# Lake Erie smallmouth



## Semi33 (Mar 5, 2008)

I personally have never fishes for smallmouth and I would like to start focusing in On them. I am planning on making a trip to Erie soon, and I was wondering if anyone wouldn't mind telling me what I would might want to use to catch them?


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## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

Drop-shot is a wonderful summer technique for Erie smallies


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Just went up to Ashtabula this past Sunday, 6/17, with my bro-in-law. He just started going there so he knows a little bit about the place, I didn't know anything. We headed East out of the harbor and started trolling deep diving minnow plugs in 15 to 25 FOW while keeping our eyes on the depth finder for anything interesting that might be down there and holding fish. Trolling's not a bad way to go if you're new to an area and just trying to figure some things out.

I caught 4 beautiful Smallies including a real pig that was well over 20" and I guesstimate at 6 or 6.5lbs! Wish I could have kept that fish, I'd have put him on the wall, but, you have to release all Erie bass until the last Friday in June, 6/29. 

The surface water temp was still in the low 60's so there still are some bass close to shore in that area. As the water warms the bass will pull off to deeper water and that's when Tokugawa's suggestion, drop-shotting really shines. We were ready to try anything, but the trolling was working, and then we got chased off the water by T-storms. Still, I was a happy camper and can't wait to go again!

Good luck up there.


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## ffjhatem (Feb 13, 2012)

drop shots
tubes
senkos

guess it depends on what type of fishing your doing. you obviously arnt gonna drag senkos across a reek or any other type of deep water structure


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