Hot Action On Lake Erie

Jeff Liskay leans into a hefty freshwater drum along the Lake Erie shoreline a little west of Rocky River. Drum go onto a big feed after spawning and can provide fast action on a fly rod.

Drum are often found chasing baitfish high in the water column. This day the fish were hitting emerald shiner imititions around 10 feet down in 20'-24' feet of water. A Streamer Express line was the perfect tool to present a fly to these fish.

Bangin' The Drum

Meet the Freshwater Drum (Aplodinotis grunniens), known in my neck of the woods as Sheepshead. This is one of the most widely freshwater fishes being found from southern Canada down into Mexico. Maligned in the northern part of its' range as a trash fish, it is valued as both a sport and food fish as you head south.

Drum are strong fighters when hooked and can be taken on a vriety of baits and artificials. They commonly reach 5 to 10 pounds and unlike many freshwater fish make strong runs when hooked. Unknown to most anglers, drum hit flies readily and often do some knuckle busting when first hooked. This fish hit a tube pattern tied by Dog Friend Jeff Liskay on a Eumer Ball Head tube.

A New Friend of The Dog

We love fish dogs and here is our newest friend. Winston, a 5-year old Golden Retriever fishes regularly with Mike Batke, of Baldwin Creek Lodge in Baldwin, MI. Mike guides on the Pere Marquette River and is also the owner of Stealth Craft Boats. Winston helps to supervise all activies and is official greeter for guests at the lodge.

Small Stream Fun

A double Fish Dog "woof" to Matt Dunn from J.L. Waters in Bloomington, IN. Matt was kind enough to share some of his favorite water and we enjoyed an evening of small stream surface action for smallmouth. Smallmouth bass, and a variety of other species are the native stream fish across much of the United States and are subject to many of the same environmental impacts as trout are. Agricultural runoff, loss of habitat, and overfishing are several of the stresses on many small river and creeks across the Midwest.

Pretty As A Picture!

One of my favorite sunfish species is Lepomis megalotis, the Long Eared Sunfish. Rarely over 8 inches long, this fish is found through much of eastern North America from the Great Lakes to northeastern Mexico. It is common in slower moving streams and rivers where it feeds on a variety of insects and crustaceans. This one was caught in southeast Indiana. Trout may get the top billing for color, but most sunfish species are also multi-hued.

Why We Call It Red Eye

There are several species of Ambloplites more commonly known as Rock Bass. They are widely spread through much of the eastern and middleUnited States and Canada found in the St. Lawrence, Great Lakes, and mid to upper Mississippi drainages. Other names are Red Eye and Goggle Eye. They max out at 10-12 inches long and may weigh a little over a pound. They love to eat flies we fish for smallmouth. Rock Bass will hit hard, but then their size betrays them and they come in easily. This one hit a crippled minnow diver.