Erieau, Canada Steelhead Fishing 7/18/2007 Fishing on Lake Erie 50 miles East of Windsor With Captain Henry Nabors The Alternative 22 Fourwinns 225 7/18/2008 7/17/2007 7/23/2005 7/16/2004 7/17/2004 7/31/2003 8/28/2003
Steelhead A Family Affair Fishing Erieau, Canada On Lake Erie
Where Point Pelee is Erieau?
It is not far at all!
Canadian Border Crossing Personal: Passport or other approved documents Boat & Trailer: - First Trip Each Year: Boat Registration & Trailer Registration Get Blue Document at Canadian Customs - Other Crossings: Show Personal Id & Blue Boat Document Duty Free Gas: When Crossing at the Bridge, don t forget to fill up the vehicle AND the boat! It is EASY!
Town of Erieau
Launch and Marina Area
Marina Info Launch Two Ramps Transient Slips Nice Rest Rooms and Showers Covered Picnic Area Swimming Pool Beach Near by Lots of Parking for Trailers and Cars
Where are the Fish? ASK!!!! Ask Jim or other staff at Barney s. They will tell you the direction in degrees and the number of miles from port. They get there information from the Charter Captains at the marina. Example: 210 degrees for four miles
^ Here is where we fish! ^
Techniques Speed GPS Tracking Depth Surface Temp & Scum Lines Lure Color & Size Presentation Downriggers Leadcore Dipsy Divers Copper Planner Boards Keeping Records
Speed 3.6MPH When in doubt GO FASTER!!!
Speed: Steelhead like it fast 3.2 to 3.8 Walleye will bite if you slow down below 3.2 Just Ask Pat, Ron or Dan
11 Steelhead on Left - Speed 3.6 MPH; 13 Walleye on Right 3.0 Speed
Surface Temperature Surface Temps Change a good bit because the water is not very deep and wind shifts Look for temperature breaks on the surface; they cause Scum Lines. Steelhead love scum lines!!
Depths to Fish June 10 15 down in 30 to 45 of water July 15 35 down in 30 to 55 of water Aug 25 50 down in 50 to 70 of water
Time to Fish for Steelhead Steelhead are a very civilized fish!! Most days we fish from 9 am to about 4 pm. We frequently drive from the Detroit Area and arrive about 8 am and are on the water by 9 am. We pull lines about 4 pm and on our way home by 6 pm. It is a great ONE DAY OUTING!!
GPS Tracking Use the GPS to mark every fish caught and for every release where you know there was a fish on the line. Trolling Pattern: Go through the GPS away-points marking the fish/releases; repeat the pattern until you stop catching fish. Our 14 fish + 3 releases were in a 1.5 mile long by a mile wide area.
Lure Color & Size Orange, yellow, copper, red and one steelhead on a blue/green mag dolphin
Presentation I usually run eight rods: 4 on Downriggers (2 rods per ball stacked 10 a part) 2 Dipsy Divers 2 Copper or Leadcore (no planner boards)
Downriggers
Downriggers
Presentations Leadcore: 3 color 5 color 7 color 10 color Use your old rods and broken leadcore line to make up Rods with selected lengths. I use a lot of 3 and 5 color rods at Erieau.
Other Presentations: Copper, Dipsy Divers and wireline Dipsy
Presentation: Planner Boards - In Line - Big Boards
One Week of Steelhead Fishing at Erieau Steelhead Walleye Type Day July Crew Red = Rookie Caught Lbs Lost Hooked Caught Lbs Family/MWS Mon 14 HN, NN, DZ 8 41.8 3 11 2 5.8 Family Tue 15 HN, NN 4 26.9 3 7 Family Wed 16 HN, NN, SC, KC 7 41.3 5 12 MWS Tournament Thur 17 HN, NN, CN, DK 9 54.6 4 13 1 1.9 Family/MWS Fri 18 HN, NN, DK 15 82.5 3 18 Fam/Friends Sat 19 HN, NN, KO, GO 15 89.4 3 18 Gift Trip - CRWC Sun 20 HN, JC, LC, GC, SG 10 51.8 5 15 3 11.4 Total 68 388.3 26 94 6 19.1 Ratio 72% 28% 100% Avg Weight 5.7 3.2
The Alternative 2008 Steelhead Season @ Erieau Days Fished - 15 Steelhead Hooked 155 Steelhead Caught 117 Success Ratio 75% Weight Caught 660 lbs Average Steelhead 5.6 lbs Largest Steelhead 9.9 lbs
How Do I Know? I Keep RECORDS!
Just Ask Anyone that Crews on The Alternative
The Things I Track Who GPS Time Speed Dir Surf Temp Fish Type Lost/Rls/# Lbs Rod/ Type Back/ Down Depth Lure
Why Fish Erieau? Outstanding Steelhead Fishery It is close to home Easy one day fishing trip Very Nice Welcoming Town Very Nice Welcoming People Not a Bad Walleye Fishery if you care! DID I MENTION? Outstanding Steelhead Fishery
Wheatley ^ 25 Miles Closer to Windsor Smaller Launch (free) Little or no Marina facilities Good Fishing Talk to Nick or the other guys that like Wheatley!
Licenses Non Residents ($ Can/US) Type Regular Conservation Full Year $68.00/63.00 $41.75/39.00 Eight Day $43.50/41.00 $25.25/24.00 One Calendar Day $18.25/17.00 Limits - Steelhead 5 2 - Walleye 6 2 New Outdoors Card - $9.00/5.75 for 3 Yrs Exchange Rate: March 09: $1 US = $1.08 Canadian
Experienced Captains Erieau Erieau Total Captain Boat 7/17 8/2 2009 Drum Phil Drum Beat 14 14 28 Nabors Henry The Alternative 8 10 18 Robertson Jim Picture This 10 6 16 Skrobot David Toucan 6 8 14 Bellemore Ron 3 4 7 Maschke Ron The Brat 3 3 6 Fraser Ray Stolen Hours 3 2 5 Wood John Low Profile 4 4 Bustos Phil Wet Burrito 3 3 Christoph Hermann The Reel Affair 3 3 Nelson Joel Becky Sue 3 3 Zantop Duane Sea Tiger IV 3 3
2009 Experienced Crew Crew Captain 17-Jul 2-Aug Total Drum Marty Marty Drum 14 14 28 Keifer Dan Clinton River 8 10 18 Braddock Pat Wood 4 10 14 Nalipi Mike/Pop Dave Skrobot 6 8 14 Post Michelle Skrobot 6 8 14 Witte Ron Scrobot/Robertson 6 8 14 Stinnett Brian Jim Robertson 10 10 Zirles Carman Jim Robertson 10 10 Nabors Chris Henry Nabors 8 8 Nabors Nancy Henry Nabors 8 8 Bellemore Brett Ron Bellemore 3 4 7 Sgromolo Dave Fabian Sepulveda 3 3 6 John Wright Ron Maschke 3 3 6 Wood Sue John Wood 4 2 6 Bellemore Gary Ron Bellemore 3 3 Bustos Derek Phil Bustos 3 3 Bustos Jeff Phil Bustos 3 3 Strunk David Ron Maschke 3 3 Vidusic George Ray Fraser 3 3
Others with Experience
Captain Comments Dave Skrobot, Jim Robertson, Phil Drum Rookie Ron Bellemore Others Crew Comments Ron Witte, Roger Edgington, Dan Keifer Rookie Dave Sgromolo Others
Questions?