A Pile Of Pheasants On Albion Regulated Grounds

Decided to treat myself for Christmas. Went on a pheasant hunt on a regulated hunting grounds in Albion PA. Got 10 of 10 pheasants released. 10 shells. A great day. Had a good dog, this dog is doing much better since I last hunted with him, and hunted good cover. Was happy with the terrain. Many piles and thickets to hold birds. Snow background and and cool morning made for some fun winter action. Birds held tight and you really had to find them. Will be back to do it again before season ends.

Ducks Finally Arrive To Lake Erie

Went out on an early morning cold duck hunt. Snow flying, frigid temps with wind blowing in our face. Got two ducks, a lesser scaup and a goldeneye. First time out this year I saw ducks in the air. Did not see a large amount, but compared to the last two months they are finally here. Hope this is a start to good wave of birds. Season only has two weeks left.

No Buck To Be Found This Deer Season

Went hunting on the last day of the season. Lots of hunters out. Went to state land just south of Lake Pleasant. Saw a few doe bouncing around and one small yearling walked very close. Nothing with horns. All in all, a good year seeing deer. The most deer I have seen in the woods for some time now.

Deer Plentiful On PA Farm In Waterford

went out for the first Saturday of deer season. Right at first light had a nice buck break the field. Hard to see points that early, so I refrained from shooting. I believe it to be a real nice 8 point, but did not want to take the chance. Saw several doe throughout the day, including a large group of seven deer cross the field. Hunters today at this spot took 3 buck (two eight pointers and one seven)and four doe. Lots of deer to be found. Will give it one more try for a legal buck for me.

Good Start To PA Deer Season

Went out today for opening day of Pennsylvania deer season. Went to a spot in McKean PA, just north of Edinboro. At 8:30, dropped a nice fat doe. Five doe walked by me, smacked the largest of the bunch. While dressing her out, saw two other doe walk by. About an hour later, when I was loading my truck saw five more deer cross the field where my truck was parked. No bucks, but at least there were alot of doe around. Good to see that many deer in Erie County. Time to start cleaning.

Holdover Hen In PA Gamelands

Went pheasant hunting looking for some late season holdover pheasants on state land in Warren County PA. Walked 8 hours through some of the thickest terrain around. One flush. Came home with one nice fat hen pheasant. Quite a challenge to find a bird on State land that has not been stocked in weeks. Beautiful day to be out in the woods. Great workout and one more for the oven.

State Game Lands Void Of Wildlife In PA

Went hunting early today with no success. Hit two game lands in Warren County. Headed into the fields at 6:15 and hunted 7 hard hours in thick brush. Two very well trained dogs accompanied me. Not one small game animal to be found. Very little hunting pressure. Walked through fresh rows with no one in sight. Only saw two deer. A nice fat doe and a spike buck. Stopped by a game warden on the way out. Was actually a very nice guy. We talked for about a half an hour and he even agreed that small game hunting is not what it used to be. We agreed that the pheasant management program is not working in PA. After the first day, chances are slim to find a bird. He was actually the nicest warden I have met in the field.

Rainy Day For PA Pheasants

Went to state land today for pheasant hunting. Pouring rain in the A.M. Steady wet and cold conditions throughout day. Managed one hen. Hunted with two good dogs and only found one bird. Was in the woods a good 7 hours. Countless rows and fields. A good workout, but not many birds found. Only hunter on state land I was hunting. No one else wanted to brave the downpour. Hope next weekend is not as wet.

2009 Pennsylvania Pheasant Season Begins

Went out on a dreary weekend in Warren County for some hot action pheasant hunting. Used a single shot .20 gauge to make it interesting. Helps in making that shot count with only one chance to score. Some nice fat hens. Birds were abundant if you know where to go. Hit some nice tracts off the beaten path. Went for the heavy cover and worked the thickets thoroughly. Birds were holding tight after a night of high winds and rain. My favorite hunting season of the year has begun.

Findley Lake Night Time Action

Took my son to Findley Lake New York for some evening fishing. Fish were very cooperative. Many gills, crappies, and bass. No real size though. Most fish on the small side. Just a fun night with lots of action to keep the boy interested.

Crappies And Gills Hitting At Findley Lake New York

Took the kids for some evening fishing at Findley Lake New York. Lots of action. Came home with a bucket of Bluegills and Crappies. Nice size overall. Used jigs tipped with maggots. Worked the shoreline in shallow water. Bobber with bait suspended about a foot and a half. Bite got better as night approached. About 20 crappies and kept 10 handsize gills. Should be a nice batch for eating.

Many Sheepshead Still Remain In The Channel

Fished for an hour today before work in the channel. Only active fish today were Sheepshead. Caught several in the hour I fished. No other bites. Fun action on a beautiful morning overlooking gorgeous Lake Erie.

Lake Erie Silver Bass Aggressive Summer Action

Went down to the piers early before work this morning. Found a nice school of silver bass. Silver bass can be caught easily during summer months in Lake Erie. I usually cast from shore with small spinners(yellow and white) seem to work best for me. If you catch one, you can surely bet there is a school with it. Today landed several, and they are very nice fighters. They hit a lure hard and frantically try to spit the hook. Lots of fun. Just sport fishing, not for eating. They also can get large, caught a nice heavy one this morning that fought like a smallie. Very fun action, nice way to start the day.

Wide Variety Of Fish Lake Erie Summer Piers

Took the kids fishing again yesterday. Hit a couple of different piers off the bayfront highway. Steady action throughout the morning. Used perch rigs off the bottom. Threw into the deeper holes because of the warmer water. Caught largemouth bass, sheesphead, and perch. One really nice perch, large compared to the usual bay size. You can still have fun off the piers if you fish early and stay near the bottom. Great day to be in the outdoors.

Farm Ponds A Sure Bet For Summer Bluegill

Took the kids to a small farm pond today in Wattsburg PA. Although the pond was small, the bluegill were quite hefty. They were aggressive fish, eager to take just about anything we threw at them. Mostly used a small green/white mister twister and jigged off the bottom. Just about every cast, the kids had a fat one on. During summer months, when you are looking for some shore fishing, try a local farm pond. Make sure you ask permission and see if the farmer allows you to keep fish. Most farmers like to have fish thinned out because of stunting with smaller bodies of water with limited food supply. Had a blast and will go back again this summer.

Family Pier Fun Lake Erie Fishing

Enjoyed the morning fishing with the family on a windy cool day. Took my 5 and 7 year old and even invited the grandparents. Fish were turned on. Caught 10 Sheepshead over 5lbs in the first hour. Also rock bass, gobies, and bluegill were hitting. Just a fun day with lots of action for all. Threw lively shiners off the wall in the channel and hits were constant. Lost one pole as it launched off the pier with a very large fish attached. Not the first time that has happend. No crowds, just a nice day. No eating fish, but action the whole morning. A great way to hook a kid on fishing.

Look For Structure For Lake Erie Walleye

Lucky today to get a chance to get on the lake. Met a friend at the East Ave boat launch and left the marina early. Headed out to deep water in 52 feet looking for perch. Boated 6 thick perch, but bite was very slow. Strong west winds picked up and we were out of the perch pack. Next targeted walleye in shallow water. You can find feeding walleye during summer in shallow depths if you can find the structure. Went to my favorite hump in 24ft of water. First drift and 2 minutes in the water landed a nice Lake Erie walleye. Key is finding the structure and having the right drift. Wind speed is important and clarity of the water is also critical. Had a perfect wind to start, but got blown off the lake after just a few short drifts. Used a watermelon willow leaf with crawler. When the lake gets too rough out in deep water, give the shallow water walleye a try.

Take A Kid Fishing Summer Pier Fun Erie PA

Took the kids for a fun night of fishing this evening. Summer offers a nice variety of fishing opportunities for kids of all ages. Even though the perch are long gone, there are other species the kids can catch. We caught rock bass, sheepshead, gobies, smallmouth bass, and white perch. One sheepshead was monstrous and my son had a blast reeling him in. Hit the piers in the evening using lively shiners and the bite will be on. Even though we consider these fish junkfish, kids still enjoy the time reeling them in. Just fun catch and release fishing. Good summer spots include the South Pier, Public Dock, and Liberty Park. Enjoy time with the little ones and get them hooked on fishing!

French Creek PA Exciting Fishing Adventure

Now that the pier fishing is complete, I will finally have a chance to fish one of my favorite spots, French Creek. This is one beautiful waterway. It boasts the most diverse species in the state. A long, windy, and slow moving creek that is primarily a mud bottom. The best thing about French Creek is it's diversity. When I wade the creek, I have no idea what will hit. I primarily cast spinners or float jigs in this creek. Today, in a few short hours I landed an amazing amount of fish and many different species. I caught smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, warmouth, and a sucker. I was using a small 1/64 black and yellow Panther Martin on an ultralight rod. There are other species in this creek that sometimes bite including walleye, pike, and tiger muskie. You can also catch bullhead and carp. And amazingly, I had the creek to myself. I passed no person or vehicles on my journey. Just a few deer, a blue heron, and several turkey. A wonderful relaxing day fishing.

The Last Fishermen Pics From 2009 Season

Just wanted to share some pics of my old timer buddies from the piers. Spent a lot of time with them and had many great memories. This photo gallery is dedicated to the true Last Fishermen of Lake Erie.

Lake Erie Pier Fishing Comes To A Close

After a discouraging week, calling it quits for perch fishing off the piers. Water temp getting too high. Fished three early mornings this week (up before 5:00am) for a total of 4 perch. Gobies are abundant with occasional sheepshead and rock bass. Time to turn my attention to other fishing opportunities. As far as a season recap goes, it was poor. Hit the piers harder than most years with fewer fish. Old timers agree this was the worst spring in a long time. We never had any good numbers of large fish. The lakers were spread very thin this year, and were in a short time. Small perch were plentiful early this year, but the jumbos were very elusive. I had no limits, no good days where the bite was on. Numbers were way down, and the overall size was also down. Had many good memories and great conversations with the old timers though. Saw a lot of rising suns and battled some very frigid weather. Thats why they call it fishing, not catching.

East Wind Shuts Down Lake Erie Perch

Out early once again. Landed one perch in first minutes of light. No bite after that. Steady East wind really shuts down the bite. No gobies, rock bass, or anything. Lots of guys trying. According to the locals, each day is different. There are some remaining perch in the channel, but with the inconsistent weather patterns and the prevailing east winds, timing is crucial. For good fishing, we need some consistent weather. Upcoming forecast looks cool, which should hold the perch for another week. Just need some steady nice days with a lot less wind. And of course, some luck.

A Few Perch Remain Off Pier

Up early before work. Went to the end of the pier to chase the perch. Caught two at first light. Soon after the current shifted hard and the bite stopped. Amazing how the current can really shut down the perch. Saw a few smallmouth and rock bass caught. A sure sign the water is slowly warming. Temp still holding at 53, so there are a few perch remaining. Noticed a couple of guys keeping illegal smallmouth. Remember, they must be 20inches during trophy bass season. They were foreigners. They kept everything they caught. Just for your info, I will share the cell phone number of the local WCO Brook Tolbert. 814-573-5194. If you see slob fishermen, please be sure and report. It is those unethical fishermen that give us true anglers a bad rap. I am guessing perch will remain scattered for another week or so. will keep you posted.

Erie Storm Shuts Down The Perch

Was out early today on the pier. One of the first guys out. After just a couple of minutes fishing, storm with wind and rain came through. Managed to catch 3 perch as the storm arrived. I fished through the rain and about an hour following with no bite. A very wet and miserable morning. Will continue to chase the remaining schools of perch in the channel.

Small Perch Abundant Off South Pier Erie PA

Wow, what a differnce a day makes. Yesterday, no perch but lots of gobies. Today non stop perch action in the channel. One problem, a very small size school. Just two keepers in the first two hours of fishing with well over 20 perch caught. No size today, but the little perch were turned on. Will chase the perch this week. May be the last week of the season for perch from shore.

Slow Morning Off The South Pier

Went down to the South Pier this morning, 2ND guy there. Went for a long walk to the end of the channel. By 6:00 am well over 75 guys lined up. No perch bite at all. Caught over 20 round gobies. Saw a Sheapshead and a couple of Rock Bass caught beside me. Did not see a single perch landed. Water temp is rising, currently at 49. Still should have about one more good week of fishing, but today was very poor. Will continue to head out this upcoming week to see if there are any remaining jumbo perch in the channel.

Perch Action Slow With East wind

Went to the pier early this morning. About 15 guys lined up close to the lot. decided to head out further. Got 3 perch early. Slow bite with east winds. Guys said they did well last two days, but perch shut down this morning. Will continue to chase the perch and hopefully have a good day.

Jumbo Perch Moving Into Erie

Went out early today looking for jumbo perch. Caught two nice slabs at first light then the bite stopped. Lots of guys out today. Everyone caught fish early then they shut off. Most guys caught a couple, some had four or five. Looks like the lakers are starting to stage off the piers. This is a good sign. Not many fish to report, but all were a large size and no dinks. Will hit it hard this week to see if more numbers will arrive.

Largemouth Bass Hitting Hard In Presque Isle Lagoons

This morning Erie was hit by strong North East winds. Made fishing the piers very difficult with high waves and frigid temps. Caught one jumbo perch early today. Decided to try for those tasty crappie in Presque Isle Bay. Fished the Lagoons for a couple of hours. No crappie to be found but ran into some serious Largemouth Bass by accident. Caught about a dozen bass, ranging from 12 to 18 inches averaging about 15. Bass were highly aggressive, hitting everything I was throwing for crappie. I simply used a bobber with jigs or minnows and casted near shore. Bass were beautiful, nice colors and very healthy looking. Lots of jumping and thrashing to make a fun evening. No one else around, had the spot to myself. A lesson learned. When the perch or crappie are not cooperating in early spring, try for some Largemouth Bass. Very fun on ultralight tackle. Search for warm, shallow water with lots of structure. A nice alternative to spring panfishing.