# Smallies



## Tom G (Sep 26, 2004)

Thinking of going out for smallies next weeek one day, any reports from Ashtabula or fairport ?


----------



## fatkid (Oct 14, 2006)

hey we were out of the ash fri morning had a great day we fished first lite till 3 . we had a 80 fish day not the best we ever but it was the second best day . we hit the break walls with jerk baits not the size we had 2 yrs ago but any erie smallie is great fun to catch . keep me posted thinking of hitting it next weak again also


----------



## Steimy (Jun 29, 2008)

Hey fat kid
Are you fishing the break walls around the Ashtabula harbor? I used to catch a lot of fish of the breakers


----------



## Tom G (Sep 26, 2004)

Thanks Yes fishing the breakwalls


----------



## mlayers (Aug 22, 2011)

I know I will get torn apart for theis for here go.

Come on guys why even fish for the smallies right now. Let them lay their eggs. When ever you catch a smallies off thier beds the gobies will eat the eggs up by the time the fish can even get back to the nest. Find something else to fish for and let the eggs hatch and the fishing will get better for us.


----------



## SkeetBass (May 1, 2012)

Isn't the season closed for smallies ?


----------



## justin3687 (May 29, 2009)

Closed for small and large mouth. But u can still catch and release. Your just not aloud to keep them

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## mlayers (Aug 22, 2011)

That's right closed so why go out and catch them. Allyou do is take them off their nest and the gobies eats the eggs. So now you have less small mouths hatching and less fish to catch. It would be better fishing if you leave them alone. If you want to fish for them fish before May 1st before they lay their eggs.


----------



## SkeetBass (May 1, 2012)

An ODNR rep told me that catch and release is prohibited.


----------



## Orlando (Apr 12, 2004)

SkeetBass said:


> An ODNR rep told me that catch and release is prohibited.


Unless the rules changed in the last year he told you wrong


----------



## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

SkeetBass said:


> An ODNR rep told me that catch and release is prohibited.


That is not a factual statement.


Mlayers, If you don't want to fish for them then don't, your choice.


----------



## Steimy (Jun 29, 2008)

mlayers
The area they are fishing is in 20 - 30 ft deep right off the breaker walls. These fish are not spawning there.................there is no where to build a nest and besides, its too deep.


----------



## Tom G (Sep 26, 2004)

Skeetbass He told you wrong
Mlayer Don't fish


----------



## Lucky Touch Charters (Jun 19, 2011)

the odnr does not say you cannot fish smallies after may1. On the Wild ohio email i just got they actually have an article about how it is a great time to fish the bronzebacks even though the season is closed also they encourage you too return them immediately. I am sure they are just waiting to find some poachers tempted enough to keep some


----------



## mlayers (Aug 22, 2011)

I may dio more fishing then you do Tom G. I just don't get out on the big lake as much as I would like. But I fish 4 or 5 times a week. Just don't fish for the ones that is spawning. When I went to the Maumee and caught a female with eggs in her I would release her so she could lay her eggs.


----------



## salmon king (Aug 20, 2008)

SkeetBass said:


> Isn't the season closed for smallies ?


 We'll it depends on where your at!!! In Lake Erie heck no!!! In the lake erie tribs your not allowed to catch them up to a certain point in the river system , than it is legal to keep them...
Do I keep them Nope not a chance...but do I fish for em ...Yep...Also in those areas their is a size limit I think its 15 in ...but Im not positive so dont quote me on it...


----------



## Tom G (Sep 26, 2004)

Mlayer-- Looks like we fish about the same. I am a catch and release fisherman. Only fish I keep would be perch and wally's.


----------



## mlayers (Aug 22, 2011)

Tom G looks like you get out on the lake more then I do. I fish a lot of inland lakes as of right now. But I am working on trying to get on the big lake more.


----------



## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

mlayers said:


> That's right closed so why go out and catch them. Allyou do is take them off their nest and the gobies eats the eggs. So now you have less small mouths hatching and less fish to catch. It would be better fishing if you leave them alone. If you want to fish for them fish before May 1st before they lay their eggs.


LMAO!!!
I just about said the SAME THING, to a bass comp guy at Skeeter this week-end. He asked us crappie guys, if we seen any big'uns nesting in the bays,,,
SO HE CAN GO PULL'EM OFF,,, AND WIN 10K!
SOME KINDA SPORTSMAN, RIGHT?

LOL,,, I told him "Ya, Up the NORTH END,,, TONS!"


----------



## smallydreamin (Apr 21, 2008)

Smallmouth tournament this weekend? As noted, the season's been closed for a week. Are there catch and release tournaments for bass?


----------



## FISHIN216 (Mar 18, 2009)

smallydreamin said:


> Smallmouth tournament this weekend? As noted, the season's been closed for a week. Are there catch and release tournaments for bass?


I think ALL bass tournaments are catch and release

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

Ok I read enough the season is closed to possession if you catch a bass that's fine if you keep that bass is illegal so there are not any bass tournaments allowed until after June 29th that i know of just because you plan to let it go doesn't mean it's legal to put in live well they need to guard there nest gobies will eat all the eggs in less than 1 minute it's a proven fact I talked to Travis Hartman (he is a biologist for lake erie) couple yrs ago and not enough small bass in system that's the reason for the closed season they are trying to sustain the terrific bass fishery that's lake Erie and all tributaries 


Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

laynhardwood said:


> Ok I read enough the season is closed to possession if you catch a bass that's fine if you keep that bass is illegal so there are not any bass tournaments allowed until after June 29th that i know of just because you plan to let it go doesn't mean it's legal to put in live well they need to guard there nest gobies will eat all the eggs in less than 1 minute it's a proven fact I talked to Travis Hartman (he is a biologist for lake erie) couple yrs ago and not enough small bass in system that's the reason for the closed season they are trying to sustain the terrific bass fishery that's lake Erie and all tributaries
> 
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Actually, there is a thing called a paper tournament. Fish are caught, measured and weighed then released. The info is written down and all fish tallied up at the end of the day to determine a winner. It's based on an honor system, which unfortunately doesn't work for many groups. In some mid western states, these kind of tournaments are very common in the early season with closed seasons and throughout the year in states with a "no cull" rule. However i've never heard of one on Erie. 

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

And i'm still trying to figure out where there was any mention of a tournament on Erie......

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## Lundr16 (Nov 13, 2009)

Bad Bub said:


> Actually, there is a thing called a paper tournament. Fish are caught, measured and weighed then released. The info is written down and all fish tallied up at the end of the day to determine a winner. It's based on an honor system, which unfortunately doesn't work for many groups. In some mid western states, these kind of tournaments are very common in the early season with closed seasons and throughout the year in states with a "no cull" rule. However i've never heard of one on Erie.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


This would never work unless every boat used the same scale.


----------



## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

Lundr16 said:


> This would never work unless every boat used the same scale.


Most, I believe, go by weight. And it does work if you have enough guys that would actually be honest. The guys I fish tournaments against..... probably not. 

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## Lundr16 (Nov 13, 2009)

Bad Bub said:


> Most, I believe, go by weight. And it does work if you have enough guys that would actually be honest. The guys I fish tournaments against..... probably not.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Its not a matter of honesty...its a matter of calibration on the scale. A bass may weight 2.50 on one scale and 2.45 on the next and so on. Even if every scale was calibrated they could still vary throughout the day based on battery power and other variables etc..

To some of the other posters there is a difference between catch and release and "immediate" catch and release. May and June is immediate catch and release so no tourneys. A bass may not be kept or captive in any way for any amount of time.


----------



## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

Lundr16 said:


> Its not a matter of honesty...its a matter of calibration on the scale. A bass may weight 2.50 on one scale and 2.45 on the next and so on. Even if every scale was calibrated they could still vary throughout the day based on battery power and other variables etc..
> 
> To some of the other posters there is a difference between catch and release and "immediate" catch and release. May and June is immediate catch and release so no tourneys. A bass may not be kept or captive in any way for any amount of time.


Meant to say length.... my bad..

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## Tom G (Sep 26, 2004)

lets get back to how the fishing is at Fairport and Ash. going in the mornin


----------



## salmon king (Aug 20, 2008)

Tom G said:


> lets get backto how the fishing is at Fairport and Ash. going in the mornin


 Good luckto youTom, My buddy and I might also go but aren't sure how far east the grands mud-river runoff trail has gone in the past day or so.... Not tryingto start any thing but about this gobie eating all the smallmouth eggs within a nano second theroy.....


----------



## flyphisherman (Jul 7, 2009)

check it out! Amazing footage


----------



## Guitar Man (Feb 19, 2010)

that video says it all...if the fish is off the nest for any amount of time, gobi's will eat some of the eggs


----------



## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

Doesn't this argument start up every year?

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## Tom G (Sep 26, 2004)

Salmon King did you go out ? We did alot of muddy water but we did find fairly clear water after 12 it became very windy. only 3 trucks in the parking lot we say the other 2 boats 1 one had 2 guys the other had 1. caught about a dozen fish a few real good ones


----------



## salmon king (Aug 20, 2008)

flyphisherman said:


> check it out! Amazing footage
> 
> Round Gobies Decimate a Smallmouth Bass Nest - YouTube


Let me guess you got that footage off your kayak
But hey now I agree goobies do school together where smallmouth lay, and they like to play together....


----------



## salmon king (Aug 20, 2008)

Tom G said:


> Salmon King did you go out ? We did alot of muddy water but we did find fairly clear water after 12 it became very windy. only 3 trucks in the parking lot we say the other 2 boats 1 one had 2 guys the other had 1. caught about a dozen fish a few real good ones


My friend never woke up and thus we could not go. Did you guys catch a dozen or did they? congrats to you if you caught them. I ve been jonesin for some smallmouth and casting at night walleye...


----------



## salmon king (Aug 20, 2008)

By the way Tom how mant ft of water where you in? Where you casting at the shoreline?


----------



## Harbor Hunter (Aug 19, 2007)

The way I understand the law,you can catch all the bass you want,but they must be immediately returned to the water after being landed.I have no problem with that at all,my partner and I had a great day around the islands yesterday for smallies.Every bass that was landed was returned to the water as soon as they were unhooked.Do I believe that gobies invaded their nests while they were being caught-no more than they would've in any other instance.The bass were all caught in water less than 4' deep,the bass were released within a few seconds,and within a matter of feet from their nesting area.Every time a bass chases off a goby,or other egg stealer,that gives any other fish the chance to dart in and grab the eggs,no difference.Mark Zona does a lot of shows on catching smallies on their beds,as does many others,plus many major tournaments are scheduled on certain lakes to take advantage of sight fishing for spawning bass.Do you really think if there was a major problem with C&R during the spawning season it would be legal to do so? It may seem unethical to you and that's fine,don't fish for spawning bass if you feel that way.I believe the law Ohio has on Lake Erie to protect the bass during the spawn is a very good one.You just can't say to people that during the spawn you can't catch bass,every walleye guy and perch anglers catch them often while they're fishing for other species.How could you realistically enforce a law that says you cannot actively pursue bass during the spawn? There are baits and techniques that work on both bass and walleye,for example many smallies are caught by guys trolling crankbaits for walleyes,you want to outlaw that.If the law is watching you how can they reasonably determine if you're jigging a blade bait for a walleye,or a bass? That is why they have the current law-if you catch a bass during this season it has to be immediately returned to the water-how hard is that to understand? If you're not down with that concept just wait until June 29th.


----------



## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

Harbor Hunter said:


> The way I understand the law,you can catch all the bass you want,but they must be immediately returned to the water after being landed.I have no problem with that at all,my partner and I had a great day around the islands yesterday for smallies.Every bass that was landed was returned to the water as soon as they were unhooked.Do I believe that gobies invaded their nests while they were being caught-no more than they would've in any other instance.The bass were all caught in water less than 4' deep,the bass were released within a few seconds,and within a matter of feet from their nesting area.Every time a bass chases off a goby,or other egg stealer,that gives any other fish the chance to dart in and grab the eggs,no difference.Mark Zona does a lot of shows on catching smallies on their beds,as does many others,plus many major tournaments are scheduled on certain lakes to take advantage of sight fishing for spawning bass.Do you really think if there was a major problem with C&R during the spawning season it would be legal to do so? It may seem unethical to you and that's fine,don't fish for spawning bass if you feel that way.I believe the law Ohio has on Lake Erie to protect the bass during the spawn is a very good one.You just can't say to people that during the spawn you can't catch bass,every walleye guy and perch anglers catch them often while they're fishing for other species.How could you realistically enforce a law that says you cannot actively pursue bass during the spawn? There are baits and techniques that work on both bass and walleye,for example many smallies are caught by guys trolling crankbaits for walleyes,you want to outlaw that.If the law is watching you how can they reasonably determine if you're jigging a blade bait for a walleye,or a bass? That is why they have the current law-if you catch a bass during this season it has to be immediately returned to the water-how hard is that to understand? If you're not down with that concept just wait until June 29th.


Well said!

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## limit out (Apr 14, 2012)

Why dont they have a closed season on walleye while their spawning? Let some those big females lay their eggs.


----------



## salmon king (Aug 20, 2008)

limit out said:


> Why dont they have a closed season on walleye while their spawning? Let some those big females lay their eggs.


This coming from a guy whos user name is Limit out????
but seriously the state just loves the money they get from all the poachers
at Maumee...Somebodys gotta fund the new steelhead hatchery..


----------



## MuskieJim (Apr 11, 2007)

salmon king said:


> This coming from a guy whos user name is Limit out????
> but seriously the state just loves the money they get from all the poachers
> at Maumee...Somebodys gotta fund the new steelhead hatchery..


And this coming from the guy with "Salmon King" username, yet a salmon can't be found within 250 miles of you!  To each his own, but the more I can to to promote conservation, the better. If 1/4 of bass nests are being raided by gobies when people catch them, and your boat catches 50 bass in a day, you do the math.


----------



## Harbor Hunter (Aug 19, 2007)

You don't think that the same 1/4 of the bass nests are being raided by gobies 24 hours a day regardless? Maybe you have never watched a bass on her nest for any length of time.If you had you would notice that each and every time the bass chases off a bluegill or goby,another one darts in and grabs the eggs,or fry.That's simply the progression of nature.I will concur with you on one point of bed fishing,I don't think that there should be tournaments scheduled on Lake Erie at this time of the year,even though the fish are released.Taking a bass miles away from it's nesting area for the weigh-in is harmful.Kudos to the state for protecting them during the spawning season.Catching bass from their nest then returning them immediately to the water so they can return to their nest is not harmful.Smallmouth just like walleye don't always spawn in shallow water.Only a small percentage of Lake Erie walleye actually spawn in rivers,likewise a large number of smallmouth spawn in deeper water well offshore,and a large number spawn in Canadian waters that are protected by a closed season.I've been fishing Lake Erie smallmouth's for well over 40 years,and unlike others I haven't noticed a decline in numbers at all.Actually I think their numbers are increasing(at least where I fish),if anything,the only thing I have noticed over the last few years is the size,they're getting bigger and bigger.Lastly,the areas I fish have several year classes.On Wednesday we caught quite a few fish in the 10"-12" size class,along with many brutes.The numbers haven't gone down,the ways to catch them has.


----------



## salmon king (Aug 20, 2008)

MuskieJim said:


> And this coming from the guy with "Salmon King" username, yet a salmon can't be found within 250 miles of you!  To each his own, but the more I can to to promote conservation, the better. If 1/4 of bass nests are being raided by gobies when people catch them, and your boat catches 50 bass in a day, you do the math.


Woah Woah now you must be limit outs boyfriend to come to the rescue at such a diar hour!!! But seriously salmon are caught every year within 25 miles of me so do the math... I am and always will be the SALMON KING so get use to it....


----------



## limit out (Apr 14, 2012)

Till you fish for salmon in Alaska,youre not king of nothing.There is no wild salmon around here.They are just tame fish that you are catching.


----------



## willthethrill77 (Mar 21, 2007)

Headed to ashtabula now will post results later.

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

willthethrill77 said:


> Headed to ashtabula now will post results later.
> 
> My friends are headin' up for a 'LOOK-SEE' too, ,, We'll compare notes!
> I'm gonna fix the tiller,,, exciting huh?
> ...


----------



## willthethrill77 (Mar 21, 2007)

Had a decent day not on fire yet had 20 fish 17 smallies 3 large 2 biggest 4.57 and 4.24

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## salmon king (Aug 20, 2008)

limit out said:


> Till you fish for salmon in Alaska,youre not king of nothing.There is no wild salmon around here.They are just tame fish that you are catching.


Okay for one do you really think that salmon are different just because theyre stocked or wild??? They are not tame, still can be a chalenge to catch...
Oh but wait youre the salmon expert so yeah I dont know what Im talking about... Durrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## markfish (Nov 22, 2007)

way togo will now stay out of my holes, and you know i wouild have got more i dont mess around with that slow fishing, you know how i roll up there,and how id the water in are spots looking good gob my friend,markfish


----------

