# cheating



## mikeiss (Dec 15, 2010)

Ok I went down to the river last nite with a flashlight and those little non- biting SOB's are still there, they all had the same stupid grin as last time I was there maybe worse. Just sitting in 2 fow in a funny trance like state. I didnt have time to fish, well maybe 10 casts then off to kids basketball practice. I am strongly considering leaving the $400 in jerks and swims at home, then returning to the rio tonight with worms and minnows and going old school on there azz. I may even break out the zebco and rhino. Is this cheating or is it their fault for just sitting there in the dark taunting me?

Oh and fyi for you other anglers, there is no light source here, they only let me shine them for 2 sec then they swim off. So I would fish with your headlamps off. Tonight the gloves come off, this is war.


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## undertaker (Jan 20, 2013)

Not cheating it's called adapting. And taking the gloves off and getting down and dirty is alright by me.


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## Workingman (Jan 21, 2016)

Ha ha , the damn things probably won't bite! i was at bass pro in cincinnati once when they fed the tank of fish they all went crazy eating crawlers EXCEPT the saugeye. they just sat there like they were bored. i was thinking man no wonder i can't catch more of those things!


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

I've come across them in that "Trance like State" more then once - I SWEAR they're sleeping.

Twice now i've almost stepped on them while wading, and have - get this, been able to nudge them with my foot. 

One of them lazily swam off, the other was too tired. he just sort of layed there snoozing.


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## HappySnag (Dec 20, 2007)

mikeiss said:


> Ok I went down to the river last nite with a flashlight and those little non- biting SOB's are still there, they all had the same stupid grin as last time I was there maybe worse. Just sitting in 2 fow in a funny trance like state. I didnt have time to fish, well maybe 10 casts then off to kids basketball practice. I am strongly considering leaving the $400 in jerks and swims at home, then returning to the rio tonight with worms and minnows and going old school on there azz. I may even break out the zebco and rhino. Is this cheating or is it their fault for just sitting there in the dark taunting me?
> 
> Oh and fyi for you other anglers, there is no light source here, they only let me shine them for 2 sec then they swim off. So I would fish with your headlamps off. Tonight the gloves come off, this is war.


if you need light use red,it will not boder the fish.


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## mikeiss (Dec 15, 2010)

Well so far they ain't here tonight. Well did see one small one. But he did not come back


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

mikeiss said:


> Well so far they ain't here tonight. Well did see one small one. But he did not come back


Get a big treble hook and 1 oz of lead. ...


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## mikeiss (Dec 15, 2010)

Great so now I am angling for sleeping saugeyes. The wood stove and Makers mark is starting to look better than Oshaunessy.


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## greatmiami (Feb 4, 2014)

Maybe we should be fishing with suspended alarm clocks!


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## BassEater (Dec 7, 2016)

This is why I use 9/0 trebles on my jerkbaits.


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## mikeiss (Dec 15, 2010)

Ah so that's what those 1/2 oz hair jigs with a stinger are for. I pluck them from trees all the time. I thought they were just decorations


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## BassEater (Dec 7, 2016)

Lol


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

Got out tonight on an exceptionally clear flow, man those Eyeballs were EVERYWHERE.

Counted at least a dozen fish, most of them small, saw a few in the 20"'s though.

Most all of them were "Sleeping" I could basically wade within 3 feet of them, headlight beaming and all, and they could have gave a damn less. Tried to net 2 or 3 fish, as they were basically right at my feet, but they all got spooked once the net came within a foot or so.

Coolest thing (and this was cool, one of the coolest things i've seen on the river). I was walking up on one of them in maybe 2' of almost bathtub clear water; That fish was so well camouflaged in with the Gravel background all you could see were it's glowing eyes. I was right over top of it. Literally 2 feet away, in bathtub clear water. You absolutely could not make out the outline of the body, just it's glowing eyes. It was a scene straight out of National Geographic. This Fish would have gave the most adaptive Chameleon's a run for the money, and that's putting it mildly. 

Finally scared him off when I went to net him.

Take a flashlight to the shallows of the River, you'll likely be surprised at just how shallow these fish are holding.


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## wallen34 (Nov 20, 2013)

acklac7 said:


> Got out tonight on an exceptionally clear flow, man those Eyeballs were EVERYWHERE.
> 
> Counted at least a dozen fish, most of them small, saw a few in the 20"'s though.
> 
> ...


Caught some last night at a local impoundment in crazy shallow water just hopping my Joshy along the bottom! Fun stuff and very surprising! I will say I love the "camo" colors they have, very cool looking fish.


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## mikeiss (Dec 15, 2010)

I put some worms in the fridge. Home road was out of minnies. I may need to go out tonight and look if they are still there. Ill see if a worm will make them eat. Funny thing is these ones scatter after i shine them for more than 2 sec. Maybe someone has been hunting them? I gave up last tuesday nite at the river after I swore i wasnt leaving, I went to alum.


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## fishslim (Apr 28, 2005)

You guys need to leave those big river sicker alone.lol


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## mikeiss (Dec 15, 2010)

They ain't suckers! Suckers dont have the evil glowing eyes and that S eatin grin. I am suprised I have not run into you there Mr. Slim. I live just outside Delaware and hear that is where you are from.


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## mikeiss (Dec 15, 2010)

The river has been so clear, I think that is why i notice them more this fall. Or the 4 light headlamp I got at Wallymart.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Cool thread. I spent my Tuesday lunches this summer on top the alum spillway looking into the bottom. Crazy 85/90°days high sun an these eyes were just cruising or holding tight in a small crevis or crack.
Watching them actually helped me catch a few at a spillway this fall. Just seeing how tight they'll hold in the corners an cracks of the concrete. 
And watching how they traveled in little wolf packs,but always seemed to be following a contour of some sort. 
I seen muskies,saugeyes(some HUGE),smallies,lm,carp,cats,shad,an suckers. 
Was also funny seeing how calm the bait was around them. I imagine during feeding times that was different


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## Drew0889 (Mar 6, 2016)

I'm struggling here. I've been fishing for years, but I've recently been turned onto walleye and inland saugeye. I've gotten indian lake figured out, but i can't get alum down. I've only caught one 19" eye out of alum and it was by chance. What color joshys are you having luck with, rigging and size? Also, has anyone wver tried authentx soft plastics for alum eyes? I live in the Delaware area, get at me if you want to go wet a line.


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## fishslim (Apr 28, 2005)

Lol just had to throw the sucker comment in there. Years back I watched a guy chase the so called eyes below Griggs for 2 days before I finally informed him they were suckers. Hated to but it had to be done.lol. I am known to roam those parts at very odd hours. Lol


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Saugeye Tom said:


> Get a big treble hook and 1 oz of lead. ...


Commonly known as the 'M-80' up around Manistee Bay Michigan Area.


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## mikeiss (Dec 15, 2010)

Those redhorse do fight awesome however, especially when hooked in the motor!


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## greatmiami (Feb 4, 2014)

Some of you saugeye purists may not ever use live bait, but I feel like sometimes it's my best approach. I definitely find it more rewarding to catch them on lures to be sure, but I find that if I'm driving home with a bucket full of eyes I feel on top of the world either way


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

"saugeye purists"...,. that's funny!!


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## fishwhacker (Jul 16, 2010)

What kind of live bait rigs do you use? Just a bobber, 2o hook and minnow/crawler?


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## fritoking (Nov 11, 2015)

I always has luck dead drifting half a crawler or minnow on a #8 hook with a split shot or two a foot or so up....just enough weight to tick the bottom. I use the same rigs for trout and steelhead and when we fish little beaver creek.


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## countryfisher (Jul 16, 2012)

9Left said:


> "saugeye purists"...,. that's funny!!


They're actually called saugeye fundamentalists....


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

countryfisher said:


> They're actually called saugeye fundamentalists....


Thankyou for clearing that up!
I ain't gonna lie I've been dipping some minnows lately. But its not my favorite way to catch them.
I've learned trying to titeline an cast at the same time really prohibits my mobility. And fishing with a partner that tote lines hurts to.

Ill do it when I just want to get out an relax an BS with a buddy. An ill admit if I make a 2 hour drive to the river in 100% taking minnows.
To long of a drive to give up completely after lures don't produce.
And spring through sept if im saugeye fishing I always have at least a dozen crawlers. But mainly to just tip a jig.
Ill also take a couple dozen minnows if I want drag around a jig/minnow looking for bites during tough times.
An there also a must for me when on the ice...
But other then that i use jigs/cranks over all 85/90 % of the time targeting saugeye.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

fishwhacker said:


> What kind of live bait rigs do you use? Just a bobber, 2o hook and minnow/crawler?


I use a dropshot type rig with two hooks snelled off the main line above either a 3/8 or 1/2 oz sinker(the kind with a eye molded in to the lead I've seen them called bass sinkers and dipsy sinkers and casting sinkers).
A lot of guys use a Carolina style rig with a floater.
U can also just hook them to a jig an cast an retreive


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## BassEater (Dec 7, 2016)

Call me crazy but catch more fish on female minnows vs the males. Can anyone else attest to this? I'll seriously buy 3-5 dozen and just throw out the males.


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

BassEater said:


> Call me crazy but catch more fish on female minnows vs the males. Can anyone else attest to this? I'll seriously buy 3-5 dozen and just throw out the males.


Yup. 100 percent agree. Big silver female fathead. I too dump the males on the bank at the end of the day


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## BassEater (Dec 7, 2016)

Haha isn't that the craziest thing. I love the big silver fat heads. They bigger ones are just hard to find around where I live.


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## greatmiami (Feb 4, 2014)

countryfisher said:


> They're actually called saugeye fundamentalists....


And casually as that you kill my sarcastic embellishment i used for Comic effect, MURDERER! Reinserting purist lol ! Here's the number one live bait rig I use in current. This rig works best on light line, as 8 to 4 lb test. It's basically a micro Carolina. Bullet weight, rubber bobber stop and tiny mosquito hook. This rig is sometimes paramount to feeling those soft hits, plus the saugeye never have to drag the weight of the sinker, at times providing extra time for a hook set. Of course I always use as little weight as possible 1/32 or 64 mostly.


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

greatmiami said:


> And casually as that you kill my sarcastic embellishment i used for Comic effect, MURDERER! Reinserting purist lol ! Here's the number one live bait rig I use in current. This rig works best on light line, as 8 to 4 lb test. It's basically a micro Carolina. Bullet weight, rubber bobber stop and tiny mosquito hook. This rig is sometimes paramount to feeling those soft hits, plus the saugeye never have to drag the weight of the sinker, at times providing extra time for a hook set. Of course I always use as little weight as possible 1/32 or 64 mostly.


Purist....ugh


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## lawrence1 (Jul 2, 2008)

Saugeye Tom said:


> Get a big treble hook and 1 oz of lead. ...





BassEater said:


> This is why I use 9/0 trebles on my jerkbaits.





acklac7 said:


> Tried to net 2 or 3 fish,


How are these comments funny?


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## BassEater (Dec 7, 2016)

Uh oh here comes the keyboard warrior. I don't remember anyone saying it was funny. Everyone receives things differently.


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

Yup 


lawrence1 said:


> How are these comments funny?


Oh o......life is sorta funny man


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

lawrence1 said:


> How are these comments funny?


Because it's winter and most everyone is joking. (Because almost everyone has stopped fishing). Plus you really can't snag Saugeye in the Rivers like you can Snag Walleye up on the Maumee. I mean occasionally you can, but we don't have near the numbers here.

My comment wasn't supposed to be funny. I just thought it was cool that I could have almost netted a free swimming S-eye, because that would be a 1st. Figured everyone on here would know me well enough to realize that I would have immediately released it


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

acklac7 said:


> Because it's winter and most everyone is joking. (Because almost everyone has stopped fishing). Plus you really can't snag Saugeye in the Rivers like you can Snag Walleye up on the Maumee. I mean occasionally you can, but we don't have near the numbers here.
> 
> My comment wasn't supposed to be funny. I just thought it was cool that I could have almost netted a free swimming S-eye, because that would be a 1st. Figured everyone on here would know me well enough to realize that I would have immediately released it


I knew you would release it as soon as you said you tried to net one.......


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

acklac7 said:


> Because it's winter and most everyone is joking. (Because almost everyone has stopped fishing). Plus you really can't snag Saugeye in the Rivers like you can Snag Walleye up on the Maumee. I mean occasionally you can, but we don't have near the numbers here.
> 
> My comment wasn't supposed to be funny. I just thought it was cool that I could have almost netted a free swimming S-eye, because that would be a 1st. Figured everyone on here would know me well enough to realize that I would have immediately released it


I was kidding too......you only need a half Oz weight in these waters


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Would it be a safe bet to say that this would not be a good thread to share some Tannerite fishing stories?



Saugeye Tom said:


> I was kidding too......you only need a half Oz weight in these waters


Yes, everyone knows the big 1oz m-80's are usually restricted for areas such as Manistee Bay, Mich. for salmon. 

I can tell ya for sure there's two guys that know that for sure. Watched the GW along with two MSP's actually turn a dog loose on a couple guys up there that wouldn't come out of the trail going back to the weir. Was about 2am. and they were back there trying to rip a hole in the bottom of that stream.
That was probably 30 yrs. ago and I bet those two guys are still in jail.


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## greatmiami (Feb 4, 2014)

Not to change the subject, but does anyone have any success on the lowly worm? I have tried them numerous times and so far haven't had much luck. I remember one time while fishing a flow, had fished from daylight till about 9 throwing my normal favs for this spot with not even so much as a tick. I decided to give a nightcrawler a try and immediately caught a chunky 18 then 24 and then flung my last crawler of the hook trying to cast like a giant dummy. I know guys tip baits sometimes but anyone ever have luck just throwing em out and letting them set? Is there a certain time of year or certain conditions when they work best? Thanks


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

greatmiami said:


> Not to change the subject, but does anyone have any success on the lowly worm? I have tried them numerous times and so far haven't had much luck. I remember one time while fishing a flow, had fished from daylight till about 9 throwing my normal favs for this spot with not even so much as a tick. I decided to give a nightcrawler a try and immediately caught a chunky 18 then 24 and then flung my last crawler of the hook trying to cast like a giant dummy. I know guys tip baits sometimes but anyone ever have luck just throwing em out and letting them set? Is there a certain time of year or certain conditions when they work best? Thanks


Yes some Success also do well with leeches


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## Skippy (Dec 2, 2009)

Read the book " Nightcrawler Secrets"


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Back to the question at hand, I don't think it would be cheating one bit leaving the artificial at home and taking live.


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## polebender (Oct 29, 2011)

The only way using live bait would be cheating is if you were in a tournament that didn't allow it. Whenever you're fishing you do what ever is necessary to improve your chances of catching fish. When fish aren't very active, live bait can really be the ticket to getting fish to bite. When fish are in a very aggressive mood, then artificial baits can outperform live bait.


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## odell daniel (Nov 5, 2015)

I used to fish the reservoir at killdeer when it was full and real clear, I tried tubes, cranks, all the artificials and I could catch a few fish, but I started using just a small #4/0 or 6 hook and a 1/4 oz split shot 16" up with a half night crawler.It was pretty much non stop action from then on out, we caught walleye smallies perch cats ... its hard to beat live bait especially in clear water.


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## greatmiami (Feb 4, 2014)

Skippy said:


> Read the book " Nightcrawler Secrets"


I plan to thanks Skippy


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