Dave

Decided to tie up some different patterns for Cuba this winter.I've already got lots of Tan Crab patterns so decided Olive green would be the next choice..Also a few micro sized crabs for the lagoon..My first attempt at a glue together fly tedious to build to say the least...Hopefully it wont blow apart casting.A few Barracuda flys at the top and some gotcha variations top right..

How much is the yearly pass DarrylL?

Had a visit with my local Bass expert.I can't say enough about the great advice at Peter's Tackle and Caden..Actually the whole staff there are very knowledgeable.He set me straight with colours and presentation.Seems I wasn't that far off with what I was doing..

I think I just have to give it a chance when I switch over techniques...Wind looks good today,I'll be out there.... 

I'm kind of new to spin fishing as I've been a life long Fly guy...I have been doing well fishing NED rigs all summer but thats about it...Since I'm in the kayak I'm mostly fishing 7-12ft..A close by boat was doing well with tubes but when ever I try, no success..What are your go to colours and sizes.I dont have lots, but probably all the necessary Pumpkin Green Colours in mini to large 4 inch..Should I be focussing on baitfish colours...My heaviest jig weighs 9 grams which is 5/16 oz but I bet they were labelled 3/8..I think I'm getting good bottom contact while on a "crawling" retrieve.. After getting Large fish on a small finesse TRD. I lack a little confidence when I put on a 4 inch tube!! 

Grand is weed choked right now with lots of floating weeds...This happens every year triggered by cooler temperatures that we had a few weeks ago.But the weed growth seems excessive this year..Now that the flow has dropped there will be no way to flush it out..

I've been fishing Lake Erie shoreline in the Yak and it continues to produce... 

I've used both Seafoam and a similar STP product.I found it great for my small engines.Also acts as gas stabilizer but you guys probably know that.I did mention using it in both our vehicles at home and mechanic said "it can cause more harm than good" hmmmm....

Yes, I've heard the ice jam theory as well and it does make sense.That doesn't explain how it dropped off north of Paris in Glenmorris unless they had the same winter freeze up, after all it is a very shallow river.I think it was tremendous fishing pressure as well as right about that time it exploded with guys kayak fishing those stretches..If you think C&R guarantees no fish kill, well I know I've released some bleeders..I'm sure there is fish mortality no matter what.Also my suspicion is some don't follow rules in the C&R zone...I remember almost getting fined by a CO back in the 90's for a barbed Woolly Bugger!! I haven't seen a CO in years...Also I wonder what impact all those watercraft from the Grand river rafting company have..Hundreds of people doing a float in one day..Never mind all the kayaks, rafts, those damn rubber ducky floaters would drive me crazy..I stopped fishing that circus act years ago..Its ok after labour day thou.I can find nice fish else where but its a lot more work now.. 

So 6wt. will be fine for local river Smallmouth. I use a 6wt weight myself for river fishing.A #6 gets a little tough in the wind and with bulky flys..I would recommend you start off with the Grand.You can catch Smallmouth ,Walleye, and even Catfish on the fly.

I used to always fish the exceptional waters from Paris to Brant conservation area, it is a designated C&R zone..Fishing has really declined there last few years.The summer canoe traffic is also hellish but most ends on labour day..A good upper zone is Glenmorris. You can fish starting at Caledonia and work your way down for the lower stretch..I'm going to avoid giving out my mostly fished areas..I use only weighted flies but perhaps you don't need to..Here is what you need to start with to get fish with out overwhelming you with fly patterns, all size #4.Olive over white Clouser minnow, Bead head Black and olive wooly buggers..The same colours in a rabbit strip zonker pattern..Olive Sculpin patterns!!!!...There are of course other patterns that work...I posted some of the flies I use in another thread on the site...Put rubber legs in those wooly buggers!!

Awesome tell us how you make out.Watch that wind before you go..I started using windy.com lately but have been using windfinder.com for years to..

No all on NED rigs.But bite was good enough to bring one I guess.Decided to try more late season spin fishing on Erie going forth..

So appears I have an ankle sprain to add to the bruising I took in the boat launch..Like a dummy I fished on it twice this week.

Now icing and resting....

Hit Erie today on the south wind.A bit dicey first thing in the morning didn't know if it was going to hold steady or blow up..Ended up laying down for one of the calmest days I've seen this year...Landed around 20 Smallies with one real Tank...Not the quality size's I hit earlier this week but loads of fish around..Sight fishing was awesome but i couldn't get the really big tanks to commit..Sometimes when the wind lays down it slows the bite and it did today..

Hi there Hachiko, I would have to agree with Tyler..However what you intend to target will be dictated by the fly rod you bought..Did you get a 4wt or 5wt trout size rod or is it a heavier weight that can do Bass? 

Do you have a link to that? Not sure I want to hang an electric too far underneath Yak.OK for big water but it would suck in the weeds of Buckhorn.Steelhead Chaser has some videos on YT with an electric off the bow..I know theres some cool torqueedo type drop in motors out there, also the Bixpy, but they are mostly $2k... A Hobie fin drive is worth $1400!!! 

24 minutes ago, Tyler0420 said:

 Nice to see your out yaking. I didn’t end up doing much bass fishing this year. 
you going out for kings soon?

It had crossed my mind..All I see is nothing but north winds in the forecast for the next 4 days.Good for bringing them in but bad for a kayak on the south shore...Port is only 2 miles from me and some how I've become addicted to lake Erie Smallies.At least I know the odds are way higher with Bass.I have to see how I recover from this injury.Kayak trolling has become really hard work at my age..

Got out 3 times on Erie this week.Monday was best day I've had this summer, double digits, and 6 in the 4-5lb range..

So much for a change to NE winds shut them down LOL.Tried again on Thursday.Read all the weather and wind charts. Looked on the edge of safety but sometimes you don't know until you get there, and it was..Ended up in bad wind drizzle pulled out after a half hour..Hit it again on Saturday and morning was good.Might have hit my biggest fish of the season but scale was at home...Saturday had a predicted wind of N to NE all day but actually came up south on the water at about 10am..You just never know what you're going to get on Erie no matter what weather and wind charts tell you...

My day started with me slipping off a rock wall launching my kayak and smashing my right leg and butt..Thought I was in for a hospital trip right then and there..Shook it off and fished..Got home and then the ice packs started.I think I'm going to be sore for a while.🙄  

15 hours ago, deetch said:

Erie was on fire today.  Finally ended up with 10.  Was out from 1 - 4:30.  Had to travel a ways to get them

What depth of water were you in?  I'm fishing mostly 8-10 ft. on the shoreline..Casting and sight fishing out of the Yak.

Even on safer wind days seems a bit sketchy for going out to 20-30ft..Plus sight fishing is a blast.I am assuming you were out for Bass but could be Wallys.

Grand river wading which sucked today. Most likely due to NE weather pattern which always shuts them down. 

I passed on Erie today because weather yesterday looked sketchy.I'm in a Kayak.Woke up this morning and it looks almost flat 🙄....Now going river fishing...Weather reports are changing by the hour these days...Always check Windfinder and the local weather before going out..

Apparently the Bass are still in the same shallow spots I used to fish.I've moved on from those spots in the last few years feeling that there are still Bass guarding nests.Also became no challenge at all like shooting fish in a barrel..Part of the fun with the fly rod is sighting and stalking them...Didn't see a lot roaming where I was but I'm sure things can change day by day.... All I can say is the fishery has changed quite a bit over the years.My observations of course..

I thought with the delayed spring this year we would still see Bass nesting.Then again not much ice on Erie this winter.Probably try a different area next trip but I've got Buckhorn first.

I usually avoid Bass opener weekends and especially Sunday but didn't have many choices this week.Fished from 7 am to 2:30 and had lookers, bumps, hit and spit, jump and throw….At the end of the day I think I actually touched 4 Bass with my hand..I found the numbers of sighted fish way down. Might have seen only 3-4 Bass guarding nests and none paired up..Those days are gone.Keep in mind I fly fish out of a kayak for the first few weeks but dont really feel disadvantaged at all..I know every year is different and more fish could show up tomorrow..But years ago typical days in the first two weeks of Bass season would be 15-30 fish all on the fly...Nesting Bass would still be every where in the shallows. 

How did everyone else do?

Thanks for all the responses!! I chose to take Chrisb's and others advice on the South Bend dollar store one which is the same one that Smerch posted from Amazon.ca on the left...I have zero doubt its the same digital scale mechanism that South Bend puts in much more fancier body and sells for $40...Good enough for my retired income right now..Honestly not obsessed with fish weights but am curious if I'm actually hitting 6 pounders on Erie.....I also added an el cheapo bogda grip to it instead of the hook...Can hardly wait to hit Erie and Buckhorn...   

14 hours ago, Chrisb said:

I picked one up at Dollarama for $5 last week. It was recommended by other members here.

this link is not Dollarama but it is the unit they sell.

 

https://fishingworld.ca/products/south-bend-electronic-scale

Thanks that one gets some good reviews for its price point... 

Any word on the Crystal Beach boat launch??

So a standard credit card no longer works at these ticket booths??