Re: Need info on Fairport Harbor, OH
This link should help you get started....
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/watercraft/areasbycounty/lake/tabid/2352/Default.aspx
FIRST THINGS FIRST: GET A FISHING LICENSE!!!!!!
I went to Cleveland State University and fished in Fairport Harbor for Walleye a lot! A couple things...
There is a Coast Guard AND Fairport Harbor Police station RIGHT THERE at the mouth of the river. Because the Grand River is KNOWN to be a place the Coho Salmon always seem to come back to, they are EXTREMELY vigilant about making sure EVERYONE has a fishing license and will have NO PROBLEM boarding your boat, especially being from "out of state" and checking you out! My buddy Norm lives in Timberlake (about an hour or less West of Fairport) and told me 2 weeks ago that the majic number is 30 to 50 feet and in Fairport, that's not too far offshore and with a decent set of binoculars, you should be able to see the hotties sunbathing on the beach!!!
In addition, because the "Zebra Muscles" have been running rampant in Lake Erie, the water is really clear so fishing a little deeper (much slower retrieve) is essential to catching the Walleye nowadays.
Red Head, White Body 1/2 ounce, 3/4 ounce and 1 ounce "Erie Dearies" with a full nightcrawler are the hottest baits and no matter what anyone says, they still catch the most, as well as the largest Walleyes. We have also trolled Chartresuse divers, used the bottom bouncing sinker combo lures and just about everything else we could throw at them but drifting in the 30 to 50 foot range and tossing the Erie Dearies still outproduce.
By the way, start your drift, cast the Erie Dearie, let it hit bottom, start reeling. Also, don't be afraid to be outfished by "Rod Holder" as he was always the best fisherman on my boat! With a seperate rod/reel combo, open your bail, let the Erie Dearie combo down to the bottom, close the bail, put the rod in the holder and keep and eye on it while you are retrieving your other lure.
Another little trick we used to use, bring some "red" nail polish. If you have a wife, daughter, girlfriend or someone you know that has nail polish, get the red stuff! Sometimes when the Walleye are hot, ALL you can find at the store is "White" Erie Dearies as all the red head/white bodies have been sold. If you are stuck buying white Erie Dearies, paint the head "red" and you have all your troubles taken care of!
If you get your limit of Walleye and don't feel like heading in yet, fishing just out of "shore casting range" at the end of the Fairport Jetty is always a good bet for Perch. Anchor up, a good Perch Rig or a "spreader" will keep you in the Perch for a good long time and that end of the pier always produces. Another trick ... when you go to the bait store, ask for his "dead" minnows after you have bought your live minnows. We would bring a small bag of sand, take a handful of sand and minnows, smash them all together like you are making a snowball and drop it right behind the boat in the current and the Perch would come a runnin'...!!! ... Do that every 10 minutes or so.
If the Coho are around, although it is probably way too early for them, but if you get your limit of Walleye and Perch and you still don't want to head home just yet, try drifting and casting or SLOW trolling Wiggle Warts in Black Back Shiner pattern or Black 1 ounce Rooster Tails right at the mouth. We used to catch lots doing that.
And Rutherfords Landing has OVER 400 beers, in stock..... !
