# east harbor



## muzzel62 (Jun 23, 2011)

anybody know how the ice is in the harbor


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## Ken Pfeiler (May 3, 2017)

Was 4” on Sunday. Drove by today, must have been 25-30 tents on the ice.


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## muzzel62 (Jun 23, 2011)

Thanks for the info


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## Zach216913 (Dec 31, 2017)

Not sure on ice thickness but be careful still open water by the spring ( between kayak ramp and pavilion) gonna be more dangerous next week once it freezer over. 9/10 people don't spud and it'll go from 5 Inches to 2 in a couple feet where that spot just freshly freezes up. Someone goes through that spot every year. Seen a decent amount of shanties out to left of kayak ramp tho


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## Morrowtucky Mike (May 2, 2018)

This was the spring in March 2019


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## King-Fish (Oct 18, 2019)

For those that had eyes on east harbor today do they have it plowed out well? Have they plowed the lane back to the kayak ramp? Thanks for any info.


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## Ken Pfeiler (May 3, 2017)

Yes, it was plowed or packed all the way back.


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## King-Fish (Oct 18, 2019)

Thank you ken


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## Raylaser (Apr 8, 2015)

King-Fish said:


> Thank you ken


Any reports on ice thickness there since this recent cold snap?


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## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

It’s safe


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

I used to fish East Harbor often when I would visit my HS buddy's parents cottage. It's been awhile but I remember catching lots of bass around the docks. How is the general panfish size? I know it's loaded with them. Pretty good size for the most part or is everyone sorting through dinks?


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## King-Fish (Oct 18, 2019)

I wasn’t able to make it today but am going tomorrow. I was there Friday and Saturday though and ice was 4” then. Had to get thicker with the cold since then. When I went this past weekend was catching perch, bluegill, bass, even a carp. Lots of sorting on bluegills but yes good ones mixed in.


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## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

No Limits and dredging has affected the size!!!! Wake up Ohio!!!!


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## AtticaFish (Nov 23, 2008)

1MoreKast said:


> I used to fish East Harbor often when I would visit my HS buddy's parents cottage. It's been awhile but I remember catching lots of bass around the docks. How is the general panfish size? I know it's loaded with them. Pretty good size for the most part or is everyone sorting through dinks?



It has some great size fish, period! Yes, you will sort through lots of small panfish in the process.... but that is pretty much the story anywhere i have ever fished, _in my lifetime_. The harbor is a big area to fish with pockets of weeds spread out across the whole place. There are so many places for the fish to go you just really have to search and get lucky. I have cut 50+ holes in a day before and will catch nothing but 3"-4" perch in 48 of those holes and then catch 30 bluegill that are 8" to 10" in those other 2 holes. I watched a guy come out there last Friday with an auger in 1 hand and 1 rod and a bucket in his other hand.... no fish finder. He cut a "good hole" over top the fish not far from me and proceeded to catch 10 or 15 fish in an hour or so before he proclaimed he had enough for dinner and walked back to the shore.

There is so much cover for the fish and such an abundant food source in EH, i don't think people could put much of a dent in the panfish population. I actually believe just the opposite.... that place gets thinned out every couple years and gives room and resources for fish to get big. Then we get 2 years where the ice is crappy and the numbers explode and NEED to be thinned out. I have many small lakes around me where i wish people would take buckets full of small fish from. Granted, i use my own personal conservation limits and some of that is based on the fact that i don't want to sit and clean fish for 3 hours. It is also based on the amount of fish my family actually eats. 25 to 30 fish is about my limit to want to clean in one sitting. If i have fish in my freezer that dates back more than 6 or 8 months, i don't need to keep as many. Not everyone uses common sense though.


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

AtticaFish said:


> It has some great size fish, period! Yes, you will sort through lots of small panfish in the process.... but that is pretty much the story anywhere i have ever fished, _in my lifetime_. The harbor is a big area to fish with pockets of weeds spread out across the whole place. There are so many places for the fish to go you just really have to search and get lucky. I have cut 50+ holes in a day before and will catch nothing but 3"-4" perch in 48 of those holes and then catch 30 bluegill that are 8" to 10" in those other 2 holes. I watched a guy come out there last Friday with an auger in 1 hand and 1 rod and a bucket in his other hand.... no fish finder. He cut a "good hole" over top the fish not far from me and proceeded to catch 10 or 15 fish in an hour or so before he proclaimed he had enough for dinner and walked back to the shore.
> 
> There is so much cover for the fish and such an abundant food source in EH, i don't think people could put much of a dent in the panfish population. I actually believe just the opposite.... that place gets thinned out every couple years and gives room and resources for fish to get big. Then we get 2 years where the ice is crappy and the numbers explode and NEED to be thinned out. I have many small lakes around me where i wish people would take buckets full of small fish from. Granted, i use my own personal conservation limits and some of that is based on the fact that i don't want to sit and clean fish for 3 hours. It is also based on the amount of fish my family actually eats. 25 to 30 fish is about my limit to want to clean in one sitting. If i have fish in my freezer that dates back more than 6 or 8 months, i don't need to keep as many. Not everyone uses common sense though.


I think your logic makes perfect sense. If the resources are there, plus little competition mixed in with people making healthy choices with selective harvest - there isn't any reason you could have an excellent year with size plus numbers. Thanks for the reply Attica!


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## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

AtticaFish said:


> It has some great size fish, period! Yes, you will sort through lots of small panfish in the process.... but that is pretty much the story anywhere i have ever fished, _in my lifetime_. The harbor is a big area to fish with pockets of weeds spread out across the whole place. There are so many places for the fish to go you just really have to search and get lucky. I have cut 50+ holes in a day before and will catch nothing but 3"-4" perch in 48 of those holes and then catch 30 bluegill that are 8" to 10" in those other 2 holes. I watched a guy come out there last Friday with an auger in 1 hand and 1 rod and a bucket in his other hand.... no fish finder. He cut a "good hole" over top the fish not far from me and proceeded to catch 10 or 15 fish in an hour or so before he proclaimed he had enough for dinner and walked back to the shore.
> 
> There is so much cover for the fish and such an abundant food source in EH, i don't think people could put much of a dent in the panfish population. I actually believe just the opposite.... that place gets thinned out every couple years and gives room and resources for fish to get big. Then we get 2 years where the ice is crappy and the numbers explode and NEED to be thinned out. I have many small lakes around me where i wish people would take buckets full of small fish from. Granted, i use my own personal conservation limits and some of that is based on the fact that i don't want to sit and clean fish for 3 hours. It is also based on the amount of fish my family actually eats. 25 to 30 fish is about my limit to want to clean in one sitting. If i have fish in my freezer that dates back more than 6 or 8 months, i don't need to keep as many. Not everyone uses common sense though.


U don’t think any place needs limits? Maybe takes a gill 9in to get 9 years!! Read up and not every fishery is the same, no limits , some limits, not sure if u fish as many impoundments I do! Not saying am greatest and know everything but I have seen it happen to public waters!!! I have not met u on the water but I bet u don’t fish the number of lakes I do. Not a bad thing lots of wasted gas money😉 I also would love to see all the 9 and 10 in fish u talk about tho! 10in in any state is a stud besides the ears! For each their own! Maybe we should fish side by side


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## BFG (Mar 29, 2006)

If the panfish population was in trouble in East Harbor, the bass population would be suffering. It's not. Keep only what you will use, and toss the rest back. I've had days there like Attica where I punched 20 holes and only caught a couple dinks, but then for whatever reason you punch another hole and the next three fish are 8" gills. I can't figure it out, but understand that 99% of the time I go there, the shack doesn't get put up until I catch what I would believe to be a keeper.


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## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

Plain and simple if u catch supposedly 30 9-10in fish in there constantly well what would happen! It would lead to a stunted population! That’s facts time and time again! A heathy fishery has all three size groups! Not saying it’s stunted harbor guys!


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## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

Most of the people I see rape and abuse! I love the people that ask to give away fish and only have a few or a bucket! If there hurting that bad for food why did they give it away???? Most of time they are just bragging! I fish panfish exclusively and I might keep fish one out of ten times unless I get on perch that I don’t have! I suck and have never one a tourney in my life😉 I just can’t catch them maybe I should buy a guided trip to the harbor!


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## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

HeAr is good one at community hole in the northeast some people are saying bulls are 7 to 7.5 In😳


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## AtticaFish (Nov 23, 2008)

brad crappie said:


> U don’t think any place needs limits? Maybe takes a gill 9in to get 9 years!! Read up and not every fishery is the same, no limits , some limits, not sure if u fish as many impoundments I do! Not saying am greatest and know everything but I have seen it happen to public waters!!! I have not met u on the water but I bet u don’t fish the number of lakes I do. Not a bad thing lots of wasted gas money😉 I also would love to see all the 9 and 10 in fish u talk about tho! 10in in any state is a stud besides the ears! For each their own! Maybe we should fish side by side


You are right, it is a matter of opinion because no one truly knows the answer. I also believe that fish can grow at a faster rate if there is a more abundant or better food source. Again, i don't "research" it in quite the same depth as you so i may be wrong. I am basing it on what i do know..... if i personally eat twice my needs of pork and steak and chicken.... i would put on more fat and muscle than someone who only eats their daily allowance of fruits and vegetable to survive. Could that be happening in the jungle that is East Harbor? They do dredge out certain sections of the Harbor, but again i think the actual area they dredge compared to the overall size of the place makes the dredging not as significant. There are spots on EH that are almost impossible to paddle a kayak through in the summer because the weeds are so thick. I can't imagine the bug life that must live in there. Those open dredged areas have bass and schools of shad cruising them in the winter. The deep dark weed beds hold the panfish. 

I jump around to probably 20 different lakes and reservoirs around me on a regular basis and another 10 or so that are outside my normal drive not as often. Maybe once every other year i hit those odd ball places. I do fish a lot. I also fish a lot of smaller waters and have seen them raped by fisherman over the years and decimated because of poor weed management. Give it 5 years and it is back to normal in a lot of cases. Some not. I would not be against limits for panfish similar to what Michigan has.... but in my experience the lakes i have fished in Michigan are no different than Ohio. Sorry, i don't offer guide service. I do catch many Fish Ohio bluegill each year, including a few 10" bluegill. I do a lot of legwork to find those fish and i don't need to prove it to anyone. I'm sorry if i implied that every bluegill i catch is 9" to 10" because it is not. My family eats every fish i keep. Simple answer, fishing at East Harbor is good and i don't know why you seem to think it is anything different. I guess i don't understand why the only statements you make about East Harbor are all doom and gloom.

I wouldn't mind sitting down and fishing with you some day. It is hard to convey thoughts and understand what people truly think by typing and reading here on a forum. Just like i picture you yelling most of what you say because you put an exclamation point after every sentence. At least it is not in ALL CAPS. haha. You ever make it over to NW-OH and want to fish, send me a message and we can shoot the sh!t on the water.


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

BFG said:


> If the panfish population was in trouble in East Harbor, the bass population would be suffering. It's not. Keep only what you will use, and toss the rest back. I've had days there like Attica where I punched 20 holes and only caught a couple dinks, but then for whatever reason you punch another hole and the next three fish are 8" gills. I can't figure it out, but understand that 99% of the time I go there, the shack doesn't get put up until I catch what I would believe to be a keeper.


Bass fishing has declined there in the past 15 years. overall size is down. numbers are so so, but the guaranteed 100 fish days just don't happen.


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## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

johnboy111711 said:


> Bass fishing has declined there in the past 15 years. overall size is down. numbers are so so, but the guaranteed 100 fish days just don't happen.


😳😉


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

Du


brad crappie said:


> Plain and simple if u catch supposedly 30 9-10in fish in there constantly well what would happen! It would lead to a stunted population! That’s facts time and time again! A heathy fishery has all three size groups! Not saying it’s stunted harbor guys!


Dude...Unless East Harbor is being commercially fished for bluegill's…Ice fisherman are not going to stunt the population of panfish in one of the great lakes… c'mon...


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## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

9Left said:


> Du
> 
> Dude...Unless East Harbor is being commercially fished for bluegill's…Ice fisherman are not going to stunt the population of panfish in one of the great did lakes… c'mon...


 sorry did not say stunt less 8.5 to 10in fish !!! They don’t grow on trees like a certain party in America thinks but on the other hand both parties think! Is what is if u got a good lake or spot don’t advertise it! 🇺🇸


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## King-Fish (Oct 18, 2019)

Someone started on the bottle early this morning raging all day at people smh. When the state makes a size limit people will abide until then mind your own business. You own the public waterways as much as anyone else does quit trying to regulate the catches they keep that are within the rules.


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## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

Don’t believe In science or studies it’s all good! Don’t read and learn that’s ok! Just the American way rape and pillage! God will bring down more bigums!!! Sorry to the people that get it and has seen fishery’s ruin from habitat loss and over fishing! Keep all them! I truly understand what the Indians said about the white man! Unlimited resources everywhere! Can’t wait till the blue pike come back too! Asian carp can’t wait!! What happen to Mogador and Finley lake also a fish kill at Spencer! No there great! Nothing comes to end unlimited! Always quality! Done enjoy!


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## ErieEye (Jul 16, 2007)

I talked to a few guys while camping at east harbor this summer. They didn't understand what happened to the bluegill fishery in the harbor. They just can't find the fish like they used to. I told them the problem is social media and ice fishing and people who can't catch a thing without posting it online. With the ridiculous amount of pressure that place receives when we get safe ice I firmly believe special regulations need to be put in place for east harbor specifically.


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## BFG (Mar 29, 2006)

ErieEye said:


> I talked to a few guys while camping at east harbor this summer. They didn't understand what happened to the bluegill fishery in the harbor. They just can't find the fish like they used to. I told them the problem is social media and ice fishing and people who can't catch a thing without posting it online. With the ridiculous amount of pressure that place receives when we get safe ice I firmly believe special regulations need to be put in place for east harbor specifically.


The problem is most definitely NOT ice fisherman. The problem is guys loading 5 gallon buckets full during the spawn.


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## Hatchetman (Apr 13, 2004)

King-Fish said:


> Someone started on the bottle early this morning raging all day at people smh. When the state makes a size limit people will abide until then mind your own business. You own the public waterways as much as anyone else does quit trying to regulate the catches they keep that are within the rules.



Your talking to a brick wall. B C complains about people fishing every single lake he fishes. I think he got his degree from Vinny Boom Bah's School of Fisheries Biology....


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## fisher person (Jul 2, 2004)

This thread cracks me up. Lets just all get along.The egos of some people that ice fish. oh my. I lose it when people start questioning the fishing talent of people they haven't ever met.


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