# Is alum tough or is it just me ?



## jbirch0 (May 13, 2013)

Started fishing there this year and man between the crazy boaters and the tournaments EVERY weekend.

Caught 2 1pd. smallies today but had to work all day to get them.

Is there any hints someone can give me to maybe help me out a bit, I cant seem to pattern bass on that lake at all. 

Not asking for your spot, maybe just a little advice.

Thanks in advance.


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## gone-fishing (Aug 27, 2011)

I fish alum on average 5 times a week. I target muskies, eyes, bass though usually smb and occasionally crappie. Summer unless fishing for skis I'm either off the water by 10am or not on until 7 or so. Cloudy and rain forecasts can sometimes leave the lake free of 'pleasure' boaters also.
I'm not much help with lmb but generally land a few smallies each trip. I catch a lot trolling for eyes with cranks but I don't catch many casting cranks. I will catch some on joshy swims and when I do they don't mess around with it! 
Nearly all the 'bigger' fish excluding skis I have caught there are at dusk or dark.
And btw it took me a few months of fishing there to be 'somewhat' consistant. I took it as a personal challenge to learn it so would call it 'tough'. If you don't fish at alum often it can be feast or famine. When its on there it is really on. When its not...well...
Hope that helps

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## st.slippy (Oct 3, 2008)

Don't get down on yourself right now. These are the dog days of August. Alum is a big lake with lots of variations and fish can change very quickly. Right now there is a lot of bait to compete with, and you have to convince those fish that yours is better. I am not a bass fisherman, but most of mine have come off points or rock piles in 10 to 16 feet of water. I would think a tube around some deeper rock piles would produce for small mouth right now. The rivers turn on a little ahead. Notice that most of the great posts are from rivers right now. Sundown and After dark, I have been getting them casting swims on flats or points but targeting 3 to 8. Keep journals with baits spots and water temps. A lake can take a while to understand, but in time you will see the patterns and have continued success. Try varying the time of day. Sun up and sundown are always good producers, but odd times can surprise you. You should find that as we get closer to the end of September, the nights get brisk and the pleasure boaters disappear the bigger fish move closer during daylight hours and success will come easier.


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## jeremy_reese_16 (Aug 7, 2011)

Try little finesse baits like little craws on rocks or foundations.

If your out fun fishing, take a green pumpkin drop shot or tube and fish the rocks along the dam and cheshire road! Youll catch tons just nothing huge. Im heading there in the morning. Ill let ya know how it goes!


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## FL-boy (Feb 12, 2013)

Went out trolling last night in Alum. Hit the points right, marked a lot of fish, Didn't get snagged up...good trolling...except for the fact that we really didn't catch any fish. I feel your pain.


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## moke11 (Apr 15, 2004)

I am catching fish vertical jigging two road runner jigs tipped with minnow in 10 to 13 ft. of water. Crappies, saugeye, smallmouth, yellow perch are biting.


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## Danshady (Dec 14, 2006)

Alum can be very tough any time of year. esp august! I have been fishing now for only about 7 years and the past 3-4- years tournament fishing. Ive spent most of my central ohio fishing time on alum, countless hours fishing as well as countless hours marking rockpiles and stumps. Ive had my best days there as well as many many skunks. great advice from slippy and gonefishing, that place def takes invested time to figure out...right now with all the bait everwhere prob is not a prime time to try to figure out, its been fishing tough


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## gerb (Apr 13, 2010)

i have no actual scientific or experience backround....but my gut says deep points with the heat.


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## jbirch0 (May 13, 2013)

Yea, I have done all the usual thing but to no avail in being consistent. Is it true, someone once told me that the pro circuit stays away from alum because of this ? I cant remember who told me this or if its even true. Maybe this is why I want to learn it so bad and work so hard at it. If I just wanted to go catch fish I would just go to some ponds but I guess I'm glut ant for punishment. Its 3:45am, I'm up, its not raining I guess I will pull out the boat and go let alum beat me a little more, or maybe I will get her today? Will post back when I return. Anyone fishing there today post how you did.


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## Danshady (Dec 14, 2006)

which pro circuit r you referring? the bass pro and flw pro circuit will not fish a lake that small, alum is not big enough to handle that many competitor boats, spectators, and camera boats. Although the bassmaster weekend series has tourneys there every year, along with most other major local bass circuits.


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## Danshady (Dec 14, 2006)

jbirch0 said:


> . Its 3:45am, I'm up, its not raining I guess I will pull out the boat and go let alum beat me a little more, or maybe I will get her today? .


labor day weekend i would be gone by 11a b4 the crazies are awaken!


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## F1504X4 (Mar 23, 2008)

As far as traffic goes yesterday, there were very few "crazies" out. I was out all morning up until the rain and traffic was extremely light!!!! I think the threat of storms have kept most recreational boaters away!


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## jbirch0 (May 13, 2013)

caught 2 LM both around 1lb or so. good day


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## alumking (Feb 27, 2006)

I run one of the biggest team tournament trails (Bass) here in Ohio. I quit going to Alum for opens etc years ago. Alum is in a down cycle and has been for some years. Smallmouth are coming back and Saugeye populations are up in the smaller size fish. There is hope things are getting better. It is a very tough place to fish at times and now is one of them. I can mark em just can't catch very many of them. There are not that many tournaments at Alum especially compared to other lakes. Not many people want to go there. Your doing good if you get 30-40 boats show up. Just keep plugging if you can catch them at Alum you can catch them anywhere. Fish are not really deep this year for some reason. Catching white bass, crappie, saugeye and bass in less than 15 ft deep. Lots of fish on graph roaming deep water suspended following shad. That is the big problem now pleanty of Shad!


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## Marshall (Apr 11, 2004)

I agree with what alumking said. I sure wish this down cycle would end. I have been waiting for quite some time. Its not anything like it used to be. Seems like a lot of fish roam open water as all the stuff i see on my structure scan rarely hold bass anymore. Its very hit or miss, mostly miss!


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## Danshady (Dec 14, 2006)

anyone have any idea on when the winter drawdown will begin, seems likes its been around mid sept in the past....Thats when you want to fish alum, when they turn that water on thru that dam!


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## jbirch0 (May 13, 2013)

It starts oct.1st. But dont they pull the ramps also ? How late can you fish the lake ?


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## Danshady (Dec 14, 2006)

they pull the courtesy docks but you can still put in the boat ramps at long as you want. makes it easier to have two people though unless you wanna bank your boat.


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## jbirch0 (May 13, 2013)

I hope this rain turns things around up there and the cooling off.


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## woodsnwater86 (Jun 29, 2013)

Hows the muskie fishing at alum?


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## jlami (Jan 28, 2011)

woodsnwater86 said:


> Hows the muskie fishing at alum?


Just like any other musky lake, 10k casts. I will say most muskys reported are accidents. They say go bass fishing and you will catch one here and there.

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