When you are looking for Ohio fishing report information for lake Erie there are two main hot spot areas that you need to Focus on. The majority of the many fishing reports you can find for the Ohio Lake Erie Area will concentrate on the Western Basin and Central basin. Both These areas are excellent fisheries for multiple fish species, but proper planning is important when going on a fishing trip to these areas. A good Up to date fishing report is a must to pinpoint where you want to fish and for what type of fish species you are going to target. For example if you are going to target Walleye You need to make a decision On what area of lake Erie you are going to fish in. Refer to the current fishing Western Basin and Central Basin hot spots I copied from the Ohio Department of Natural resources below. If i was planing a summer trip i would identify only the information that is specific to Walleye. When I review the carts below, I can see I need to find specific fishing information for the Western Basin areas of West Sister Island, Northwest of North Bass Island, East of Kelleys Island, Toledo Shipping Channel. And Central basin areas of. Ruggles Reef, Lorain, Cleveland, Euclid, Eastlake, Fairport, Geneva, Ashtabula, Conneaut; inshore early, offshore late. Now you need to locate a good source for accurate detailed information for these areas. A good fishing report web source will provide you with up to date current fishing report information, a link for the current weather conditions, Ohio’s fishing regulations and a source for fishing maps.

Western Basin Fishing Hotspots
Walleye
Winter- Breakwalls; Lakeside, Marblehead, Catawba. Ice Fishing; Reef Complex, Bass Island Area, Catawba, Marblehead.
Spring-Maumee River, Sandusky River, Sandusky Bay, Reef Complex, Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, MarbleheadSummer-West Sister Island, Northwest of North Bass Island, East of Kelleys Island, Toledo Shipping Channel.Fall-Kelleys Island, Bass Islands, Breakwalls; Lakeside, Marblehead, Catawba
Yellow Perch
Winter-Ice Fishing; Catawba, Bass Islands, Marblehead, Sandusky BaySpring-Catawba, Marblehead, Bass Islands, Kelleys IslandSummer-Catawba, Marblehead, Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Toledo water intake, Metzger’s Marsh PierFall-West Sister Island, Toledo Shipping Channel, Marblehead, Kelleys Island, Catawba, Bass Islands, Toledowater intake
Smallmouth BassWinter-Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Catawba, MarbleheadSpring-Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Catawba, Marblehead, Sandusky Bay, Reef ComplexSummer-Bass Islands, Kelleys Island, Catawba, Marblehead, Sandusky Bay, Reef Complex, Maumee River, Portage River, Sandusky RiverFall-
White BassWinter-Bass Islands, Sandusky Bay, MarbleheadSpring-Maumee River, Portage River, Sandusky RiverSummer-Bass Islands, Sandusky Bay, Marblehead.Fall-Bass Islands, Sandusky Bay, Marblehead
Additional Opportunities
Winter-Bluegill (ice fishing, harbors and marinas); Catawba, Marblehead, Sandusky BaySpring-Crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike; East Harbor, West Harbor, Sandusky BaySummer-Largemouth Bass, Bluegill; East Harbor, West Harbor, Channel Catfish; Sandusky BayFall- Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Northern Pike; East Harbor, West Harbor, Sandusky Bay

Central Basin Fishing Hotspots
Walleye
Winter- Breakwalls; Huron, Huntington Beach, Lakefront State Park, Fairport Harbor.
Spring-same as winter, plus Grand River and nearshore areas from Vermilion - Conneaut.Summer-Ruggles Reef, Lorain, Cleveland, Euclid, Eastlake, Fairport, Geneva, Ashtabula, Conneaut; inshore early, offshore late.Fall-Huron, Ruggles Reef, Vermilion, Lorain, Cleveland, Euclid, Eastlake, Fairport, Geneva, Ashtabula, Conneaut; eastern locations early
Yellow Perch
Winter-Breakwalls; Huron, Huntington Beach, Lakefront State Park, Fairport Harbor.Spring-Breakwalls and nearshore locations: Huron, Lorain, Lakefront State Park, Mentor Headlands, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula.Summer-Nearshore to offshore: Huron, Vermilion, Lorain, Cleveland, Euclid, Eastlake, Fairport, Geneva, Ashtabula, ConneautFall-Offshore to nearshore: Huron, Vermilion, Lorain, Cleveland, Euclid, Eastlake, Fairport, Geneva, Ashtabula, Conneaut
Smallmouth BassWinter-Nearshore, harbors and marinas; Fairport, Perry, Ashtabula, Conneaut; Cleveland artificial reefsSpring-Nearshore; Ruggles Reef, Vermilion, Fairport, Perry, Ashtabula, Conneaut; Lorain, Cleveland artificial reefs Summer-Nearshore to offshore; Ruggles Reef, Vermilion, Fairport, Perry, Ashtabula, Conneaut; Lorain, Lakewood, Cleveland artificial reefsFall-Nearshore; Ruggles Reef, Vermilion, Fairport, Perry, Ashtabula, Conneaut; Lorain, Cleveland artificial reefs
Steelhead TroutWinter-Vermilion, Rocky, Chagrin, Grand rivers and Conneaut Creek; smaller tribs from Cleveland east.Spring-Vermilion, Rocky, Chagrin, Grand rivers and Conneaut Creek; smaller tribs from Cleveland east.Summer-Offshore depth-controlled trolling from Lorain Sandbar - Avon, Cleveland - Fairport, Geneva - Ashtabula.Fall-Piers, beaches and breakwalls from Cleveland east; Vermilion, Rocky, Chagrin, Grand rivers and Conneaut Creek; smaller tribs during high water in mainstems.
White BassWinter-Breakwalls and Warm Water Discharges; Lorain , Lakefront State Park, Eastlake, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula.Spring-Breakwalls and Warm Water Discharges; Lorain, Lakefront State Park, Eastlake, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula.Summer-Nearshore areas near harbors; Breakwalls; Lorain, Lakefront State Park, Eastlake, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula.Fall-Nearshore areas near harbors; Breakwalls and Warm Water Discharges; Lorain, Lakefront State Park, Eastlake, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula.

Mark Fleagle is the owner of the oldfishinghole.com Mark Is a dedicated fisherman with 30+ years of experience and has published numerous articles on fishing. He offers free fishing information and “how to articles at his websites. Visit his site at Lake Erie Fishing Reports and download a free copy of his “78 fishing discoveries unleashed” You can also contact him his e-mail address admin@oldfishinghole.com

Live Bait For Crappie
As new or experienced crappie fisherman we are always looking for new information that can help us be better crappie fisherman. I am always trying to make a decision whether to use live bait or artificial bait when fishing for crappie. Well the answer everyone should tell them selves to be effective you are going to use both. In fact, on many fishing trips both artificial and live baits are on the same crappie rigs. This is the best of both techniques. My article is going to concentrate on what crappie live baits are best for different situations.

Crappie minnows you will get a lot of controversy here so I am going to tell you what crappie minnows work best for me, but I will also identify other types because every fishing location is different when it comes to crappie live bait.

The “shiner minnow” is my favorite minnow to use, the smaller the better. Use 1 ½” length or smaller minnows. Many crappie anglers would argue that bigger is better, but the truth is I like to catch fish and I am not interested in only fishing for the large slabs. If you were in the large slab categories of fisherman then I would say bigger the minnow bigger the crappie (but much less on the crappie bite) I just love to catch fish. Know the reason I like the shiners whether using small or large minnows is they reflect light like small mirror in the water. Crappies are easily attracted to changes in light patterns and these little babies will do if for you. Many times, they are attracted more to the light changes then the bait it’s self. I also do a little doctoring to live bait and artificial baits for crappies. Another good minnow to use is commonly called the “Missouri minnow”.

Chop an onion into very small pieces and put them in a small container, (something like a little pill bottle) tip the end of your hook with a small piece of onion after you hook your minnow threw both the lower and upper lip. You will be surprised how this helps you out attracting the crappie to your bait. Not to get off the subject if you are using jigs put them in the small container with the onions and shake it up, then use your jigs.

These are the best crappie live bait Worms that I have used. I am not much for using worms to catch crappie, but one worm I have had good luck using has been “what is commonly called an “angle worm” You know those little critters that crawl all over your sidewalk when it rains.

One of the most disgusting but most effective live baits for crappie is the “maggot” Don’t let your wife tell you about the following little tip she might throw you out of the house!) Catch your self a mudfish or carp and cut out a large piece from behind his head. Burry the carcass an inch under the ground. 7 days later dig him up. (Know here’s the disgusting part pick the maggots off the carcass and place them in a glass jar. And some white cornmeal into the jar. Now place the jar in the freezer for three weeks. (Don’t let your wife know what’s in it or it will be gone! Just kidding.) After three weeks take the maggots out of the freezer the maggots will be huge! Fish the maggots using a #4 gold hook with no bobber. Let the bait fall to the bottom slowly and wait for the fun! It won’t take long. Maggots are one of the best crappie live baits I have ever used but I don’t use them much because of obvious reasons.

Well, that about does it for my crappie live bait tips. Have fun and good fishing! And GOOD Luck!

Mark Fleagle is the owner of the oldfishinghole.com Mark Is a dedicated fisherman with 30+ years of experience and has published numerous articles on fishing. He offers free fishing information and “how to articles at his websites. Visit his site at crappie live bait and download a free copy of his “78 fishing discoveries unleashed” You can also contact him his e-mail address admin@oldfishinghole.com

Crappie fishing technique

Crappie Fishing tips - surefire techniques to catch a boat load of crappie

When you go crappie fishing it is not enough to be in the right place at the right time. You need to have your best crappie fishing tips at your disposal. Instead of coming home with a empty stringer , lets take a look at some crappie fishing tips that will fill your cooler on your next crappie fishing trip.

#1 Crappie Fishing information always catch your bait from the same water you are going to fish. Chances are crappie will spit out anything that is not natural to their habitat.

#2 Crappie Fishing tips If you fish from a boat and have a fish finder you need to be able to identify large schools of crappie when they show up on your fish finder. When you spot what looks like a upside Christmas tree on the screen this a large school of crappie.

#3 Crappie Fishing tips When you locate a large school of crappie never fish in the middle of the school. Work the edges of the school so you don’t spook the fish.

#4 Crappie Fishing information When you locate a school of fish, start by line to the bottom. Slowly crank in your reel counting every turn until you get a hit. Now mark your line with a permanent magic marker , preferably a bright color. The reason you mark your line is so you can go right back to the same depth the next time you drop your line. Repeat this step until the crappie school moves.

#5 Crappie fishing tips Crappie rise to the bait their eyes are located on the top of their heads so the do not see anything below them. You must make sure your bait presentation is always above them.

#6 Crappie fishing information use an ultra-light rig that weighs only a few ounces. Crappie are not heavy hitters. Many time they just suck on the bait and if you don’t have light tackle you will never feel the hit.

#7 Crappie fishing technique use 2-4 pound test line , always make sure your is located on a loop, not held tight on the hook ring. The hook needs to move freely to give the bait some play. Remember the more natural the bait looks the more fish you will catch.

Now you are ready for your next crappie fishing trip . If you use all or just a few of the crappie fishing tips above you will improve your crappie catch count. So good luck and good fishing! P.S if you want to catch some big slabs use these crappie fishing tips.

Mark Fleagle
Crappie fishing tips and information
Crappie fishing tips

Fishing for crappie can be a very rewarding fishing trip and underwater lighting for fishing is not a new concept. The technology has been around for a few years. Anybody who goes night fishing for crappie on a regular basis understands the importance of these lights. Underwater fishing lights plain and simple attract bait fish, and we all know that bait fish attract the crappie. Using underwater fishing lights can optimally up your chances for a successful night fishing for crappie trip.

You will catch more crappie at when it’s really hot outside. Remember, crappies are cold blooded. The outside environment regulates their body heat. This means that they don’t have an internal cooling system like we do. They will be easier to catch when things cool down at night when there is more oxygen in the water.

Now I am going to recommend something that could be a bit uncomfortable. Bring incandescent lights that can clip on to railing or the side of your boat. Angle the lights so they reflect off the surface of the water. The light and the heat will attract thousands of bugs, and you guessed it bait fish! Make sure you bring plenty of insect repellent you will need it. The little fish swarming in your area are called the “bait ball” Fish the area outside area of the “bait ball” where there is less competition for your bait. If live minnows don’t work use a jig, it will stand out.

Submerge your light source directly in the center of the Illumination area. You will still need to do your research about being at the right place to catch your limit of crappie, but if you ad a underwater light source you will increase your crappie catch dramatically.

One of the main reasons night fishing lighting works so well to catch crappie is because crappie have a distinct advantage over the “food chain” at night. The “food chain” is attracted by the bait fish that have been attracted using your surface light, and by your sunken light, but they cannot react quickly enough to escape the game fish.

Crappie have a distinct advantage at night because most of them can detect color at night. This creates a distinct advantage for the game fish over the food chain because not only can they detect change in light intensity but also color contrast. It has been known for sometime that fish , shrimp, and insects are attracted to light at night , but you probably are asking yourself what color is best at night? The answer to this question is the color blue or green because they attract both the food chain and the crappie.

Incandescent lights can be purchased for under 50$ The best lights will have a clip to mount the lights and the end of the wires will need to have banana clips to mount to a battery. The best place to buy them online is Cabella’s.

In conclusion, do your home work when purchasing a submerged night crappie fishing light Remember cheaper is not always better. Well That raps up my article GOOD LUCK ! and good fishing!

Crappie fishing jigs – What To Choose

How many times when you have been out fishing have you wondered what crappie fishing jig to use? There are so many types, sizes, colors to select from it is easy to get confused. Well let me explain exactly what a crappie fishing jig is , What crappie jig type to use for different situations, and what color to use.

#1 Crappie Fishing jigs what is it? The crappie jig is made up of the two parts, the first part has a hook with a sinker molded too it. The second part is the body and it is made up of a Varity of different items, plastics for curly tails, some type of hair or bristle for marabou jigs, add a spoon or blade to a marabou jig and you have a rooster tail.

#2 Crappie Fishing jigs Purpose? The crappie jig is use where you want to create a vertical jerky motion to attract the attention of the fish. Do not get jigging confused with spinner baits, spinners create a horizontal motion through the whereas, jigs create a vertical motion up and down through the water.

#3 Crappie Fishing jigs How do you choose? Well I wish I could say that it is totally cut and dry what to use for different situations but a lot of selection is trial and error. It is good to keep a log , so you know what works under different situations. This will give you a starting point for your next fishing trip. Most often the color, depth water , and water clarity can change the color of the jig in the water. Also, the weather conditions can change your selection. For example if it is a sunny or light sky day you would want to select light color jigs. If it over cast and a dark sky you would want to use dark color jigs. These selections are not set in stone. You will probably end up changing colors many times throughout the day

#4 Crappie Fishing jigs types? There mainly three types of crappie fishing jigs. Curly tail jigs, Marabou jigs, and Rooster tail jigs. Curly tail jigs come in a multiple of designs but the all have some type of tail and are made of plastic. Marabou jigs are made of some type of bristle or hair and also come in multiple designs and colors. Rooster tail jigs are a marabou jig with a rotating blade or spoon added.

Well good luck and good fishing! P.S If you want to catch some giant slabs use the listed crappie fishing jigs.

Mark Fleagle is the owner of the oldfishinghole.com Mark Is a dedicated fisherman with 30+ years of experience and has published numerous articles on fishing. He offers free fishing information and “how to articles at his websites. Visit his site at crappie fishing jigs and download a free copy of his “78 fishing discoveries unleashed” You can also contact him his e-mail address admin@oldfishinghole.com

If you are ready to step up your fishing you will usually catch more fish using artificial baits rather then using live bait. Of course this statement is based on knowing what artificial lures to use. When you are fishing for pan fish smaller is better. Look for lures in the 1/4oz or smaller size.

List of pan fish fishing lures to use:

• Curly Tail Jigs
• Marabou Jigs
• Weedless Spinners, (they have a jig attached) smallest you can find
• Willow Leaf Blades: Silver Colorado Or Gold Blades

The above listed lures can be bought at any department store, bait shop, or online . Most of these artificial baits can be purchased for very little. Make sure when comparing prices that you compare prices for artificial baits in the 1/4oz or smaller range.

Suggested ways to use these crappie fishing lures:

When fishing a curly tail Jig, use a uniquely designed jig head with screw lock from Cabella’s. It takes your bait to the bottom where the big ones are. It allows you to thread a plastic tube, or split tail onto the corkscrew and hook it through the tail. The innovative flat-bottom jig head helps the hook stand up at a 60deg angle. Your hooked bait stands up straight off the bottom and is free to move about. I recommend you use purchase and use a Karlins Lunker Curly Tail. This jig is a good choice to use when using a slip bobber rig.

When fishing Marabou jigs use the 1/8oz or 1/4oz size. A good way to fish this lure is use a slip bobber , place a split on the line so the jig falls to a set depth.

When fishing Weedless Spinner baits use the 1/16oz size . Use this bait when fishing low water visibility muddy or murky water.

When fishing the Willow Leaf Blade jigs, fish the lure very slow, again I repeat slow. If you use the 1/16oz jig, the hook will bend before you loose your jig, you can use over and over again. The larger sizes work well but they break the line when snagging. Also , put on a Karlins plastic tube Curly split tail 2″ in length.

There are no guarantees that you will catch crappie with the lures shown above, but if you stick with purchasing small crappie fishing lures you up your chances of catching a good batch of crappie.

Well, good luck and good fishing!

Mark Fleagle is the owner of oldfishinghole.com Mark Is a dedicated fisherman with 30+ years of experience and has published numerous articles on fishing. He offers free fishing information and “how to articles at his websites. Visit his site at crappie fishing lures and download a free copy of his “78 fishing discoveries unleashed”. You can also contact him his e-mail address
admin@oldfishinghole.com

Click Here To Get Your Free E-Book 78 Fishing Discoveries Unleashed

Every crappie fisherman has had his good and bad days. The trick is to avoid the common mistakes all crappie fisherman make so you can always increase your chances of a good catch. Lets face it , to most us our fishing time is precious .Most of us work full time jobs and when we go fishing it is our release on the constant stresses of life. I did some extensive research about crappie fishing and came up with the following common crappie fishing mistakes.

Fishing For Crappie Mistake #1 Patience Doesn’t “Pay” With Crappie We have all heard people say that patience pays when fishing. Unfortunately that is not correct when fishing for crappie. Crappie are a schooling fish and it is important to find these schools. So when your fishing for crappie it is very important to be on the move constantly to find the crappie schools.

Fishing For Crappie Error #2 Casting Un-sharpened Hooks!
Have you ever set the hook and thought you had your crappie on for sure? The problem isn’t your fishing technique it probably is your hooks. It is important to replace your hooks about every 4th bite or spend a few moments to sharpen your hook. You would be shocked to find out how much difference a sharpened hook makes. The best way to sharpen hooks is with a flat file first filing the outside of the hook point. Next you will need a double edged hook sharpen file that sharpens both sides of the point.

Fishing For Crappie Mistake #3 Not Using a topographical map
I am sure when you go any where on vacation you do some preplanning with either road maps , map quest or a trip ticket. Well It is the same when planning a fishing trip. If you have a map of the water you are going to fish you can identify channel and brush and shallow areas of the water you are going to fish. This simple step can make or break a fishing trip. It amazes me how many fisherman never do this simple step. You can pick one of these maps for 3 or bucks at any bait shop in the area you are going to fish.

Fishing For Crappie Error #4 Stopping the boat when trolling
It is best to have 2 people along when trolling for crappie. If you have multiple poles in the water when you get a fish on you want to keep as many poles trolling as you can. If you stop the boat you loose the correct depth where the fish are and you have to go through the setup all over again. With a second person , one person can keep driving the boat while the other person re-baits the poles. You would be surprised how may people make this mistake when trolling.

Error when fishing for crappie #5 Getting to close to the fish.
The first instinct is to get as close to the crappie as you can. But that is a big mistake. What happens is your boat makes a wake and can spook the fish if you get to close. The best thing to do is get a long cane pole or telescoping rod so you can reach out about 10 or 15 feet into the brush area you want to fish. It is a major mistake to get to close to the fish.

Mark Fleagle Author A well respected fishing specialist with 30+ years of fishing experience,who has published many fishing articles. Mark has Mark Has Researched common crappie fishing mistakes. my site: crappie fishing mistakes Get your free copy of “78 Fishing Discoveries Unleashed”.

Click Here To Get Your Free Night Fishing For Crappie E-mail Course.