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Try Sherkston Shores for a Great Family Vacation - Part 2

By: Alan M. Kassirer Click author's name for more of his/her articles

In In my first article about Sherston Shores and the surrounding area I told you about the swimming and some of the many other activities you can enjoy there. In this article I'll tell you about the smallmouth bass fishing. It's the fantastic fishing that keeps bringing me back to Sherkston. As I said before, Lake Erie is very clean in southern Ontario. When you're out on a boat, you can see the bottom even when the water is 20 feet deep. Not only is the water crystal clear but the number of smallmouth bass that live there is amazing. Many of the fishermen anchor or drift over about 20 feet of water and fish for the smallmouth with diving crank baits. Since I don't have a boat, unless I can find a ride, I have to find a different way to hook these great fish. That's what I want to tell you about today.

There is a wreck of an old barge about a mile from the beach. During World War II when the value of steel increased, the authorities decided to recover as much of the wreck as possible. They constructed a temporary dam to dry the lake bed from the shore to the wreck. Then they constructed a road out to the barge and carried a huge amount of steel back to shore. When they removed the dam and flooded the road, they left behind a fisherman's paradise. Most of the time, the old road sits at the bottom of one to four feet of water for the first half mile or so toward the wreck. From the edge of the road, the water immediately drops off to be between five and eight feet. This is where the bass hang out looking for their next meal. I've found that top water baits with no weight work great for a while after dawn and a while before dark. During the middle of the day I like to use a shallow diving or rattling crank bait. These bronze backs will bite at any time of the day. As a matter of fact, I'm not joking when I tell you that I've caught over 100 fish in a day many times. Most of the smallmouth I've caught while wading on the road are between 10 and 15 inches long and the biggest one I hooked was 21 inches long.

The season starts on the fourth Saturday in June and continues through the end of November. You have several choices when it comes to fishing licenses. If you're going to be angling in the lake for a week or less, you can purchase an eight day sport fishing or conservation license. The sport fishing license lets you to keep up to six smallmouth bass per day and the conservation license has a limit of two smallies per day. If you'll be at Sherkston for more than eight days, you should get a seasonal sport fishing or conservation license. The limits are the same but the license is good for the year. Since I always catch and release, I save some money by getting a conservation license.

Well, if great swimming, family activities and fishing aren't enough reasons to visit Sherkston Shores, there are more. In part 3 of this series, I'll tell you about a few of the fun things to do within a short drive of the resort. Stay tuned. Sherkston consists mainly of privately owned and rental cottage units. There is also a camping area where you can pitch your camping tent and stay for a day, a week, or longer. You can also buy a daily access pass if all you want to do is pack a picnic lunch and enjoy a day of recreation. Don't forget that if you're coming from the United States, you will need either a passport or one of the new passport cards to return home after your vacation. Sherkston Shores is simple to get to. Just cross the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, NY and go west on Route 3 for 8 miles. Sherkston Shores will be on the left at Empire Road. There are also signs to guide you in.

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About The Author: Alan Kassirer has been fishing at Sherkston Shores for over 40 years. He also owns Picnic Baskets and More, an online store offering picnic baskets, BBQ tools and other picnic accessories. Alan also recommends Camping Gear Stop for the best camping tents and other camping gear.