# Alum Lake?



## Lazy 8

What the heck happened to Alum and our Muskie catching chances? I still consider myself a greenhorn to the Muskie game but I understand Alum went to he!!? What's up? When might she recover?


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## Earthworms

About 4 years


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## MuskieJim

I know some guys who catch a ton of fish out of Alum. The fishery is still there, but it just isn't as fantastic as it was years ago. The chances of multiple fish days are still there, but I believe a lot of the decline can be contributed to summer fishing when the water is 80+ degrees. Just about every fish caught during that period is at risk of delayed mortality, but no one wanted to listen to that......


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## Lazy 8

MuskieJim said:


> I know some guys who catch a ton of fish out of Alum. The fishery is still there, but it just isn't as fantastic as it was years ago. The chances of multiple fish days are still there, but I believe a lot of the decline can be contributed to summer fishing when the water is 80+ degrees. Just about every fish caught during that period is at risk of delayed mortality, but no one wanted to listed to that......


Consider that and the ones that got sucked over the dam and we're where we are? 
Wasn't the ODNR going to do something with transmitters?

Mr. Earthworm, I'm not trying to sound or be snippy but, what will take place over 4 years?


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## Ol'Bassman

Lazy 8 said:


> Consider that and the ones that got sucked over the dam and we're where we are?
> Wasn't the ODNR going to do something with transmitters?
> 
> Mr. Earthworm, I'm not trying to sound or be snippy but, what will take place over 4 years?


Yes the ODNR is doing a study with tagging and readers on selected lakes but it is a 10 year study and will take time to set up. Readers have been installed at the spillways of Clear Fork, Leesville and Alum. Not sure about Salt Fork. There are dual readers below the dam at Alum. Over 8400 advanced fingerlings have been tagged and released in those lakes. As of 2014, No tagged fish have been reported at any of the spillways. The ODNR is looking into more easily detectable tags. There were 12 tagged fish reported caught on the main lakes at Alum (7), Salt Fork (4) and Leesville (1). The biggest was 22". All by non-musky anglers. All were released.


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## Farmhand

Musky is still top notch at alum, I live 10 minutes from there and catch good fish on nearly every attempt


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## Lazy 8

MuskieJim said:


> I know some guys who catch a ton of fish out of Alum. The fishery is still there, but it just isn't as fantastic as it was years ago. The chances of multiple fish days are still there, but I believe a lot of the decline can be contributed to summer fishing when the water is 80+ degrees. Just about every fish caught during that period is at risk of delayed mortality, but no one wanted to listen to that......


Yes, handling fish when they are over stressed especially during very warm water conditions, you can loose the fish with too much out of water time, best to leave fish in the water for the picture & release when water temps are 70 degrees and above.


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## Snyd

I don't target them but always catch one or two smaller ones every year while crappie fishing. I have seen lots of them caught over the years and last weekend saw a nice one caught by a guy bass fishing.


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## Lazy 8

I have a good friend who bass fishes Alum a lot and he usually catches 10 or so Muskies every year. Not real bigguns, but Muskies anyway.


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## polebender

I caught this musky a couple a weeks ago while bass fishing. It was in about 18" of water and came out if some flooded bushes and hit right at the boat! I usually catch anywhere from 2-5 muskies a year and almost all of them come from shallow water.


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## Earthworms

Nice fish.


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## esoxhunter

Been fishing Alum for the last 15 years and my last 5 have been my best. Average size for me the last few years has been Fish Ohio (36 inch). I don't believe anything is wrong with Alum.


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## gamblerman

There is a problem with fish going over the spillway but DNR won't install preventative measures like those at Kincaid Lake in Ill. and others. The rationale I've heard from them is that muskie were native to Ohio streams before the dam building binge, and re-populating them into reservoirs has the additional benefit of reviving stream populations.
The area of the lake above the causeway is kinda nice but the main lake is ugly to me and I just don't fish it. I prefer the MWCD lakes. gm


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## Fisherman 3234

gamblerman said:


> There is a problem with fish going over the spillway but DNR won't install preventative measures like those at Kincaid Lake in Ill. and others. The rationale I've heard from them is that muskie were native to Ohio streams before the dam building binge, and re-populating them into reservoirs has the additional benefit of reviving stream populations.
> The area of the lake above the causeway is kinda nice but the main lake is ugly to me and I just don't fish it. I prefer the MWCD lakes. gm


There may or may not have been some natural reproduction in Alum creek/scioto river seen......


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## crittergitter

esoxhunter said:


> Been fishing Alum for the last 15 years and my last 5 have been my best. Average size for me the last few years has been Fish Ohio (36 inch). I don't believe anything is wrong with Alum.


The MAL shows differently. According the MAL the catch totals for the past five years are as follows:

2010 - 803
2011 - 273 
2012 - 203
2013 - 176
2014 - 145

I'm no expert, but it looks to me like there is a problem.


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## Lazy 8

I'm no expert by any means but, that would reflect my string of bad luck. I was not one of the 145 last year.


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## gumbygold

ODNR tested the transponders at alum this spring while they were bringing it to winter pool. I think they released 2500 tagged fish and recorded 11%. This was at full flush from the spillway.


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## crittergitter

gumbygold said:


> ODNR tested the transponders at alum this spring while they were bringing it to winter pool. I think they released 2500 tagged fish and recorded 11%. This was at full flush from the spillway.


Yeah, I think they had a full flush for about 3 days this spring. In 2011 I think it was a full flush for 3 straight weeks. The snaggers were having a ball! They didn't have transmitters in the fish back then.


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## TopRaider15

New member first post, 

I recently moved down to Cincinnati from Minnesota and still have that musky itch. I'll be in the Columbus area Saturday and was wondering whether Cesar's Creek or Alum, or any advice in general. Thanks


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## esoxhunter

crittergitter said:


> The MAL shows differently. According the MAL the catch totals for the past five years are as follows:
> 
> 2010 - 803
> 2011 - 273
> 2012 - 203
> 2013 - 176
> 2014 - 145
> 
> I'm no expert, but it looks to me like there is a problem.


that is interesting critter. I'm hitting it this weekend and will report back. Might be like the old scale sample program where guys at certain lakes just stopped reporting.


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## esoxhunter

fished from 7:30 til 12:30 today and got skunked. Two fish caught by tournament participants (32, 35) that I know of.


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## Lazy 8

Do you mean that 2 fish were caught total? By all in the tournament?


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## Earthworms

I think 25 or so we're caught during that time.


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## Lazy 8

Whew! I was worried.


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## Buzzy

Any fish recently?


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## Buzzy

Any fish recently?


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## polebender

Buzzy said:


> Any fish recently?


Yes, there's been reports of fish being caught. But mostly by bass and saugeye fisherman catching them in the shallow flooded areas, and also below in the spillway.


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## crittergitter

MAL shows 62 caught and 5 for July. West Branch by contrast shows 273.


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## Lazy 8

Hey crittergitter, please help me out here, what is mal and where is west branch? Enquiring minds want to know?


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## crittergitter

Lazy 8 said:


> Hey crittergitter, please help me out here, what is mal and where is west branch? Enquiring minds want to know?


Mal is the Musky Angler Log on the Ohio Division of Wildlife website. Musky anglers can submit their data for fishing hours and each catch. It's a website program that basically replaced the old Scale Sample program. 

West Brach Reservoir is up north. I believe it's about half way between Cleveland and Akron. I haven't fished it, but seems a lot of guys are doing really well up there.


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## Lazy 8

Copy that, thanks brother. I'll be checking that site out.


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## polebender

Here's another musky I caught today at Alum on a jerk bait fishing for bass. Had another nice one follow to the boat earlier in the day.


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## Lazy 8

Nice one brother. You never think about doing a figure 8 when bass fishing?


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## polebender

Lazy 8 said:


> Nice one brother. You never think about doing a figure 8 when bass fishing?


Every musky I've ever caught has hit me right next to the boat! It always startles me a little bit! I'm never ready for that! But after I seen the fish I hesitated about thirty seconds and then thought, oh yeah, figure eight! I did but too late! Lol!


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## Lazy 8

I know EXACTLY what you mean. Most of the time, I do a Lazy 8....


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## muskiemike423

Lazy 8 said:


> I know EXACTLY what you mean. Most of the time, I do a Lazy 8....


The MAL is a useful tool for DNR to keep track of the catch rate versus time on the water. I would say that over half of the muskies caught never get reported on my home lake. I don`t know the reason. I personally have never reported my catches since I only get out one day a week and my numbers are low. (20-30 per year).


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## Lazy 8

I'd be EXTREMELY proud of those numbers!


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## Lazy 8

I'd be EXTREMELY proud of those numbers!


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## MuskieManOhio

30 a year I consider a good year? Lol


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## Lazy 8

I'd consider 10 a year to be fantastic but I prolly don't get out as much as you all.

Are you getting ready for fall fishing when the water temps come down?


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## monte39

20-30 in a year is a good year. I had been having a great year until this heat wave,definatly looking forward to fall.


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## polebender

I caught another musky last week bass fishing on a chatterbait! This is the fourth one, two which were over 36" this year on that lure! 6 total, another nice one a jerk bait, and have had numerous follows. I don't know if they make a lure for muskies that has that style of action, or if Z-Man makes a Muskie version, but I think it would be worth while looking into. IMO


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## Roscoe

Polebender

That was a nice Musky.We'll see what's left this Fall after all the Summer and careless releases. Good Luck.



Roscoe


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## Fisherman 3234

I'm sure the musky population will be fine.


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## Lazy 8

I hope you're right.


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## Redoctober

I'll be hitting alum tomorrow morning...so far this year I'm up to 23 all fish ohios...I stopped fishing Muskie in the summer but can't wait to get into the fall esox.

I'm originally from Missouri so never had the chance to Muskie fish...this is second year I've lived in Columbus...it's an addiction.

I have been very impressed by all the people who have helped me get on these fish from not knowing a thing about these fish 2 years ago


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## Lazy 8

Hey, Redoctober, how'd you do? You can't leave us Muskie nuts hanging.


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## Redoctober

Lazy 8 said:


> Hey, Redoctober, how'd you do? You can't leave us Muskie nuts hanging.


We had 2 follows the previous saturday on believers. 3 Follows Tuesday. Than got the first muskie in a while on topwater yesterday. Trying to play this moon phase out. This should be one of the last good days left of the year if your following the moon phase.

Lazy 8 in located in central ohio?


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## polebender

I caught another musky on Wednesday! Within 15 minutes I had another musky hooked that was a lot bigger! It decided to release itself! Lol! I caught them on chatterbaits again!


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## monte39

polebender said:


> I caught another musky on Wednesday! Within 15 minutes I had another musky hooked that was a lot bigger! It decided to release itself! Lol! I caught them on chatterbaits again!
> 
> View attachment 196230


cute little guy


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## RibSplitter44

Hey Redoctober, theres a lake in Missouri called Pomme De Terre its down around Springfield. I fished a Musky tourney there a few years back with the PMTT. I lost a hog at the boat before we could get the net under her. One of the guides there said and I quote "u can catch a hundred muskies a week there in October" he said nobody fishes for them...been wanting to go back and see that for myself but hasn't worked out yet, but it does have some good muskies in it


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## Lazy 8

Lazy 8 in located in central ohio?[/QUOTE]

Yea, I'm in central Ohio.

Did anybody take advantage of the SUPERMOON yesterday?


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## Lazy 8

With my back the way it is, I don't think I'll be going out anymore this year but I hope that hasn't stopped the rest of you diehards! Has anybody had any luck?


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## NiceCatchAustin

Lazy 8 said:


> With my back the way it is, I don't think I'll be going out anymore this year but I hope that hasn't stopped the rest of you diehards! Has anybody had any luck?


Been fishing the spillway of Alum a couple times with my fly rod recently. Only have had one swipe unfortunately


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## Redoctober

NiceCatchAustin said:


> Been fishing the spillway of Alum a couple times with my fly rod recently. Only have had one swipe unfortunately


I think I've probably seen you fishing spil way


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## Lazy 8

I've fished the spillway countless times and have had ZERO luck. I've literally thrown every lure in my tackle box at them. Even when I've seen them and thrown the lure ahead of them and swam it past them.
I've heard around here that they have to be releasing water at the dam before you'll have any luck. Have any found that to be the case?
Or am I just a dumb ol hillbilly that doesn't know how to fish or what to use?


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## Redoctober

Lazy 8 said:


> I've fished the spillway countless times and have had ZERO luck. I've literally thrown every lure in my tackle box at them. Even when I've seen them and thrown the lure ahead of them and swam it past them.
> I've heard around here that they have to be releasing water at the dam before you'll have any luck. Have any found that to be the case?
> Or am I just a dumb ol hillbilly that doesn't know how to fish or what to use?


I'm with you there I never have too much luck at spillway, but it's just too easy to go down there and fish for an hour...I've had all much luck in the creek itself but those spots are hard to get to


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