Lake Erie Smallmouth???

I'm considering a trip to fish for the smalljaws at Erie, probably a guided trip, don't want to pull the boat that far. Is it as good as the hype? What kind of money am I looking at, and would I be better off trying elsewhere? If I go spend a bunch of money I would like it to be worth it. Going and catching a handful of two and three pounders I would not be happy, I can do that here. You guys that know anything about this and maybe a good outfit to go with chime in please and give me the 411. Thanks in advance, Mark.

I usually fish Lake St Clair once or twice a year..... i think it is totally worth but timing is everything.... We pull a boat up there and 50-60 fish days are not uncommon but not guaranteed. Depends on when you go. Right now i bet they are munching. Call some of the guides and get a report. There is nothing like catching 60 2-5 # smallies a day. It can be unbelievable

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jun-23-06 AT 10:39AM (EST)[/font][p]Check out the new report we have on Lake Erie and the Buffalo NY area. They are on some great smallie action up there right now. Look at the top of the main contents page for the Lake Erie Buffalo report. This guy fishes the Niagara river as well and has had some great 30 and 50 fish days with fish averaging over 3 pounds. OH and go to [url]http://www.1fghp.com/erie.html[/url] to find a great guide on that lake.
First Class Bass Charters
Captain Terry Jones
Lake Erie, Lake Ontario,
Niagara River
Trophy Smallmouth Bass
& Largemouth Bass
70 Huetter Ave
Tonawanda, NY 14207
PHONE: 1-716-875-4946
[email][email protected][/email]
Frist ClassBass Charters is a Trophy
Smallmouth Bass Guide service on
Lake Erie ,Lake Ontario , And The
Niagara River FISH GUARANTEED

Jim Dicken

>I usually fish Lake St Clair
>once or twice a year.....
> i think it is
>totally worth but timing is
>everything.... We pull a
>boat up there and 50-60
>fish days are not uncommon
>but not guaranteed. Depends
>on when you go.
>Right now i bet they
>are munching. Call some
>of the guides and get
>a report. There is
>nothing like catching 60 2-5
># smallies a day.
>It can be unbelievable

Thanks guys for the info. Man if I ever caught fifty to sixty smallmouth in a day from 2 to 5 pound I'll probably never come home again. That would be better than...... well you know. Jamie if you ever need a partern on that trip give me a yell I'll pay for ALL your gas. I am a brown bass fanatic, in every sense of the word, later and thanks to you and Jimbo, Mark.

I used to live in Erie, Pa. Fished the "Big E" for over 20 years. Not bragging, but here's just a few of my experiences on that lake.

1. Had a half dozen days when I caught and released over 120 smallies by myself. Not all were hawgs, but they weren't all dinks, either.
2. Dropped a buoy on a slight ledge when the graph showed a bunch of hooks on the bottom. I never moved 3 feet from that buoy and in the next 3 hours I landed 24 smallies, the smallest of which was 3.5lb...largest just under 6. Lure was a Silver Buddy vertically jigged under the boat. This count doesn't include lost fish or missed strikes.
3. Pulled up to a set of "cribs" (large structures where barges used to unload bulk fuel in past years) in heavy swells and my partner and I were banging 3-4pounders on every single cast.
4. Lost the two biggest smallies I've ever seen in my life...not in the lake itself, but in Presque Isle Bay off the main lake. One came out of 15' of water and hammered a Zara Spook. The other hit on a C-rig in 8' on a weedline. I've never had a fish pull like those two did. Both came off at the boat and I'd estimate their weight at 7+ each. Darn near cried when they pulled off.

All of this fishing took place within spitting distance of Presque Isle Bay or in the bay itself. I've not fished there since moving to west TN 8 years ago, but I doubt the fishing has gotten any worse. I've seen early year tx's up there where 20lb for 5 fish would barely get you in the money, if at all.