# Indian 5/3/13



## saugmon (Jun 14, 2006)

Got on the water after 5 p.m. and :T the main lake for a couple hrs. Forecast said 10-15 mph wind but they were off around 10 mph like usual. Rough!!!!!! The fish were tearing up my bombers,unfortunantly most were female whitebass and dink saugeye. Many eyes in the 6"-8"range and 3 in the 14.5" range. I kept a 12.5" crappie, 6.8 lb channelcat,and 4 white bass. All around pew and wolf. Chart craw caught most and sunrise craw took the rest. Played around with my new lowrance Elite-5 but have a lot to learn on it. Zero snags. The :B channelcat fought like a mutha in the 2' waves. Ended up at 6.8 lbs and almost 26" long with a fat belly.The crappie and whitebass were plum full of eggs.

Water temp- 67
clarity 1'-2'. 

I'll be back out the next 2 mornings.


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## Northern1 (May 9, 2012)

It was crazy rough out there! Great work on the early trollin fish! I'm gonna wait about a week or so before I get out there with you. I'll finish up the crappie bite, then take some weight off my boat and hit the main lake. I can't wait to get out trolling again


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## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

Good to know the cats are bitting! Ill be up there this week looking for em again!


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## puge (May 14, 2009)

I also made the first trip of the year to indian yesterday, only got to fish from 11- 2 but it was nice to get out. Fished east out of blackhawk picked up a 12 in saugeye 10 minutes in on mistake bandit. Picked up 3 whitebass and 2 crappie then one more dink saugeye. All fish c/r. Saugmon you are lucky you had no snags, is was quite the adventure trying to control the boat while using the lure retriever. However I did get a freebie while unsnaggging mine a bandit came floating to the top, gotta love that. Ill be back trying again tomorrow, crappie on the mind today.


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## saugmon (Jun 14, 2006)

7 saugeye dinks this morning,but they were in the 12"-14.5" dink range. Kept several white bass and 1 crappie.Cold,windy,and rough out there. Most of the fish were on southbank. Trolled pew,chippewa,and oldfield yielded 1 dink. Sunrise craw took most.I tried to throw another one on my other rod but the tacklebox was empty of sunrise craws. Zero snags again!

Water Temp 65

time to hit a couple garage sales and see how the whitebass are doing at the covered bridge.


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## Lynxis (Sep 21, 2009)

Similar here Saugmon. We got 6, one keeper, but he went back when we couldn't find any more of his friends his size. Most found at pew. Orange or red were good crank colors.


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## saugmon (Jun 14, 2006)

I almost slapped on a red craw this morning. They've got a saugeye tournament tomorrow and I'm sure the results will be poorer than they were the last couple years.

I ended up at the covered bridge around noon and nobody around. Casted out for 10 minutes at 2 different spots and not even a nibble.When I got done,2 cars were there but I bet they didn't stay long.

East wind forecasted tomorrow and I may just sleep in tomorrow.


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## countryfisher (Jul 16, 2012)

We were out Saturday morning as well. A lot of dinks, a few catfish, including one about 8lbs, a few white bass, a 10 1/2 inch crappie, and lucky enough, 3 keeper saugeye - biggest one was 19 inches and fat. There was no pattern and it wasn't fast and furious, but they were biting. Most fish were caught on various color bombers. I took all of my bombers out of their packaging so not sure the names, but I think one of the keepers was caught on moss craw. Of the other 2 keepersaugeye, one was caught on a black and silver deep running shad rap, and the other on a night crawler harness. Seemed to mark more fish and caught more in the middle of the lake than anywhere. Didn't do well near Pew, Wolf, or Oldfield. The big cat come from an area near the Moose on a bright chartruse and white bomber. 1st time out using planer boards. They work nicely, but a nightmare when there are snags!


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## injun laker45 (Jun 28, 2011)

I trolled for two hours yesterday morning, 7-9:30. Not one taker.
Got tired of fighting the wind, an east wind at that.
Stayed in this morning, may give it a shot this evening.
Good reports guys!


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## speedyr (Mar 31, 2012)

Glad to see all the old names from last year back at it again...after turkey season is over I am back in the trolling business. I hope all of you had a good fall?winter and am looking forward to chatting you up at the ramps and on the site.

Speedy


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## saugmon (Jun 14, 2006)

Finished crappie fishing at 1 p.m. Launched at blackhawk and didn't venture far. Kept 4 crappie and threw back 30+ dinks. Most of these dinks were in the 5" range. Got a dink largemouth off the getgo. The wind was wrecking havoc in the channels as well.There was a loweboat roughneck which looked just like mine but bigger. They were trolling the channels of blackhawk all morning and afternoon and must have passed up 6 times. Saw 5+ boats trolling that channel including a guy that lives a mile from me.

Highlight of the day was a bass fisherman snagging a goose by the wing just up ahead of us. Geese started flying in to help that goose and boy did they make some noise.The guy cut his line.

Doug: I thought that was you that passed me in the channel at moundwood friday evening. Looked just your nitro boat. I didn't really notice til after i got further down the channel until I realized it may have been you.

Water temp: 65 All 4 keeper crappie full of eggs.


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## countryfisher (Jul 16, 2012)

Speedyr, good to see you back on as well as the others that are normally here. Hope everyone has a great season this year! As the season progresses I will share any good information that I come across like I know most of the rest of us here do. Thanks to all of you for your help and good luck....


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## saugmon (Jun 14, 2006)

I was going over some notes from last year. Water temp is 7 degrees colder than this time last year. I was limiting out this time of year last year when the water temp was 72. Tough conditions this weekend.

Here's a pic from may 5 and 6,2012 and the eyes that I have been catching look nothing like these:


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## Northern1 (May 9, 2012)

Yup, I think you're right on. That's why i'm not starting trolling quite yet. This week the temps will be in the 70s, but still the evenings will be in the 50s. That wont move the water temps drastically from where they are now. I will probably wait until the week after this coming week to really start trolling. Until then, i'll stick with the crappie fishing probably. 

Having said that, my trolling gear has been ready since January lol, and I keep purchasing new lures online...so it wont be long now


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## linebacker43 (Aug 3, 2009)

Hey guys! Was just wondering how the tourney went Sunday and what kind of fish were brought in. Think im gonna give it a go Thursday morning after work Wed night. Looks to be decent weather forcasted with a decent west wind. Dont want to get blown all over the lake but dont want it to be glass either. Those pics got me all fired up Saugmon!! lol and cant wait to get out. I know those are from last year but I cant catch em sitting on the couch! Good Luck to everybody and hope to see some of you out there!

Linebacker43


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## Big Eye (Feb 16, 2009)

HELLO,linebacker tourney went well it is time to troll or pull harness top weigth 16# then 15- 14 alot of 13 we finished 12th with 10 from what i could hear best weigths came from canel areas.


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## linebacker43 (Aug 3, 2009)

Thanks BigEYE for the feedback. I got about 5 dz crawlers left from a trip to Erie this past weekend that ill put to use with some harnesses along with my cranks up there!

Linebacker43


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## injun laker45 (Jun 28, 2011)

Hoping to head out this evening about 5:30 for at least a couple hours.
I'm in the big red and white pontoon.
I'll be trolling old Indian lake area and between wolf and pew.


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## Dave Schutte (Apr 30, 2012)

We got 3 eyes last sunday , all were 15 inches so we tossed them back so they'd grow a little more , 1 white bass 1 cat , good day on the lake !!


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## injun laker45 (Jun 28, 2011)

Trolled from 5:30 to about 7:45 last night.

Two short saugeyes and two white bass
Old Indian Lake


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## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

Was up there last night fished till 2am. Caught 5 keeper eyes 15"-23", a load of keeper crappie and load of cats. Took the boat out this morning and fished till 4ish. We had a repeat day along with plethera of cats along with my son's first flathead. The water temp was up to 68.2, the eyes came on large bass minnows tightlined, crappie were on minnow and bobber and the cats came on shad guts, not chunks but the guts. For some reason they didnt want shad pieces.


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## Beave82 (Apr 6, 2006)

tried trolling this evening, nothing but small fish and cats on cranks. did manage one 19" eye on a harness and another on a leech but things still seem very slow. water temp was right at 70, i would expect the crank bite to heat up anytime.


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## injun laker45 (Jun 28, 2011)

Trolled yesterday from noon until about 2:30. Crank baits at 2.6-2.8 sog and 30 back. Water temp was 68.6-68.8. Caught a limit of saugeye but 5 were shorts. The other was 16".

Also caught 2 white bass, one was a pig.


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## saugmon (Jun 14, 2006)

I'll be trolling tomorrow morning.Probably launching at blackhawk by 5:45 a.m.

Got some good rain,cold front moving in,new moon,and northwest wind!!! We had east-southest wind for almost a straight week.Hopefully it'll fire them up.

Northern1, this rain may have flooded our whitebass spot.I'll try to stop by a time or 2 this weekend to see how the action is there.


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## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

It was hard to get up the creek thursday. It got way shallow even in my small boat. They were getting white bass but they were mostly small males, the action was slow. It still kills me, im the odd man out in being bout the only one that goes up targeting the cats while the rest of ya are after the eyes.


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## Buckeye John (Nov 23, 2010)

See all of you out there tomorrow, Dave and I will be in the OHIO STATE toon.


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## Northern1 (May 9, 2012)

I can't make it out tomorrow. My youngest sister is graduating from college, so I'm going to Ashland to watch her. It will be a good time. Then Sunday is Mother's Day----> that's right guys, remember that!  Anyway, i'll see you all out there next weekend for sure.

Tom, even though you don't fish for the eyes, I don't think any of us feel like you're the odd man out. Heck, reading the reports, you got a handfull last night! More than I can say this year. 

By the way, its not a tough transition, nor is it ever too late to start trolling for the eyes  See you out there.


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## linebacker43 (Aug 3, 2009)

Ill be out trolling sat morning, wont be able to get there till around 9am so Saugmon could you please leave me a few?? Dont know if any of you guys will still be out but if you are ill be in the flat bottom bass tracker. Say hello! Good luck to everyone!

Linebacker43


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## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

The funny part is, i get all my eyes from the same place, lol. I could get you guys set up for some good channel catfishing up there, with all the free bait you could need! You guys already have the rods and baitcasters/trolling reels. Ill be taking a break the next couple weeks, ill be out of town. I need to get a new trolling motor battery and a new electric filet knife before my next trip up. Im hoping for alot of rain before i get up there next.


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## countryfisher (Jul 16, 2012)

Son and I launched at Blackhawk and were trolling by 7:30 am, got lots of snags, small to medium sized cats, a few short eyes, along with one 17 inch saugeye, a 10 and 12 inch crappie. Seemed to hit the bombers earlier, then they turned off on that and wanted slow trolled crawlers on harnesses. Only place we seemed to mark anything significant or catch much was in the middle of the main lake. By noon they totally shut off for us.


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## madgabfar (Dec 6, 2010)

Got five keeper eye's biggest being 19.5. Caught lots of cats and dink eye's. Three eyes came west of wolf one off pew and biggest off of Chippewa. I believe I spotted the buckeye toon I was in blue sea nymph every time I passed it caught a fish. Fire craw bomber was the hottest got some on mistake as well. Water temp dropped from 65 to 62 by the time we left.


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## saugmon (Jun 14, 2006)

Sounded like you did well madgabfar.What number were those firecraws? 02 or 04? They are getting very hard to find but I have a stockpile of the 02's!!!.

Looks like that water temp will drop more by tomorrow.We just got some rain but nothing substantial.Spillway was overflowing,river up,and water was stained.

I tore up the white bass last night so decided to bypass trolling for some easy bank fishing for whitebass.It was pretty windy at 5 a.m. and that was the clincher to the the switch, LOL. I've got the same gameplan for tomorrow morning.


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## Buckeye John (Nov 23, 2010)

We were in the Buckeye toon, we had 7 eyes 18 in. was the biggest one we had the rest were just short. One good size white bass. All came on black and crome bandit 100 and rouge.


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## FL-boy (Feb 12, 2013)

Damn...sounds like I need to get to Indian! 


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## madgabfar (Dec 6, 2010)

02 my last one saved it three times yesterday. We also caught a umbrella that was fully opened not a easy thing to get in the boat thought was a big carp. 


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## Northern1 (May 9, 2012)

Went to the covered bridge this morning and the lake was choppy choppy choppy when I drove past on the way home. Thought about trolling today because the covered bridge did not yield even a bite. But after seeing the lake...nope. We'll wait till the middle of next week when the weather should turn.


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## saugmon (Jun 14, 2006)

madgabfar said:


> 02 my last one saved it three times yesterday. We also caught a umbrella that was fully opened not a easy thing to get in the boat thought was a big carp.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Bomber's notorious for discontinuing hot colors. They did it to my firebass and recently with the firecraws. I smelled it coming a couple years ago so stockedpiled on them.Those modern firebass ones worked better but I haven't found any in 7+ years of searching. I found some of the older screwtails,but never caught anything on them.


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## linebacker43 (Aug 3, 2009)

Sorry for the late report but by time I got home Saturday evening I was a whipped pup after being up for almost 27 hrs straight...Anyway got on the water right around 9am and launched outta Blackhawk. Started trolling with 2 bandits and 2 harnesses right outta the gate and picked up a channel cat before we got all rods out. Tried that combo for about an hour picking up 1 short eye and a nice 2-3lb channel on the bandits. decided to switch to all bandits after that and ended the day with 7 eyes total and the 2 cats. Only 1 eye being legal at a nice 21in. All caught on I believe its called spring craw color. Which ever one is yellow and orange. Tried the varitey of colors but anything with yellow in it was the ticket. That mostly sunny and 61 degrees was a little off the mark that I thought it was supposed to be, good thing I still had my hunting bibs and jacket in the truck! Still good to get out and get my new rods tuned in. Hopefully get up there this weekend as well. Good Luck All!

Linebacker43


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## madgabfar (Dec 6, 2010)

Checked E-bay did not find any fire craws. I would have to think this cold snap will have everything screwed up. Anyone have a recent water temp. One thing I learned on last trip is the speed is very important. I always run with kicker but some how carb drain plug fell out so was running electric only. Bout 1.9-2.1 was best I could do and only got cats and dinks. So with as choppy as it was fired main motor ran 3-3.4 and then the keepers started to hit. It is crazy on how the bandits look real close to the bomber as far as color but not one hit on them. I wonder if we could get a good air brush guy to paint some fire craw bombers?


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## Northern1 (May 9, 2012)

madgabfar said:


> It is crazy on how the bandits look real close to the bomber as far as color but not one hit on them. I wonder if we could get a good air brush guy to paint some fire craw bombers?


Lots of time its the action, not necessarily the colors. Having said that, my mossback craw and okie craws took so many cats last year. I wish I knew how to clean those things properly, b/c i'd have a feast using that lure.


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## saugmon (Jun 14, 2006)

Northern1 said:


> Lots of time its the action, not necessarily the colors. Having said that, my mossback craw and okie craws took so many cats last year. I wish I knew how to clean those things properly, b/c i'd have a feast using that lure.


Simple,just use your electric knife like most species and prepare for lots of blood, intestines,and squirming if you don't knock them out first, LOL!


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## Dave Schutte (Apr 30, 2012)

I thought you nail them to a board & wait for 2 days then throw away the cat & eat the board !!


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## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

saugmon said it right, prep for blood. The only way i found around that issue is to guy them before you ever clean em. If not just use the electric fliet knife and enjoy. Mine filet knife died last week while cleaning a cooler full of em and ill tell you what it sucked after that.


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## madgabfar (Dec 6, 2010)

Have you tried bleeding them like some people do eye's?


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## Northern1 (May 9, 2012)

I was watching duck dynasty the other day, and Phil the grandpa, skinned it and then chopped its head off, and tore out the guts. Is that actually a good way to do it?


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## injun laker45 (Jun 28, 2011)

Northern1 said:


> I was watching duck dynasty the other day, and Phil the grandpa, skinned it and then chopped its head off, and tore out the guts. Is that actually a good way to do it?


I've just always filet the catfish and remove the skin similar to any other fish. a sharp knife is your best friend


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## saugmon (Jun 14, 2006)

madgabfar said:


> Checked E-bay did not find any fire craws. I would have to think this cold snap will have everything screwed up. Anyone have a recent water temp. One thing I learned on last trip is the speed is very important. I always run with kicker but some how carb drain plug fell out so was running electric only. Bout 1.9-2.1 was best I could do and only got cats and dinks. So with as choppy as it was fired main motor ran 3-3.4 and then the keepers started to hit. It is crazy on how the bandits look real close to the bomber as far as color but not one hit on them. I wonder if we could get a good air brush guy to paint some fire craw bombers?


I tried that once on ebay,but with the firebass. I sent the guy pics of the firebass,and some of the citrus which had all the firetiger coloring except the black profile of the largemouth bass. Sent him in 10 and he charged me a few bucks apiece and baits came back with a plain black stripe,looking nothing like a firebass but were glossed up. I tried a couple but never caught anything with them. Bomber's about discontinued every color except for a couple basic non producing colors like white and striper.

Keep it at 3 mph. The channels and flatties will still hit,but seems to be optimum speed for the eyes.


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## supercanoe (Jun 12, 2006)

Pop a gill on them while still alive to bleed them out. There will be no blood when you clean it.


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## linebacker43 (Aug 3, 2009)

Jumped in my buddies boat after work this morning around 8:30ish. Wasn't a bad day on the lake at all. All species were busy. Ended up with a dozen or so eye but a lot of dinks and just shorts and a few that came unbutton before we got them to the boat today. Had about a 1/2 dozen channel cats, white bass, and crappie each as well. Started off with 2 bandits and 2 lil rippers out. Tried the kitchen sink of colors but ended up settling with my buddies new style of chrome and blue Matzuo® Kinchou Minnow, they seemed to prefer that over everything today, Had the same action pretty much like a taildancer. Trolled pretty much all of west side of lake and up towards the game preserve. Had a little rain shower at about 9am for about 5 minutes other then that the weather held out for us. Water temp was saying just around 70 give or take. They dropped me back off around 2:30 and stayed out for a little while longer, haven't got a report yet on how they did. Good luck all!

Linebacker43


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## linebacker43 (Aug 3, 2009)

1 other thing, not to hijack the thread Saugmon but had a ??. The last 2 years I haven't caught this many dinks and shorts that I can remember the last 2 trips out. Do you think the unusual spring we have had has anything to do with maybe stunting there growth a little because I know they do grow and at pretty fast rate? Thanks!

Linebacker43


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