# 2012 Muskies from lake Erie?



## ONE-SHORT

Have you fished for Muskies on Lake Erie? Last weeks LEWT walleye tourney winning team also boated a 40" Muskie in the western basin.. The week before walleye trolling we landed a 36" Muskie.. Do you think they are having a successful spawn on the reefs? If you have caught one on erie please post a date/length/ and pic if possible..Thanks Tom


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## vc1111

My heart jumps a little every time I hear the words musky and Lake Erie used in the same paragraph. I would love to think there might be viable population forming up there.


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## PapawSmith

ONE-SHORT said:


> Have you fished for Muskies on Lake Erie? If you have caught one on erie please post a date/length/ and pic if possible..Thanks Tom


I'd really like to know about general areas where these are being caught, water depth, relationship to drop-offs, structure or weedbeds etc. That would tell a little more about the potential of an established population as opposed to a few random transient fish coming down from the Detroit river areas.


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## crittergitter

I believe the Ohio Husky Musky Club had a group of 5 or 6 boats do a weekend of all out trolling all around the western basin specifically targetting musky. They caught NADA. I want to say that was in 2009 or 2010. I am sure some make it down the Detroit river from St Claire, but I have my doubts that they are successfully spawning in the lake. I could be wrong though.


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## cincinnati

small needle.


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## MuskieJim

There have been some studies done showing muskies in larger bodies of water to spawn in water as deep as 15 feet. There is tons and tons of water with sandy/gravel bottom on Erie, I think it would just be a matter of getting a large supply of stockers to see how they do. St. Clair and Erie are not all that different. They're both big cereal bowls. PLENTY of food in both. We've had one of the best walleye fisheries in the world here.....muskies would thrive! There are muskies to the west in Detroit River and to the east in Buffalo Harbor. There have got to be some in the middle


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## Carpman

Guys there are a lot more muskies than you think on erie. One of my friends puts out a muskie bait with his trolling gear every time he trolls for walleye. He boats about one a month.......

People just don't realize that erie is turning into st. clair as far as muskies to water volume.

There are not more muskies caught on erie because people do not target them. 

Just last year there were three pike that I know of caught in sandusky bay.....should tell you something right there.


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## ffjhatem

I caught one trolling for eyes two years ago in the western basin










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## Fish Scalper

Virgil pulled that Musky between Green and South Bass. We had prefished it the day before and there were a ton of BIG marks in there. Might have been a few more in there for sure.


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## ONE-SHORT

We were west Green and north of the reefs. Just the standard trolling set for open water walleyes, RR and dhj, 31 fow trolling 1.3-1.5 sog.. RR pearl ghost 55' back..


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## MuskieJim

To say it's turning into St. Clair may be a stretch. I have friends who boat 25+ muskies per day on St. Clair in the summer months, there are estimated 3-4 fish per acre there, that's insane! Think about how many guys fish for walleye near the islands and only a handful of muskies are caught. I do think there are some reproducing near that area, so if guys focus on catch and release they really may have some trophy fish in a few years. Or one can swim up the Detroit River and eat a reef runner any of these days now. It'll happen!


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## Whaler

I can't prove it but I would think the western basin is a prime location for Muskies. There's plenty of baitfish and structure there. I think more would be caught if more people were fishing for them. Most guys fishing there are after Walleyes or Smallmouth generally speaking.
It might be a Muskie honey hole.


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## MuskieJim

If someone has the big boat and knowledge of the reefs out there I've got some musky tackle. I'm game :B


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## K gonefishin

I know of alot of guys who caught musky over the past couple years, not only in the western basin but in Huron, Avon, Lorain, and Vermillion and I know I have seen the marks on my fishfinder that couldn't have been walleye that I swear had to have been musky or pike. These are first hand accounts not tails these occurances are happening more and more often. Cleveland harbor is no different than buffalo harbo llast fall we wanted to fish it but opportunity never worked out for a day bite. I have big boards on my boat and my buddy makes baits this summer we are going to troll from sun up to sundown and maybe even into the night all over the western basin reefs and around the shoals targetting them. I'm not much of a betting man but I bet we catch a couple and you know there are some absolute monsters out there.


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## eyecatchum2

6-8 yrs. ago In-Fisherman had a write up about someone trolling in the fall in the Eastern basin along break lines and catching 50"+ Muskies on large crankbaits. He had pics of some real hogs, some days he got skunked, some days multiple fish - all HUGE!!!


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## eyecatchum2

I have caught 2 Muskies and 4 Pike from the Grand in the fall while trolling for Steel. Grand River Bait had a 20+ lb. Muskie on the wall that someone caught on a flyrod in the early '90's. A large Musky or pike is no match for standard walleye tackle.


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## Muskie Man

this post needs removed!!!!!!!


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## Bulldawg

Muskie Man said:


> this post needs removed!!!!!!!


Please tell us why this needs removed ?????????????????????????????????


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## ffjhatem

Bulldawg said:


> Please tell us why this needs removed ?????????????????????????????????


Because he obviously musky hunts on Erie and don't want everybody and their brother in his secret honey hole

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## K gonefishin

That's one big hole.


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## Bulldawg

If it was an inland lake , I would agree . But , I think Lake Erie is a long way from someone having a honey hole for musky . Just my two cents , but if someone doesnt want anyone else to know where they are catching fish of any kind . Then just dont post it .................... Plain and simple . If I do give a report I am very vague with it . Too many people want to know when, where , and on what .


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## ShutUpNFish

I can certainly relate to both sides here....Keep in mind, you are dealing with a species that DOES NOT come a dime a dozen like walleye, steelhead or perch. I have seen significant pressure, even on bigger bodies of water, effect the muskie fishing over the years. However, when the pressure relieved, the fishery almost always bounces back. What is also being asked about here is obviously not the entire Lake Erie basin, but rather one specific area...The western basin. Yep, its pretty big in itself, but IMHO with heavy heavy pressure; can be effected. Now, on the flip side, do I realistically believe thousands of muskie anglers are going to run out there to the western basin to start muskie fishing? Ummmm No and neither should anyone else really have reason for alarm for a few reasons....#1 - because most muskie fishermen are not equipped to handle that water, #2 there are enough OTHER muskie fisheries out there to keep 'em busy enough, #3 I have seen reports like this of muskie being caught every spring on Erie for 20 years and #4 most guys are simply scared of Erie.

Theres a little bit of both goofiness here that I see...A guy who is clearly answering his own question by catching some skis and knowing about others being caught feeling the need to post about it. And another guy who is evidently fishing the area and clearly sensitive about the broadcast out on an open forum.

As I said so many times before....Just use your better judgment about posting reports, but "better judgment" is something many folks seem to lack these days.

This all said...I want to reinforce the fact that I DO NOT feel that this original poster was out of line in asking about the muskie fishing in the western basin at all....It is a pretty big place to fish in itself and the muskies have been there for years, Its NO secret really!


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## vc1111

I happen to know the guy who caught the hogs on the eastern basin. Very interesting stuff.

I know where he was too.


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## TRIPLE-J

hmmmmmm lets see lake st clair one of the top 10 musky waters in the us and the upper niagra another top 10 hmmmm lets see whats between them?????? Lake ontario????? hmmmm noooooooo LAKE ERIE ! ! ! ! ! wow thats it darn straight theres musky in there and getting better too lets see no food like small perch, white perch, white bass,smelt,minnows or walleye for them to eat. no structure like rocky areas with weed beds. and no gravel sandy areas for them to spawn. nawwwwwww cant be any in there. 
Lol teasin but think about the possibilities see more and more every year


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## MadMac

Muskie spawn in shallow weedy areas.


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## Rod Hawg

eyecatchum2 said:


> 6-8 yrs. ago In-Fisherman had a write up about someone trolling in the fall in the Eastern basin along break lines and catching 50"+ Muskies on large crankbaits. He had pics of some real hogs, some days he got skunked, some days multiple fish - all HUGE!!!


I remember reading something like that! They were huge! I've got a few buddies that have caught them off of Cleveland before when pre fishing for walleye tournaments...


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## Whaler

It wouldn't surprise me if there were a new state record in there. Conditions are perfect.


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## peteavsurace

Eastern Basin PIG :B
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories.../fishing-angler-lands-monster-muskie-462028/:


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## BassSlayerChris

It ain't just muskies either! When fishing a marina this spring on erie I spotted 5 pike cruising the shallows and talked to a guy that caught some. And that's just what I could see its about 20' deep. 


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## LilSiman/Medina

A guy my brother knows fishes St.Clair a couple times a year and he just caught 10 muskies up there on the fly within a few hours.. Why can't erie be like that!


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## Longhorn

I remember from my time up there that there are muskies around Presque Island, PA and in Buffalo Harbor. Captain Larry (I can't remember his last name) used to specialize in them. I tried trolling Cleveland Harbor a few times, to no avail. The are muskies in the Grand. a 42" was caught about 2004 at the Uniroyal Hole by a steelheader using sucker spawn(!). I think that was the one Bruce had on his wall at Grand River Tackle.


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## Longhorn

I always was told by people who were from there that pike could be caught in the springtime at Mentor Lagoons.


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## Misdirection

I had a Pike in Ashtabula in late May under my dock. It was a small one about 2' long. Right up at the surface. It was pretty neat to see.

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## Snakecharmer

Longhorn said:


> I remember from my time up there that there are muskies around Presque Island, PA and in Buffalo Harbor. Captain Larry (I can't remember his last name) used to specialize in them. I tried trolling Cleveland Harbor a few times, to no avail. The are muskies in the Grand. a 42" was caught about 2004 at the Uniroyal Hole by a steelheader using sucker spawn(!). I think that was the one Bruce had on his wall at Grand River Tackle.


Larry Jones.......


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## fisherman 2

most muskie caught in western, central and mich are caught while fishing for other species...no one targets muskie in these areas...yes they are caught but in very low numbers...I've caught 8-10 muskie over the years mostly fish under 30 ins.


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## Shortdrift

Lake Erie was a prominent Musky producer many years ago. The population was basically destroyed by commercial fishing, same as walleye prior to elimination of commercial netting. In addition, the pollution in Erie wasn't conducive to successful Musky spawning or survival. The clean up of Erie will, in time, allow the Musky population to grow.

https://pubs.usgs.gov/unnumbered/81373/report.pdf

http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Muskellunge

Also do a search "Lake Erie Muskellunge History


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## MikeC

I have seen pike pulled from the CEI Seawall in Eastlake when it was open.


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## Misdirection

MikeC said:


> I have seen pike pulled from the CEI Seawall in Eastlake when it was open.


We have pike that spawn in our boat club in Ashtabula every spring. 

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