# Walleye/Sauger all year?



## Kip-eye71 (Dec 24, 2012)

I was wondering is the walleye and sauger fishing good year round, 
or is the best fishing in the winter time ?

Would like to make it down to the Big O sometime in the near future,
curious when the best time of the year to try my luck


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## BigFishHunter (Dec 14, 2011)

I've heard year round is good, but I have had my best luck in spring. Water temps hit 55 or 60.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Kip-eye71 said:


> I was wondering is the walleye and sauger fishing good year round,
> or is the best fishing in the winter time ?
> Would like to make it down to the Big O sometime in the near future,
> curious when the best time of the year to try my luck


Wow Kip,,, I looked up Millersburg. Your a LONG way from everything.
Your the 3rd person to ask those questions in as many days!
Feb, March & April good, for the spawn. November & December they seem to put on the feedbag. High water, all gaits open, good on lock wall side. Low water, gaits #10 or #11 closed, good on the opposite side of lock,,, USUALLY! Wait for 40*+ water.
If I were you, I'd go to Wills Creek dam, Ellis lock & dam, & the 2 dams around Zanesville,,,, Anywhere on or near the Muskingum River. Our hunting camp is near Dresden and I've seen a bunch of sauger, walleyes, smallies and some huge cats come out of there. Fish & learn those spots till mid Feb.or March and when we start posting limits again,,,, COME-ON-OVER.(or head down to Greenup?) "Search" New Cumberland or Greenup sauger.
Save that ton of gas,,,, it's still pretty iffy right now,,, 
unless your retired like us and can hit the perfect day? Ya Right! lol


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## Kip-eye71 (Dec 24, 2012)

Thanks for the advice, I will have to try it when the weather gets a little warmer. My son and I fish wills creek a lot , but its hard to catch any 
saugeye with size


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Kip-eye71 said:


> Thanks for the advice, I will have to try it when the weather gets a little warmer. My son and I fish wills creek a lot , but its hard to catch any
> saugeye with size


Size???
The last 3 or 4 sauger LIMITS, that I seen & caught,,,,
I'd say averaged 12"-14" & were 90% males.
We get excited about a 15".
When I catch a 12" male sauger,,, I think SMELT! Yummy
Many-Many 6"-8"ers thrown back. Ain't it right Snake?
Here's some OLD pics. HOPEFULLY they will get updated in a month or two!


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

We catch them scattered through the summer while fishing for Hybrid Stripers at Greenup. We actually started getting a few limits the end of August , not many but they come and go. After a summer of Wiper fishing, we start using live Skips and the small threadfin shad that are in abundance because it's the easiest way. Carolina rigged. Bad lousy weather is good but don't fall into that trap. They can be caught but be prepared to catch anything.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Nice Dave,,,

I see leaves on those trees.


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

Doboy said:


> Nice Dave,,,
> 
> I see leaves on those trees.


And sunshine!!!! And Rick!!


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

all year long we get into messes of them when we fish cut shad on the bottom for catfish, we will hook them and they get off, but from the carnage on the baits and the small size of them, you know your in a sauger hole. We usually move out, we find em in the faster current then gar so we know there not gar, one day we landed 6-7 of them with them pulling the rods down HARD, they were all 16-19" but we were in a catfish tourney and had to move, hated that...

Salmonid


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

Salmonid said:


> all year long we get into messes of them when we fish cut shad on the bottom for catfish, we will hook them and they get off, but from the carnage on the baits and the small size of them, you know your in a sauger hole. We usually move out, we find em in the faster current then gar so we know there not gar, one day we landed 6-7 of them with them pulling the rods down HARD, they were all 16-19" but we were in a catfish tourney and had to move, hated that...
> 
> Salmonid


 Strange Mark how they get in the way when you aren't after them. Here's one caught on a carolina rigged spinner fishing for Hybrids


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## senoy (Feb 3, 2013)

They're a year-round fish with certain caveats. Essentially, their yearly life-cycle looks like this. Beginning around October-ish, they begin to move toward spawning grounds and upstream, primarily locating below dam tailwaters and natural obstructions. They stay in this holding pattern until the pre-spawn period sometime at the end of February. During the holding pattern, they're easy to locate and can be caught regularly if not spectacularly (They get sluggish like any other fish and usually I've found in temps below about 38 or so they're tough to move.) 

At the end of February or thereabouts, they start to prep for the spawn. So they begin biting heavily and easily. They are still located near spawning areas and obstructions, so they're easy to locate and they are feeding very actively. This is usually the time of year I call 'the bite' and they're practically hitting blank hooks. If you can't catch them then, it's time to just admit that the walleye gods hate you and stop fishing for them altogether. This pre-spawn bite continues up until the spawn (maybe April-ish) where you'll have a lull in the bite for a couple of weeks as other things are on their mind. If you fish spawning grounds, you'll get protection bites, but not much feeding. Then, after their natural duties are complete, they're starving and you get a real nice post-spawn bite. (The fish will be noticeably thinner though.) This continues until about sometime in May and then they disperse to their summer feeding grounds. 

The summer is probably the worst time to fish for them because while they're eating, they are much more difficult to locate. There are some rules of thumb, but walleye and sauger get more moody in the summer. Some of them seem to like deep vegetation, some move shallow, some keep sitting in the scour holes, they can really be anywhere. You're also competing with natural foods that are in abundance, so even if you find them, they may have already eaten their fill. In my opinion, late-June through mid-September are the toughest time of year to catch them. Not that it can't be done, but it's work. The second worst time of year is probably late December through mid-February.


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

senoy said:


> They're a year-round fish with certain caveats. Essentially, their yearly life-cycle looks like this. Beginning around October-ish, they begin to move toward spawning grounds and upstream, primarily locating below dam tailwaters and natural obstructions. They stay in this holding pattern until the pre-spawn period sometime at the end of February. During the holding pattern, they're easy to locate and can be caught regularly if not spectacularly (They get sluggish like any other fish and usually I've found in temps below about 38 or so they're tough to move.)
> 
> At the end of February or thereabouts, they start to prep for the spawn. So they begin biting heavily and easily. They are still located near spawning areas and obstructions, so they're easy to locate and they are feeding very actively. This is usually the time of year I call 'the bite' and they're practically hitting blank hooks. If you can't catch them then, it's time to just admit that the walleye gods hate you and stop fishing for them altogether. This pre-spawn bite continues up until the spawn (maybe April-ish) where you'll have a lull in the bite for a couple of weeks as other things are on their mind. If you fish spawning grounds, you'll get protection bites, but not much feeding. Then, after their natural duties are complete, they're starving and you get a real nice post-spawn bite. (The fish will be noticeably thinner though.) This continues until about sometime in May and then they disperse to their summer feeding grounds.
> 
> The summer is probably the worst time to fish for them because while they're eating, they are much more difficult to locate. There are some rules of thumb, but walleye and sauger get more moody in the summer. Some of them seem to like deep vegetation, some move shallow, some keep sitting in the scour holes, they can really be anywhere. You're also competing with natural foods that are in abundance, so even if you find them, they may have already eaten their fill. In my opinion, late-June through mid-September are the toughest time of year to catch them. Not that it can't be done, but it's work. The second worst time of year is probably late December through mid-February.


Very good first post senoy, I think you will fit right in and enjoy this site. Welcome to you


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Salmonid said:


> all year long we get into messes of them when we fish cut shad on the bottom for catfish, we will hook them and they get off, but from the carnage on the baits and the small size of them, you know your in a sauger hole.
> Salmonid


Now see,,,, Are you anchored or slow drifting when you catch 'em?
We see hundreds of marks down in the holes during late summer, and try using vibes, fatheads, twisters and Powerbait swimbaits. We just never hook-up with any sauger or walleyes. Cats, drum, some crappies and even smallies. No eyes.
I bet I remember the cut shad thing. 
Bummer, I could'a caught a 55 gal drum full of 12" shad at the mouth of the Pa Beaver River late last summer,,, I didn't know what to do with 'em!


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## Eriesteamer (Mar 9, 2007)

I love go to Ohio river and help on gas. You can have my catch as Im just a fishing sportsmen. I live in Youngstown. Can go on a 24 hour 7 days a week so no worry there. Have lot tackle and bait. No matter how we fish.


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## Guest (Feb 3, 2013)

If you were headed to the New Cumberland dam or anywhere on the Ohio for that mater to try the walleyes what lures would you be *sure to have* in your box??

Just curious.....I have never been over to the Ohio yet but I say every year I will...here is what I would take...I am figuring on twisters tails and some floating jig heads. I think I would throw in a few stick baits....X-raps and a rattle trap or two.


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## senoy (Feb 3, 2013)

Daveo76 said:


> Very good first post senoy, I think you will fit right in and enjoy this site. Welcome to you


Thank you kindly. It has been informative so far.


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## joebertin (Mar 26, 2010)

Birddog, 

1/4 to 1/2 oz lead jig heads
3-4 inch twister tails (white or chartreuse)
3-4 inch Gulp minnows
1/4 to 1/2 oz blade baits (chrome, gold, chartreuse)
Shad Raps size 5-7
Jointed Shad Raps size 5-7
Storm Wiggle Warts
In-line spinners (Mepps, Rooster Tails) can be good in the right places at the right time and places.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Birddog37 said:


> Just curious.....I have never been over to the Ohio yet but I say every year I will...here is what I would take...I am figuring on twisters tails and some floating jig heads. I think I would throw in a few stick baits....X-raps and a rattle trap or two.


Hey Birddog, You gotta get together with 'Kip-eye71' ( see below) You must be neighbors! Send me and him a PM when you get a chance to come over.
I'll show you guys a spot or two. (bring x-tra junk-food )

Anyway, your pretty good on what to bring, and with the stuff Joe said, specially if you have a boat.
From early November to early March spawn, I wouldn't even TRY to fish it without fatheads,,,, for tipping jigs and twisters, or on a floater behind a slip sinker. My friend Garland, uses crappie stacker rigs w fatheads, and he usually outfishes most of us. 1, 1.5, & maybe 2oz slip sinkers if you tight-line or Colorado slip rig.
lol, read the Greenup reports too,,,
they can catch sauger with any 'ol thing!


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

Kip-eye71 said:


> I was wondering is the walleye and sauger fishing good year round,
> or is the best fishing in the winter time ?
> 
> Would like to make it down to the Big O sometime in the near future,
> curious when the best time of the year to try my luck


Wasn't good last night at Deer Creek I can tell you that much! lol.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Daveo76 said:


> Very good first post senoy, I think you will fit right in and enjoy this site. Welcome to you


senoy, I just checked your Profile,,,
"35 year old guy with 2 kids and an amazing wife who lets me fish more than I should".

lol,,, Me too, ditto that, 'sept I'm 62!

Someday we'll have to waste some ink,,,, (oops another Flashback!)
I fished the Big River going through Morgantown, 1 DAY/ about 4 hrs. NOT A TAP. Can't even remember where. Mongy or Cheat Lake?
I think it was '73-'74,,,, anyway, I came down to work on the new Innerbelt. I Put up a tent, up on a hill in a State Forest, I remember climbing a fire tower,,,,,???? Then the RAIN STARTED!!! I think it was called the JOHNSTOWN FLOOD! EVERYTHING, I MEAN EVERYTHING was washed away.
Came back home BROKE! (back to subject)

You should be able to use everything that the 'River' guys post on here, to fish YOUR BIG Mongy RIVER? Heck,,, It should be BETTER!
You got any stories, or pics? (maybe post them 'Out-Of State' forum)


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## senoy (Feb 3, 2013)

Heh, if you were fishing either of those places back in the 70s I'm surprised that your hooks didn't melt off before you could pull them back. The Cheat was a complete mess (It's still not great, but it's a heck of a lot better) and the Mon was pretty much dead. Now though, things have rebounded quite a bit. They've really done a lot of good work on dealing with the acid mine drainage that had just wiped out both fisheries. It's really amazing to see how just in the past decade things have improved so much. Cheat Lake is a solid though not remarkable fishery. It has a decent black bass population, holds good amounts of perch, sunfish and various cats (mostly channel) and it's starting to have a bit of walleye, but I don't think they've completely taken hold yet. They're selling it as the next big bass destination in the area, I'm not completely convinced, but you can certainly pull them out. When conditions are right, I've had days where you can't keep the bass off your hook. A couple of years ago, the perch population was so large that you'd hit your limit of 15 in an hour and a half. Its biggest problem is that there's so much recreational boat traffic and drunk college students on the water that you pretty much have to stay off the lake after about 10 or 11am during the summer.

The Mon is actually a pretty decent fishery these days. Good walleye and sauger populations, decent number of wipers and whites, lots of catfish (channel and flathead mostly), various black bass are floating around, enough musky that you can fish for them without wasting your time, some crappie and various warmwater fish mixed in (gar, carp, mooneye, drum). It's not a destination fishery or anything like that, but I'd say in the spring and fall if you know the river and the conditions are good, it's the kind of place where you can pull a couple of decent fish an hour.

Here's a 17.5 inch walleye I got last time I went on the Mon for any length of time. I got two that day in about an hour and a half of fishing, would have been early January. The last time I hit the Mon(last week), I got a 15 inch sauger in about 45 minutes (You can do a lot better on sauger than I do, I fish bigger baits since I like slightly bigger fish and generally I'm targeting 17-20 inch walleye, if you're willing to catch 12-inch and smaller sauger and small walleye, they're a lot easier to find.) I only go for short periods because I'm always stealing fishing time where I can fit it in. Those two boys and that pretty wife are still my priority. In 30 years, I get to retire and then we'll see about actual long fishing days.

I haven't touched Cheat Lake since last fall. It's iced in, too thick to boat, but not thick enough to ice fish.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Hey Back-at-cha!
Thanks Good Read, on a CRAPPY day. 

BTW,,, is that primitive State campground still up on that hill? If you know where I mean?
It would be a good summer one-night-lay-over,,, I'd like to get down your way on my scooter, just to see what's new,,,, It's been a l o n g time. (hah, another flashback)
Ya, I even muzzeloader hunted down around there somewhere,,, more South, but near rt79.
The friend of a friend owned a big beautiful 'A'frame way up on a hill ,,, he was the owner of a huge junk yard back in those hills,,,,big bucks. Lots of deer, and TONS of good food!!!
ok, that's all I got,,,
Later


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## senoy (Feb 3, 2013)

I think all of the legal primitive sites around Cheat Lake are gone. Cooper's Rock (a state park on the east side of the lake) has regular camping as well as Chestnut Ridge Park (a county park also on the East Side.) whose sites are a bit more primitive for tent camping. Both of them run 20-ish a night. You should come down. Things have changed. Morgantown has grown like a weed these last ten-fifteen years.


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## Guest (Feb 4, 2013)

Thanks for the info guys! I am always trying to extend my fishing season through out the year. I fish Wills Creek in Coshocton for saugeyes in the spring. I fish a lot on the rivers in my area...Mohican, Clear Fork, Walhonding, Kokosing. Mostly for bass but saugeyes some too. 

I do have a boat and would love to put it on the river. I may make a scouting trip and fish from shore just to check out the area and see whats around. 

Doboy if you would want to go out on my boat some time that would be great! I will gladly pack some extra junk food! 

What would be the boat ramp to use in the New Cumberland Area?


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Doboy said:


> Wow Kip,,, I looked up Millersburg. Your a LONG way from everything.
> Your the 3rd person to ask those questions in as many days!
> Feb, March & April good, for the spawn. November & December they seem to put on the feedbag. High water, all gaits open, good on lock wall side. Low water, gaits #10 or #11 closed, good on the opposite side of lock,,, USUALLY! Wait for 40*+ water.
> If I were you, I'd go to Wills Creek dam, Ellis lock & dam, & the 2 dams around Zanesville,,,, Anywhere on or near the Muskingum River. Our hunting camp is near Dresden and I've seen a bunch of sauger, walleyes, smallies and some huge cats come out of there. Fish & learn those spots till mid Feb.or March and when we start posting limits again,,,, COME-ON-OVER.(or head down to Greenup?) "Search" New Cumberland or Greenup sauger.
> ...


True that! Great advice Doboy! There's lots of great fishing in the Muskingum if you'll take the time to scope it out and learn some spots. My BIL has a place to hunt in SE Ohio near the Muskingum. I went down with him for spring gobbler a couple years ago. We'd hunt the morning, break for lunch, and then hit the river. We were fishing below Devols dam, which is the first low head dam above the Ohio River, I believe. He told me the saugeye might be up. I was casting a Reef Runner Lil Ripper shallow runner in Fire Tiger and caught some really nice walleye! My BIL came fishing down toward me and asked if I was doing any good. Told him I had caught a bunch of nice walleye. He asked if they weren't saugeye. I held up the stringer and he said, "I'll be damned, those are walleye!" Had a lot fun down there! Good luck.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Birddog37 said:


> I do have a boat and would love to put it on the river. I may make a scouting trip and fish from shore just to check out the area and see whats around.
> Doboy if you would want to go out on my boat some time that would be great! I will gladly pack some extra junk food!
> What would be the boat ramp to use in the New Cumberland Area?


Junk Food,,, Did I here Junk Food!?  We NEED TO TALK! 

Below the dam,,, Cumberland city launch, West Virginia side rt2. 
Ohio side, Toronto, rt7.
Above the dam,,,, WV side, cross rt30 bridge, Go South on rt2, Chester city launch, behind the McD's. (Hopefully, we'll be able to launch there in a weekend or two!) There's also a launch at a campground South of Newell.
Ohio side,,,, small city launch in Wellsville. Another in Liverpool and after March the one on rt68 at the Beaver Creek is open.

Check 'em out on 'Google Earth' or PM me your email (with pic of boat & list of junk food!!! ) and I'll send you my Google maps with parking spots, launches & fishing hot spots.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

buckeyebowman said:


> True that! Great advice Doboy! There's lots of great fishing in the Muskingum if you'll take the time to scope it out and learn some spots. My BIL has a place to hunt in SE Ohio near the Muskingum. I went down with him for spring gobbler a couple years ago. We'd hunt the morning, break for lunch, and then hit the river. We were fishing below Devols dam, which is the first low head dam above the Ohio River, I believe. He told me the saugeye might be up. I was casting a Reef Runner Lil Ripper shallow runner in Fire Tiger and caught some really nice walleye! My BIL came fishing down toward me and asked if I was doing any good. Told him I had caught a bunch of nice walleye. He asked if they weren't saugeye. I held up the stringer and he said, "I'll be damned, those are walleye!" Had a lot fun down there! Good luck.


Wow, you like to travel,,, I always wanted to check out Wayne NF East. If you ever need a seat filled, aka split costs, maybe on a 3-dayer hunt & fish, look me up. 
I'm just about ready to give up on my hunting camp near Dresden,,, 
I can't find anyone who would like to go down for more than a day,,, To hunt AND FISH! Cabin & Trailer on private land, on the North side of Tri-County 15,000 acres,,,, right on the Muski River.


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## pppatrick (Apr 21, 2012)

my pb saugeye and sauger were both in june and july, whilst bass fishin'. who says there is an off season for em'. ha.

well i'll be, there is a new WV boy on here! yeah boooy! 

my pops and i fished cheat in 97', in september, didn't get but a few dink crappie and dink lm bass and headed south to tygart that night, and found it much better. cheat was dropped about a foot from what it must have been, and the banks were lined with beer and pop cans everywhere. we were out on what i called the "I-79 bass hunt of 97". in the end, we were over ran by the jet skies at cheat. good to hear its gettin better. from tygart to stone coal, stonewall jackson, burnsville and finished up at sutton. best week of fishin i've ever had. so many good lakes and rivers within 2 hours of you up that way.


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## senoy (Feb 3, 2013)

pppatrick said:


> my pb saugeye and sauger were both in june and july, whilst bass fishin'. who says there is an off season for em'. ha.
> 
> well i'll be, there is a new WV boy on here! yeah boooy!
> 
> my pops and i fished cheat in 97', in september, didn't get but a few dink crappie and dink lm bass and headed south to tygart that night, and found it much better. cheat was dropped about a foot from what it must have been, and the banks were lined with beer and pop cans everywhere. we were out on what i called the "I-79 bass hunt of 97". in the end, we were over ran by the jet skies at cheat. good to hear its gettin better. from tygart to stone coal, stonewall jackson, burnsville and finished up at sutton. best week of fishin i've ever had. so many good lakes and rivers within 2 hours of you up that way.


Walleye and sauger get real strange in the summer. You'll see them sitting in two feet of water acting like a bass sometimes. Sometimes you'll get them biting in the middle of the day. They'll sometimes be hiding in weed beds right up next to docks. In summer, they're just really unpredictable. I've even heard of people taking them on spinners in the summer. They can still be caught, but they are tough to target.

Always glad to meet a fellow mountaineer. Tygart is still good fishing. If I were walleye fishing in the summer, that's high on my list. It's not so crowded with rec boaters as to be unfishable. Stonewall Jackson is supposed to be off the hook for black bass (though it's C&R only). Cheat Lake is still likely to get you run over by jet skis, so it's real early morning fishing only.


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## pppatrick (Apr 21, 2012)

Stonewall is just flat out fun to fish. The first time we went there i thought i was dreamin. Not as deep as the other lakes up that way, tons of flooded timber. And chalk full of fish. Easily my favorite lake in the state. 


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


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## snake69 (Sep 26, 2005)

Don't you know it Doboy! It can be feast or famine from one day to the next, and I *DO* mean that!!
Senoy, I agree, good first post and let me welcome you to the site! This is a great place/thing we have here! Lots of great people and also plenty of good advice too! Take a little and leave a little. And someone...maybe Senoy mentioned bites can be a little hard at times, one thing I know about 'eyes, they have a predatory nature and will bite most often because of this nature, they will also often bite out of instinct! And of course, there are times you can't seem to get them to bite *regardless*!! Jerry, I'll be seeing you this weekend. I'm thinking it will be Sunday....


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## Guest (Feb 7, 2013)

Weeds can be very productive in the summer. Especially weeds close to deeper water. The weeds hold the key....FOOD! I like to slow troll the edges of weed lines with inline spinners in the early morning and evening. However, I have found that weeds can and do hold walleyes all day long. One of my favorite summer patterns is fishing slip bobbers on points and flats at night.

Like senoy mentioned it is amazing just how shallow they will go at times!!


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

Late summer at Greenup dam you can see them swimming right along the sidewalk with the Shad and the Sheephead. We actually saw some of the birds dive bombing and getting them. Guess if I were a bird and had a choice between a Shad or a Sauger , I'd take the Sauger too


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