# Hoover back in the 80,s



## starcraft (Jun 3, 2005)

Since things are pretty much dead, here is something to chew on while we wait on spring. Back in the 80,s there used to be a crappie run at hoover. If u ever fished during a white bass run it was something like that. It occured in galena. We caught hundreds of crappie then. As soon as the bait would hit the water bang u have a crappie. The banks were stacked with fisherman.


Water Levels why they stopped?
I think water levels are a key ingredient to crappie location on hoover during the spring. It tells me where the more productive areas are likely to be. The water was always high back then in the creek. It always looks very low now. Maybe the white bass took over.  I still get them but never the numbers like back in the day. Whatever happend to the crappie run?


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## twistertail (Apr 10, 2004)

I think the opposite has happened at Deer Creek, used to be a great white bass run and now there is a great crappie run. I used to catch tons of white bass up the creek in the spring but the last 4 or 5 years I have not caught many w/b but have been catching lots and lots of crappie. I think it started when they put the 9" size limit on the crappies or maybe its just a natural cycle of things cause I have talked to people who said they used to catch crappie like that long ago but not the white bass.


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## Net (Apr 10, 2004)

When I started fishing hoover in the late 80s, the middle section (esp. LOTW cove) seemed to produce much more slabbage during the spawn than it does today. Last year was the first time I ventured north to Galena for the early slab bite. I wasn't disappointed .


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## crappielooker (Apr 5, 2004)

i remember in 1990, back when i lived in westerville.. we used to goto hoover and just fished from the bank, killin' crappies left and right.. like starcraft said.. as soon as the minnies hit the water, it was crappie on the end of the line.. it was great..


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

the fish are still there to be caught.always have been.low water levels will affect them,and the whites,but that's not typical of the spawning season.high water is probably more common than low water at that time,and in my opinion,will have more impact.weather patterns also play a big part.with on/off cold fronts,etc,the fish will move in and out,making for sporadic fishing.with favorable,stable conditions,you should be able to have lots of fun up north this year  
all sections of the lake will provide great springtime action,sometimes for several weeks,as the water temps rise slowly from north to south at different times.
i do have better access from the boat,but if i were a banker/wader,i could find plenty of action,even up the creeks


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## starcraft (Jun 3, 2005)

3 years ago the slabbage was in the middle section. I caught a decent 30 crappie all 9inches, and up on the regular. Last year i could not buy a bite on crappie in the middle. Like net i to went up north on a search and caught slabbage there. I was shocked at the size of the male crappie i caught. 


It might all be part of the cycle a lake goes threw. One negative about back then i hope does not come back is the size of the crappie. We caught alot but most were small ones.  There some slabs to be had now!  We used to go o shay for the big ones. Only reason i say this is towards the end of last season i noticed more dinks on the line.  Not sure which year class they in. Seems to be a bunch tho.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

i've caught nice fish from middle to upper sections in the past few years.i too caught lots of big males.last year was on/off due to weather conditions,but when i found them active the average size was still very good.the past 2-3 years i've rarely kept a fish under 10 inches.i also caught lots more over 10 than under.that is mostly because when i hit a spot and pull more than 2-3 under 10,i'll usually keep moving till i find the bigger ones.
i'm not sure about the distribution of year classes throughout the lake.there could be something to the idea that bigger ones prefer different sections,but can't say for sure.i do know that when we get poor conditions for spawn/hatch,it will show in future years.and i also believe lakes will go through cycles of up/down average size.whether that happens to just coincide with poor hatches,or is a result of them,i'm not sure.i tend to believe the size differences are due in part to both.


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## starcraft (Jun 3, 2005)

Another good memory i have of those days are getting minnows from harry & dots. This was before they started counting minnies  The old lady that worked there was so nice. She would just dump them in the bucket. Me and my pops would drive to hoover just to get bait to fish elsewhere. Oh yes and that hot dog stand next to harry & dots. On the way home i would make pops stop everytime so i could get a foot long.  Funny we always return to the same old places to fish.


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## Net (Apr 10, 2004)

starcraft said:


> On the way home i would make pops stop everytime so i could get a foot long.


 You're lucky man. My dad made me pack the lunch for eating on the lake and also for the trip home. Heck, I don't think I ate my first McDonald's hamburger till I got my drivers license...lol


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

oh,the hot dog shop 
that was also my first stop after a day on hoover.harry and dot's was also my last stop before i got there  
i fished hoover with my dad in the 60's,before he died.we'd always stop at the "cozy cottage"(or whatever) on rt. 605 for dinner,since that's the route we took then.we always caught our bait in those days,so no need to stop at the bait shop


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## whitebass (Apr 18, 2004)

I remember when the walleyes use to run back in galena back in the late 70's to early 80's. I do remember that we use to go to hoover to catch walleye instead of going all the way to fremont for the eyes.Some times there would still be snow on the ground. First the walleyes would run through galena then the crappie and whitebass. I do remember when we could put on 2 jigs on the pole and catch the crappies two at a time almost every cast. It was like heaven. As for harry and dots that was the dream bait shop. If you went up there and asked for 2 dozen minnies you had at least 50-75 minnows in the bucket. It made you feel good and it would always bring you back. Now days if you ask for 2 dozen you might....get 24 and usually 1-2 were already floating b-4 you even hit the water. 

AH yes.... those were truly the good old days ...i remember it well !!!!!!!
B


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## BottomBouncer (Jan 20, 2005)

What we have now is the result of all those buckets/stringers being filled. Just because there is a 30 fish or 100 fish limit....whatever the limit may be doesn't mean people need to keep fishing until the string is full....

Just imagine what the fishing will be like in another 10 years or so.... All you guys will be fishing for carp....that's all that will be left


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

> What we have now is the result of all those buckets/stringers being filled


 LOL.coulda fooled me  
what we have now is a great fishery at hoover.over time,a lake goes through changes.usually a lake is at it's peak several years after construction,and remains so for several years.hoover was constructed in the 50's and by the mid 60's had become a great fishery.there were no homes,boat clubs,etc and shore access was gained in many places by long walks or driving over pothole covered dirt paths through the fields.
i think one of the reasons for the smaller crappie/white bass runs in the creeks is due to changes over time,which in part have resulted in among other things,more spawning habitat in the lake itself.white bass spawn in several areas of the main lake,and crappie spawning habitat can be found throughout the entire lake.
time and developement around the lake have had their effects.not to mention general population growth of 500%(remember hoover is a water supply res.)but with good management,it remains a quality fishery,though a little different one.and my guess is,it will be a long time before any of us need to worry about having only carp to fish for  
but if carp is your thing,you don't have to wait for that day,because along with other species,they are abundant there now  
.


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## SwollenGoat (Apr 13, 2005)

Hehe, Starcraft and I are about the same age. We went fishing last year and it was funny we had a lot of the same experiences growing up - Our dads taking us fishing at Hoover, Harry & Dots, Hot dog stand etc. I tend to remember things "being better back then" but then again, I was a kid and I think as we get older we all remember the "good old days" as good old days. 

Just remember that things change and as humans we get stuck into patterns. Being good at fishing means adjusting to new situations and learning to adapt. Just because I caught fish at a certain place last week, doesn't mean I'll catch them there again this week. Seasons change, and different years bring different temp. and weather patterns that the fish and fishers have to adjust to. I don't think last year's draught helped out anybody - so let's all hope this year is more consistent with what we are all used to.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

> I don't think last year's draught helped out anybody - so let's all hope this year is more consistent with what we are all used to.


 that was a problem for many.it comes back to the statement about adjusting.the those who adjusted,had more success the last half of the season.
i only made two short trips after the middle of july,which weren't "stellar" performances  
had i spent my usual time on the water,i'm confident i would have been able to adapt and put some decent numbers in the boat.early season gave us some inconsistent weather,which kept not only fishermen,but also the fish guessing.
if the weather cooperates this year,i predict much better spring crappie fishing and better eye fishing,with good average size due to stockings and spawning of recent years


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## starcraft (Jun 3, 2005)

Me myself last year at hoover was a learning experience for me. I learned more last year fishing then any other year. The reason i did was because the fish were not present in the same areas i was used to catching them in, and my setups were not producing. Had to find new areas, ways to catch them. Took awhile but i found a pattern that helped me catch fish pretty consistant. Hoover is a fine peace of water no denying that.


Fairly new to fishing for saugeyes at hoover. Caught a couple last year in august during the dog days. It was on overcast days in the rain. Have a question for those who fish for eyes. Do they travel in small schools? The ones i caught were back to back in less then 5 mins. Also some good bass fishing at hoover as well. I love those smallmouth strong, tuff fish.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

i think saugeyes can be found schooled in loose or tight packs,depending on size,time of year,baitfish,conditions,etc.
as with other species,i believe they tend to group together in year/size classes to a large degree.when i catch several from a small area,there usually isn't more than a couple inches difference in size,one way or the other.
the larger fish also can be loners at times,in my opinion.
the weather pattern you described is typical ideal eye weather,but then saugeyes don't know that,and i've had great great success at mid-day under blue skies,even in shallow water,LOL.


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## Net (Apr 10, 2004)

I had a terrific answer to starcraft's question until I saw rick's reply and it was nearly identical to mine  . Saugeye do seem to group themselves into small pods based on certain year classes. Once they reach "adulthood" they break ranks and act more independently, many times feeding near the outside fringes of an active school of smaller eyes.


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## starcraft (Jun 3, 2005)

Very good point misfit, net. It sounds almost how crappie school by year class. The point about the bigger fish feeding on the edges of the smaller fish is true even with the crappie. I could be in a small pod of crappie, the bigger ones tend to be close by just not in the smaller schools, and less numbers. Pops always said the smaller fish get to your bait quicker then the big boys. Harder for them to catch prey around those smaller quicker fish.


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## fishintiger (Apr 26, 2004)

From reading some of these posts I have come to see that fish are like humans. When they are younger/smaller that pack together. When they are older/bigger they kind of do their own thing. I also noticed that some of you said the younger/smaller ones were faster than the older/bigger ones. That sounds like us too.   I wouldn't think that the larger fish were with the smaller fish but according to you guys they are close by.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

tony,good observations and analogy on the older/younger thing,but just remember the #1 rule................................old age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill


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## fishintiger (Apr 26, 2004)

misfit said:


> tony,good observations and analogy on the older/younger thing,but just remember the #1 rule................................old age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill


What about just plain dumb luck??

I was told (or read somewhere) that with crappies (and possibly other fish) that the bigger crappies would be at a deeper depth than the smaller ones. I can't remember where I read or heard this but I always assumed  this was true. I guess it could be since starcraft said that he noticed the bigger fish feeding on the edges of the smaller fish. Or it could be because the smaller fish get to the bait higher up and it just seems that the bigger/slower fish were lower.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

when fish are feeding on baitfish schools(crappies,bass,etc)lots of times the bigger ones will be below the little guys.again the "wisdom with age" philosophy  
like us ld fishermen,they don't like to expend more energy than necessary,so they let the younger pups do the work herding/catching bait,while they just hang out below and inhale the leftover,injured food that drops down to them.


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## fishintiger (Apr 26, 2004)

misfit said:


> when fish are feeding on baitfish schools(crappies,bass,etc)lots of times the bigger ones will be below the little guys.again the "wisdom with age" philosophy
> like us ld fishermen,they don't like to expend more energy than necessary,so they let the younger pups do the work herding/catching bait,while they just hang out below and inhale the leftover,injured food that drops down to them.


Well that makes sense. I think I had heard that too. It was probably a line or two after the other part, I just forgot that part of the story.  I guess fish are a little smarter than most people give them credit for.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

> I guess fish are a little smarter than most people give them credit for.


 i also think fish are a little smarter than most people(yours truely included) sometimes


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## starcraft (Jun 3, 2005)

misfit said:


> when fish are feeding on baitfish schools(crappies,bass,etc)lots of times the bigger ones will be below the little guys.again the "wisdom with age" philosophy
> like us ld fishermen,they don't like to expend more energy than necessary,so they let the younger pups do the work herding/catching bait,while they just hang out below and inhale the leftover,injured food that drops down to them.



Hey, misfit do u have a aqua view watching the schools feed?  U have a lot of knowledge that i have seen proof of. Late in the season the only crappie i caught of any size would only hit the bait on the fall. I mostly drift jigs or live bait in the schools. 


I heard fish have a brain thats the size of a pee. Just think if there brains were are size we would never catch any.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

LOL.wish i had a aqua-view  
just been fishing for a couple years  
also,when the white bass are busting shad,i often let my bait drop after casting,to get below the surface feeders and usually get the bigger fish,unless i just want some fast action on the smaller ones.
one day a couple years ago,net and i were out in our boats the same day,and found whites feeding on shad schools close to the bottom,and discovered when our spoons could get down past them,there were saugeyes following them,and waiting for the leftovers also  
lotsa fun that day


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## Net (Apr 10, 2004)

Until they come out with an Aqua View that can cut through stained water and still give a clear panoramic picture from say 15 yds away, everything we're saying is an educated guess based on years of observing patterns. For me, it's not enough to just go fishing -- you have to really want to question everything that's happening under your boat when a fish hits. Having a good sonar and knowing how to use it is critical.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

yeah,it would take some kind of camera to see much in the murky depths of hoover.besides,it is fun(and at times,frustrating,lol) trying to fit all the pieces together to figure out just what's going on in the fish's world


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## fishintiger (Apr 26, 2004)

Net said:


> Having a good sonar and knowing how to use it is critical.


Maybe that's my problem. I've got a "decent" fishfinder but I'm not too sure how to use it. After last weekend's classroom sessions I hope this year I can learn to use it a little better. I'll have to take a day and just go up there and "scout" around just to learn what's out there.


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## starcraft (Jun 3, 2005)

Buddy of mine told me something about the dnr tagging saugeye in hoover. If u catch one u should report it to the dnr. Anyone hear about this?


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## fishintiger (Apr 26, 2004)

starcraft said:


> Buddy of mine told me something about the dnr tagging saugeye in hoover. If u catch one u should report it to the dnr. Anyone hear about this?


Yeah we heard about it on Saturday. Just a warning the DNR guy said it would count towards your daily limit. He said there is a nice reward if you turn one in. He said if you catch one and there is an officer there to just hand him the fish and go catch another one. He said they were looking at probably tagging 25-30 fish in the 17-20" range. They are also doing a bottom study so if you see two weird looking boats on Hoover that's what is going on.


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## GarryS (Apr 5, 2004)

Hey Misfit.... Do they still get any walleye out of Hoover? I'm sure there are some big ones still in there.

GarryS


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

garry,i haven't seen or heard of a walleye coming from there for at least 8-10 years or more.the last one i heard of was about 8-10 pounds.last one i caught was in the mid-late 80's.i doubt there's been any reproduction since then,so the likelyhood of any being there now is almost if not 0.


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## GarryS (Apr 5, 2004)

Thats a shame... used to get some nice walleyes out of there when I was younger...


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

yeah,i caught plenty too.lots of fun wading the flats in the south end and tossing tose old daredevil spoons back then.
last ones i caught were in the hole below the dam,and there were some pigs taken out of here in the eighties.


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## crappieperson (May 18, 2005)

im only 28 but i remember back in the late 80s riding my bike up to hoover and fishing and catching all kinds of crappies with my brother, my parents lived out off lee rd. we also use to ride up to the hotdog/icecream place all the time too...... and i wish harry and dots was still there. i always show my 7 year old son that building and tell him about it....


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## starcraft (Jun 3, 2005)

Someone should look into bringing old harry & dots back. The service now could never compare to then. To bad u have to starve in the winter if u own a bait shop or i would look into it.


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## Net (Apr 10, 2004)

fishintiger said:


> Yeah we heard about it on Saturday. Just a warning the DNR guy said it would count towards your daily limit. He said there is a nice reward if you turn one in. He said if you catch one and there is an officer there to just hand him the fish and go catch another one. He said they were looking at probably tagging 25-30 fish in the 17-20" range. *They are also doing a bottom study so if you see two weird looking boats on Hoover that's what is going on*.


 I'd be interested to learn more about that bottom study. If anyone hears anything more please pass it along.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

teryy,as i undrstand it(at least think i do,LOL)they're mapping the the makep of the lake bottom.getting a picture,so to speak,of the different bottom types,i.e. gravel,mud,sand,etc throughout the lake.then they're hoping the tracking program,and maybe other info combined with with the results of bottom mapping will give them a clue as to areas,what types of bottom,etc,if any,that saugeyes might favor more over others.kinda another tool for possibly learning more about the fish's behavior,and in turn,giving us fishermen another tool for our saugeye box 
ray petering has the info on it.


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## Net (Apr 10, 2004)

Very interesting. I was hoping it'd be something along those lines. Thanks rick.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

yeah tery,it did sound interesting for sure.probably take a couple years or more to really complete it,but it could be very helpful.


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## fishintiger (Apr 26, 2004)

misfit said:


> teryy,as i undrstand it(at least think i do,LOL)they're mapping the the makep of the lake bottom.getting a picture,so to speak,of the different bottom types,i.e. gravel,mud,sand,etc throughout the lake.then they're hoping the tracking program,and maybe other info combined with with the results of bottom mapping will give them a clue as to areas,what types of bottom,etc,if any,that saugeyes might favor more over others.kinda another tool for possibly learning more about the fish's behavior,and in turn,giving us fishermen another tool for our saugeye box
> ray petering has the info on it.


Must have been the one session you didn't fall asleep during. That's what the ODNR guy said. Well that's what I remember. I may have dozed off too though.  It should be pretty interesting to say the least to find out what the Saugeye's are up to.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

i managed to stay awake the whole day
but i sure slept when i got home


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