# Alum creek prop monster



## CHOPIQ (Apr 6, 2004)

I fished Alum today. I didn’t know the water was down 6-8 feet. I had knees high boots on and still couldn’t wade out far enough to fish over 2’ of water. Didn’t have any bites. I did wade out to a rock pile that is usually under water on a point and fished off it for awhile. While on this rock pile I did find what alum is famous for. The dreaded prop monster that steals boaters props that get to close to a point.


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## Morrowtucky Mike (May 2, 2018)

Alum is back down to winter pool. Only 3’ lower than normal summer pool. Definitely not 6-8’ low.


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## CHOPIQ (Apr 6, 2004)

I was standing next to the bank and it was eye level where the water usually is I know I’m not 6’ tall but it me closer to 6 than 3.


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

A tuff lake for pleasure boaters that don't know the lake for sure


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

Speed bumps.


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

Yeah, according to the US ACOE it is about 2" below normal winter pool right now, or at 12:20pm today!


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## John Garwood (Jul 5, 2016)

CHOPIQ said:


> I was standing next to the bank and it was eye level where the water usually is I know I’m not 6’ tall but it me closer to 6 than 3.


were you off the old park office point on East side of Southern pool?


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## John Garwood (Jul 5, 2016)

ironman172 said:


> A tuff lake for pleasure boaters that don't know the lake for sure


that is why it is no wake with 100 yards from shore As one can see that is not followed too closely


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## polebender (Oct 29, 2011)

We see boats flying over that area all the time! Just waiting to hear the Big Bang! LOL!


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## Silver Fox 23 (Sep 4, 2015)

I echo John's comments. The east side of the south pool has quite a few of those rock piles. At summer pool they tend to hold fish too. And, sadly I've seen and been buzzed by pleasure boaters in the no wake zones throughout the south pool. Makes diving into the coves the best option on some days.


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## CHOPIQ (Apr 6, 2004)

John not sure where old park was but I was on east bank straight across from marina.


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

Did you walk down the old road , I've read someone that parked in that lot got there plastic gas tank drilled and all the gas stole..... been a few years ago


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## Kenlow1 (Jul 14, 2012)

Nice find Chopiq!


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## John Garwood (Jul 5, 2016)

CHOPIQ said:


> John not sure where old park was but I was on east bank straight across from marina.


There is a parking lot and a small pond off to the left. Sorry I guess I was dating myself, They tore that office down back in the early 80's


CHOPIQ said:


> John not sure where old park was but I was on east bank straight across from marina.


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## lacdown (Apr 25, 2007)

10 yrs ago late in the fall, my very first time ever taking my boat out I was over 30 yards from shore and banged my prop on something..took about half an inch off one propeller. Wonder if that was it...thanks for sharing!

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## Deazl666 (Mar 30, 2012)

ironman172 said:


> A tuff lake for pleasure boaters that don't know the lake for sure


Yeah I don’t feel sorry for a lot of them. 🤷‍♂️


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## fished-out (Dec 20, 2005)

Around 10 years ago, I visited Alum for the very first time, in March, on a tournament scouting trip. The idea was to get a feel for cover that would be under water at tournament time. At one point, I was a good 100 yards or more off shore in 30 feet of water. Started to take off and within 50 yards, drove a 17 foot aluminum boat 15 feet up onto a reef. Had a devil of a time getting her off. Bent the prop, but was able to get it home. Other things happened that day as well, including rescuing some foundering duck hunters in an overloaded boat in high winds and a driving cold rain--a literal trip from hell. Some day, I'll tell the whole story....


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## jdkswhite (Jan 3, 2008)

Muddy said:


> Speed bumps.


LMAO


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

fished-out said:


> Around 10 years ago, I visited Alum for the very first time, in March, on a tournament scouting trip. The idea was to get a feel for cover that would be under water at tournament time. At one point, I was a good 100 yards or more off shore in 30 feet of water. Started to take off and within 50 yards, drove a 17 foot aluminum boat 15 feet up onto a reef. Had a devil of a time getting her off. Bent the prop, but was able to get it home. Other things happened that day as well, including rescuing some foundering duck hunters in an overloaded boat in high winds and a driving cold rain--a literal trip from hell. Some day, I'll tell the whole story....


You rescued duck hunters in March? Those guys were a little late for duck season.


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## fished-out (Dec 20, 2005)

Muddy said:


> You rescued duck hunters in March? Those guys were a little late for duck season.


Yep. They were late getting the blind down. So there they were, in the middle of Alum south pool, trying to cross to their ramp. There were two of them in a 14 foot aluminum, weighed down by a LARGE amount of lumber from the blind, headed into the wind. The motor cowling was off their really old Johnson (I'd say 50's) that had quit on them, and they had maybe 2" of freeboard left. They were trying to paddle into the wind using some 1x6's from the blind. It wasn't working. The boat was full of water, they had no bucket to bail, and no tow rope. I tossed them a line and told them to tie it off to the bow and to get to the back of the boat. I put some tension on the line and told them to let me know when they were ready; I couldn't face forward and still see them because of my parka hood. It was raining, the waves were pounding, and when I heard them, I gave it some throttle, only to hear them both yelling and screaming--I stopped, turned around, and BOTH of them were on the front bow seat. Naturally, when I throttled the boat submarined....I muttered a few choice words, let them bail a bit with the bucket I gave them, and told them to get to the back and to NOT untie until I told them to. I towed them across the lake to the ramp. Maybe 75 yards from the ramp, I went into a gentle turn, intending to coast them right up to the ramp, when the boat surged and I turned around to find they had untied. Out came the 1x6's again and they started paddling their butts off. It took them 20 minutes, but eventually they got there. I stayed the whole time to make sure they made it ok, but geesh. And there's even more to that day....


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

We use to go watch the chaos at the ramps in the summer ,what a show some days on the weekend


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## Whaler (Nov 16, 2004)

Reminds me of West Branch. You ca do a lot of damage out there if you don't know the lake.


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## bman (Apr 20, 2009)

Alum has some skinny water and shallow shoals and rock piles that appear out of place to novice boaters. And they aren’t marked, which is kinda tough even for seasoned boaters if they don’t at a minimum take a look at a good lake map. 


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## Gottagofishn (Nov 18, 2009)

Humps.... one of the many reasons it’s a great fishery!


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## Jim white (Feb 19, 2018)

Sounds to me like the state needs to mark them with a buoy especially when it looks like they made them out of chunks of concrete seems to me like they would be liable


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Jim white said:


> Sounds to me like the state needs to mark them with a buoy especially when it looks like they made them out of chunks of concrete seems to me like they would be liable


I think that's old house foundation from when it was flooded.


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

Several old house foundations out there , and bad injuries have happened to experienced boater when the lake gets low in the dry times a couple feet makes a big difference what use to be ok..... many long points and areas get real shallow . Especially when pleasure boating without electronics & paying attention to it to learn the lake.... being a fisherman(troller) for years , heck I fished it while the dam was going in ..... fishing the creek when all was abanded
Why such a great natural small mouth fishery , just wish people would throw back them breeding studs ive seen removed over the years, bragging at the parking lot ....oh well

I was fortunate to sit in the front of my father's boat(just wish it had a visable depth finder for me) I bugged the heck out of him always asking how deep is it ..... sure don't know Hoover as good , he always was going in a friends boat growing up.


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