# Indian lake saugeye action is heating up



## saugmon

First time getting the boat out this year. Dad and I ended up limiting out on saugeye by 10 am this morning. Got a late start at 6:15 am. Great action till 8:30 am around chippewa park. Then a couple in my old #4 buoy waypoint,which is off by 200+ yds from 2 seasons ago. Then dead until we trolled into blackhawk,oldfield beach. Got the last 4 saugeye there from 9:40 to 10 am. 

Nothing huge,all good eaters between 15"-17". Threw back 10 in the 13"-14" range-very plump, and 1 cigar from last year's 2.2 million stocking. I thought we'd hammer those cigars.We also lost a few from the planerboards. This is the best action that I ever had for this time of year,and the saugeye usually run small this time of year..

2 white bass,one went 15" 

Water Temp at blackhawk: 68 degress. 

Water clarity of main lake: 1' which is clearer than normal.Already pulling up a lot of weeds from bouncing the bottom of main lake. 

Bomber B02's took all but 1 saugeye. Firecraw took 7, Tennessee shad got 2,and Blue/Chrome took 2 from pb.Chrome/black Bandit 100 series took 1 from the pb. 

Early,they hit anything. Later,firecraw is all they wanted. 

The steady weather we've had in the last week has turned them on. Should be awesome til the next cold front moves in.

We will be out there again tomorrow morning.


----------



## jgaylord

Thanks for the great report! Wish more guys would provide such detail in their reports. Very informative.


----------



## saugmon

We didn't make it out today because of storms.Boat ramp at moundwood had very few trailers sitting there. I got a lot to do around the house so no biggie.. Should be good fishing now,before the coldfront moves in later today.


----------



## Rockfish41

Fished off pew today.caught 5 in the 16 inch range an 1 around 20.I was using wally diver in chartruce an fire tiger. got out right after the storms fished till 11am.water temp was 64.Bite should get better as water temp warms a little more.Caught a couple of smaller one


----------



## quadfisher

we trolled just for about a 30 mins after playing around the lake sunday. it was about 3:00, we lost an18" saugeye at the boat because they didnt have the net ready and my dad tried horsing it into the boat. that just had a nightcrawler bouncing along. we hadnt kicked the boat in gear yet. i started trolling a silver w/black back rat-l-trap and caught a nice 12ish eye. we had just passed winnewauken island heading back to dunns pond. not bad for the middle of the day just playing around. saw tons of carp rolling around the edges though. the little kids around were loving watching them!


----------



## NorthSouthOhioFisherman

Finally getting out again eh saugmon?

Nice report!
Thanks for posting!
Any shore action lately?


----------



## saugmon

It was too packed sunday around pew. I usually like to run my starboard planerboard about 10' from that rock point with a very sharp turn.


----------



## pumper

me and my 11 year old son was out trolling for saugeyes last friday the 23rd and had a great day. 2 man limit, the biggest just over 4#, 3 more in the 3#range, the rest 16-19 inches. we were trolling the atchisons bay area and the channel going back, not sure of the name. fish came on shallow and deep number 5 and number 7 shad raps. we also had one just under 5 pounds that won the big fish jackpot in the wrwa tourny the 18th. attached a few pictures, will be back out this friday.


----------



## WalIkng

Fished Indian today. Caught a few saugeyes on wormharness and a few on jigs. All fish were caught around dream bridge.


----------



## Fishin' Coach

New to trollin IL, was windering what speed you guys shoot for while trollin?
Thanks,
coach


----------



## demcanes504

are there any good shore spots for saugeye on the lake?


----------



## pumper

water temps 55-62 about 2mph 62-68 2.5 mph above 68 3mph. thats what works for me.


----------



## saugmon

fishin' coach: I shoot for whatever bites my bombers,LOL!

Saugeye,Crappie,Perch,Whitebass, and very soon-channelcats,shovelheads-especially around oldfield beach. I snagged into a 28" carp a few years ago from a planerboard.

The perch and crappie are thriving.

Nice Eyes pumper!


----------



## saugmon

Water Temp in main lake,in front of Chippawa: 66 degrees. Water murky-clarity of 6" and prime for saugeye,but not as bad I thought,after the torrential rains and wind we got friday/saturday.

Dad and I tore them up again. I discovered a new killer. Bandit 100 Series,mistake!!!! 

Lost a :B very early in the morning around chippewa and I was po'd. Lost 2 other decent fish near the boat. We only had 1 dink by 8:00 am and it literally sucked. Trolled from chippewa,moose,my old #3,#4 buoys,pew. Then my Casio Pathfinder watch showed 4 fish on the dial while heading from pew to oldfield beach. It showed 0 fish last week when we fished and limited out. That screen goes nuts during the full and new moons. It's pretty bad when a wrist watch comes with a 1/4" thick manual,and you have to set the gps coordinates into it. After the 4 fish icons popped up on the watch, We had our limit of 12 saugeye plus 2-3 throwbacks that could have easily kept in the 14"-15" range by 9:30 am. We accidentally had 1 extra in the livewell and 12 in the cooler.I had to empty the cooler to get an accurate count. The numbers were way down,and then the bite took on very fast,and for an hour this time. Lucky that little 15" was still alive and threw it back into to catch next year.

2 saugeye were 18",rest were 15"-17.5". A very nice batch of tasty saugeye! If I had that :B ,it would have been a awesome day!!!!

Also had an 18" channelcat.










Notice how plump some of them are,and very healthy!!!

Lots of boats in the water,but I didn't see a single net. All of them kept hovering around me. 1 boat even snagged into my planerboard rod.Boy did I think I had another hawg on!!!!

BTW: All fish came within the vicinity of Oldfield Beach and in front of Blackhawk.The planerboards that had the Bandits ,tore them up!!! Firecraw bombers on side rods took about 4. Blue chrome may have taken 1,but lost a lot of eyes?.


----------



## pumper

nice job saugmon, nice picture, you aint a kidding about that mistake the 200 series works well also. the fish i have been catching are also very plump. seems how you left a few of those big ones get away i may have to come and get them fri lol. good job, have vacation on friday hope to be there. thanks for the post.


----------



## saugmon

Another slaughter of saugeye this morning,and they were all in the 14.5"-17" with a lot of 14" throwbacks. Only 1 dink. That's a total of 3 dinks this season from last years stocking, which is very weird.Usually this early in summer,5 dinks to 1 keeper.

Not many boats on the lake. Was suppose to rain/storm most of the day,but turned out to be a nice,cool, overcast sky,10 mph winds and 0 wind at 10 am.

Also got a nice 13" crappie,full of eggs. 

Water temp in main lake: 72 degrees and 1' clarity. Great trolling action until wt in high 80's.

Bandits are on fire!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe that the time has come ,when my Bomber B02's have let me down.


----------



## WalIkng

nice report saugmon, i plan on being up there sometime this week going after some eyes.. was there any particular color on the bandits that the saugeyes hit the best if you dont mind me askin?


----------



## saugmon

Mistake

Better buy them somewhere other than IL. I bought the last 7 at the local bass pro bait shop,LOL!!!! 

Dad and I fished this morning. Very windy and wavy. Could not find no particular hotspots,but did manage 9 keepers and a 1st time that I've seen a 2 lb sucker hit a crankbait. 19.5" was the largest and rest 15-17". Only 1 dink.

B02 Firecraw took 1
B02 Tennessee shad took 1
Bandits took everything else.


----------



## TomC

Just wondering what are these bandits that every one is refering to. Ive never heard of em. Anyone got any pics of one?


----------



## WalIkng

heres one..
most stores have them such as gander mountain, dicks sporting goods, or even walmart


----------



## saugmon

Here's a pic on one,with red on 1 side and charteuse on the opposite side:










Basspro.com/freshwater fishing/hardbaits/crankbaits-page 2 for bandits. Color is #58 in the 100 series. #7 is a close match in the pics,but doesn't have the red on the backside.

Walmart? What a sorry excuse for finding saugeye baits that matches Indian Lake's shallowness. Most of their baits (Bellefontaine) are top water or deep divers for Lake erie. They did have 3 colors of the Bandit 100 series,nothing close to what I'd use.

Cabela's sucks as well. Another sorry excuse for a major outdoors store that has very few colors of the Bandit 100 series and no longer carries the Bomber B02's.

Most bait shops around Indian Lake: Same as walmart. Lakeside bass pro is about it.


----------



## WalIkng

actually the walmart here in huber heights has a few decent colors of bandits in the 100 and 200 series, but i agree I would definatley rather go to a large sporting goods store.


----------



## Tennessee

went up there Tuesday after the rain the spillway was high, current was fast, but drove a hour to get there so we fished, caught 1 nice size saugeye a couple good size white bass, a lot of bluegill, a couple crappie and 3 catfish, caught 2 nice size largemouth bass over by Taco Bell at the boat docks right down from the spillway, moundwood was a waste of time


----------



## saugmon

Another limit for me and dad this morning . 12 eyes in the boat by 8:20 am and worked another 45 mins to get rid of a couple smaller ones. All average saugeye of 15"-17".


No dinks, Water Temp is 80. Water is slightly muddied in the main lake. Channels are pretty well mudied up.

Mistake took most of the fish and the only Mad Cow bait we have, on the port planerboard- tore up 5 of them.


----------



## Rockfish41

my wife an i fished last evening,first time out since surgery.we didnt get our limit but what we caught was quality.we ended up with 8.no dinks all were better than17 and half inches.90%were caught on crankbaits with red.we fished the narrows.


----------



## swhetstone1

What color have you been catching them on?


----------



## saugmon

Bandit 100 series Mistake. Red on one side,Charteuse on opposite side,and black herringbone on both sides.It's taken 70% of our eyes in the last 2 weeks.

Mad Cow: It's a new color this year,and hard to describe. Basspro catalog has them.

Other than those two. Bomber B02 Tennessee Shad and Fire Crawdad been mediocre,especially after testing out Mistake. 

Chrome/Blue and Chrome/Black hasn't been very good-just a couple eyes. RedCrawdad BO2 bombers used to slay them a couple yrs ago,but zilch since.


----------



## DuV

My most productive lure this year has been a white Big-O. Probably has take 35% of my fish this year. Only have made 5 trips this year, working too much O-T. second best lure has been the Standard(shadrap ssr7 in bluegill pattern). It may sound a little funny but if I'm fishing by myself( can only run 2 poles) I just asoon use my 6.5 ft ugly sticks for trolling.Easier to handle by myself, shorter pole is easier to net fish, change baits, work with if I'm trying to unsnag a lure, ect. ect. ect. Just my opionion. Good Luck, DuV


----------



## saugmon

The cold front that moved through a couple days ago haven't had that much of an effect for IL saugeye. We limited out again yesterday -with the pleasure of CJbrown. Took 6 hrs,but got a decent mess of good eaters. Water temp dropped 4 degrees. It very nice,cool,and a good 1' chop. Chrome/black and Mistake 100 series took all fish,but the first couple hrs sucked. They turned on after 10 am,limit by noon along with throwing a couple keepers back in. Double limits 7 out of 9 trips,and 3 eyes short of perfection. One of the best seasons that I have ever seen,but again-Bandit 100's /spiderwire/planerboards are tearing them up.

This morning, Dad and I limited out by 9:10 am. We fished another hr to cull out 4 smaller 15" eyes,but 8 of the eyes between 16"-18". Water Temp was 75,so dropped another degree. Chrome/Black bandit took all but 3,and mostly planerboards. I snagged a 28" carp with a heck of a hump on it's back. 15-20 minute battle,reeled in all rods,and both planerboards. We even had to chase it with the trolling motor cause that sucker barely budged. I thought it was a Hawg Saugeye, LOL!!!! We pretty much quit after that.

All the keeper eyes came on straightaways and with the wind-oldfield beach to the moose. Against the wind yielded snagged carp and 6 littleuns. Turns had no affect on them.

BTW: The 2 old guys trying to unload a 15' Boston Whaler at Blackhawk: Thank you for hogging both boat ramps and both docks for 20 mins!!!!!! Tie the boat to the dock and not let it drift to the opposite empty courtesy dock while we're trying to load up my boat-DUH!!!.

I've never seen anybody use 2 docks,separated by 15 yds before.That's something you'd see on a weekend.


----------



## boaterfisherdude

hey saugmon nice detailed reports and way to tear them up! i havnt fish IL for serval weeks now and you sure are makin me jeasous lol . anyways i miss the pics you used to post! i wanna see some fat IL eyes


----------



## saugmon

I've got the pics on the camera,just not time to upload them. Between dropping daughter off in morning,trolling 4-6 hrs,cleaning fish,and then picking her up- I have very little time. She's got 1 broken arm and still is into everything, LOL!!! I'm on my way to pick her up now.

This morning's haul,we took my nephew to see if we can break the boat record of 17 saugeye. Only 13. First eye was 20" and hit before getting the second planerboard launched. We had a double at that time, LOL! Then slowed down and picked 1 up here and there between chippewa and the moose. Lake was a sheet of glass and bugs are coming out. Water Temp: 74.

13 in the cooler,threw back 2 in the 13" range and 3 dinks.That's the most dinks on 1 trip so far. The size is getting better. Lots of 16"-17" and still pretty plump. That 20 incher had a heck of a belly.

All the keepers were caught on Black/Chrome,and mainly starboard planerboard. There was times I'd pull in a fish,set it back out,seconds later,another eye.... The throwbacks were on tennessee shad and black/chrome. Mistake,Blue/chrome/and Gold/black did very poorly.


----------



## saugeye_nut

just wondering how fast your trolling????


----------



## saugmon

3 mph via gps. With the wind,crosswind,and against the wind.


----------



## saugmon

Another 2 man limit this morning by 9 am and worked another hour to cull out 4 smaller eyes.I even went old school and forgot my handheld gps unit.

3 eyes between 18.5"-20". Rest 15"-17.5"

Channelcats aren't even nailing our cranks like they used to,as well as crappie,whitebass,and perch. Dinks from last years stocking have also been very very few. 1 per trip is all we're averaging. Usually 6 per trip in the previous years.

Water Temp Main Lake: 75
Clarity: 6"-1'

Hot bait the last 2 trips: Chrome/Black bandit 100 series on the planerboards took all but 1 eye today. Red Craw took a 16" eye on my side rod.. Side rods have been ineffective last 2 trips,even using the same chrome/black. Mistake hasn't taken a fish in the last 2 trips. It was the hot bait the last 2 weeks. Gold/Black also hasn't caught squat in over a week. Every trip has been way too easy and is spoiling me, LOL!!!


----------



## saugeye_nut

my brother and i went out on saturday and caught 9. 4 on #7 shallow diving shad raps 75 back on a board, 2 on #5 deep shad rap crawfish 30 ft back on inside rod, 2 on bandit 100 mistakes 32 ft back inside rod, and one on a #7 purpledescent 30 ft back on a board. speed was between 2 and 3 mph in 6ft of water. weather turned to crap so we got off the water just in time for the heavy rain.


----------



## saugmon

Another limit by 8:45 am for dad and I. Trolled another 1 hr,15 mins to cull out 4 of the 5 -15"ers. 2 of the 3 larger eyes came around 10 am,and up by oldfield beach.

No hits from 5:45 am til 7 am. Dark clouds hovering around us,a few drops of rain, and 1 streak of lightning,then it cleared up very nice.

1 straggly 15"
8-16"
2-19"
1-20"

2 of our larger eyes came around 10 am and very close to oldfield beach.This is one of the nicest batches of saugeye so far,and from my past years,they'll improve until the water hits mid to high 80's. Current WT is still 75. Water looked a little more stained than usual.










Chrome/Black-planerboards took most,and Mistake finally taking some eyes on the side rods after 9 am. Chrome/Black on side rods didn't do squat.


----------



## downtime8763

Nice fish saugmon,I hope to be on Indian Thursday afternoon or Saturday morning. I was their last Thursday evening, we landed only two one keeper.


----------



## puterdude

saugmon you are really tearing them eyes up.Save some for the rest of us .Those are some nice ones for sure.You definately have thier number.


----------



## saugmon

I took buc out this morning and we only got 8 eyes by noon. Worst troll of the season. 18.5", 2-17" and rest 15"-16". Threw back a half dozen waterskiing sized dinks and a couple channelcats. Chrome/black took half,mistake took couple,and Red Craw took 1.

Lost 1 bandit!!!!!


----------



## saugmon

I took my dad's long time friend Bob out this morning. Started at 6 am around blackhawk,but nada. Trolled through chippewa and my old #4 buoy waypoint,and nada. Then went to my waypoint #50 and nailed them in the crosswind.With wind and against wind yielded nothing. Lots of boats around me,but I saw 0 nets.

Pulled out 8-9 from wp #50,,then on to pew. Trolled back into that waypoint another hr later and limited out by 9 am in the crosswind.It was one of those hot spots that we couldn't locate yesterday.

Fished til 10 am,but culled out a couple small ones once we reached blackhawk. All between 15"-16". He's got a good batch of eyes to cook up this weekend. Quite a few boats out there this morning.

Water Temp: 78

Chrome/black took most. Mistake took a couple 3 or so. Did get 2 nice 12" crappie and threw back a couple cats. Threw back half a dozen littler eyes.

My vacation is half way through, UGGH!!!! Stopped by lakeside bass pro to see what's left of the bandits. Slim pickings. I found 2 hot pink 100 series,so picked them up to try tomorrow.


----------



## walleyevision

I managed 4 16-17 inchers. All came on the inside rods and the same bait, Bandit 100 Wild Thing. Only dinks came off of boards, 3 of the keepers came in the crosswind like you mentioned.


----------



## saugmon

Side rods and planer's were about 50-50. We did miss a lot of fish because bob isn't as young as he used to be, LOL! He built my planerboards,but forgot how to use them.Then several doubles and we were busy!

The action was a lot better than yesterday,bite lasted about an hour. The waterskiing dinks are really picking up. We caught more of them the last 2 trips than we total'd the prior 12 trips.

20 eyes in the last 2 days that I didn't have to clean!!!!!

Walleyevision: Which boat was yours? I saw 3 other boats pulling boards this morning.

Did you see the old grayed haired guy,in the sylvan-dual tiller outboards,one being a honda,and a blue tarp still snapped onto the front end? That guy pissed me off for the last 3 seasons. He almost ran into my boat 2 yrs ago. He cut me off from my hotspot 3+ times by my buoy waypoint this morning, and an hour later 1/4 mile south of pew. He trolls,but doesn't pay attention to where he's going. BTW: I didn't see him catch a single fish this year.


----------



## walleyevision

White Starcraft. I saw that guy, he didnt seem to even care if there were any boats around him, I had to change course a couple times becuase of him. 

I missed about 4 fish, 1 was good size but my 5 year old was sleeping so I had to try and unhook the board, drive the boat, and get the net, he came off when I grabbed the net. All I saw was its head and teeth, no idea of size but he was pulling good.


----------



## CasualFisherman

Saugmon,

I will be up there camping tomorrow - Saturday with my 6 year old. I will be trolling out of a red 16' tracker v-hull with a 4 stroke 9.9. Give me a shout if you see us up there. (So I can Follow you HEHEHE ). I wish I could fish more at indian but being from down south I only manage one or two trips a year. I normally troll from Oldfield beach down to southbank but may try the Northside a bit more this time. I hope I timed it right this year. Last year 4 fish was my best day but I went during a cold front. Any action on the South/West bank and tri humps areas or is the North side the best bet?


----------



## saugmon

That same guy was out there again this morning. I was the only boat in that area for an hour.OUt from that gap,he trolls over to my buoy and cuts me off. Only 2 boats out in a 1 sq mile radius,and he cuts me off.

Only 10 eyes this morning,all 15"-16.5". Stormed like hell last night and high water everywhere.Channels looked like chocolate milk. Main Lake stained and running 78 degree wt. Side rods did the damage(chrome/Black). Planerboards did poorly,even after allowing an extra couple feet of line released to compensate for the lake rising a foot or so.


----------



## walleyevision

Thats 10 eyes more than I caught today, well I was working but still wouldve been happy with 10. I will be out again monday weather permitting hope to have 1 more good day of fishing with the kid before it gets too hot for him.

Casual, you definately owe it to yourself to head a little further north when trolling, I like the north west side this year, it has been my most productive quantity wise and size wise.


----------



## saugmon

I concentrate at blackhawk/oldfield beach first. Then keep outside the buoy line-200 yds from blackhawk,all way to the moose buoys. She tends to shallow up when getting close to the buoys-5' and less-snag city for boards. Try north,south trolling,turns. Nothing,then go east of the moose and keep a few hundred yds south of those buoys until the gap. Nothing there,then follow the buoy lines up to pew. Saugeye are everywhere,just gotta figure out if they're hitting with the wind,against the wind,or cross wave. Hitting all those areas 3 different times is no biggie.

I've caught fish in all those areas,but the bite is on at a totally different spot every day. The north gap was productive yesterday,but zero eyes today. Moose/Chippewa was good today,but not the last 2 days. Pew-only dinks so far. I used to catch hawgs in all those areas.

I'm thinking about moundwood tomorrow morning-gotta get rid of 2 tubs of recycleables.

I will also be out there,saturday,sunday,monday,tuesday,wednesday,thursday,friday,saturday,and sunday..depending on mother nature. Look out for the red Loweboat,large mast on the front end, pulling planerboards.

Beware of the Seanymph or Sylvan, with the blue tarp covering the front end, LOL!!!


----------



## saugmon

12 eyes by 9:15 am and fished another hour to cull out 2 smaller eyes. Couple 18" and 17" and rest 15-16". Even got a nice fat 11" perch and lost another that was bigger.

All eyes came around my old #4 buoy and North of buoy #4 waypoints.. Pew,Blackhawk,chippewa,and moose had 0 bites. Chrome black took most,and mistake took a few. Quite a few boats around me,but no net action from them.


----------



## saugmon

I took LittleKing out last evening and this morning. We got 4 last night between 5:30 pm to 7 pm. A couple of 15"s at this morning's spot and a 20" and 16" in front of blackhawk. Then nailed a 2# channelcat and the Lightning and rain began. Bite was just getting started during the rain and then the T-Boomers. We fried up the 2 smaller eyes last night and feasted on them.

This Morning, Windier than a SOB,so we waited at my house. Then it died down a little and headed out. LK lost a nice one off the get go just south of Oldfield beach. Then over top blackhawk,chippewa,and #4 buoy and zilch. Waves were getting up to 3',so we trolled south toward the southbank. The waves wrecked havoc on my big boards,but still manageable. Calmer water,we found a spot that went from 5' to 6' and nailed some eyes. Then the last batch was 200 yds south of it for the remainder. Ended up with 8 eyes,and 20",18",and rest 15"-16". Threw back several. By noon,2' wave just a couple hundred yds south of the southbank buoys and we headed in,done for the day.

LK, Thanx for staying. Wished you could have brought better weather, LOL!! Come back again.

Mistake on Side rods took most of the fish. Chrome/Black took some on boards.

Water Temp: 81
Clarity: Stained,but improving. Channels: Muddy
Wind: Horrible, 25+ MPH.


----------



## CasualFisherman

I just got back from my 2 day annual venture up there. I learned a lot and had a great time. Can't say I got the numbers you guys are catching but I definately was happy with the size. Used Shad Raps, Bandits, and the best performer turned out to be a cheapy shallow running, shad-colored renegade( Walmart brand) that my friend found in the bottom of his tackle box. 

Thursday Eve- Trolled my usual old routine starting around Blackhawk down West bank- over to Southbank and then up through the tri-flats( humps?) area. Lost a pole due to a crappy plastic rod holder that broke. Couldn't tell if it was a fish or snag. All I heard was splash and looked over and part of the rod holder base was all that was left. Drag was loose so go figure. Didn't get any more action until right near dark coming back through the 5' flat just south of Oldfield beach. I caught a 15"er and then a 20"er that was REAL Fat.

Friday- I started at Oldfield beach and nada- Trolled east past Chippewa to the gap and then south along the bouy line. Before I knew it there was 10-15 boats all around. (Saw Saugmon - Nice Rig! I waved but I don't think you saw me) Decided it was way too crowded and went back north picking up a 16"er and a 10" Throw back. Headed west from the gap and got several hits and I picked up one more in front of Moose. Trolled back and forth and we picked up a couple more 15"ers. Went in by noon for lunch. 
In the PM. We tried dodging the squalls but were unsuccessful. Concentrated on Chippewa and east to the GAP. My friend hit a few more in front of Moose including a 24"er. Went in at dark to brave out the weather in my tent.

Saturday - Went just about every where and picked up one in front of Chippewa inside the bouy line. Waves were beating us to death so I headed to oldfield beach to try and get a little out of the wind. I caught a 21"er there and my son lost a two at the boat. He has a hard time keeping constant pressure. One was big in the 20-22" range and the other about 18". I left at 10:30.

Thanks Saugmon and Walleye for the advice. I wish I lived closer as I love this lake and there is so much more to learn. Next time I may try Moundwood as I have not been over there yet. 

Total
4 lost cranks
1 lost pole
1 24"
1 21"
1 20"
8 15"-17"
1 Dink

Troy


----------



## tchrist5

wish i had a boat to go on. im only 18 and trying to get the funds to get one


----------



## walleyevision

Good to hear you got into some and had a good time Casual. I hope to get out there tomorrow, but right now I am hoping the weather forcast changes. It is looking to be windy with a chance of rain, and my 5 year old does not like storms.


----------



## saugmon

The weather doesn't seem to look good til tuesday. Wind out of the WAZOO and T-Storms. PM conditions haven't been any better,which is usually really windy.. Those waves beat the heck out of me yesterday.

I slept in to 5 am and looked out window to see a couple bolts of lightning out of the south and west. Back to bed. Woke up at 9am,looked out window and looked beautiful. Opened up back door and 20 mph wind. I'll probably go up and hit the flea market on duff rd and mow the grass- (more like Bale the grass) LOL!!!

Planning on fishing in the rain tomorrow morning,and hoping to limit out before the afternoon T-storms arrive.


----------



## littleking

had a great time saugmon! great fishing and great hospitality!

now if we could find a net man worth a damn


----------



## REDNECK2010

those are some nice fish we need to get up there dad


----------



## saugmon

Only 5 this morning and all 15"-16" in some very poor conditions. Cold,Rain,15 mph wind. 1 over in trihumps,3 by chippewa,and last fish close to blackhawk. June 30th and I wished I had gloves with me to keep warm.

Mad Cow seemed to work the best,but lost several fish on it.
Mistake took a couple. Chrome/Black got skunked. Dad did nail a 20" flathead around blackhawk.

Tuesday and beyond looks like better weather.

Water Temp: 77. Should be good for a couple more weeks.


----------



## walleyevision

Good job saugmon. The rain and cold kept me in bed. Ihope to get out after the 4th there should still be a few hungry eyes out there.


----------



## saugmon

I went solo this morning,1st time of season. Got a late start,overslept til 4:55 am,took kinzie to her mother's. Ended up getting a rod out as soon as I left blackhawk's channel to the opening of the bay. Before that 1st buoy,nailed a 22" eye at 6:05 am. Finally getting both side rods out,I consentrated on that spot and to the rockpoint yielded a 20" eye 5 mins later. 20 mins later yielded a 16" eye. 6:30 and halfway to my limit, LOL!! Not another fish til 9 am around pew. Then found a hot spot south of pew (which is what I named that waypoint 2 yrs ago). Nailed 2 eyes,lost several,and must have been 8 boats around me trolling north -south. I was nailing them west to east.No net action from any other boats.

So off to blackhawk to try the rockpoint. Got a double-inside rod had a dink and outside rod got a 15". Worked another half hour-3 snags and nothing. Solo action,used lure retriever twice. Can't do that with boards. Only 1 eye on starboard planerboard when I ran just 1 board. Side rods took rest.

Mad Cow was hot!!! It took all but 2. Mistake took the 22" saugeye. Chrome/Black may have taken 1 on pb?
Water Temp: 78

I'll edit in a pic later.


----------



## BennyLovesSaugeyes

saugmon, you are living my dream! nice reports as always!!!! 

and good to hear you got yourself a 22 incher, that's a HOG:B


----------



## saugmon

Still looking pretty plump and healthy.










Here's what's on the Menu:


----------



## BennyLovesSaugeyes

those two biggest ones are HOGS. Haven't seen many indian lake eyes that big. Nice job! :B


----------



## littleking

way to go man!


----------



## osu4life

saugmon said:


> Still looking pretty plump and healthy.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here's what's on the Menu:




Dude your fishing skills are off the hook...nice catch..your cooking skills need some work though!  

But hey your eating the good stuff and im not hehe


----------



## saugmon

Only 5 this morning and it was tough. 3' waves after 9 am. Trolling blackhawk at 5:45 am and nothing.Then to chippewa and moose-zero bites.

Dad got the 1st 2 around the north gap,closer to Miami Island. Then on to south of pew with 0 bites. Before I knew it,10 boats around me after trolling yesterday's spot. No nets from the other boats. So I'm still skunked and we trolled cross wave back to oldfield with 0 bites. Dad lost a nice fish as soon as we got close to oldfield and I got one a couple minutes later,so I marked the waypoint. No other fish in that area. Now a bunch of boats and pontoons surround me again, UGGH!!! Then reeled in the planerboards and turned on the 50 hp johnson for some more power and tight turns. As soon as we took off, I nailed a 16 1/2" in front of blackhawk and another by my buoy in front of oldfield beach.As soon as I idle'd the johnson,the wind spun us in a 180 in seconds. Then decided to get within 10' of the oldfield beach/blackhawk rock point where I picked up 3 nice ones yesterday AM. Nailed a 16" with 9 yds of line released,between rockpoint and the inside buoy of blackhawk in 4'-5' water. Ended up with 5,but I was skunked until a half hr before that.

Chrome/Black took 1st 2 on port board.
Mad Cow took last 3 on starboard side rod around oldfield beach and blackhawk..

Believe it or not, Water temp went from 78 yesterday to 71 in front of blackhawk.


----------



## walleyevision

From the sounds of the conditions and a 7 degree drop in water temp, 5 probably is not too bad of a day. I hope to be out there weds.


----------



## Wiper Swiper

*"Now a bunch of boats and pontoons surround me again, UGGH!!!" *

Dude, I know you'll catch your fish anyway...and you definately have got your chit together...but, considering the frequency and detail in your reports..do you really expect it to be any different???

I predict your "water" ain't seen crowded yet!  

Teach 'em all to kill the 'eyes...please.


----------



## eyefish22

I hate to be negative but i would have to agree. If everyone on the lake was having the success you are the eye population in the lake would be shot.


----------



## Cool Hunter

I agree also. I was up there a couple weeks ago and there were 20 boat just in the area I was fishing. You couldn't hardly troll. That doesn't even count the rest of the boats in some of the other areas. With St. Mary's not producing like it did and Indian lake being one of the best in the state, you'll have half the state here catching all of the saugeye. The fishing is good for us because there are a high number of eaters, not because we are pros. If the advertising keeps up, the fishing won't be good anymore. 

I'm all for putting the info out there and giving reports but constantly saying you're killing them isn't going to help boat traffic. I like your reports with all of the info but the number of them makes me cringe when I think about the traffic. Raybob is a better fisherman than probably all of us. Back in the day when he was hammering the lake he would put some good info up but he didn't do it all of the time. I was still able to learn enough from him to start hammering them myself. If you do it all of the time expect the traffic and the rest of us who normally fish up there will too.


----------



## Safety1st

If I :B "told all":B ,posted pictures of my fish ( I take pictures of all my fish), fishing location, exact colors- depths- speeds I would reasonably expect a caravan of boats behind me. But my 30+ years of 'eyes says...don't do it.

BTW, I came up to the cut thru yesterday morning then Pew etc that's my normal troll area as a starter. Saw you up there and then you headed down toward W*** Island. And I got :S skunked...which also happens to _everyone_...it's a math thing, a matter of time. 

What a weird year come to think of it, no perch, crappies, cats-carp,or white bass just saugeyes and slower then the last few years to boot.

Good luck to the big red boat and all others, it's shutting down, about 2 more skunks and I'm done till fall I have other places with better water and don't want to night fish exactly yet.

Again safe boating and goodluck to all! Even the jet skiers sometimes I think they're more respectable then the fellow fishermen

Have a SAFE happy 4th!!


----------



## saugmon

Went out this morning with the rain and wind. Only trolled 45 mins and managed 2 dinks. Looks like east and northeast wind starting tomorrow thru saturday.

Water Temp: 73
Clarity: Stained
Waves: Way too darn wavy to run planerboards, LOL!!!!!

Boat traffic is nothing near it was 2+ years ago.

Raybob is the king of IL saugeye. If I had the money,equipment,the time,and no life, I'd be the same way, LOL!!!!!


----------



## eyefish22

Saugman; i was just wondering if you are fishing with catch and release in mind. You are up to almost 200 eyes in 2 + months that many fish would have to take up alot of freezer room.lol


----------



## BennyLovesSaugeyes

eyefish22 said:


> Saugman; i was just wondering if you are fishing with catch and release in mind. You are up to almost 200 eyes in 2 + months that many fish would have to take up alot of freezer room.lol


ODNR stocks that place. Around 500,000 per year. Only fish that get thrown back are dinks.


----------



## saugmon

2.2 million in last years stocking according to the ODNR. 800,000 is the most that I know have that has been stocked in any year prior to 2007. We've only caught a couple dozen dinks from last yrs stocking this season. Before the season started,I thought we would C&R hundreds of them.

200 saugeye?

Those are total keepers in the boat. I don't take all of them, LMFAO!!!! We did release 20+ other keepers because of early limits and a lot of culling.


Little King went home with 20 of those saugeye,along with a quart bag plum full of saugeye cheeks last saturday.
Bob went home with 12 saugeye
Phil-I work with- went home with 24 saugeye,both times I took him out.
Dad took 12 of them home to cook up because mom wanted some fresh ones.
Buc went home with 12 saugeye

Now after those are accounted for,then the following to determine the distribution of the Indian Lake Saugeye Harvest by the Red Dragon::

My coworker's daughter who has been fighting cancer,taking chemo for 3 yrs-only thing she wants to eat is fish. They'll get quite a bit of saugeye fillets from me.
Then there's my neightbors,other coworkers, 3 cousins,sister,bro in law,2 bros,and all their kids who love to eat saugeye.

These saugeye fillets don't go to waste. I vacuum seal them and they will look as good this winter, as the day I froze them.

My season is close to an end. 210 saugeye isn't nothing. We ate 294 of them in 2006!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still tons of them in there today.


----------



## eyefish22

I didnt mean it as if one person could decimate the stock of the lake it was more of just a dumb question that i think you anserwed quite well. Just a side thought that doesnt apply to anything, the ODNR consideres it a successful release if 1% make it past the fry stage.


----------



## striperfreak

saugeye are stocked for the keepin imho. I say if they are over 14 in put some cajun seasoning on em and fire up the grill.


----------



## fxs

Saugmon I enjoy reading your reports. I don't think your going to deplete IL...with the way things are,and all the people you are supplying with s-eyes, I say give em hell.


----------



## eyefish22

I am afraid that some have taken some of my coments out of context. I am not condeming any one who wants to keep any fish that they will put to good use, expecialy someone who is being as chariatable with the fruits of his labor as saugman. I also have quite a few fillets in the freezer and really enjoy an meal of fresh fish. Being that saugeyes are incapiable of reproducing, taking a mess of fish from the lake would likely have no negative repercusions on future fish populations. Sorry if anyone misunderstood me. I wish good fishing to all and am always looking forwards to reports of successful days on the water.


----------



## Brad617

If you can catch them that easily why freeze them? And yes at some point you have to have enough fish. I throw most of mine back, and yes I easily have caught over 200 this year, I just dont take pics of every fish I catch or post every time.


----------



## jeffmo

Brad617 said:


> If you can catch them that easily why freeze them? And yes at some point you have to have enough fish. I throw most of mine back, and yes I easily have caught over 200 this year, I just dont take pics of every fish I catch or post every time.


because it's his right.he caught them so it would only make sense that he does with them as he sees fit.that's the great part of this country.....choice!
besides,in the middle of winter they'll be very tastey.
btw,nice catch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## swhetstone1

Did anyone do any good this weekend at Indian Lake on the saugeyes.


----------



## Safety1st

If I did, I wouldn't tell. It might draw more boating activity to me, my fishing pond (IL isn't the vast expanses of Lake Erie), and be a detriment to others (too many boats, not enough water) that are friends of mine


----------



## eyefish22

Got out there about 430 this mourning and trolled until 1030 or 11 and picked up 3 just after sun up, 15 or 16 inchers is all. Im pretty sure between the high skies and fireworks last night that they were not in too much of a biting mood. My buddy bought some planner bordes and a line counter real and we were more playing with them tring to learn the ins and outs of trolling with boards. Lake got real crowded about 10 am with alot out those types that only get their boat out once a year in yall know what i mean.


----------



## saugmon

I had no babysitter this weekend. Was suppose to have a couple come over this morning while I took her husband out fishing,but they were a no show. My 3 week vacation is over!!!! UGGH!!!!

I'm shooting for tuesday evening.


----------



## shroomhunter

Safety1st said:


> If I did, I wouldn't tell. It might draw more boating activity to me, my fishing pond (IL isn't the vast expanses of Lake Erie), and be a detriment to others (too many boats, not enough water) that are friends of mine


For absolutely nothing!! Hope to see more of your helpful posts soon;(


----------



## eyefish22

Saugmon, I thought i saw your rig heading up 571 about noon towards the lake. oh well, must have been someone that had a boat close to the discription you gave of yours. side note, on a plannerboard rod do you just set the drag loose with the clicker on for bite detection? running boards is totaly new to me. good luck tues


----------



## littleking

Safety1st said:


> If I did, I wouldn't tell. It might draw more boating activity to me, my fishing pond (IL isn't the vast expanses of Lake Erie), and be a detriment to others (too many boats, not enough water) that are friends of mine


a 6000 acre lake, 1.2 million fingerlings = too many boats, not enough water? your funny.


----------



## supercanoe

Where did you guys see the stocking info for Indian? The stocking summary that was posted a couple weeks ago on here showed 688,807 fingerlings for Indian in 2007. 2.2 million would be nice if that's true.


----------



## eyefish22

2.2 million is the ODNR estimate for the last five years but either way the is a hech of alot of fish. the high numbers released is to make up for the high mortality rate the fish suffer at the fry and fingerling stages;;;;also as a reply to little kings latest response, if you were trolling the main lake this past weekend you might thing that the lake is actualy kindof small; between the pleasure boaters and fisherman it was way overcrowded and kindof dangerous


----------



## saugmon

I use the clickers if the reel is capable of it. My abu garcia 5500c has no clicker. Saugeye won't pull any drag out unless they are huge. Channelcats,largemouth bass,and stumps definitely pull out the drag,LOL!

The stumps are the main factor,then I can hear the clicker and tell if it's a snag or fish,so I can slow down or make a tight turn. I'm checking out a remote control throttle for my nissan kicker. It would be a nice upgrade for next season.

I set the lines for the planerboards so they dive 5'. Side rods are bumping bottom occasionally,and they'll snag before the boards will. Boards add more lines out,but also quadruples the stress of keeping them out,boat traffic,snags,and wind/waves.


----------



## walleyevision

If you do not like saugmons posts, do not read them. There is nothing wrong with him being specific, and informative to those wanting to learn. If we only shared our techniques with a select few we would not grow the sport of fishing. If the sport does not grow the ODNR and others like them do not get money to improve and give us better fisheries than we already have.

Saugmon does tell others what he uses, what was working for him that day, and even speeds and waypoints, So what if he tells someone his old #4 bouy spot was hot, does anyone know what the latitude and longitude is for his #4 bouy? I dont. I also think most of the boats are *NOT* out there paylaking us because of saugmons posts, but more likely because they see our net out so they just meander around us, then some see a few boats and a few turn into a pack. Also, I feel when it comes to trolling IL there are not a whole lot of secret spots left, no it is not Erie erie is much larger but in mid april all the boats are in one general area, the reefs, at indian when the trolling bite starts we all know where the boats are gonna be, out in the main lake just cruising until they find the hungry fish.

Saugmon, I have seen many thank you for taking them out, and thank you for information, you are helping to introduce others to our world of saugeye fishing, keep posting.

I mean not to offend with this post, just my .02


----------



## eyefish22

how exactaly do you detect a bite on a board rod. got one reel with a clicker aand if you fiddle with the drag just right a 14 incher willset it off but a rod with out a clicker how do you know? does the board do anything different? thanks for the lesson. eyefish22


----------



## Byg

I second what walleye said, I didnt(still dont really)have any knowledge of fishing for saugeye.Saugmon's post gave me some place to start instead of wasteing time and gas which I did experimenting anyways, but at least I had an idea. The info from him and others did'nt exacly allow me to clean the lake out let alone put a dent in the Saugeye population. So I am thankful to all that share there knowledge.Some day I hope to do the same
Thanks


----------



## shroomhunter

Another tidbit for you guys, was out there trollin one day and nothing that had worked before was working, went fishless for 5 hrs. We trolled everything in the box shallow and deep cranks every color we had, stick baits of all sizes shapes and colors. I finally gave up and put the smallest sized Cordell Big-O on figuring I'd catch some crappies and white bass, not a minute in the water and bang keeper saugeye. That is the only doggone bait they would hit and I only had 1, my buddy had to watch me catch fish. Don't be afraid to downsize if the normal stuff isn't working...match the hatch, the baby gills and crappies are tiny right now. Them little tiny Big-O's can be deadly, just ask the guys that fish Berlin reservoir in NE Ohio.


----------



## saugmon

> how exactaly do you detect a bite on a board rod
> 
> 
> 
> My boards remain out until I reel them in-via pvc mast on the front end.These boards were made by my dad's good friend bob,who's always been tinkering with things since I was a wee kid.These are big boards and we used them in Lake erie in the late 80's.
> 
> I release 26' of line according to my bass pro clipon line counter. Opposite planerboard rod is a cabelas depthmaster and set at 40'. All line counters are different. I use the clipon linecounter to calibrate all 3 of my linecounter reels. This is a prime example if someone is buying line counters,buy all them at the same time or you'll get what I got. 1 in yds,2 in feet and totally different, LOL!!!
> 
> Anywho,after the 26' of line is released, I loop a #16 rubberband around the line,1' from the tip. Then clip the showercurtain ring with the rubberband loop-the metal ones that you'd hand a golf towel on your golf club bag. Then slide it down to the end of the board-keeping it out of the waves.
> 
> Rubberband breaks,line is released from board.
> 
> This is where it gets tricky. Saugeye are wimps. I've gotten several 21"'ers that would not break that little rubberband,even after weakening them up with a few nicks with fingernail clippers.
> 99% of them won't pull out any drag. Saugeye are just like walleye. They'll come up,hit the bait,and swim with it. Channelcats,crappie,and lg mouth bass will break the rubberband.
> 
> Now majority of time, the rubberband won't break,so you have to look at how far the rubberband stretches or notice more bend in the rod tip-wavy conditions. Flourescent rubberbands would be a godsend if I could find them. Those little dinks are very hard to tell,and after a while they waterski-rough wave conditions. If you don't pay attention to the top of the water 26' behind the board,the line will twist up and basically have to cut that part of the line,or take a while to untwist it. Also very hard to keep an eye on the rubberband if the sun is behind the board.
Click to expand...


----------



## walleyevision

eyefish22 said:


> how exactaly do you detect a bite on a board rod. got one reel with a clicker aand if you fiddle with the drag just right a 14 incher willset it off but a rod with out a clicker how do you know? does the board do anything different? thanks for the lesson. eyefish22


You will have to spend time watching your boards, knowing their position after setting them out. Sometimes it is as easy as just seeing the tattle flag go down, but like saugmon said, they will swim with the bait, so you need to look for subtle irregularities in the board, is it bouncing a little more than it was? Maybe it is hanging back a little more behind the boat, in any case if you see something different in the board action than what it should be set the hook, and bring it in. May have a fish, weeds. I use the offshore tackle planer boards with tattle flags so my experience is limited to those. Hope this helps.


----------



## eyefish22

we are using the offshore tackle boards also but were advised that the tattle flags would not work to well on a lake like indian. i guess we will give it a few more tries with this new found knowledge but if thing dont pick up someone might find some planner boards floating across the lake, and our boat with 4 side lines all tangled to hell, lol thanks again.


----------



## IndianEyeKiller

We use a set up that uses a main mast pole and larger boards. However, we use planer board clips to attatch our line to. 

You can get a couple different styles, depending on location. At Erie we use a heavier duty clip, for Indian, etc... we use smaller off-shore clips.


----------



## walleyevision

eyefish22 said:


> we are using the offshore tackle boards also but were advised that the tattle flags would not work to well on a lake like indian. .


Some days they work great, others not so well. I have found that the spring may be a little too soft for the saugeye speed trolling. LOL. I have tried it both ways and I like having my tattle flags operational, just my opinion though.


----------



## tchrist5

thanks for all of your tips saugmon! Went up ti IL the 5th and 6th and tore em up. Thanks again. That man really knows what he is talking about.


----------



## Byg

I am going up tonight, so I can get an early start in the AM soooo if anyone would like to elaborate on these "tips" Please feel free to email or PM me 
LOL...........................


----------



## saugmon

Dad and I went up this morning. Action was poor and water was wavy. Only had 1 saugeye at 17",1 dink,and 1 channelcat till 9:30 am. Then I got an 18" eye around my blackhawk buoy. Flat A firetiger took the 17" and Mad Cow took the 18".

Water Temp-Main Lake: 78,which is at least 10 degrees below normal for this time of year.

Clarity: 6",still stained.


----------



## pizza

we have had much cooler temps up to this point than we did last year. Inevitably we are gonna get nailed with an extended period of unbearable heat and humidity at any time...

You've actually taken me out on your boat once...shhhh


----------



## swhetstone1

I went out yesterday and caught 9 eyes on the tri-humps. Water temp was 77 degrees. Was on the lake from 11 to 5 o'clock. All fish were in the 16 - 18 inch range.


----------



## eyefish22

I was at lake friday to sunday. got fishing friday about 7 pm and managed 5 keeper eyes until the bite shut off about a half hour before dark. started saturday mourning at 615 am, until 10 am and nothing but 2 or 3 cigars. got back out about 530 pm trolled till dark with one barly keeper to show for it. Went back out sunday mourning 7am to 1030am with three nice keeper eyes. back out after breakfast 1130 and comensed to strokeing the eyes getting our two man limit in roughly an hour and a half. caught a few more trolling after that then tried some drifting and caught 2 more. Sunday saved the weekend. on a sidenote there was a boat around lakeview drifting and jigin', this guy was fishing by himself and would set one to two rods out drifting and had a rod in each hand jigin them. So at any given time he had three or four lines in the water. I thought about trying to get hold of a ranger or something but didnt think i could on a sunday. He had a new gray lund with a blue squigle stripe through it and a 90 horse merc. I also noticed him put 3 seperate eyes in the box that couldnt have been more that 10 inchers, i know it isnt illegal to keep them that size but it kindof upset me. What do you guys thing i should have done or could do in the future?


----------



## fishintechnician

get his oh numbers of of his boat and report him later


----------



## swhetstone1

Has anyone been fishing this week for eye's on indian lake? Just wondering if they have turn off since the hot weather? Good luck to all.


----------



## IndianEyeKiller

Was out this morning with the 6 year old. We managed a few, but really had to work for them. There were a lot of boats out, but did not see many nets hit the water.


----------



## swhetstone1

Anyone been fishing for eyes of indian lake? Anyone catching any eye?


----------



## IndianEyeKiller

With the water temps jumping into the mid-80's the catching may slow to a crawl.


----------

