Fishing Report by Capt. Walt Ermansons



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Fishing report for the week of August 10, 2008.

This latest report is not going to be about fishing although I wish that was all I had to talk about. This report is a sad story about River Marine, the home of "The Trophy" collapsing into the Ashtabula River this past weekend. What started as a crack just a few days before the total collapse worsened rapidly and the end result was the entire concrete slab with the docks and part of the building sent tumbling into the water. Fortunately nobody was hurt and the boats were not damaged as the docks were torn free from the bulkhead as everything collapsed.

I was able to scramble back onto the twisted wreckage and cut myself loose. Others had already moved their boats. I had looked at other docks that very same morning and was about to move my boat somewhere else when I got the call that it was too late. Man, it went fast ! Many have speculated as to how this could have happened after that property had stood there as is for over a hundred years with a steel company there before it was tore down and then years later the River Marine building put up. All the existing bulk heads were there as well all those years. How could something like this happen ?

Well, I'll tell you what I think. I think it's a combination of factors combined that resulted in the disaster. Many of you that had read some of my previous reports this summer may remember be mentioning that the river was being dredged and that they took it down to a uniform depth of 20 foot, wall to wall across the river. Bingo. What used to be only a few feet deep right by the wall was now dug out to 20 foot ! Now, I'm no Einstein but ... that and the bridge project where they have the huge drawbridge just a few feet away from River Marine standing straight up in the air for over 4 months now day and night shaking and swaying in the wind... I'm not saying anything, I'm just saying ...

The implications to this for everyone is going to be significant. I already have found a new dock location at least for the rest of this year just a few hundred yards back up river right by the Oar House Saloon. Coming from Rt. 11 like you normally come, go all the way north on 11 till it dead ends. Then turn left like you did before to go to River Marine but only go exactly 6/10ths of a mile and at the bottom of the hill you turn left into The Oar House's Parking lot. It is a big square white block building that looks like a ware house. Sadly it is not marked very well. I don't know how this will all play out but most importantly it's not looking good for fishing licenses or fish cleaning services at the end of the day unless they get something temporarily put up in a hurry. I am urging all my upcoming trips to contact me on my cell, 216-387-2656 as soon as possible to discuss other options. There are options but the bottom line is it will not be as convenient as we have all grown accustomed to. Very sad.

Capt. Walt



Source: Capt. Walt Ermansons August 10, 2008 at 17:49:37


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