# Indian Lake Saugeye Slam(year 2) oct15-dec1



## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

Told John Stahl I’d post this on here. The 2nd Annual Indian lake saugeye slam is coming up. This is run through the fish donkey app using a bump board, I was in it last year and it is run very well. 100% payout including 1st-5th and big fish. Entry is 30$ if you have any questions just post them in comments. Literally anyone could win big fish, also raffles for at entry number 20,40,60,80,100. So the sooner you enter the more raffles you qualify for.


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## dcool (Apr 14, 2004)

With all the weeds on Indian Lake, it should be interesting to see what's caught.


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

dcool said:


> With all the weeds on Indian Lake, it should be interesting to see what's caught.


Fish I’ve seen from there have been much nicer than normal, just not as many being caught.


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## brad crappie (Sep 29, 2015)

Just wondering are they good weeds? Like coontail? Many of lake has been ruin with them spraying and killing weeds! I know Indian was good without tho!!!


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## Creek Warrior (Sep 8, 2021)

Curious, is there a way we can see the results from last years tournament?


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

Creek Warrior said:


> Curious, is there a way we can see the results from last years tournament?


Only if you were in it, screenshot posted below, keep in mind it was only 2 weeks last year. My guess is 95-98 to win(4 fish). They’re bigger this year.


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)




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## Dovans (Nov 15, 2011)

So the only cost to me is entry fee? I dont have to pay to use Fish donkey..


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

Dovans said:


> So the only cost to me is entry fee? I dont have to pay to use Fish donkey..


The app itself is free, but there is a tournament fee that goes along with it. I believe it is 33.50$ total.


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

Tournament starts Friday! Get signed up.


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## Creek Warrior (Sep 8, 2021)

Wanted to do it this year but not sure I have enough time to commit to it. How did the first weekend go?


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

Creek Warrior said:


> Wanted to do it this year but not sure I have enough time to commit to it. How did the first weekend go?
> [/Q





Creek Warrior said:


> Wanted to do it this year but not sure I have enough time to commit to it. How did the first weekend go?


Been slow lots of shorts, biggest fish entered so far is 18 3/4 but i know a lot of people aren’t gonna enter anything under 20. Weeds are starting to die, but can’t fish wind blown areas cause the dead ones cover the surface.


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## fshnmaster (Nov 10, 2016)

80% of my fish have been shorts... give it a few weeks and weeds should be died off and bite improved. I've been hitting it almost every day and been pretty slow for everyone


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## Creek Warrior (Sep 8, 2021)

Thanks for the updates!


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

Creek Warrior said:


> Thanks for the updates!


Yeah I’d say perch are still what’s biting the best, could change soon though.


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## Creek Warrior (Sep 8, 2021)

Any monsters caught so far?


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## MarkoSharko (Jun 14, 2020)

Any updates?


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

MarkoSharko said:


> Any updates?


Fishing has been slower than last year, I’ll post the current totals below.


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)




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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

Thanks for posting. Is there any difference in who is doing better-shore fisherman or boaters?


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

seems like having a Boat help slightly, but time on the water is most important. I know Dillon puts a lot of time in(from shore).


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## fshnmaster (Nov 10, 2016)

Muddy said:


> Thanks for posting. Is there any difference in who is doing better-shore fisherman or boaters?


Guy in 1st only bank fishes. Lots of bank only guys in top 10


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## fshnmaster (Nov 10, 2016)

Muddy said:


> Thanks for posting. Is there any difference in who is doing better-shore fisherman or boaters?


It mostly comes down to who puts in the most time. Not saying guys in top few spots aren't good fisherman but on a 6 week tournament if your not fishing at least 3-4 days a week you really don't stand a chance. Just my opinion


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

fshnmaster said:


> It mostly comes down to who puts in the most time. Not saying guys in top few spots aren't good fisherman but on a 6 week tournament if your not fishing at least 3-4 days a week you really don't stand a chance. Just my opinion


Agree 1000%. An imagine some of these guys fish every single nite.


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## fshnmaster (Nov 10, 2016)

Saugeyefisher said:


> Agree 1000%. An imagine some of these guys fish every single nite.


Yes most of the top ones do lol. I work 5 minutes away so I fish it often but not near as often as some of those guys. The bite this fall has been bad for the most part


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

fshnmaster said:


> Yes most of the top ones do lol. I work 5 minutes away so I fish it often but not near as often as some of those guys. The bite this fall has been bad for the most part










Yeah bite was horrible tonight 😂


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## fshnmaster (Nov 10, 2016)

BrandonMiller526 said:


> View attachment 478941
> Yeah bite was horrible tonight 😂


Nice fish but how many times have you limited this fall compared to others? I haven't fished for probably 9 days but before that it was sloww. Everyone I know was saying the same thing and these are all locals and good fisherman. It shoulda hopefully get better as the weeds die off with colder water temperatures


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Ya clearly hasn't fished the same this fall as the past. 
Of coarse there's still plenty of fish being caught as Brandon clearly proved.
I can't tell you how many times I've ran into people at other lakes that normally fish Indian this time of year.


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## Cobe24 (Sep 14, 2007)

Yes, it is fishing way different than it used to, at least so far. Fish can still be caught and have had a number of double-digit nights already. However, I am struggling to find those consistent hour+ bites that we are used to having on Indian. Fish do not seem to be chasing the big schools of shad through current points and wind blown channels like they used to, at least not yet. Many more fish seem to be scattered on the main lake. They are catchable, but are scattered in the weeds and not roaming. Catch 1 or 2 here and there but rarely a stand in one spot and get 20 fish type of bite. I have had a couple nights of catching 20 fish in a channel in 2 hours, but it has been the exception so far this year.


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## Cobe24 (Sep 14, 2007)

Also, totally agree on the tournament. I enjoy seeing the standings change and the fish being caught. It is fun to root for my buddies and the many great guys that you meet around the lake. There is a reason the names at the top are the names at the top. These guys are fantastic fishermen, but their odds are much greater due to how much they fish. Yes, you can win this tournament with 1 great night. However, if you fish 7 nights a week compared with 1 or 2 nights a week, the odds of having that great night are 3.5-7x greater to occur, before even taking into account the skill and knowledge of those guys.


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

fshnmaster said:


> Nice fish but how many times have you limited this fall compared to others? I haven't fished for probably 9 days but before that it was sloww. Everyone I know was saying the same thing and these are all locals and good fisherman. It shoulda hopefully get better as the weeds die off with colder water temperatures


It was a complete joke, this was my first limit since June at Indian. Think I got 8 keeper sized last night. I agree with everyone it’s fishing different, I do think the fish are there though.


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## EnonEye (Apr 13, 2011)

BrandonMiller526 said:


> Yeah bite was horrible tonight 😂


samicheseseseses


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## odell daniel (Nov 5, 2015)

in the past years jerkbaits have been my best bait after dark, I was stubborn the other night and stuck with a smithwick, while my son was hammering them on a joshy, I switched eventually. The Joshy out fished the smithwick 4 to 1. We were using the smallest Joshy's we can find 1/32 jig head, I think the clear water is allowing the fish to see the swimbaits a little better after dark. I got a couple on the 2.75 but not as many as the 2.3 slush.


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## Creek Warrior (Sep 8, 2021)

odell daniel said:


> in the past years jerkbaits have been my best bait after dark, I was stubborn the other night and stuck with a smithwick, while my son was hammering them on a joshy, I switched eventually. The Joshy out fished the smithwick 4 to 1. We were using the smallest Joshy's we can find 1/32 jig head, I think the clear water is allowing the fish to see the swimbaits a little better after dark. I got a couple on the 2.75 but not as many as the 2.3 slush.


I agree, the small swim baits for me have been the ticket all year. Don’t get me wrong, the smithwicks clearly produce but downsizing this year has done me pretty good!


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

Second limit of the week. Limit monday, 3 Wednesday, limit Thursday.


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## Creek Warrior (Sep 8, 2021)

BrandonMiller526 said:


> View attachment 479075
> Second limit of the week. Limit monday, 3 Wednesday, limit Thursday.


 Hell yea dude, you have been getting after it! I plan on going up there Sunday evening and beatin the bank. Did pretty good last Sunday, hoping to get a few more when I go.


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

Creek Warrior said:


> Hell yea dude, you have been getting after it! I plan on going up there Sunday evening and beatin the bank. Did pretty good last Sunday, hoping to get a few more when I go.










Saturday was a tough bite but I slowly pulled a limit. Oddly I never got a fire bite, just slow and steady with a fish ever 15 minutes or so. 50/50 keepers shorts. Did you make it out? 29 keeper sized saugeye in 4 trips this week!


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## Creek Warrior (Sep 8, 2021)

BrandonMiller526 said:


> View attachment 479168
> Saturday was a tough bite but I slowly pulled a limit. Oddly I never got a fire bite, just slow and steady with a fish ever 15 minutes or so. 50/50 keepers shorts. Did you make it out? 29 keeper sized saugeye in 4 trips this week!


Actually getting ready to load up the truck and head up that way. Should be there about 430 and plan on working my way around the lake.


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## fshnmaster (Nov 10, 2016)

Creek Warrior said:


> Actually getting ready to load up the truck and head up that way. Should be there about 430 and plan on working my way around the lake.


Find any eyes? Reports I saw looked decent


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## Creek Warrior (Sep 8, 2021)

fshnmaster said:


> Find any eyes? Reports I saw looked decent


It was a “slower” night than last week but still ended up landing 6, which 4 were legal fish. Threw them all back as I was out there just for sport. Talked to several others who were getting into some as well. Never had a hot bite moment, just singles here and there.


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## fshnmaster (Nov 10, 2016)

Creek Warrior said:


> It was a “slower” night than last week but still ended up landing 6, which 4 were legal fish. Threw them all back as I was out there just for sport. Talked to several others who were getting into some as well. Never had a hot bite moment, just singles here and there.


Ya its been pretty slow pickins for the most part. You can limit if you stay at it but I haven't had a fire bite this fall yet. I only bank fish though. I haven't had much luck at all in the channels. Seems like there super spread out and not schooled up from what I can tell. Been that way all fall


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

9 keeper sized tonight about as many shorts, makes 38 legal size saugeye in past week 5 trips.


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## Creek Warrior (Sep 8, 2021)

BrandonMiller526 said:


> View attachment 479231
> 9 keeper sized tonight about as many shorts, makes 38 legal size saugeye in past week 5 trips.


That’s awesome Brandon. Not trying to locate your hot spots but hoping to get some pointers. Are you finding this quantity/quality of fish mainly in one spot schooled up and just staying persistent to that area or are you constantly moving? And when I say moving, are you loading up the vehicle and going elsewhere or just keep walking the bank and picking them up along the way? Your advice would be appreciated as you clearly have the secret sauce right now!


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

Creek Warrior said:


> That’s awesome Brandon. Not trying to locate your hot spots but hoping to get some pointers. Are you finding this quantity/quality of fish mainly in one spot schooled up and just staying persistent to that area or are you constantly moving? And when I say moving, are you loading up the vehicle and going elsewhere or just keep walking the bank and picking them up along the way? Your advice would be appreciated as you clearly have the secret sauce right now!


I’ve done a little bit of everything, jerks, swims, live bait, main lake, backwater. Think the most important thing has been mainlake from sunset till about an hour later, then move into back water after that. Didn’t start fishing till dark last night, found what I would call a current break from a wind cut last night. For 4 hours i made cast to 3 different spots and repeated them in a cycle, fish kept reloading. Jerkbaits at sunset to an hour after, then swims after that have been best. Impossible to fish too slow right now!


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

BrandonMiller526 said:


> I’ve done a little bit of everything, jerks, swims, live bait, main lake, backwater. Think the most important thing has been mainlake from sunset till about an hour later, then move into back water after that. Didn’t start fishing till dark last night, found what I would call a current break from a wind cut last night. For 4 hours i made cast to 3 different spots and repeated them in a cycle, fish kept reloading. Jerkbaits at sunset to an hour after, then swims after that have been best. Impossible to fish too slow right now!


Also not much quality, last night was 3 16-17 inchers and 3 17-18 inchers after culling 3 that were 15-16. Caught over 150 saugeye this month, biggest was 18. Indian doesn’t have much size, i don’t keep them >20 but hasn’t really mattered lately. Think that lake would be a great candidate for slot limits to improve size. Something like 4 15-17 1/2 inchers and 2 20+. Harvest numbers are insane.


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## Creek Warrior (Sep 8, 2021)

BrandonMiller526 said:


> I’ve done a little bit of everything, jerks, swims, live bait, main lake, backwater. Think the most important thing has been mainlake from sunset till about an hour later, then move into back water after that. Didn’t start fishing till dark last night, found what I would call a current break from a wind cut last night. For 4 hours i made cast to 3 different spots and repeated them in a cycle, fish kept reloading. Jerkbaits at sunset to an hour after, then swims after that have been best. Impossible to fish too slow right now!


Very helpful info! I have not done much main lake/open water this fall as I tend to speed up when doing so as I’m trying to cover a lot of ground when fishing these areas, and I know the name of the game is being slow and steady. I typically target specific structures and do as you mention and wait till they decide to feed or show up. If I don’t get a fish or nothing happens indicating fish in the area around 45 minutes , I will usually move to the next spot. While this usually gets me some fish, I am not consistently catching the # of fish that I hear other guys are getting. I hear all the time of people catching 20 - 25 fish a night(loads of shorts) and that has never been the case for me.


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## fshnmaster (Nov 10, 2016)

Creek Warrior said:


> Very helpful info! I have not done much main lake/open water this fall as I tend to speed up when doing so as I’m trying to cover a lot of ground when fishing these areas, and I know the name of the game is being slow and steady. I typically target specific structures and do as you mention and wait till they decide to feed or show up. If I don’t get a fish or nothing happens indicating fish in the area around 45 minutes , I will usually move to the next spot. While this usually gets me some fish, I am not consistently catching the # of fish that I hear other guys are getting. I hear all the time of people catching 20 - 25 fish a night(loads of shorts) and that has never been the case for me.


Saugeye are my favorite fish to fish for and it's because there so hard to find out what they want and where there at. I'm not good at them yet just started fishing for them in the past 2 years for the most part but usually can find a few. I think the biggest thing is being in the right spot when there feeding. They don't feed all the time in short spurts from my experience. I fish Indian only for eyes and it's been rough for me for the most part. Hard to get a pattern on them at least for me. Guys that catch a lot just put a lot of time into it and know where to be at during certain conditions I'm still figuring that out


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## Creek Warrior (Sep 8, 2021)

I plan on heading up there again tonight to try some spots that I have not been to since the spring, not looking to keep any, just hoping to find a better fall pattern and work on my stickbait game.


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## Southernsaug (May 23, 2019)

fshnmaster - You are 100% right. A large part of saugeye success is knowing where to fish when and what they want. Like many other things in the outdoors, location is the single biggest parameter. I have seen situations where as little as 30-50 feet mean a full limit or zero. Streams are extremely narrow bite zones, lakes have a little more variable sites. Time spent will solve a lot of this, someone once told me this and I think it is pretty spot on. Your successful because your relentless, like an old hound dog that won't quit hunting.


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## fishslim (Apr 28, 2005)

Most of these guys are shore fishing. Aaron has done both.


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

hoping to make it out tonight myself! I’ve been having better luck on a west wind than a south but we’ll see what happens!


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## Creek Warrior (Sep 8, 2021)

BrandonMiller526 said:


> hoping to make it out tonight myself! I’ve been having better luck on a west wind than a south but we’ll see what happens!





BrandonMiller526 said:


> hoping to make it out tonight myself! I’ve been having better luck on a west wind than a south but we’ll see what happens!


I should be up there about 5pm, im in a gray f150 if you happen to see it parked around the lake.


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## fshnmaster (Nov 10, 2016)

Creek Warrior said:


> I plan on heading up there again tonight to try some spots that I have not been to since the spring, not looking to keep any, just hoping to find a better fall pattern and work on my stickbait game.


A dead sticked jerkbait has been key for me!


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

I didn’t end up going hope y’all did well!


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## fshnmaster (Nov 10, 2016)

BrandonMiller526 said:


> I didn’t end up going hope y’all did well!


I wish I made it out. Stuck at work all night. I saw some good reports on Facebook. Sounds like swims were the bait tonight


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## Creek Warrior (Sep 8, 2021)

The lake was pretty busy tonight, you would have thought it was 4th of July weekend by the amount of cars I saw parked at old field 🤣. Due to the south winds, i decided to give the West Bank a try tonight. I walked the bank there for over two hours and did not have a single hit, was really surprised due to how the wind was blowing, but then again, I personally have never had much action on the West Bank. Switched up to an area that does not receive much foot traffic and was able to land three, two being 17” and one under 15”. Kept one 17 for lunch Friday.


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## fshnmaster (Nov 10, 2016)

Creek Warrior said:


> The lake was pretty busy tonight, you would have thought it was 4th of July weekend by the amount of cars I saw parked at old field 🤣. Due to the south winds, i decided to give the West Bank a try tonight. I walked the bank there for over two hours and did not have a single hit, was really surprised due to how the wind was blowing, but then again, I personally have never had much action on the West Bank. Switched up to an area that does not receive much foot traffic and was able to land three, two being 17” and one under 15”. Kept one 17 for lunch Friday.


I like hitting that bank In the spring. Less people than south 😁


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## fshnmaster (Nov 10, 2016)

Headed out now to find some in the rain and wind!


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## Creek Warrior (Sep 8, 2021)

fshnmaster said:


> Headed out now to find some in the rain and wind!


Should be a good night, imagine there will not be much of a crowd.


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

Fished a while Friday night, bite was much slower for me as well as fighting ice on the rod. 3 keepers and 10-12 shorts all put back since I’ve got 15 or so in the freezer to eat. Biggest one I’ve got this fall at Indian, nothing huge but a solid fish.


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