# Depth Map Preparation for Saugeye



## gpb1111 (Feb 19, 2005)

When looking for new places to fish for saugeye I always try to use a depth map and wind direction. If you were planning to fish this (imaginary) lake in the evening during this time of the year towards spring, where would you likely setup on different winds from shore or boat?










I put some red letters for reference points and a compass rose for direction.

Any input would be great!




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## HappySnag (Dec 20, 2007)

gpb1111 said:


> When looking for new places to fish for saugeye I always try to use a depth map and wind direction. If you were planning to fish this (imaginary) lake in the evening during this time of the year towards spring, where would you likely setup on different winds from shore or boat?
> 
> View attachment 229009
> 
> ...


the eyes like food and current.
they use longest point and humps from shallow water to deepest water,
you have lake current and wind current,you have to find where is the food and there preferred current,the wind push the water aganst points and humps create deferent derection current's.
you have to make plan where you going fish,and cower all 4 sides of hump or 2 sides of point.
pick few spots and cover them all till you find fish.
now the eyes should be close to the spawning ground.


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## jray (Jan 20, 2006)

Exactly. It's hard to say. They will use all types of topography throughout the year. Ledges points flats gradual drop offs. It's much easier to find a pattern and run it than predict a pattern.


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## Bleeding Minnow (Feb 22, 2012)

i usually just look for troy's car.


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## HappySnag (Dec 20, 2007)

Bleeding Minnow said:


> i usually just look for troy's car.


I do not know if Troy has PHD.
I know he can teach all the PHD scientists.


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## gpb1111 (Feb 19, 2005)

HappySnag said:


> the eyes like food and current.
> they use longest point and humps from shallow water to deepest water,
> you have lake current and wind current,you have to find where is the food and there preferred current,the wind push the water aganst points and humps create deferent derection current's.
> you have to make plan where you going fish,and cower all 4 sides of hump or 2 sides of point.
> ...


Thanks for the reply. 

So lets say there was a strong E wind on the day you were fishing this lake. Where would you most likely go based on this map if you have never been to this lake?

I would likely try W of point C first then the E side of the point. If they weren't there I would fish along the southern shore at D.

What would you do?


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## Dovans (Nov 15, 2011)

That map looks suspiciously like Oak Island


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## fishslim (Apr 28, 2005)

Strong east wind. Hmmmmm I would go fish a river.


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## Skippy (Dec 2, 2009)

Wind, no wind, this time of year that cove southeast of A, boat or no boat, That would be a starting point. Suns in the southern sky and would tend to warm that north side water more. If that cove had a dark bottom it would warm even more. Saugeyes are getting ready to spawn but aren't there yet. That cove should hold bait fish, crappies and eyes. Bass also.


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## gpb1111 (Feb 19, 2005)

Skippy said:


> Wind, no wind, this time of year that cove southeast of A, boat or no boat, That would be a starting point. Suns in the southern sky and would tend to warm that north side water more. If that cove had a dark bottom it would warm even more. Saugeyes are getting ready to spawn but aren't there yet. That cove should hold bait fish, crappies and eyes. Bass also.


Thanks for the great info Skippy. I guess I should be paying more attention to the warmer parts of the lake. I've always focused on wind and points.

So the saugeye tend to move into warm water to spawn or for baitfish? Or both?

Also, I assume the shallower and closer to the inflow to a reservoir also has warm water.

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## fishslim (Apr 28, 2005)

1 or 2 degree temp in water this,time of year means alot. Triggers fish to be more aggressive.as Skippy said find the food plus more comfortable water temp fish will be there.


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## jholbrook (Sep 26, 2006)

fishslim said:


> 1 or 2 degree temp in water this,time of year means alot. Triggers fish to be more aggressive.as Skippy said find the food plus more comfortable water temp fish will be there.


Something I don't understand: Does a few days of wind push warmer water to the opposite shore?

I remember seeing a water temperature map of Lake Michigan in the spring and the warmest water was in the southeastern corner and the protected bays. The explanation I remember was that west wind pushed the warmer water southeast.


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## gpb1111 (Feb 19, 2005)

Bleeding Minnow said:


> i usually just look for troy's car.


Make and model. Name a price. 


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Is there any rip rap along the East end, "B" ?

Bottom composition, mud, rock, gravel, sand?

You did say this time of year towards spring right?

In a deep water lake like that I would be vertical fishing during the day, 3 locations on East end on contour changes, IF the east end has rip rap shore.


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## fishslim (Apr 28, 2005)

And I would be walking that rip rap at night looking for small shelf areas or lips. Working a stick bait and swim or trap.


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## HappySnag (Dec 20, 2007)

fishslim said:


> And I would be walking that rip rap at night looking for small shelf areas or lips. Working a stick bait and swim or trap.


below point A 5' to 20',check inside turn,
from B to E 3' to 20'dept,
D above is point 16',check the inside turn to east,
C below is point 3' to 20',check inside turn east,
vibe,jiging,swim bait , stick bait,red eye shad silver/blue.
teory is good,the real time fishing give you the wright anser.
I am dum fisherman,when I fish I put time in that,and the time is giving me some fish all time.
troy go fishing and some time he cover all lake,somtime he go fishing 3 times in 24 hours,if he is not catching fish he is searching for them or he come up 2 hours later,he enjoy the challenge,and when he is catching,then he is looking for deferent size of fish and he test with deferent bait,defrent presentation,main think he enjoy that.
he did that so many time,i do not think he thinks what he is duing,his autopilot in the head just kik in,and when hi is done,he just rewie in head,what he did.


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## Duck391 (Oct 2, 2011)

I have a hard time finding info for saugeye spawning patterns on the internet. When saugeye attempt to spawn is the fishing similar to walleye? Vertical jigging type of presentation? On Erie it's always waiting to be around that 40 degree temp, is it the same for saugeye?


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## fishslim (Apr 28, 2005)

Yes the Saugeye will go thru the same ritual as walleye. The causeway and rocky areas of dams get fish close to them. Beaches and grainy flats with some wind motion will collect the eyes as well. The next moon will get them really worked up and start feeding and preparing for the spawn. That is why you find so many people at Indian stacked up on Southbank shoreline early spring.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Saugeye and walleye spawn temps between 43-46 degs typical.

One of the most important aspect of spawn location in a lake is the bottom makeup. On lakes with dam areas with rip rap it is the first place you should look and by far the easiest to locate. They will be close by in the deeper contour breaks during the day and move up onto the rocks very shallow during the night. 

You can catch them on Erie in the deeper water ( right now) near the reefs and river mouth areas prior to them moving up onto to the reefs and shallow rocky shoreline areas or rivers to spawn


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