The Original Erie Dearie Lure
Those who have visited this site before might already know that the Erie Dearie has been a favorite lure of mine for many years. Before utilizing it as an all-purpose lure, I had successfully used the Original Erie Dearie in the past for walleye on Lake Erie. Since then, I've discovered how versatile it is for almost any other popular sport fish.
In most cases, fish are attracted to any one of several presentations: Flash, noise, scent, and live bait. I've never claimed to be a great fisherman, nor will I ever. But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that an Erie Dear provides an opportunity to utilize all four presentations at once. The blade causes the noise and flash, tipping the lure with cut, live or even juiced artificial bait can provide the scent.
Although I've used the Erie Dearie for largemouth bass and aggressive catfish while fishing Florida waters, I've had my best success on Lake Michigan fishing for brown trout and coho salmon. I usually tip the lure with a night crawler, but squid and cut bait will work as well. I usually bring both crawlers and squid, so as to have whatever the fish are taking on any given day.
All usual the techniques for browns and cohos also apply when using an Erie Dearie. Cohos will usually hit within the first 6 feet, and will do so with either a crawler or squid. The browns will usually hit night crawlers deeper, but are also aggressive at almost any depth.
Although there are many sizes and colors to choose from, I've only caught trout and salmon using red, or red over white. The size of choice has always been the 3/8 ounce lure, mostly because is easier to control the depth. Obviously it becomes harder to cover the top 4-6 feet with a lure that wants to drop to the bottom like a rock.
The only drawback to the Erie Dearie is the size of the hook because the larger hook is designed for walleye. Since trout and salmon are primarily caught with smaller hooks, you're bound to miss several fish. The upside to that is that the missed fish are probably going to be on the smaller side.
One way to avoid loosing fish may be by rigging a smaller hook or by using a "stinger" as a trailer. A "stinger" works well with crawlers because the trailer is a smaller hook that is attached to the crawler's tail end. This is a trick that Chuck clued me in on several years ago, and may in fact work with an Erie Dearie in the same manner as the traditional trailer used with spinner baits.
Original Erie Dearie Lures be found in most tackle shops or department stores that carry fishing equipment. The come on a variety of colors and sizes and can be purchased for about $2.50. For more information about the Erie Dearie, visit their website at www.eriedearie.com.
Overall, because of its versatility, I give the Original Erie Dearie 4 out of 4 stars.