# Saugeye?



## Stampede (Apr 11, 2004)

I'd like to give a try at catching saugeye through the ice. My options would be Buckeye, alum or Indian or someplace in a average two-hour drive from southwest ohio, so if you were me, which one would you give a shot to catch some saugeye?


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

First time to either lake? Buckeye if so. 
With Indian a close second. Don't hear of many alum ice eyes.


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## Morrowtucky Mike (May 2, 2018)

Haven’t heard of any Alum ice anything this year!


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Morrowtucky Mike said:


> Haven’t heard of any Alum ice anything this year!


I drove by the Cheshire ramp and galena ramp coves on Africa road Monday. Lots of holes in the back part of Cheshire ramp cove with some tracks heading toward the main lake couldn't make out how far they went.
A couple guys on the ice near Africa on the galena cove.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Stampede if you end up at buckeye most guys go off fair field beach area. And walk out to fish in-between the islands and bog. You will see when you get there. 
I have not been out myself but have heard the eyes are biting but more dinks then keepers. Vibes/ice jigs/waxies/minnows have all worked. 
I can't help you with Indian. Ive only ice fished it twice with absolutely no luck. 
Be careful


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## JCarp (Feb 1, 2005)

I have only fished Indian a couple of times so can't comment on it, other than mention I would have fished it more had I done well there . IMO, Alum is tough for saugeye through the ice. We hit it hard for saugeye one winter many years ago. Best guy (not me) was consistently getting one or two decent fish each evening at dark with six tip-ups and two rods off 1st point just north of the beach. 5 of us, 3 good  fished north end beach points with tip-ups and rods one evening and only caught 1 or 2. That's a lot of lines. Few mudpuppies. Another friend caught 2 17's by rod in Africa cove away from where crowd fishes once. That said, there is a spot I've always wanted to try...

Buckeye primer - Fairfield always has the safest 1st and last ice (south shore). Haven't fished there since the dredging and that certainly changed things but historically there is a good area on the east end of Cranberry closer to Harbor Hills (north shore). Very limited parking at Harbor Hills to access. My bet is if it is still allowed, there is no avail parking there after daylight. Pretty good hike from Fairfield, quadrunner works though. You don't need to go that far. There can be a good bite close to shore at Fairfield early but the fish tend move with pressure. However, don't think you have to go as far as some go. Look for drop offs and don't think you have to be deep (relative at Buckeye). We have done well in water as shallow as 4' when the crowd is fishing deeper. There are probably exceptions but the morning saugeye bite starts at right at daylight and is over by 10 AM. Later is slower. Crappie might bite until 11. Crappie may not always trigger tip-ups so check them. Afternoon eye bite starts slow maybe as early as 3:30 but generally doesn't get good until closer to dark. Towpath at west end generally has some fish but access is tough unless you have a quad and park at the state park.

After dark can be awesome for eyes and crappie. (Like sometimes can't keep more than 3 out of 6 tip-ups in water good.) Never stayed out past 11 but fish were sometimes still going when we would pack it in. After ice out, some guys fish later. Reflective tape on tip-up flags (red is best) and maybe lantern on ice for some tip-ups or just headlamps/strong flashlights. Crappie like the lantern, saugeye didn't seem to mind. Dry towel can be especially nice after dark when it gets colder.

Tip-ups - bass minnows back hooked are fine, little trebles. Used big shiners at times, can't say they were worth the extra expense. No noticeable benefit to using two bass minnows. I use personally use teardrop jigs if using windlass tip-ups, trebles on std tip-ups. We tried adding beads and tiny blades above trebles, I don't bother with it anymore, but it didn't hurt IMO. 

Rods - Fish aren't too picky if fishing minnows. I strongly recommend back hooking minnows with any std jigs or hooks. I personally exclusively use teardrop jigs with minnows if live bait fishing with or w/o flasher. The advantage to using a flasher is arguably minimal if your live bait fishing at Buckeye. Small vibee with just a minnow head is good. I like orangish gold and firetiger but haven't used many other colors. Guys use other ice lures with success. Heard good things about what I would describe as crankbait body baits (name escapes me but line tie same location as jigging raps, just a lighter wider body). I caught a few walleye at Buckeye many years ago on jigging raps but never a saugeye. I think guys catch do saugeye on jigging raps and they should work... I never fished them with just a minnow head and that may have been a mistake. Swedish pimples and buckshot rattles spoons have not worked for me. Soft action/ultra-light long rods work for dead sticks and may be preferred if your bucket fishing w/o a flasher. Maybe tougher to land fish but they have advantages. Old school (pre flasher days) guys at Indian used long rods for shallow panfish back in the day. 

I've never caught a hybrid over 17" (fun) and don't know if they are still stocked but have heard stories about big ones straightening hooks. My best BL walleye was 5 lb, used to be 7's caught. I've caught a couple of saugeye through the ice that may have gone four but saw an honest 7 lber caught on a tip-up 3 years ago and have heard of a small handful of others that size. 

1st trip, I'd go early afternoon and plan to stay a bit after dark. And that is about everything I know about ice fishing at Buckeye. Good Luck. 

REPORT - I fished the Pappa Boo (Club 51) hole at the far east end Tues evening. It is usually better there late in season. Apparently, it's not late yet. I packed up w/o a bite a little before dark. I don't think I have ever left before dark before... Six tip-ups, (two windlass) one baited rod and one vibee rig. Didn't move tip-ups but they were placed well and I jigged a bunch of holes. Fished 4 to 6'. Perfect everything. Other than last 2 years, I have fished there at least a few times (often a lot) for better than 35 years. It's possible I was the first guy to fish it this yr. A lot of open water from aerators, std access at Marina is no longer avail. anyway (fenced off) so I had a good hike (I know a property owner.) but really wanted to fish there. Ice was 4" maybe 100' out (aerators probably slowed freezing), good 7" where I fished. Might be some people have fished near the next bar/restaurant to the east, there is a hole from in front of the bar to just west of it. Lot of open water from aerators there too. FYI, Not near where people fish but there is a spring along the south bank across from Papa Boo's, used to get a snow machine every so often.


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## JCarp (Feb 1, 2005)

Forgot - We used to fish the west side of Liebs for saugeye through the ice. Never did really well but caught fish. Parked at the state park and walked the canal. Don't know when it was last dredged and it can be really shallow after a good drawdown. Fairfield is probably best call but with good ice, you can also fish from the Village of BL state park (North shore). Also, back-up plan at last ice is long rods off docks with aerators at and after dark.


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## TDD11 (Aug 5, 2015)

Awesome advice! Have been thinking of making the trip to Buckeye and really appreciate the input!


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## odell daniel (Nov 5, 2015)

I've spent alot of time on Indian this year, the saugeye bite has been ok, I got a pig tuesday, with all the rain before the snow popular areas to ice fish indian may get muddy. I'm going to fish the north side and some of the west side, just for better water clarity, the channels are full of pan fish, the saugeye bite is early around sunrise and late, the last hr of the day, exceptions of course...I got 3 tuesday around 4pm


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## Stampede (Apr 11, 2004)

Going to try and make Indian this Sunday and maybe Monday. Anyone got any tips on what areas to fish and ice conditions pm me. Thanks.


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## odell daniel (Nov 5, 2015)

try the Long Island area, either side, The south side may have stained water, didn't get on it yesterday so not sure. Black Hawk is another option on the west side. The saugeye bite has been hit and miss with me, the less I try to catch them, the more of them I catch, Try crappie jigs and small spoons I guess, thats what I have been getting them with. I was on solid 7 to 8 inches last night, with a couple inches of white ice on top.


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## Stampede (Apr 11, 2004)

I'm not familiar with Indian. Only been there once and that was at the mouth of the great miami and dunns pond. I see a black hawk street on google but don't see where parking is. It's a two hour drive for me so any heads up on where i'm going would be appreciated.


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## Morrowtucky Mike (May 2, 2018)

Stampede said:


> I'm not familiar with Indian. Only been there once and that was at the mouth of the great miami and dunns pond. I see a black hawk street on google but don't see where parking is. It's a two hour drive for me so any heads up on where i'm going would be appreciated.


Blackhawk is a boat ramp guys go out from on the ice.


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