# Chautauqua spring trip



## Bleeding Minnow (Feb 22, 2012)

With current conditions in Central Ohio less than desirable, I am dreaming about my trip to Chautauqua next month. Really starting to get excited. Buddy and I will pull into camp at Pine Hill on Memorial Day afternoon/evening and then be on the lake until the following Saturday. This will be my 8th trip up there and always have a good time. I'll be sure to post our fishing report when our week is through and if anybody else is going to be on the lake around that time feel free to chime in.


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## kingfisher72 (May 14, 2016)

!!!! I'm looking forward to living vicariously through your report as a fellow out-of-towner 


Dad said the ice went out on the north end on Wednesday with all that wind.


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## Popspastime (Apr 1, 2014)

Good Luck and have a good time. We'll be there some time in June, just haven't nailed it down yet.


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## kingfisher42 (May 7, 2009)

heading up June 3rd. weeds shouldnt be as bad this year with the late spring.


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## Bleeding Minnow (Feb 22, 2012)

2 weeks until a buddy and I will be on the road for Chautauqua. Can't wait! Starting to see some good fishing reports on facebook. Sounds like south basin may be around 60 degrees. The high temp on Saturday was only like 50 so definitely a different weather pattern than what we have in Central Ohio right now. Anybody else hearing anything about the condition of the lake and the fishing?


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## Popspastime (Apr 1, 2014)

Planning on going there as well but haven't set a date yet.


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## kingfisher72 (May 14, 2016)

I went back home on opening weekend to cast at night (5/5-5/7). I fished three nights for a couple dozen fish. Slower than I'd expected. The water was still cold in the north end. Less than 50F. Most of the males we caught were still milting. The females were all post spawn. Saw a lot of uninterested fish swim by. Must have hit the tail end of the spawn. Everything is behind a little with the late spring. You should hit it just right for jerks over the weeds. The weeds should be down a bit still. Maybe even some night casting still going then. Talking to some friends back home, the night casting has yet to peak.


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## Bleeding Minnow (Feb 22, 2012)

Oh man that’s getting me all jacked up! And Muskie season opens when we get there so I’ll be chasing 4 species while trying to talk buddy out of a perch fry lol.


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## Brahmabull71 (Jul 30, 2014)

When does the algae blooms usually start?

Would love to come over and try for crappie!


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## partlyable (Mar 2, 2005)

Hogan’s hut has been posting fishing reports every few days of fb. The one today said the crappie are slowing down but they are doing well on bass and walleye right now. Good luck bleeding minnow I will be up in June for 2 days and July for a week. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Bleeding Minnow (Feb 22, 2012)

Brahmabull71 said:


> When does the algae blooms usually start?
> 
> Would love to come over and try for crappie!


I've been going up almost every spring the last 8 or 10 years and the only time I have seen a bloom was last year when I also went up for a fall trip so I am guessing mid to late summer it starts showing up.


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## Brahmabull71 (Jul 30, 2014)

Bleeding Minnow said:


> I've been going up almost every spring the last 8 or 10 years and the only time I have seen a bloom was last year when I also went up for a fall trip so I am guessing mid to late summer it starts showing up.


Thanks! I’ve only ever fished in the fall for a little over 20 years and every year it seems to get worse.


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## kingfisher72 (May 14, 2016)

Traditionally, the peak bite for crappie in the south end was around Memorial Day weekend. Week before to week after. They’re concentrated in shallow on or near rock piles for the spawn. Before that can be good but it is hit or miss. The fish are scattered around in shallow in the warmest areas. If you find them, the fishing can be good. Sometime after The holiday, they disperse. The whites are out roaming open water and are hard to contact. The blacks are in the ever thickening weedbeds. Tough fishing.


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## kingfisher72 (May 14, 2016)

Don’t fear the bloom. It offers some of the best walleye fishing of the year in the south end. The weeds will die off and start to consume oxygen. This pushes the panfish and walleye out into the basin where they are easily accessible. Trolling crankbaits in the middle to bottom third of the water column at 3-4 mph is phenomenal. Double digit days are attainable when this bite is cranking. 

The north end the fish will push out of the weedbeds also but the water is deep enough that they’re easily obseved on electronics. Casting/jigging gets hot. Vertically jigging swimbaits on a heavy jighead (3/4-1 oz) is awesome for big fish. Jigging rapalas/ripping rap/spoons and other aggressize jigging methods really shine too.


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## Bleeding Minnow (Feb 22, 2012)

kingfisher72 said:


> Traditionally, the peak bite for crappie in the south end was around Memorial Day weekend. Week before to week after. They’re concentrated in shallow on or near rock piles for the spawn. Before that can be good but it is hit or miss. The fish are scattered around in shallow in the warmest areas. If you find them, the fishing can be good. Sometime after The holiday, they disperse. The whites are out roaming open water and are hard to contact. The blacks are in the ever thickening weedbeds. Tough fishing.


I caught a real slab there last year around 5/20 on the inside weed line up north. I bet it was 15". I didn't measure because I was on a hot largemouth bite and wanted to get back in ASAP. Caught on a J13! I have never targeted crappie there though.


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## kingfisher72 (May 14, 2016)

There’s some big ones out there. Especially the whites in the south end. I believe a 15” no sweat. I’ve seen a few 16’s in my time there. I’ve never witnessed any bigger than that personally but have heard of 17”rs.

There seems to be an inverse relationship there between walleye and crappie populations. That decade long stretch of low walleye populations were great for crappie. Lots of crappie and a bigger average size. It may be down a little with the high walleye numbers recently but I admit a total loss of interest in any other fish if walleye are available  so I can’t really say


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## Bleeding Minnow (Feb 22, 2012)

Back home from a hot (temperature) week of fishing the north basin of Chautauqua Lake. 

Buddy and I pulled in Memorial Day evening and after we unloaded and dropped the boat in, we checked in on a close spot where we have done well on largemouth in the past. It was just ok. Weeds and snot grass made for difficult clean fishing. We found a spot not too far away holding good females and buddy picked off a few in quick order on finesse with biggest over 4#. Ran to a walleye spot for last hour of light and put together 2 fish for a fry that evening. 20” biggest eye on a jerkbait. 

Tuesday brought continued heat and no cloud cover. Made a long run in the early morning looking for smallies. Found a few and saw a bunch on beds along with a bunch of good eyes and a made a few casts at a big Muskie that was checking us out. She turned on a big topwater but no follow. Tuesday evening we revisited the largemouth spot and was even tougher than previous night but we landed a few. Fished the weed edge and caught a few eyes but then things went sideways when my buddy caught a big gar. Long story short he ended up in the ER to have a deep treble hook removed. 

Wednesday we made an early run to where I saw the smallies and eyes the morning before. Caught a smallie 1st cast on topwater and that ended up being a curse as we were shut out the rest of the morning trip. Explored some new water but nothing happening. The weather changed bringing 25+ mph winds so we trolled for eyes that evening. Landed 15-20 and a couple smallies on a jerkbait. Probably only 5 or 6 eyes over 15” in the group but was fun and all fish went back.

Thursday morning was windy again so we checked the troll line from the evening before but the eyes were not there so we fished docks in a couple of canals. Caught a few. Buddy lost what looked to be a 5#er. Storms in the area so we were heading back to camp when we called an audible and we hit a nice flurry of smallies in the reeds with a spinnerbait. We let the storm pass and got back on the reeds and I landed a nice smallie on a swimbait. We called it an early night to get back to camp and watch the stupid Cavs game. 

Friday we finally had some cloud cover and the winds settled down. We fished a new area and the big smallies were hitting topwater. Missed so many fish but landed quite a few with biggest over 3.5#. Hit that spot again Friday evening and the smallies were connecting much better but they were the smaller 14”ers. Still a lot of fun and a great day of fishing to end the trip. It just went by too fast!

I purchased a new Minn Kota Terrova this spring and wow did that motor make everything easier and no way would I have been able to fish as precisely in the wind without it. My other new purchase this spring was the Minn Kota 3 bank charger and that also made my life much easier.


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## Straley (Jul 14, 2012)

Bleeding minnow my name is Sean straley from Massillon planning a trip toward end of June during your trip did try drop shot. I want to try drop shot wacky worm like to throw shakey head and of course too water. Did u mainly stay in the north end. I’ve never fish there can’t wait to see what I can put in the boat


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## Bleeding Minnow (Feb 22, 2012)

Straley said:


> Bleeding minnow my name is Sean straley from Massillon planning a trip toward end of June during your trip did try drop shot. I want to try drop shot wacky worm like to throw shakey head and of course too water. Did u mainly stay in the north end. I’ve never fish there can’t wait to see what I can put in the boat


Sean, 
We stayed north basin this trip. We usually do. We did not dropshot on this trip but have in the past. I did throw a shaky head but the snot made it tough to fish in most areas where we were. If you are fishing south I’m sure skipping a senko under docks will be productive for largemouth. Water was in the 70s most places we fished. GL!


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## Straley (Jul 14, 2012)

Thank you bleeding minnow I want to catch them smallmouth more then anything


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## Straley (Jul 14, 2012)

Bleeding minnow did u use Zara spook or buzzbaits for the smallies you caught on too water


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## Bleeding Minnow (Feb 22, 2012)

Straley said:


> Bleeding minnow did u use Zara spook or buzzbaits for the smallies you caught on too water


spook was the best of the 5 or 6 different topwaters we tried on this trip.


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## HappySnag (Dec 20, 2007)

Bleeding Minnow said:


> spook was the best of the 5 or 6 different topwaters we tried on this trip.


good info


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