# Alum Creek 4/23



## Hellbender (Jan 5, 2018)

Hit Alum Friday morning just at daylight with a dozen minnows for Saugeye to enjoy. And it did not take long to figure out they were looking for some breakfast. 
Between jig/twisters tipped and blade baits, I ended up bringing these home. I lost count on the number of short fish caught but, it had to have been around 20-25 fish. The water temp was around 53-54 degrees.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Very nice! Care to share the depths you were fishing?
I almost went to alum today but ending up stopping short at Hoover. Plenty of crappies up shallow. Despite the cold front. Hit about 40 total half on jigs half on minnows both under a float. Some tite to the bank,most ,,5-10' off the bank but up high eating.


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

Going tomorrow , thanks for the post on catching , gotta use up some of those lb of minnows


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## Hellbender (Jan 5, 2018)

Great question on depth. I started out at 28' and finished out between 34-37'. The sun shine was about 50% of the time and something like 8-15 mph winds from time to time. 
I was really surprised how deep they were compared to prior years. I caught a couple Perch down deep and the fish finder showed bait from time to time from 23-35' deep. 
I caught a few Crappie hanging around 25' but nothing deeper than that for me.
Hope this helps.


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## Gottagofishn (Nov 18, 2009)

Gotta love those days... great feeling.
Nice lookin dinner!


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## jdkswhite (Jan 3, 2008)

Congratulations Alum has always been one of my favorites Indian lake is my other favorite . I like Lake Erie but it's just to crazy up there . They all get very busy I hope to fish more during the week now that I'm retired . Anyway I'm happy for you.


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## Silver Fox 23 (Sep 4, 2015)

Hellbender said:


> Hit Alum Friday morning just at daylight with a dozen minnows for Saugeye to enjoy. And it did not take long to figure out they were looking for some breakfast.
> Between jig/twisters tipped and blade baits, I ended up bringing these home. I lost count on the number of short fish caught but, it had to have been around 20-25 fish. The water temp was around 53-54 degrees.
> View attachment 468943
> 
> View attachment 468943


Beautiful fish! So great to hear that Alum is starting to heat up a little! Of course it will be a small window until the pleasure boating comes out in full force ;o)


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## Gottagofishn (Nov 18, 2009)

jdkswhite said:


> Congratulations Alum has always been one of my favorites Indian lake is my other favorite . I like Lake Erie but it's just to crazy up there . They all get very busy I hope to fish more during the week now that I'm retired . Anyway I'm happy for you.


Fishing during the week will change your life! No comparison to weekend fishing.... actually relaxing.


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## Hellbender (Jan 5, 2018)

Last Friday when I left around noon, I was blown away by how many boaters there were in the parking lot.


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## Hellbender (Jan 5, 2018)

I'm looking forward to retiring in like 18 months. Fishing during the week is the only way to go for sure. Lucky me, I work 3rd shift and I hit Alum in the mornings during the week and skip the weekends.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

You guys are lucky being able to weekday fish. I don't have that luxury unless I take some time off. But have learned to take advantage of the boat traffic and use it to my advantage. Like fishing mud lines created by the wake crashing the shores. Or areas pounded by the wakes causing a wind like effect over points or into under water bowls an stuff. 
But I do still try to get out during the quiet times to enjoy the peace and quiet. Not much better then being on the water when the sun's coming up drinking coffee and pounding fish... Can't wait for the weekend😂😂


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## Hellbender (Jan 5, 2018)

Saugeyefisher,
Some of the best times on weekends when the boat action is kicking is working the mudlines. One of my favorite things to do on the summer weekends is using a planner board and swim bait.
I have found a planner board at the mud line dragging an 1/8 oz jig and 2.75 swim bait to be fantastic! 
Around and after the end of May during the weekends, you will find me pulling flicker shad or a swim bait on a planner board. 
For me at least, the mud line over the flats is prime for a swim bait. And the amount of Crappie that relates to this area is something I never really thought much about however, they seem to be very active when I'm pulling a swim bait. 

And to go further, of all of the lead molds I own, I could down size it to around three when it comes to Saugeye. And I know everyone has the best bait on this and what works for them. However, this is not a best this or best that. I mean lets face it, the types of products, be it trolling, swimming, a jig, or anything else, is simply breath taking when it comes down to putting your money down on something when sometimes that is not an option. And back in the day when paid child support and still tried to fill my freezer with great tasting fish, I needed the best advise at a cheap price. 
I know everyone has this and that. 

Let me go off the page here for a minute...In 1981, my dad and I had a bucket full of crappie minnows in a 12' V bottom boat with a 4 HP motor fishing for Crappie under the bridge at 36/37. 
We caught more fish then a care to share here. Only, this man came by in a bass boat with a hugh smile on his face while he was watching us bobber fishing for Crappie under the bridge. And so, the very short story is he throw a dozen 1/8 oz jig heads and at least two dozen 2.5" white twister tails in our boat. 
Over the course of that early summer foward, I cast every 1/8th oz jig and white twister tail he tossed into the boat. And from that magic in my life, I learned the power of an 1/8 oz and small twister tail. And well, nothing has changed even though that was 40 years ago. 
So, that said, I've spent a lot of money buying into trolling Ficker Shad and all things for Walleye on the dam at Hoover back in the early days of its' prime. 

And when it really counted for me to put food on my table, I placed it on a few things to feed my family.
And so, if I had a few choices on a limited budget or even a small one is: 
Jigs; 1/8 & 1/4 oz
Venom twister tails are the best without question!!! Colors are really simple as everyone knows here, so here it goes..""""White"""" it will work when you won't. And you can pick the rest.
Blade bait.... my second bait you will find in my box a blade bait. 3/8 or 1/2 oz is a must have for any tackle box. 
My third bait will be night bite for early, pre and post spawn. Well, I must say, I have an "F" on this subject!

I've spent many hours watching video's with Slim and more however, I am not a night time catcher, no matter how much I've tried. 

Go State!


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## Gottagofishn (Nov 18, 2009)

Lead head jigs have accounted for the majority of my fish as well, especially in my younger years. On my first trip to Canada we spent a huge amount of cash on all the different tackle I read about for Canadian fish.... I don’t think they were reading the same magazines though, as we caught everything swimming in that lake on black twisters (except the Lake Trout... for them we used white). If I’m not trolling a blade or spoon will always be on one of my rods.


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## Hellbender (Jan 5, 2018)

Gottagofishn, 
A few years ago in mid-June, I read the Lake Erie boats using the Michigan Stinger spoons for summer and fall fishing. And I was thinking about using that idea for the C.J. Brown Walleye population. So, I picked up a couple samples and have never tried them. Have you tried this type of spoon for walleye/Saugeye? And did you use a down rigger with your spoons?
Thanks!


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## Gottagofishn (Nov 18, 2009)

Spoons like Stingers are very popular on Erie. The suspended fish population makes them a great choice for targeting them with some sort of diver attached ahead of the lure, like Dipsey Divers, Jet Divers and others. Most folks run them at a pretty good clip, like 2 or above. At C.J. Brown I’m thinking most days the fish are more bottom oriented than on Erie. Maybe not, don’t fish there anymore.
That’s not to say they wouldn’t work, but it might be a costly exercise if you’re running close to the bottom.


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## dgfidler (Sep 22, 2014)

Some species of fish suspends in deep water during the summer on Alum. This is close to what you might see on Erie on any given day. Anyway, I took an afternoon and trolled these marks with dipsy divers and spoons as well as Bandits hoping these marks were suspended Saugeye. No bites. It’d be great if an Erie type of spread would work on Alum, but whatever these fish are, they don’t seem interested in trolled lures. Second image is what good walleye marks look like on Erie with the same sonar. The Alum fish are thicker arches. 




















Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Gottagofishn (Nov 18, 2009)

There are a couple “Erie” tactics that do work... harnesses and weight forward spinners. I have caught some real bruisers throwing Erie Dearie type lures when the lake had weeds. I haven’t fished Alum during the summer for years but heard weeds were making a come back. Used to rip ‘em through the weeds and then let ‘em fall.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Gottagofishn said:


> There are a couple “Erie” tactics that do work... harnesses and weight forward spinners. I have caught some real bruisers throwing Erie Dearie type lures when the lake had weeds. I haven’t fished Alum during the summer for years but heard weeds were making a come back. Used to rip ‘em through the weeds and then let ‘em fall.


Yes they have been making a wonderful comeback. In both alum and Indian. 
Gonna have to keep the Erie dearie thing in my back pocket this summer....


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## Govbarney (Jan 3, 2011)

dgfidler said:


> Some species of fish suspends in deep water during the summer on Alum. This is close to what you might see on Erie on any given day. Anyway, I took an afternoon and trolled these marks with dipsy divers and spoons as well as Bandits hoping these marks were suspended Saugeye. No bites. It’d be great if an Erie type of spread would work on Alum, but whatever these fish are, they don’t seem interested in trolled lures. Second image is what good walleye marks look like on Erie with the same sonar. The Alum fish are thicker arches
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Before I had any idea what I was doing on Alum (If I am being honest I still don't) I used to troll Alum in summer just like I would Erie, out deep with dipseys spoons and such, id mark what I thought were suspended S-eye as well, but id never catch any, just the occasional white bass or even a few perch, it wasn't until I started trolling shallower on the advice of people from this site that I started getting the occasional Saugeye as well as just about everything else that swims in that lake. I do agree with what others have said though , there is one tried and true Erie tactic that works on Alum , and that's worm harnesses.


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