Lake Erie Smallie Fest

[Aaron Shirley]

I had the pleasure of taking my friend Mitch out for some Lake Erie smallmouth. The weather was amazing and the wind cooperated! The day was already a success in my books; however, we were after some of that famous Lake Erie bronze to top off our incredible day. We would head out to a location that I used to frequent many years ago. over 20 years ago actually! I didn't know what to expect, but I wanted to fish different water than I have the past 20 years in the eastern basin.

We headed out from Austin's ramp east of Port Dover and made our way out to some off shore reefs. After a short while I hooked up a small fish on a drop shot. Then Mitch ties into an absolute tank that played possum.. until it got close to the boat and jumped a foot from the boat and shook the hook out of the Rapala DT16! We just looked at each other in shock. After we picked our jaws up off the boat floor, we pressed on and cast our butts off. We didn't hook another fish on Tecumseh reef, and we marked very little as well. The big one that got away strikes again! It will be just another fish tale to be told rather than a grab and grin photo.

We tried several reefs and breaks over a few hours only to come up short. It was a frustrating day with little action. We tried shallow on the top of reefs to deep off the last break of the reefs to no avail. I decided to pull a move in the last couple of hours of fishing that was a bit drastic, but could be fruitful. It paid off in spades a second week in a row! I moved into 4 feet of water on the shoreline and stumbled onto a honey hole loaded with smallies! They were stacked thick along a small rocky drop off that went from 4-feet to 10-feet. Our first pass only resulted in a few fish between 2-3 pounds casting a Rapala Crankin' Rap. Our next pass would be different. Much different!

I tossed in a drop shot with a TriggerX Probe worm and it was cast after cast with smallies fighting over the worm! It wasn't long before Mitch dropped his crankbait rod in favour of the drop shot. Insane action that lasted for about an hour before we had to work for them a bit. Then it was a fish every 5 minutes LOL. That action lasted until we left, and we were ecstatic considering how the first few hours had been. I wish we had more time to explore more shoreline that was similar, but our time had run out. We were very happy and all smiles hooking about 40 smallies in such a short time frame.

The surface water temp was 66 F. The depth we saw and caught fish ranged from 4-feet to 15-feet, but most fish were in 8-10 feet just as it dropped. The magic presentation was a drop shot rig with a zero twist VMC drop shot hook and a TriggerX Probe worm in baby bass and muck colours. The biggest fish hit a Rapala DT16, and we also had some success on a Rapala Crankin' Rap.

The bass fishing is heating up as the nights cool off. Get out and enjoy it while you can! I got a taste for bronze and I need more!

Good fishing!

Aaron

[e-z-out]

Nice going Aaron I see the Trigger X drop dead minnow works good.

[e-z-out]

My bad you used the probe worms from Trigger X.

[fishindevil]

Wow !!!!! Nothing like the fight of a big bronze tank !!!! Well done Aaron !!! Sounds like you guys got numbers too !!!! The colors of the fish look amazing !!! Thanks for sharing !!! Tight-lines. Cheers

[corvette1]

awesome day on the water Aaron congrats

[Roy]

Superb day , Aaron and Mitch! Beautiful bronzers for sure. Thanks for sharing.

[solopaddler]

Wow, great fish Aaron!

[Steve Piggott]

I have been out there fishing for the last two week got to love Lake Erie bass.Nice fish

[Old Ironmaker]

I actually saw you guys banging them one after another from shore with my binocks. I can attest to the action. Good going.

[RDR]

WTG Aaron! Those are some Piggies Sure beats workin'

[landry]

I like your reports a lot, despite the heavy plugs for products. I guess if u t sponsored it is something u need to do.

Landry

[Aaron Shirley]

Thanks guys. I hope to get out a bit for smallies and muskies the next little while.

 

Steve, I saw your FB posts with all the smallies while I was still salmon fishing. It was give the smallie itch!

[Aaron Shirley]

Old Iron maker, I can't hide anywhere eh? LOL Hopefully you can get out there and take advantage of the good fishing soon.