Keeping Tabs On PIB

This is my first report on my home waters of Presque Isle Bay in Erie, PA. I'm not home very often from March through October, out on tour, but I'll attempt to keep "tabs" on what's going on throughout the year, and post when I can! Right now I can tell you that the fishing has been great. I target crappies mostly, but the gills have really been active in Misery Bay especially, and the overall average size has been better than the last couple seasons. The crappies were on fire at very first ice, but have since spread out a little bit. Misery Bay is my choice for them, but I lost them for a couple trips after that initial bite. They are further out toward the main bay and not associating to the grass as much. I'm fishing large bare spots (I found in the boat in Dec) and those fish are passing through in wolf packs. I'm drilling a bunch of holes and hoping around with a MarCum LX 5 flasher in 10-12'. Most fish are suspended in that 5-8' range and many actually bite in 3-4'. A 1/32oz. Glow VMC Tungsten Tubby paired with a Chart/Glow, or Glow TriggerX Nymph is my #1 weapon. Light #1 test line is key for those "lookers", and keeping that knot pushed down is critical as well, it keeps the bait horizontal in the water and provides a lot more action when you shake the bait..Cant stress that enough when it's tough. I use Sufix Ice Magic on a White Out reel and White Out 28.5" UL rod. It's the absolute perfect action for jerking big slabs in my opinion, but in messing around with some of the new Tickle Sticks from 13, there might be a change on the horizon. Good luck out there and blink often, you don't want your eyeballs to freeze…Imagine that!!!!! ~D