Sight fishing

[grimsbylander]

I'm looking for some pointers for enticing shallow water smallies on Erie. Last Friday my son and I managed about six fish including a 4+ but honestly had 50-70 more close to the boat staring at our baits. Fishing plastics, I finally had better luck dropping down to 1 1/4 pumpkinseed grubs...small and subtle. Any suggestions?

[mike rousseau]

Scent and light fluorocarbon line...

[danc]

I do a lot of sight fishing. Some days I can get on top of a school and pick which fish I want to catch. On other days I cant catch one of them if my life depended on it. There's really no secret here. If they're on you'll catch. If not, good luck.

[Leecher]

Drop a pickerel rig with live leeches.... works for me

[miller]

spinners, different mepps size 2 or 3 have worked well for me

[Live2fish85]

Try tube jigs as for colour try different ones and don't just limit yourself to jigging them, drag them if the bottom isn't covered in algae and if it is slow retreive above the algae.

Edited August 9, 2011 by Live2fish85

[highdrifter]

Did you try throwing a 5" yakamoto on a wacky rig?!

[Chance]

Downsize is the key.As mentioned switch to light line,4lb test is a blast when fishing for smallies.Small grubs with no weight so they fall really slow.Then hang on and have fun !

[Rich]

Drop the plastics. Rip a hardbait!

[uglyfish]

Let the fish tell u. As suggested a wacky rig senko if ur in fairly shallow water. Dropshot a bait is deadly and my preferred technique. A spinnerbait or jerkbait if they want somethin aggressive or a tube, which can be worked fast or slow

[LucG]

Ive had excellent results with Wacky Rigged 4" Senkos. I use a 1/0 Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp Wacky hook. Get'em everytime

Edited August 9, 2011 by LucG

[grimsbylander]

All great advice guys, thanks. We were using jerk baits and spinnerbaits which they didn't want to hit(one fish off a hardbait) but would run it down to the boat. Usually this works well if you quickly follow up with a tube or dropshot. Must have been an off day...short of live bait and a wacky rig, I tried most everything I had. But, still some good advice to try...wacky rigs, lighter line setup and weightless or near weightless presentations. I'll just have to go again until I get it right!

 

Thanks guys...off to find wacky rigs...

[fish_fishburn]

While your at it grab a tiny Rapala minnow. The model escapes me at the moment but it is about only 2 inches long and comes in most standard colours. Use it with no more than 6 lb test and on a ultra lite rod. I have run into your situation many times and this tiny lure makes em commit. I just twitch and pause and keep your movement in the boat to a minimum.

[Harrison]

Here is a something to try. Use a heavier drop shot weight and shake/twitch whatever bait it is like crazy. I mean, as fast as you can. Not up and down, just vibrate the bait as much and as fast as you can.

 

Just give it a shot.

 

Good Luck.

[daryl0815]

I read an article from In-Fisherman recently that was written by one of the top tournament anglers on Erie. He said that on Erie in the summer up to 100% of the smallies diet is gobies. I would try a drop shot with a dark green goby imitating soft plastic like a slammer or something similar.

 

You mentioned you got a few on pumpkinseed coloured grubs, which supports this theory!

 

Good luck!

 

 

Daryl

[Alumacraft]

PM sent

[Thrilla]

Drop the plastics. Rip a hardbait!

 

X2........ X-raps work great for me sight fishing