# Better late than never for fall Saugeyes



## reyangelo (May 28, 2014)

Finally decided to place the Crappies aside and move on to Saugeyes. Feels like I am arriving later than usual for Saugeye season, but since I didn't keep any Crappie figured I'd move on to Fish I enjoy to eat.  On 11/24 hit some waters up North of Alum and the bite was good, only problem was it did not include anything I was targetting. Caught couple 14 inch Saugeyes plus ~12 Smallmouth. For some reason I became a Smallmouth magnet even when I switched from swims to stick lures. After 40 minutes decided to move to another water closer to home. On the next spot fished late night and caught 5 Saugeyes which included 2 keepers (18 and 19 inch'rs). On 11/25 fished from ~2100-2350ET, within a few cast had a nice fatty (24 inch+) but when I reeled it in the Eye rolled into someone's left over line (had to be 10 yards or more of bundled mono against the rocks). It was rolling on the line and flopping before I could reach down to grab it, plus my lure got snagged on it by then so I had no chance of attempts to lifting it out of the water. As I was reaching down, it unhooked itself and swam away . First opportunity I had went to my car and brought my Fishing Net. Remainder of the night used only Big Joshy Swims (very SLOW retrieve as Saugeye Master fishslim suggested) resulting in couple keepers plus some dinks. I did redeem myself by catching a nice 25 incher and it helped having my Net. Good start to my late fall Saugeye season. Probably will keep at it for the next 4 weeks or so (as time/family permits too). Goodluck amd TightLines.
Note: It was a pleasure chatting/meeting couple OGF members (allbraid and kwizzle) including getting some tips which I really appreciate. I am still trying to learn the Stick lure tuning for Saugeyes, but in the meantime I will keep using my swims majority of the time for Eyes.
(Pic of the 4 from the 2 days; 17, 18, 19, and 25)


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## Big Oil (Sep 19, 2014)

Nice report!!!


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## Skippy (Dec 2, 2009)

You mite be a little late for the season but it looks like you will catch up pretty fast. Nice bunch of eyes.. Things are just getting interesting.


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## 1basshunter (Mar 27, 2011)

You where just waiting for prime time


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## polebender (Oct 29, 2011)

Great looking saugeyes! It's amazing when a saugeye gets to 23"+ how much thicker and wider they get! They just look so much bigger than a fish that is just a few inches shorter! Congrats!


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## fishslim (Apr 28, 2005)

Very nice keep on slamming those girls on the Joshys. Jerkbait bite can wait.lol nice job


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## reyangelo (May 28, 2014)

fishslim said:


> Very nice keep on slamming those girls on the Joshys. Jerkbait bite can wait.lol nice job


Thanks. I will need to stock up on some more Joshy's if this keeps up


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## reyangelo (May 28, 2014)

polebender said:


> Great looking saugeyes! It's amazing when a saugeye gets to 23"+ how much thicker and wider they get! They just look so much bigger than a fish that is just a few inches shorter! Congrats!


Yeah, I did not get an official weight on it but it was hefty...made the others look small in comparison.


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## FlashGordon (Mar 19, 2014)

Nice fish Rey!


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## CrappieCraver (Mar 29, 2015)

I'm new to saugeye fishing but I'm no virgin, any tips to make my ventures more productive???


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## canoe carp killer (Apr 2, 2014)

Very nice Rey!!!! Congrats!! We gotta go out sometime


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## reyangelo (May 28, 2014)

CrappieCraver said:


> I'm new to saugeye fishing but I'm no virgin, any tips to make my ventures more productive???


CrappieCraver, I'd probably suggest reading some of the posts (not trying to be rude, but past couple weeks there have been several posts on Saugeyes) of what folks are using, methods, and when. I am learning every year new methods, techniques, etc from here plus knowledge swapping at sites. Aside from members not posting their honey hole (I generalize my water locations, but location is very important too), some do provide what is working for them; I don't want to sound rude but have to mention it takes time/effort to gain knowledge for what works best for yourself as well. Example, at the moment I am still learning how to "tune" some of my lures. Luckily, I had a few which are already well-balanced and in my opinion do not need "tuning". I used one yesterday casting out ~35 yards and let it drop/suspend idle for about 15 seconds+ initially then started my slow "jerk" retrieve. At one drop, I let it sit over 30 seconds and got a huge hit twice...do not know what it was but lost it plus my lure  . Alot of debris/rocks/etc when fishing near the bottoms. I switched to swims (tried several from Twister Tails, Storm Shad, Joshy) and finally brought a nice 23 inch Saugeye in. There were 5 people nearby and it was the only Saugeye brought in the session I was there (at least I did not view or was aware of someone reeling one in, mostly SMB's were hitting).
On the flipside, since I mostly use swim baits there have been instances which the "jerk" bait users have caught Saugeyes and I have not. So, I'd say keep a variety if possible (tip ) of swim baits (Twister Tails and Big Joshy's have been good to me aside from losing some to bottom rock snags) and Stick lures (I use different brands but most are the 2-4 foot type suspending lure). Hope this helps and Goodluck.


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## reyangelo (May 28, 2014)

canoe carp killer said:


> Very nice Rey!!!! Congrats!! We gotta go out sometime


I'll be going at it from Saturday -Tuesday night dependent on time/family. Just let me know when your free Hank. I have to stay nearby home though, got baby due soon but think I will be at it for 2 or 3 more weeks at least.


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## reyangelo (May 28, 2014)

It has been rough past couple days. For personal reasons (pregnant wife) I need to stay near my home and the nearby spots available have been a little hard for me this week. In the end, caught 2 keepers (23 & 24 inches) which I would take any day. One on a SLOW retrieve Swim Bait and the other hit my suspending lure casted out ~35+ yards and left idle (suspending) ~30 seconds. I did lose one lure yesterday utilizing the idle method but it is another lesson learned plus risk-vs-reward. Will be back at it Saturday night, goodluck out there while the weather is nice.


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## OnTheFly (Jul 30, 2010)

Nice fish! I have just been playing with the dinks lately lol.


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## Bleeding Minnow (Feb 22, 2012)

OnTheFly said:


> Nice fish! I have just been playing with the dinks lately lol.


yes nice ones! ive also been living in dink city this season. and lately ive purchased property in skunkville!


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## fishslim (Apr 28, 2005)

Was 4 for 6 last night 2 fat girls 23" and 22" other 2 16",18". Was rotating baits a lot 23" jerk,22" trap,other 2 on slims bait 3.25. 3 locations dead calm was helping. Still awesome weather for fishing


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## glasseyes (Jan 28, 2012)

Just a comment on tuning lures, not to be rude but reyangelo, it may be a little confusing to some that are not used to fishing the jerk bait , Sorry but there is no way you can have a properly tuned bait all the time. The water temp. effects the bait and depending on that your bait will sink or float. You really need to check it every time you hit the bank. I know guys have their own favorite ways of adding weight, mine are the dots and I just find that easier for me, but never the less if you don't do this every time out chances are good the bait is not tuned .


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## reyangelo (May 28, 2014)

glasseyes said:


> Just a comment on tuning lures, not to be rude but reyangelo, it may be a little confusing to some that are not used to fishing the jerk bait , Sorry but there is no way you can have a properly tuned bait all the time. The water temp. effects the bait and depending on that your bait will sink or float. You really need to check it every time you hit the bank. I know guys have their own favorite ways of adding weight, mine are the dots and I just find that easier for me, but never the less if you don't do this every time out chances are good the bait is not tuned .


Your right, I am still learning the art of tuning and only had 2 sure Lures which "suspended" evenly. The other Jerk Baits (Smithwicks) I had to let drop only for a few seconds and work them on slow retrieves since they would sink tail first. Unfortunately I lost one of the 2 good ones Monday. I need to start carrying lead strips at site, but know this also will add to the time I spend out there and attempting to balance at site. And you are not being rude to me by any means, rather get informed and continue my learning experience. Site knowledge is even more appreciated if you ever run into me. Thanks.


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## fishslim (Apr 28, 2005)

Rey quick question are you leaving the snap ring on your lure that comes with it or are you taking the snap ring off of the lure and then using a clip? I have found that most lures by taking the ring off the nose and then just using a number one clip that weight balance is pretty close to that ring itself. Another thing is where are you at your weight if lure is going tail first then first thing you need to do is figure away to make the lure not sink maybe by changing the treble hooks to thinner ones or smaller o rings on the treble hooks Now getting them to set level is again all about where you place your weight some lures its up on the front hook or the nose if you're using dots. Others which in most cases with me is the center hook if you're using a 3 hook lure, but yes it is important to get your lure to set evenly in the water to look natural when they sink as your other ones are doing when water temperatures are warmer and the fish don't care if the bait is just sitting still that's when I use this lure that tended sink because I'm constantly moving them.


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## reyangelo (May 28, 2014)

fishslim said:


> Rey quick question are you leaving the snap ring on your lure that comes with it or are you taking the snap ring off of the lure and then using a clip? I have found that most lures by taking the ring off the nose and then just using a number one clip that weight balance is pretty close to that ring itself. Another thing is where are you at your weight if lure is going tail first then first thing you need to do is figure away to make the lure not sink maybe by changing the treble hooks to thinner ones or smaller o rings on the treble hooks Now getting them to set level is again all about where you place your weight some lures its up on the front hook or the nose if you're using dots. Others which in most cases with me is the center hook if you're using a 3 hook lure, but yes it is important to get your lure to set evenly in the water to look natural when they sink as your other ones are doing when water temperatures are warmer and the fish don't care if the bait is just sitting still that's when I use this lure that tended sink because I'm constantly moving them.


Troy, at the moment I leave the ring on and tie it directly (not using clip or swivel) to my line (Seaguar InvizX Flourocarbon line [Yellow Box]). I have been informed about swapping rings out and hooks, will have to try different swaps as I continue to learn. Just seems like a whole other world regarding "tuning" lures, but I am going to continue reading and field testing as opportunity permits. Thanks for the info, much appreciated.


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## fishslim (Apr 28, 2005)

Understand my other reason I always take rings off baits is I have had knots break and wear tying directly to the rings having a edge to them I have seen it effect the line and knots I lose enough fish to other screw ups so I just like getting rid of a possible problem. Just a thought. Great job on the quality bites your getting. Tonight only a nice size largemouth do did not stay and fish late did not feel right. When I am still catching largemouth in the areas I usually get my eyes I know water is still to watm.


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## Skippy (Dec 2, 2009)

Have a whole box of split rings if anyone wants them.. Also by bending the line tie down a little will add a small amount of extra wobble to most of the stick/jerk baits out there. I do replace some stock hooks with the red treble hooks. These hooks tend to be lighter then the stock hooks. There tends to be a real fine line on the weight on the different hooks out there. Like fishslim say's, you just have to play with them till everything's running the way you like.


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## reyangelo (May 28, 2014)

Since last post stopped fishing basically remainder of December (welcomed newborn to the family). Still had my daily OGF news handy which helped fill in some of the missing rod/reel-in-hand gap. Got back out December 30th and it had been tough at first since water was dirty. For the most part was catching dinks plus some keepers on various Swimbaits: Majority caught on Berkley Ripple Shad 4in Pearl White, Havoc Grass Pig 5in Chartreuse, and Big Joshy's 3.25in Slims/Green Antifreeze. This was my second week back at it, still remained tough finding open waters with sufficient keepers (trying to avoid dinkville). Wednesday 01/06 was out for an hour and found them but the spot was a cove with a drop wall which wasn't ideal to be late night; since water levels are high, had to fish in 6-12 inches of standing water (no dry areas to cast from). Caught one nice keeper and called it a night. On 01/08 fished about 30 minutes but skunked, had problems with a new line (more info on note below). Yesterday 01/09 ~2230ET fished the same areas again, it started raining and got windy but once I got the first hit (took a while to find them) there was no way I was going back home. Had to cast far, reel slower than usual, and drag slightly on the bottom with best attempts of not getting snagged. Caught 3 keepers (16in and two 18in) utilizing 3.25in Big Joshy's Pink Antifreeze and Slims. These bites were quick and hard, felt more like White Bass type of hits. I did lose about 3 or 4 in the beginning due to not setting the hook fast enough. In the end, it was nice having 3 keepers. I may not be out for 7 days and hope these areas keep some open water. Picture was the best I was able to manage with the rain and winds.
Note: I was able to find the Saugeye but at these spots they are farther out. Seems I am finding the Saugeyes in the same locations as in November, but with the water levels being higher it is much farther out from the banks. So, added a new line (Nanofil Uni-Filament 12lb) to test (tested 4lb on Crappie with much success) since it casts out longer than most other lines. On 01/08 tried it and lost 4 Swim baits...Argh! I was ready to pull it all out but did more research/reading. Had success with it on 01/09 adding a FlouroCarbon 15lb leader tied on by methods of a Double Albright (tough knot with 2 hands). My error previous day was tying lures directly onto this line with the wrong knot too. This line does cast out farther and does have a different feel to it. Additionally, my Big Joshy order came in with new Duo Lock Snaps (first time using)...these are small, strong, think it adds more action to the Swims too, and with great results do not think I will be tying lures directly to my line as much. Goodluck and Tight Lines


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Great job on keeping the fish comeing... 
I also bought some of the snaps on joshys site the 0(before seeing he had 00 available) 
But i dont care much for the snaps. After switching baits a couple times there a PAIN to re-snap. 
So far ive been happiest with eagle claw brand. They seam to keep there original shape the best. Im not to happy with the cabelas brand either.... lol i know im being to picky there just a snap.haha...


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Skippy said:


> Have a whole box of split rings if anyone wants them.. Also by bending the line tie down a little will add a small amount of extra wobble to most of the stick/jerk baits out there. I do replace some stock hooks with the red treble hooks. These hooks tend to be lighter then the stock hooks. There tends to be a real fine line on the weigh. t on the different hooks out there. Like fishslim say's, you just have to play with them till everything's running the way you like.


Skip,i forget who,but someone on here mentioned useing the snap rings to tune stickbaits with. I was out a few weeks ago,an forgot my lead strips so tried the split ring idea. It actually worked GREAT. There just the right size to make a difference. They take a bit longer then the tape,but last. I still primarly use the tape,bit have also been useing the rings. May add a littlesound as well.


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## reyangelo (May 28, 2014)

Thanks. No such thing as being picky  I swap and test different brands/types as time/money permits. Never tried using a Duo Lock Snap for Saugeye Swimsbaits before...but I am liking it.


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