Hi Italo. Hoping you can give me some advice. Im going out to Lake Erie this coming weekend for bass opener. Im staying near knights beach and will be launching from Austins trailer park ramp. Im after jumbo perch and big smallies. Where would you suggest to fish and what to use for both species. Thanks very much love the show and website.
Posted on June 16th, 2014Hi Greg…Thank you for your kind words. From where you will be staying you have access to one of the top bass shoals in your area, Tecumseh Reef which is located right in front of James N. Allen Provincial Park. The end of the reef is marked by a channel marker so it will be easy for you to find. Try fishing shallow first starting about 500′ out from the park and cast crankbaits to the visible light and dark spots (mix of rocks/sand). I have done really well casting the #7 Glass RS Shap Rap in the perch color & twitching the Rapala Husky Jerk #14 (gold/black color), in the shallower water less than 10′. I have also caught nice smallmouth fishing the same crankbait deeper, on the edge of the reef where the water goes from 4-5′, to 15+’. A 4″ TriggerX tube fished on a 1/8 oz tube jighead in shallower water and a 1/4 or 3/8 oz. tube jighead in deeper water (or if it’s windy even in shallower water), always works well too. For the perch I have a feeling you will need to go deeper to anywhere from 40-60′ of water. Best presentation for them will be anchoring and fishing a 1/2 – 5/8 oz. weight on a pickerel-rig with small, live minnows near the bottom. If you locate schools of baitfish with your sonar in deeper water I am sure you will find the jumbo perch! I would love to see some of your catches. If you like, you can send them to my attention at, info@canadian-sportfishing.com and I can brag about them on our website….God bless you, Italo
