in the rocks , but the schools of bait weren't out in the harbor. once the boat traffic slows the steel will be there. Best fishing temps for me over the last 20 years logged has been under 60 degrees. won't be long. And the absolute best has been under 50.
> triple-j


i think it's 56F saturday


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