That’s what fish will take all winter long.  Flatfish have mostly gone out the window, and you can always pick up a fish or two on single eggs, flies, and egg sacks.  A recent day yielded 5-6 fish out of every pack of fish I found, all taking jigs.  You don’t have to have many of them or in any extreme colors, just whites, blues, greens, darks, and a few flashier ones on 1/64 oz to 1/16 oz.  Swim the jig in front of packs  of fish and if the first line of fish doesn’t like you might have fish coming from the back of the back to strike.  Often I use one color all day and never have to change.  White and blue are my favorites.  If the water picks up speed and color I’ll switch to skein or egg sacks.  That and a can of single eggs from Poor Richard’s in Erie are all you need to catch fish all winter in open water.  If it freezes….break out the auger.

On another note I may not guide again for quite some time with my twins being 6 weeks old.  My focus will always remain on them and fishing a distant second and when I am able to fish I’d like to actually fish for myself for a change and then get them into it.  I’ll keep this site up just in case I want to start back and might just keep it as a fishing blog with reports.  It may change into something else as I my devote any guiding time to charitable causes that get wounded veterants and disabled children out fishing.  I look forward to the years that come and someday I’ll have my 2 boys stomping around the Erie streams chasing Steelhead.  My worst fear is not that they won’t be into fishing, but that  they’ll be ten times the fisherman I ever was!  I can only hope.

-JB