This year has been crazy, the whole darn global warming thing has cooled the waters of the big lakes 6 to 10 degrees this year, lake levels are up, and the mayfly hatch is a few weeks behind schedule.
While some of the older anglers still believe that when the bugs rise from the bottom of Lake Erie its best to stay home, just the opposite is true. I have said before, and will keep saying it, get out there and go fishing. The eyes are eating, which means they are in an active mode of bite first, worry later.
Look for the big mats of floating fish flies, fish around them either casting “weapons” or trolling meat rigs…aka…crawler harnesses. Hot metal blades this time of the year are…..COPPER. Just about anything placed on top of a copper blade will make your day productive. Makes since, flies are brownish, make the blades brownish. A greenish/yellowish tint on a Mack’s Smile blade in motor oil is also bug like, and that slow spin stays in the strike zone longer. Goby patterns on copper, and even gold are good producers. Dark colors going through the rising mayflies work well too, Erie’s favorite color continues to work here too. In case you didn’t know, its purple. Purple Pirate, Purple Claw, Mystic, Voo Doo and regular all purple blades shine during the hatch.
So if you haven’t already, go out there and fish, take your dad’s. Happy Father’s Day.