# Sticky  Finding and determining a "saugeye spot"



## Gfhteen

Curious on how many times you guys will fish a particular area without luck before determining that it's not a good spot? And on the flip how many fish do yu have to catch at a spot to determine it is a good hole and not just a random fish


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## rattlin jones

In my boat I will try proven spots all the time , if fishing new areas I like to troll and if I have success try to find other areas similar as far as bank fishing,mostly just fish buckeye lake because of past success . Tend not to move much usually if no action I chalk it up to them not biting but you do have to put in some time because when they turn on you can limit pretty quick haven't done much yet this year but I'm hoping that's about to change


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## Fishin Finatic

On a lake like Alum, I use my sonar to tell me if eyes are there or not. Once I find them I will try a couple of different baits to see if they are hitting. Just because they are there doesn't mean they will bite. Once I find them and they don't bite I'll go to a similar place and try again. Sometimes it just something a little different or just a different time of the day and they will bite. Once you find them and they bite you can usually catch several before they move or turn off.


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## zack pahl

In my experience fishing for them in the rivers; if it looks like a Saugeye spot, then it probably is a Saugeye spot. If there's depth, current, drop-offs, rocks, current, sand, current, current, etc. Then you're eventually gonna find Saugeye there. I never dismiss a spot on the river just because I didn't catch one there. Saugeye are nomads, and they can be extremely picky eaters at times, especially during the day in the rivers. Chances are; they're there, you just gotta figure out what to throw and how to present it. Some of my best Saugeye have come out of spots that I've fished 20 times before without a bite. I just always knew they'd be hanging in that particular hole.


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## Gfhteen

My tactics a flawed then, I've been trying a location 2 or 3 times and usually then usual don't go back and off to find another spot with the same repeating results


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## Skippy

Every spot is good and every spot can be bad. Just so many differences. Wind speed or lack of wind. Water temp, water color, time of day or night. Add in lure speed and just maybe lure color.. Now where do you start?
For example, this summer I was marking fish suspended on the downwind side of a 8 foot high hump. Pretty sure they were eyes but just couldn't get them to go.. Figured out, what the heck. Put on 2 pulse blades and dropped them down. I'd rip one up as the other one was falling down. I do mean ripping them, pretty hard 2 foot jerks. They were saugeyes and they really slammed those blades.. Just a total reaction bite..
The biggest thing is sometimes one HAS to think OUTSIDE THE BOX.. Wish I could always figure them out but I sure know I can't.. Seen it too many times where what worked one day just doesn't work the very next day..


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## fishslim

Skippy hit the nail on the head conditions,conditions a spot is just that when right conditions exist an you are there and then figure out right presentation it's on. I have hit spots 2 or 3 times in a few hours if conditions change. Trust in what Skippy is saying Matt is a top notch saugeye fishermen who catches many quality eyes and is just to humble about it. He is as good as a saugeye fisherman that I know full of knowledge and OUT OF THE BOX THINKING which equals more and bigger eyes. Pick his brain he will up your game on eyes year round.


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## Skippy

Damn Troy, your going to make me blush. I'm just out there doing what I love and like you, if I can pass something on to others I will..


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## Gfhteen

Ok I will give it a try again and maybe visit some spots I've given up on. I took friday off for my birthday so I hope to fish all night Thursday night and also Fridays night just not sure what body of water.


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## fishslim

Lol just a fact Skip you know your lakes and rivers an use that to be in the right areas at the right times. I did hit the shores last night and actually hit 6 spots in a rotation by time of day to after dark. In that process I located 2 key areas that had current and bait, no fish were caught at those spots first time around but after dark settled in I then went back to those two locations and hit 16 with 9 keeper eyes. 
The current kept the shad there and the eyes showed up. Hit 2 on Slims bait Joshy J5 one was fat 23" other was 22"
The 23" went back the 22" and 5 other 17" to 19" went home with me. They hit a Inferno rogue and a lime crush rogue jerk bait. Wanted it slow rolled with very little pausing.


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## Gfhteen

When you say you hit 6 spots, do you mean you moved 6 times in the same general area, moving 30 yards or so or are we talking moving ALL around to different parts of a lake


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## HappySnag

I fished yesterday,usualy I pick few fish,i saw people pick 8 eyes around me,on same lure,i stay from 6pm-11:30 pm and could not get anything.every day fishing is deferent.some time is easy some time is hard to figuer out.


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## fishslim

I mean 6 spots around the lake many different in lay out helps figuring what the fish are doing that particular day shallow or super shallow to are they right in current or on deep drops to maybe on humps on top or a,certain side.


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## ducky152000

i have yet to catch a saugeye suspended. many times when i see suspended marks above saugeye marks that are hugging the bottom i assume they are white bass.due to the fact i catch white bass a lot of times while reeling up a blade bait or spoon to make another cast. Now i wonder if some marks i see suspended are saugeye after reading that thread. any insight on suspended eyes?


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## Saugeyefisher

Duck,i think they suspend often to feed on shad. On cool nites ive seen them,slowly rise up to shad an suck them in one bye one. They can better get bye with that at night under the cover of darkness....


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## acklac7

Saugeyefisher said:


> Duck,i think they suspend often to feed on shad. On cool nites ive seen them,slowly rise up to shad an suck them in one bye one. They can better get bye with that at night under the cover of darkness....


Yea, they'll lay on the bottom then use their swim bladder to "levitate" upwards in the water column. It's a pretty cool site to see; they don't use any fin movement to accomplish the maneuver, you'll just see them float up dead-still.


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## ducky152000

ive had many saugeye at night hit a bait right at boat but im sure this is from them following my bait not suspended


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## Lewis

I got to witness suspended Saugeye one November several years ago at Piedmont and haven't seen it since. I was casting a 1/4 oz. blade bait into 17-19 fow. First cast, wham! keeper as soon as it hit the water. 5 more casts in a row, 5 keepers all very high in the water column. With Saugeyes...never say never!...lol


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## Skippy

That hump I'm talking about is small. One of those things that unless your eyes are glued to your depth finder you will miss. One of the very few spots I ever marked on my GPS. Maybe 75 yards from shore with one side dropping right off into the old creek channel. By far not a real go to spot but I've pulled some eyes off of it in the past and for what ever reason some big bluegills. Set up up wind off it and started casting. Tryed a few different things and not even a bump. Shut off the spot lock and drifted over the hump. About ??? 25 yards past the hump started marking scattered suspended fish. Hit spot lock again then started trying to figure out how to catch them.

With out spot lock these small spots would be real hard to fish. Darn near impossible. One of the best things I ever put on my boat. That and down imagining on my depth finder..

Got a few last night from shore. lost both a red eye and 1 pulse blade till they moved shallower. Lime rogue then took over. Had one big girl smack it right at my feet. Woke me right up. yep,, I missed her.

Oh yea, Lewis is so right. Never say never about those saugeyes.


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## Gfhteen

How long without any activity should you wait before moving locations


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## HappySnag

Gfhteen said:


> How long without any activity should you wait before moving locations


make a plan and follow that,that is easy way to do that.
if you have 4 hours fishing.
fish each spot 30 min,3 lures by 10 min each lure,change to new spot or go back to spot what you fished,thet is all testing,write fishing log after each trip,name the spots 1-2-3-4,after some time you can compare,if is to much to remember,write while you fish refrence point and finish home.go to Iwind web and change the wind to pressure and write that when you fished,presure rising or droping you can go by hours.
http://wx.iwindsurf.com/spot/1583


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## percidaeben

Gfhteen said:


> How long without any activity should you wait before moving locations


I've stated before that Saugeye roam. And so should you. Now is necessary to take ten casts and jump in the car to next area. No. Alum especially has a Lot of pull offs. The East side along Africa road has a few great pull offs where you can cruise the shoreline , especially at this time of the year.


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## All Eyes

X 2 what Skippy said. Conditions help dictate location and then it's a matter of changing up speeds and baits until you find their trigger. Shallow wind blown flats, points, and humps are a good starting point. They can be in water a foot deep. Casting or vertically fishing blades and spoons are my favorite method this time of year during the day. Nothing beats a good blade or spoon bite. They really smack them. Some times they want an aggressive rip and drop, and other times a subtle lift and fall on a tight line works best.


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## Gfhteen

Do daytime saugeye play by different rules than night this time of year?


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## Saugeyefisher

Gfhteen said:


> Do daytime saugeye pay bye different rules than night this time of year?


I like finding off colored water when fishing in day. I mean not a necassity but always seems to help me for a day bite....
Though not always the case vibes for are better at day then night,but ive also caught plenty of nite vibe fish.
More likely to find em hugging bottom during day to....
Fyi theres really no rules in saugeye fishing....


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## Bleeding Minnow

Saugeyefisher said:


> Fyi theres really no rules in saugeye fishing....


+1


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## polebender

Gfhteen said:


> Do daytime saugeye play by different rules than night this time of year?


I've found that the last few times I've fished for saugeye during the day, they did not want to play at all!


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## All Eyes

Saugeyefisher said:


> I like finding off colored water when fishing in day. I mean not a necassity but always seems to help me for a day bite....
> Though not always the case vibes for are better at day then night,but ive also caught plenty of nite vibe fish.
> More likely to find em hugging bottom during day to....
> Fyi theres really no rules in saugeye fishing....


Mud lines are saugeye magnets. Working crankbaits or swimbaits along the edges of them is my favorite method for active fish. When they are inactive, I like a reaction bait such as spoons or blades. They can be great at any time day or night, but I prefer them during the day. Keep in mind that you may not mark saugeye on your electronics as most times they are kissing bottom.
And as Saugeyefisher said, there are no rules - only guidelines. They are like trying to understand women sometimes.


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## All Eyes

And don't forget to take a net. This time of year is when most of the big ones are caught. 








.


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## percidaeben

HAHA, that is pretty funny there All Eyes. No skunk for you though!


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## polebender

All Eyes said:


> And don't forget to take a net. This time of year is when most of the big ones are caught.


I guess that's why they call them cigars!


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## fishslim

As All eyes mentioned I to love blade baits this time of year the reaction strike is key many times they are shallow on flats or points just laying around casting a blade bait or a swim and hopping it back to you off bottom will be the ticjet. Plus you can cover a lot more area quicker looking for the fish when you catch one work the area,hard a bit usually more then one there.


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## lacdown

What size/color blade bait do you guys use and is it different between day and night? I usually use gold 1/4 Oz during day and firetiger close to dark


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## Gfhteen

Will hopping lipless cranks work same as blades?


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## fishslim

Shhhhhj never say those words on here.


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## All Eyes

lacdown said:


> What size/color blade bait do you guys use and is it different between day and night? I usually use gold 1/4 Oz during day and firetiger close to dark


1/4 to 1/2 oz usually covers it for me depending on wind / depth and whether casting or vertical fishing. You want to be able to feel the blade contact bottom and keep a fairly tight line as you work it. They most always get hit on the fall and too much slack makes it hard to feel them suck it in. It only takes a second for them to spit it. Sometimes the wind will put a bow in your line and makes it hard to feel them. That's when a heavier blade may be needed. As far as color goes, standard for me is both gold and chrome. There are a few others I like such as firetiger, chartreuse, and clown also. It all depends on water clarity and light. The muddier the water, the darker the color. Black really stands out in muddy water where other colors disappear.
Here is one of many whoppers I caught today on one of my spoons.  Some times you wonder what these little guys are thinking.


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## Bucks4life

All Eyes said:


> They are like trying to understand women sometimes.


I'll take eyes any day of the week!!


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## All Eyes

Bucks4life said:


> I'll take eyes any day of the week!!


I know, right? At least when saugeye find ways to make you mad, you still get to go fishing.


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## HappySnag

All Eyes said:


> I know, right? At least when saugeye find ways to make you mad, you still get to go fishing.


the eye never say,give me my 1/2.


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## catchin_eyes

Far as finding and determining saugeye spots, I recommend fishing the "community holes" first. While fishing, always observe what everyone else is doing. Ask yourself questions. "What size/type bait are people catching them on?" "What type of retrieve?" "What area of the hole is most of the fish being caught?" "What time are the fish being caught?" "What depth?" "What times seem to be dead periods?" "What are the weather/water conditions on the day of a good bite?" Write everything down in a journal, and you'll start noticing patterns that repeat themselves. Alot of times you can take that knowledge to a different area of the lake that is similar, or even a different lake, and get results. Theres a reason for everything a fish does, some of my most important entries in my journal are nights when I got skunked. They are important because I learned what not to do in that particular situation. Next time I'll try something different


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## All Eyes

catchin_eyes said:


> Far as finding and determining saugeye spots, I recommend fishing the "community holes" first. While fishing, always observe what everyone else is doing. Ask yourself questions. "What size/type bait are people catching them on?" "What type of retrieve?" "What area of the hole is most of the fish being caught?" "What time are the fish being caught?" "What depth?" "What times seem to be dead periods?" "What are the weather/water conditions on the day of a good bite?" Write everything down in a journal, and you'll start noticing patterns that repeat themselves. Alot of times you can take that knowledge to a different area of the lake that is similar, or even a different lake, and get results. Theres a reason for everything a fish does, some of my most important entries in my journal are nights when I got skunked. They are important because I learned what not to do in that particular situation. Next time I'll try something different


Great advice here.


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## Troublehooked

Hey fellas!! Fishing the mid- Ohio saugeye trail this year I learned a valuable lesson! If you stay in one spot too long (20-30 minutes) without a fish, change something! Whether it be location, presentation, or speed, you have to change! Think outside the box and let your instincts take the lead, learn from the moves that produce and the ones that don't!!! We made big strides this year in adapting to current conditions to catch fish, it landed us an 11th place finish for the season! For our rookie season I'll take 11th out of 28 teams!!! Hope this helps!!


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## hawgcatxher1983

I have fished many of the reservoirs around where i live one is known to have saugeye in it and the other has walleye. The one with the saugeye we crappie fish alot and had heard of them getting some saugeyes here and there so after trying hundreds of times while crappie fishing from shore we launched the jonboat a few hours before dark didnt do anything different other than being in a boat and trolled we dished the same areas that we could cast to from the bank and limited out two nights in a row and caught crappies in the mix so its hard to say normally i just try to pattern them like walleye if your fishing a river try drop offs and holes and points that stick out into the water generally with any type of fish u can pattern them the same way on different bodies of water by the time of year and current weather conditions etc.. just my two cents.


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## greatmiami

catchin_eyes said:


> Far as finding and determining saugeye spots, I recommend fishing the "community holes" first. While fishing, always observe what everyone else is doing. Ask yourself questions. "What size/type bait are people catching them on?" "What type of retrieve?" "What area of the hole is most of the fish being caught?" "What time are the fish being caught?" "What depth?" "What times seem to be dead periods?" "What are the weather/water conditions on the day of a good bite?" Write everything down in a journal, and you'll start noticing patterns that repeat themselves. Alot of times you can take that knowledge to a different area of the lake that is similar, or even a different lake, and get results. Theres a reason for everything a fish does, some of my most important entries in my journal are nights when I got skunked. They are important because I learned what not to do in that particular situation. Next time I'll try something different


This is excellent advice. Saugeye fishing is ever changing as far as fish location and lure type/presentation things go, but still has some basic fundamentals. Those crowded over fished places are a great place to begin. For me there were plenty of times at first when it seemed like I was the only one not catching. I would go back the next night though and try again,there is definitely a learning curve to be expected and seeing fish caught rite in front of you will help to narrow it down.


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## Brian.Smith

I wait an hour before changing spots, that way I can go through by progression of baits/colors and presentations. I have found sometimes just my change is reel speed has triggered bites. It's also a good trick to make a log book, give the date water temp, air temp. what they hit on water condition.. ie, muddy , rocky. ext.


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## Gfhteen

It's funny how it works, my personal best saugeye, I caught this year in location I have tried about 6 times and that is still the only saugeye I've caught in that location. Also recently another member slayed some saugeyes at another location that I know I've tried 10 times just this fall and I've never have had a bite there.


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## percidaeben

These make excellent log books. If you use pencil, they are weather proof.


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## ducky152000

Troublehooked said:


> Hey fellas!! Fishing the mid- Ohio saugeye trail this year I learned a valuable lesson! If you stay in one spot too long (20-30 minutes) without a fish, change something! Whether it be location, presentation, or speed, you have to change! Think outside the box and let your instincts take the lead, learn from the moves that produce and the ones that don't!!! We made big strides this year in adapting to current conditions to catch fish, it landed us an 11th place finish for the season! For our rookie season I'll take 11th out of 28 teams!!! Hope this helps!!


you are right and wrong. sometimes running and gunning spots is the way to go and other times its better to camp on a spot. i fish the eastern ohio saugeye club. And have witnessed teams that camp out on a spot and have took 1st place. I have done the same thing and have won tournments this way. It all depends how much confidence you have in that spot. Saugeye will come up onto spots throughout the day. so if you camp out there you know your goin to be there when they come up. my partner and i took 1st and big fish at clenndening one time by camping out at a spot i caught fish at pre fishing. it was the only spot i caught fish pre fishin so we stayed there till the end. we didnt catch a fish for the first 3 hours. but once they came up we caught a 8.2 and 7.5 along with our other keepers smallest one was 20inches. just shows you have to be there when the eyes decide to feed. my best advise is to go with your instincts. Had we left that spot after not catching a fish in a hour we may not have caught a fish anywhere that day.


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## TClark

WOW, great thread!! Learned allot!! 
Thanks everyone!!


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## greatmiami

Agree!


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## greatmiami

Very good questions actually!


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## Gottagofishn

ducky152000 said:


> you are right and wrong. sometimes running and gunning spots is the way to go and other times its better to camp on a spot. i fish the eastern ohio saugeye club. And have witnessed teams that camp out on a spot and have took 1st place. I have done the same thing and have won tournments this way. It all depends how much confidence you have in that spot. Saugeye will come up onto spots throughout the day. so if you camp out there you know your goin to be there when they come up. my partner and i took 1st and big fish at clenndening one time by camping out at a spot i caught fish at pre fishing. it was the only spot i caught fish pre fishin so we stayed there till the end. we didnt catch a fish for the first 3 hours. but once they came up we caught a 8.2 and 7.5 along with our other keepers smallest one was 20inches. just shows you have to be there when the eyes decide to feed. my best advise is to go with your instincts. Had we left that spot after not catching a fish in a hour we may not have caught a fish anywhere that day.


I have found the same. If you are confident in a spot and there is bait around camping can pay off. I think most of us know of areas that can always hold fish depending on the time of year. I can think of one saddle area that has paid off with quality fish over and over...


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## RiparianRanger

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## ducky152000

cant realy say if a heron will scare a saugeye away. i doubt it would. a heron is a deadly predator. the only fish that notice a heron is usualy a dead one as soon as they notice the heron. i remember a time my partner and i was fishing a flat. the only time we would catch a fish is when we saw shad skipping. if we saw shad skipping 50 yards away we would B line for them and start working our hopkins spoons. caught many eyes that day on that large flat. never caught a fish unless we was around shad. a cool leason learned that has worked in other situations.


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## Bleeding Minnow

BronzebackFanatic said:


> Assuming if I'm seeing blue heron in the area this means baitfish, but question is, would the bird scare off the size saugeye or bass most of us are after?


The size saugeye I am after will scare off the heron.


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## saugeyesam

The biggest thing that has helped me over the past 20 years of being literally obsessed with saugeye has been keeping notes. One would figure that over the course of 20 years the need for notes would diminish. But it seems like every year I am learning something new. Like the fact that I use to think that Saugeyes would rarely if ever suspend in the water column, but last year at Atwood I caught a 22" pig trolling a #5 shad rap through what I thought was a school of White Bass. I ,marked them at 10' in 18' of water. I went back and drifted that spot vertical jigging a 3/8 oz chrome/blue Vib-E it took me a few passes to figure out my depth but when I did I picked up three more eye's two 19 inchers and the last one was just under 21" then boom they were gone. Shattering my misconception that these fish won't/don't suspend. One other thing I do is download a map of each lake I fish the most from the DNR website. I print it out then take it to OfficeMax and have it enlarged and laminated and then I mark EVERY spot I have ever caught a saugeye even if it's just one 10" hammer handle. I've done this every year and the past few years I have keyed on areas that have consistently produced fish year after year. I then look back at my notes to see what baits I used, weather conditions, water conditions, time of year, time of day. If it's one thing I've learned it's that if you want the big ones you have to put in the work. I use to rely on luck way back when I first got into fishing for saugeyes but then I spent about two hours talking to Jim Corey one day and my whole approach changed.


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## All Eyes

saugeyesam said:


> I use to rely on luck way back when I first got into fishing for saugeyes but then I spent about two hours talking to Jim Corey one day and my whole approach changed.


Jim was a very rare breed. Never met a guy with so much knowledge that was more than happy to share it. I think he could catch a limit of saugeye in a bird bath. I really miss talking to him and will still go back and read his articles from time to time. He got me started throwing spoons many moons ago and they are still one of my favorite go-to baits.


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## percidaeben

"One other thing I do is download a map of each lake I fish the most from the DNR website. I print it out then take it to OfficeMax and have it enlarged and laminated and then I mark EVERY spot I have ever caught a saugeye even if it's just one 10" hammer handle."


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## percidaeben

Hey, this sounds like a fun/cool idea. Going to do this. Have tons of the little red map pins. Think I'll number the sites and make a key. Write down all the essentials in a map key book for future reference. Nice idea man.Have myself a nice project to get on.


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## ducky152000

couldnt agree more about jim corey. he fished our club when it was called southern ohio walleye club. amazing how much info he would give his competition, even on tournment day. he was truly a guy that loved to catch fish and see others do well also. He got me into jerkbait fishin which is one of my favorite ways to catch eyes now. also the little tips like throwing cranks or vibes in the prop wash when a boat goes across a shallow flat or point. that was a tip he gave me that i couldnt believe would work until i actually did it. He is a guy that will be missed by many for a long time.


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## Lewis

Jim was a good friend of mine. The guy was an absolute genius with a photographic memory regarding contours, bottom composition or sweetspots of all the local lakes, and he had every seasonal pattern down to a science. Jim really loved to share info with other anglers. I witnessed this many times while I was his partner for a couple years in the Southern Ohio Walleye club. I miss that guy!


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## All Eyes

Jim and I were talking one day and I told him he should make some local lake fishing videos to sell at his store. He said that no one would want to watch a bearded troll fishing.  Too bad I couldn't talk him into it. How cool would that have been? RIP Jim and Darlene.


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## fishslim

Met Jim once and in the short conversation knew he was a Saugeye book and great sportsman who would share info with anyone asking. Great Fishermen and person to the sport.


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## Doboy

Skippy said:


> Every spot is good and every spot can be bad. Just so many differences.
> *The biggest thing is sometimes one HAS to think OUTSIDE THE BOX.. Wish I could always figure them out but I sure know I can't.. Seen it too many times where what worked one day just doesn't work the very next day*..


Small river fishing,,,,, small enough to cast across.
2 tactics that worked.

I was slow trolling up an O River feeder creek, taking note of the bottom variances,,,, humps, stumps & boulders, 2'-3' holes,,,, points & bends that made back-washes, faster water & gravel bottoms.
It was early spring & the eyes HAD to be in there.
There wasn't a mark in the whole river, & Everything was right.
I found a 30' round depression/ aka hole. The water around the hole was 9' deep,,, the hole was like 12'-13'.
I dropped anchor about 30'-40' upriver of that hole, and slowly paid out line till the boat was sitting on the upriver side,,,, I figured that I was spooking all the fish with the motors, & if I sat there long enough, quietly, the eyes would return. Yes & No.
The sauger were there all the time,,, we just couldn't see them. They were glued to the bottom on the down-river side of that hole, facing up current. They were feeding in the faster flowing high pressure water that made a Clean rocky bottom.
We had to throw, a 1/8oz hair jig tipped with a fathead, or with a 2" DARK green Powerbait twistertail, way pass the hole, & then down the clean stone into the bottom. Had to be a VERY slow retrieve,,,, 2" at a time, stop & go.
We ended up with limits,,,, 2 boats, 6 guys!
I found 2 other similar spots and they both produced fish.

#2;
Suspended sauger???? LOL
I've been fishing the Ohio since the late 70's and NEVER *found* a school of suspended sauger!

A couple of years ago, I was fishing the WV side below the NC Dam with 'Snake' & his Canton & Akron friends.
The backwash was perfect,,,, we were below the dam, fishing off shore, down on the 'bricks', .
4 or 5 of us were throwing the usual jigs, twisters & fatheads, and I was using a heavy slip-egg, 12" leader & fathead,, dragging & beating the bottom & catching nothing. The Canton boys gave up and left,,, I hung in there.
A Cumberland local showed up & made his way down the bank next to me. He had one pole in his hand & a very small jig box in his pocket. The other pocket yielded a bag of twisters.
After he asked, I told him that nothing was hitting in the backwash,,,, even though the conditions were perfect.
*He smiled, and said " Maybe they're NOT ON THE BOTTOM!" Like WT&^%$#@! Ya Right.
MAN!,,,, Did he take me to school!
I don't think that he made 3 casts when he landed the first keeper sauger. OMG x 3! 40 YEARS!!!?
Cast after cast, he cranked in another fish. I'd say that he LANDED 30+ 'eyes' in less than an hour,,, both varieties! 
He whipped an 1/8oz jig & burnt orange twister straight out, far as possible, gave it a 3 sec drop & quickly cranked it in. He had hits on the drop, & hits at his feet. I could see his hooked fish coming in & with other sauger following it!
He didn't keep any,,,, said that his freezer was full! Go Figure

Well,,,, after that day, I won't leave the River without trying his tactics,,,,, I just can't make it work.*


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## saugeyesam

ducky152000 said:


> also the little tips like throwing cranks or vibes in the prop wash when a boat goes across a shallow flat or point. that was a tip he gave me that i couldnt believe would work until i actually did it. He is a guy that will be missed by many for a long time.


He told me about that too! He turned me on to the blade baits and Hopkins Spoons. Up until that point all I ever used was bucktail jigs, Jig/twister and worm harnesses.


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## All Eyes

saugeyesam said:


> He told me about that too! He turned me on to the blade baits and Hopkins Spoons. Up until that point all I ever used was bucktail jigs, Jig/twister and worm harnesses.


Same here. This is one of the many good articles from my saved archives written by Jim on the subject of spoons and blades. 

*Heavy Metal for Walleye*
No, I'm not talking about music that'll make the fillings in your teeth
vibrate like a Rattletrap. I'm talking about metal fishing lures; jigging
spoons, bladebaits, chunks of steel that cast like rockets and sink nearly
as fast. Usually thought of as cold water baits, they definitely have a
place in the Walleye, Saugeye, or Sauger anglers warm water arsenal.
There are few lures that imitate a baitfish as well as a spoon. It darts and
flashes, rises and falls and sometimes triggers fish that didn't seem to be
biting at all. I don't think that a spoon can be fished wrong. Cast it and
snap jig it, swim it, rip it vertically, and I wish I had counted all the times
that I have stuck my rod in the rod holder to get a drink from the cooler
or eat a sandwich and had the rod bend double under the weight of a fish
that just came up and inhaled the hanging spoon.

I have a fishing buddy who actually can crawl a spoon over the bottom, dragging it slowly, a foot at a time.
How he does it without losing spoon after spoon I'll never know. I can't do it. And he catches fish doing it. A
young child or a novice fisherman seems to catch fish easily with a spoon. They don't know how they are
supposed to fish it so they jerk it, let it lay, move it erratically, forget about it for minutes at a time and end
up giving it a unique action that those poor fish have never seen.
I fish a lot of Walleye tournaments and jigs were my "go to" bait for years. I am convinced that the spoons
are another versatile way to cover water fast and yet have the option to slow down and finesse without having
to change baits. Try vertical jigging with a crankbait! When the fish are up shallow and feeding I cast and snap
jig the spoon back to the boat. For those of you with a Bass fishing background, you will have to form a new
habit. _Finish your cast!_Most Bass fishermen are casting _to_ spots that they hope will hold fish. With Walleye,
those fish could be anywhere between where your lure lands and the boat. _Always_ finish your cast, ending up
directly under the boat, vertically jig the spoon a few times, let it rest a few inches off the bottom, and jig it
again.

Many fine Walleye are taken directly beneath the boat. I try to maintain bottom contact with each jigging
stroke; snap it up and let it fall to the bottom, kicking up puffs of sand or mud or clicking on gravel or rock.
Experiment. Sometimes the fish seem to want the spoon to fall on a fairly tight line. This holds the nose of the
spoon up and lets it pendulum forward. Other times they seem to prefer you to just dump slack and let the
spoon dart erratically down, this way and that. This is probably the most difficult to master because, when
in an aggressive feeding mood, Walleye tend to hit the spoon on the fall, making it difficult to feel the hit.

Be a line watcher and take up the slack quickly. Set the hook at the slightest sign of resistance on the
upstroke. The way I fish a spoon most often, though, is to let it fall on "controlled slack". A slight bow in the
line allows the spoon to flutter down with a side to side motion and in a more vertical descent. When fishing
in this manner I don't snap the spoon as much, rather gliding it towards me on the upstroke. When the fish
are biting short, skinning or stealing minnows or leeches, we've all had those days when a stinger hook just
doesn't work. They just don't seem to want it. With a spoon, the business end is the back. It's hard to hit
too short to miss the treble hook on the back of a spoon.

I fish bladebaits basically the same as spoons except that I rely on bladebaits more often for vertical
presentations. Some days the fish seem to want the flash of a spoon and other days the vibration of the
bladebait is the ticket. In my experience, the bladebait _is_ a better performer in colder water.

Have any of you ever fished in a tournament where the fish just weren't to be had? Of course, we all have,
at one time or another, encountered conditions that just shut the fish down as if they had lockjaw. Let me
give you an example of what heavy metal can do in these situations.

In late October of 1999, The Southern Ohio Walleye Club held it's two-day, year end championship on
Tappan Lake, in East Central Ohio. Saturday dawned clear and cloudless and there had been a twenty degree
drop in temperature overnight. The water lay like glass with not a ripple on the surface for most of the day.

The majority of the contestants in the tournament fished tried and true traditional methods. My Partner and
I went to deep water where we had located fish during pre-fishing and began vertically jigging large, 1/2 ounce
Vib-"E" bladebaits. We worked the blades aggressively, ripping them on the upstroke and dumping the slack,
letting them fall erratically. At days end, at weigh-in, it was a glum and solemn group that gathered around the
scales to see how everyone else had done.

Out of the entire field, only two boats weighed in fish. Our boat weighed in a limit. One other boat weighed
in two fish for a total weight of under 4 pounds. Day two was virtually identical to day one as far as the weather
was concerned. We started out with ice in our rod guides. One boat came near where we were fishing and
asked us what we were using. We told them _what_, _where _,and _how _and gave them some Vib-"E"s. At weigh-in
that afternoon, again, only two boats were able to bring fish to the scales. The boat that had asked us for help
weighed in four fish, moving into second place. We again weighed in a limit.

Total weight for third place after two days of hard fishing was less than 4 pounds. Second place was less
than 7 pounds. Our boat weighed in a total of 43.23 pounds! Our biggest fish was nearly 7 pounds. Now this
doesn't sound like much weight if you are used to fishing Lake Erie or one of the other premier Walleye lakes,
but this is a small, inland reservoir and these were Saugeye, not Walleye. With a minimum 14" limit, many
events here are won by weights ranging from 10 to 15 pounds. We could see the fish on our electronics and
the bladebaits triggered the otherwise neutral to negative fish.

And all you Bass fishermen take heed! We catch a _lot_ of Bass, both Largemouth and Smallmouth, on
heavy metal during the course of a season while fishing for Walleye. So dig out some of those spoons or
bladebaits that you rarely use , and give them a try. You might be pleasantly surprised.


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## All Eyes

At 4-5 bucks a pop, learning how to crawl a spoon or blade off bottom as stated in the above article can get really expensive. Especially around submerged tree tops and other places where Saugeye hang out. Seeing first hand how effective they were in experienced hands, (Jim and Co.) I was determined to get good at it. It's what led me to begin making my own versions out of metal tubing and lead. Making a dozen of these for the price of one or two store bought baits takes the sting out of loosing them once in a while. As you can see, I went a bit overboard when I realized how good my knock offs work. This isn't even half of them. 
Sorry if you've seen these and heard my ramblings on spoons over the years, but while we are on the subject of Corey I thought it fitting to tell how it all got started for me. It's his fault.


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## Lewis

One thing I learned is you just can't spook those saugeyes!
Jim and I were fishing a tournament one hot 95 degree day on one of the MWCD lakes. The morning started out tough, with just one or two keepers when Jim suggested a location that made me raise my eyebrows. Right outside the buoy line of a crowded swimming area with probably 40 people splashing and swimming. I was a believer in short order. Within an hour we had a two man limit !

Another lesson. When Jim and I pulled bottom bouncers and harnesses, we always used 2 to 2 1/2 oz bouncers to keep the presentation nearly vertical. One day he suggested we pull these along a roadbed that topped out in 3 fow. Unbelievable action right under the boat in very shallow water. As soon as you set the hook the fish were at the surface and ready to net! 

I love chasing those feisty little critters. When it comes to Saugeyes...never say never!


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## Lewis

All Eyes...nice spoon collection!!!! I think I have the same addiction...lol


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## Saugeyefisher

Wow guys great posts. I never met jim but knew him on gfo. To this day i find myself searching for his write ups.....


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## ChromeBone

I have "The Spot" my friends and I call it, we found this part of the Scioto exploring back when we where in middle school. I have been to this spot on a Tuesday and caught 1 smallie, then came back on a Sunday and hit 2 dozen eyes. 


IF you find a spot that you know in your gut "Fish got to be there" most likely they are. Usually I try a spot 3 times in different conditions if no fish then no fish.


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## ChromeBone

Lewis said:


> I got to witness suspended Saugeye one November several years ago at Piedmont and haven't seen it since. I was casting a 1/4 oz. blade bait into 17-19 fow. First cast, wham! keeper as soon as it hit the water. 5 more casts in a row, 5 keepers all very high in the water column. With Saugeyes...never say never!...lol


I get them when the water is low behind a shallow sandbar in the Scioto in the summer on Top water Thundersticks and they smash it man, Its like jack fishing in FLorida. All depend on the conditions if its a big lake and eyes are suspended most likely there is not much oxygen at the bottom, Also if there not much weeds in the lake that could be an indicator if this .


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## All Eyes

Lewis said:


> One thing I learned is you just can't spook those saugeyes!
> Jim and I were fishing a tournament one hot 95 degree day on one of the MWCD lakes. The morning started out tough, with just one or two keepers when Jim suggested a location that made me raise my eyebrows. Right outside the buoy line of a crowded swimming area with probably 40 people splashing and swimming. I was a believer in short order. Within an hour we had a two man limit !
> 
> Another lesson. When Jim and I pulled bottom bouncers and harnesses, we always used 2 to 2 1/2 oz bouncers to keep the presentation nearly vertical. One day he suggested we pull these along a roadbed that topped out in 3 fow. Unbelievable action right under the boat in very shallow water. As soon as you set the hook the fish were at the surface and ready to net!
> 
> I love chasing those feisty little critters. When it comes to Saugeyes...never say never!


TY and good post Lewis. I've caught saugeye right next to the boat drifting/casting the RR bed on Atwood that tops out at 3-4 ft before. It can be a real pain to fish that area due to all the porous ore rocks and other snags, but it's worth it sometimes. Can't tell you how many rocks I've caught off that bed.  The eyes will lay on the shaded side and run up on top to feed. And you are right, they couldn't care less about your boat. If anything, they use it to their advantage at times. Boat traffic is just another part of their environment in these smaller inland lakes.
As Saugeye Sam mentioned about them feeding in skinny water prop wash, the same can be said for boat wakes crashing the shoreline. They push bait and can trigger bites also. Especially on those windless days when the water is flat. An old shore fisherman showed me that trick once. Every time a nice series of boat waves would come in, he would make a long cast a foot or two from shore and rip a blade through it. I prefer spoons for that type of fishing due to one less treble hook to get hung up.


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## All Eyes

Saugeyefisher said:


> Wow guys great posts. I never met jim but knew him on gfo. To this day i find myself searching for his write ups.....


The only ones who were happy about Jim's passing were the fish. I had a folder of his articles, e-mails, and PM's from the GFO days, but lost it years ago when my old hard drive crashed. Some of it is still available to read online. He was "The Fish Whisperer" and probably forgot more than I've ever known. Pretty darn good artist also.


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## crittergitter

Gfhteen said:


> It's funny how it works, my personal best saugeye, I caught this year in location I have tried about 6 times and that is still the only saugeye I've caught in that location. Also recently another member slayed some saugeyes at another location that I know I've tried 10 times just this fall and I've never have had a bite there.


There is a great deal of variable differentiation in regard to fishing in general. Though, with saugeye it really holds true. Another angler sharing technique or favorable conditions is often more useful than them sharing a "spot." Spots become good under favorable conditions. You can fish a flat 16 days in a row and not get a bite. Though, let there be a NW wind slapping water and bait fish up against it and you'll see Troy there catching saugeye off it. If it's a really shallow flat, you'll see him there after dark or under cloud cover conditions. Yet, he knows from experience without those conditions they won't be in that "spot". 

Saugeye can be patterned, but it's less about location and more about understanding their behavior. I'm not very good at patterning them, but I don't prefer to target them. I target musky which will on most days will make a person crazy! lol


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## Gfhteen

So much great info!


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## Saugeyefisher

Next time i get some time im going to search some of hos articles.
I remember a post on alum from him(Jim Corey) from way back. Talking about how he did,or how he would tackle trolling the steep contours there.
Something about takeing a heavy trolling weight with a stick bait behind it.and keeping your thumb on the real letting line out,or quickly reeling up to tightly follow the steeper contours...
It was very interesting and out of the box technique. Id love to find that post again. I cant remember what website it was on...


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## fishslim

When you know your going fishing take the time driving or at home and try to map out a plan.. At least have 2 to 3 spots in mind that are not alike before you decide those spots think about the weather not only that day but day before or next days forecast. Wind high pressure side of front low pressure side..
Pay attention to reports day before or from earlier in day. Moon phase. Watch and listen to nature around you. Animals moving birds moving I find most times I am catching fish or there aggressively feeding so us nature. Quiet no movement time to dead stick a bait maybe down size your bait during calm high pressure fronts. 
Change up way you work bait. Try each spot you have picked awhile if slow then rethink what you did if one area was giving you some bites then go back to it or look for other areas that match the area your fishing. 
You might have the right pattern figured out but another area like it is waiting with more active fish on it. 
But as I always say if your hunting for fish and you found some dont leave them to find more. Unless you are not meat hunting or number hunting but Trophy hunting then keep on moving if quality is not there. 
Does not mean you don't try same spot you were getting smaller fish again at different time frames. Not all eyes eat at same time especially big mature girls.


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## MDBuckeye

fishslim said:


> When you know your going fishing take the time driving or at home and try to map out a plan.. At least have 2 to 3 spots in mind that are not alike before you decide those spots think about the weather not only that day but day before or next days forecast. Wind high pressure side of front low pressure side..
> Pay attention to reports day before or from earlier in day. Moon phase. Watch and listen to nature around you. Animals moving birds moving I find most times I am catching fish or there aggressively feeding so us nature. Quiet no movement time to dead stick a bait maybe down size your bait during calm high pressure fronts.
> Change up way you work bait. Try each spot you have picked awhile if slow then rethink what you did if one area was giving you some bites then go back to it or look for other areas that match the area your fishing.
> You might have the right pattern figured out but another area like it is waiting with more active fish on it.
> But as I always say if your hunting for fish and you found some dont leave them to find more. Unless you are not meat hunting or number hunting but Trophy hunting then keep on moving if quality is not there.
> Does not mean you don't try same spot you were getting smaller fish again at different time frames. Not all eyes eat at same time especially big mature girls.


You getting your speech ready for this weekend?

I never met Jim either but read a bunch of his posts around the web. He seemed very passionate about spreading his passion, fishing. Having people like Jim in our community helping grow the love of the sport through teaching and helping out others is awesome. I think the guy I quoted may be in a similar category as Jim. Great thread!


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## All Eyes

Good saugeye anglers have one thing in common, and that's the ability to adapt and think outside the box when the tried and true isn't producing. There was one article by Corey where he was describing a dreadful winter day of skunk city, when he decided to try something completely unconventional by most standards. Instead of going to a smaller bait and a slower speed (as you normally would in cold water) he tied on a 6" bait and sped up. Dragging it on the bottom in 30 fow, he had a limit of saugeye in short order. I believe the article was titled "Speed and size for winter eyes" 
Tips from some of the saugeye wizards such as Jim and Fishslim who are kind enough to share their knowledge are gold for people trying to put the puzzle together. Make a folder and gather the info from these guys. Over time it will pay huge rewards.


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## All Eyes

MDBuckeye said:


> You getting your speech ready for this weekend?
> 
> I never met Jim either but read a bunch of his posts around the web. He seemed very passionate about spreading his passion, fishing. Having people like Jim in our community helping grow the love of the sport through teaching and helping out others is awesome. I think the guy I quoted may be in a similar category as Jim. Great thread!


What stuck with me about Jim Corey was that other than talking saugeye at length with him at Cripple Creek numerous times and online communication, I didn't know him all that well. At least well enough for the guy to take time to send me small novels of info in response to my questions and chats. I was just another customer who was eager to learn and he actually got a kick out of helping me. Go figure. And not just generic info, but very specific stuff that upped my catch rate tremendously. It was like being pen pals with Al Linder or something. 
And though I've never met Fishlim, you don't have to be a member on here for very long to know that he has this whole saugeye thing pretty well figured out.  The info, stories, pics, and shared experiences with guys like him and the many others who are passionate about the sport are very much appreciated. It's people like them that can turn a persons casual hobby into a lifestyle. To be honest, I hated fishing until my dad showed me how to catch some.


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## Lewis

Speed and Size For Mid Winter Eyes.....By Jim Corey

It has long been accepted as truth that when the water temperature dips
to its coldest in mid-Winter, Walleye anglers should choose slower and
smaller presentations. The majority of the local walleye and saugeye
fishermen subscribe to the belief that the way to target these mid-winter
fish is to dig out those tiny jigs, spoons, jigging lures, or bladebaits that
have gathered rust throughout the warm water season. In my home area
in East Central Ohio we seldom get a long hard-water season. Open water
often lasts well into January on the inland lakes and we can usually get
our boats in the water by mid February. There was one extremely mild
winter a few years back when we kept the boats out all winter. Some of
us here have a different idea about these mid-winter cold water 'eyes.

A few years ago, my fishing partner and I were fishing for saugeyes on Piedmont Lake
in East Central Ohio. It was mid January and, for weeks, the temperatures had been dropping into the 20's at
night with daytime highs in the 40's. Nearly every morning we had to break thin skim ice for about a hundred
yards to reach open water but by noon it would all be gone. Surface water temperatures were always around
35 to 38 degrees by mid-afternoon.

There were a number of other anglers fishing the same lake that year and most of the fish caught were small
to medium Jacks. Big females were rare. Most of the fishermen were using tried and true methods, based on
smaller baits and lures, and everyone was catching fish. With the cold water and the abundance of those
perfect eating size fish, we were each taking a few fish home to stock our freezers.

When we cleaned these fish we were noticing that the size of the shad that they were eating was very large.
A 16" saugeye could have as many as four or five shad in the 4" to 7" range in it's stomach. Were these
winter-kill shad or were these saugeyes actively seeking and chasing large shad on a regular basis?

On one of our next excursions, we decided to try to imitate the size of the shad that we had been seeing in
the stomachs of the fish we had been taking home. We began by drastically increasing the size of the bait or
lure we were using. In the area of the lake we were fishing water depths dropped to 30', in places, with most of
the fish relating to a mid-lake roadbed that topped out around 15'. We began using large chubs, suckers, or shiners with stinger hooks in the same areas and, although we caught some fish, there was really not much difference in our success.

Then, after spending several fishless hours after a cold front rolled through we decided to call it quits, but,
stubborn as we were, we just had to fish our way back to the ramp. Tying on larger, 1/2 ounce jigs, we added
4" plastic tails and large, 6" sucker minnows with stinger hooks. Firing up the gas motor, we let line out until
our rod tips were jerking as the heavy jigs were digging into the bottom as we moved along, out in the basin,
in 25' to 30' of water.

We probably caught over a dozen fish on that trip back, and all of them were females. The largest was just
over 6 pounds. Since then we have done this often enough to convince ourselves that these fish didn't
necessarily want a small or slow bait. Over the years we have tweaked and fine-tuned our presentations to
the point where we can usually catch nice fish, even on the worst days, by speeding up and bulking up, even
in that cold winter water.

We have tried this approach on walleye waters to find out if this was a method more suited to saugeyes and
have seen no difference. There seem to be two kinds of bites. The best and easiest bite is one that allows us
to eliminate the use of live bait and keep our hands and fingers warm and dry. The same big jigs and 3" to 4" tails, digging into the bottom and kicking up puffs of mud and sand, can provide some exciting action when
pulled at 3/4 to 1 MPH with the gas motor.

On days when the bite is slow, a live bait rig with a 3/8 to 1/2 ounce egg sinker about 2 feet ahead of a
floating jighead with a large shiner or sucker minnow and a stinger hook can put good numbers of fish in the
boat. Again we are pulling these baits with the gas motor. The downside of this was the lack of smaller fish for
the freezer, but it didn't usually take long in the morning to put a few Jacks in the boat with smaller and slower
baits and lures.

We missed being able to use our methods this past winter. We had safe ice by mid December and it lasted
through late February. Very few big saugeyes were caught from Piedmont Lake through the ice this year but
the numbers of 12" to 20" fish were staggering. After ice-out we were on the lake, trying to find those bigger
females, but they had apparently already begun to move out of the deeper basins and just weren't there to find.

Maybe next winter, if the weather is mild and the lakes remain free of ice, we can once again fire up the
gas motor and confirm the opinions of the traditional crew, that we are indeed just a little bit crazy, to be
moving that fast or using baits that big, in the middle of winter.

If your home waters stay free of ice this coming winter season, and if the fish that you are cleaning look to
have been feeding on larger prey, try doing just the opposite of the tried and true. Try some speed and some
size for those mid-winter 'eyes!


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## fishslim

Man what a great read the ability to adapt to be brave enough to do different from the tried and tested things that work is crucial at times. 
I don't know if anyone read the article in the Outdoor News from this Jan. 15th vol.11 but it was about winter fishing rivers for Saugeyes. Slow Down Your Presentation for Winter Saugeyes. Had some good points but I cringed at the thought that Saugeyes won't eat a faster moving bait in cold water rivers and lakes. 
Yes some times lighter smaller baits or jigs is the trick but in spillway and rivers I love throwing 3/16-1/4 oz. Jigs with 3 to 5" tails or Swims. When done there is no slow approach you have to keep rod up and steady reel that jig knocking it hard against rocks as you go. Those bigger females this time of year have no problem moving to hit that bait they enhale it. 
Mid afternoon sunny day in winter if I can I am fishing a Saugeye hole on a river fast covering ground and banging fish. 
Put on smaller jigs and tails like the norm will catch fish as well bit more the males then they larger females who want lunch and dinner at one sitting. 
Just because it's cold does not mean they don't eat and when they do they don't sit and wait for it to bumb there noses they go find it and eat it. 
Great article Jim was the man he had it figured out from shallow to deep.


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## Lewis

Guys, I apologize with all the Jim Corey posts, but I sure enjoy talking about his legacy. Beneath that bearded exterior was a man who was so intelligent and a joy to be around. I found a few more of his old articles. If someone learns something from these articles, Jim would be proud. Hope y'all don't mind.


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## Lewis

Go Thin to Win by Jim Corey

There have been many articles written about targeting Walleyes in "skinny" water. We have learned, contrary to traditional beliefs, that Walleyes can be caught in very shallow water at times. Well I'm here to tell you that, at least in the Muskingum Watershed Lakes of East Central Ohio, Saugeyes like their water the "skinniest" of all! 
Most of the MWCD lakes are relatively shallow with maximum depths ranging from 20 to 40 feet. They are, for the most part, older reservoirs; flood control lakes, badly silted in, and are subject to regular Winter drawdowns. There isn't much mainlake structure in these lakes, although there are exceptions where hard surfaced roadbeds, humps with hard substrates, or shale outcroppings have resisted the siltation. Our thermoclines form at about 14 to 16 feet and the fish use those shallow edge waters throughout the warm water months. After Winter drawdown our local Saugeyes concentrate on mainlake structure in those waters where it exists, and scatter out over the mud basin in the others. As the lakes fill up in the Spring and the water temps rise into the 40's, the Saugeyes make their move into water so shallow, so thin, so skinny, that it wouldn't seem enough to cover their backs. I have long believed that Saugeyes, perhaps because because of their "hybrid vigor", were far more apt than Walleyes to ignore any discomfort caused by light penetration, instead following the food wherever, whenever, and at all costs. We regularly take big Saugeyes from less than a foot of water, on bright windless days, in the hottest part of July and August. The local Bass anglers curse these toothy pests and, more often than not, the biggest Saugeyes of each season are taken by Bass anglers from very shallow water. At the same time that the main lake surface water temps are around 50 degrees, we usually have some warm rains, and the runoff serves to raise the water temps in the shallow feeder creeks into the 70's and even 80's in some years. This is where the Saugeyes will be. 
While the 'Eye anglers are beating the water to death, swearing that "these lakes are getting fished out", there are tight lipped locals, poling their flatbottomed boats through the mud at the very heads of these lakes, or standing on bridges that span creeks that a man can step across, hiding their stringers of big Saugeyes from curious passersby. Ask them if they're doing any good and they will tell you "Nope! Nothin' but a couple Carp and Mr. Whiskers". Don't believe 'em for a minute! 
When our Saugeyes are up in water this thin, many methods will put them in the boat. Jigs, very shallow cranks, small jerkbaits, or live Shiners, Chubs, and Suckers are the favored presentations. As they pole their boats into the mouths of shallow feeder creeks, anglers look for the wakes of fish that were spooked by their intrusion. Small pods of Shad will burst from the surface and scatter, shining and glinting in the sunlight. A live 4 to 6 inch Lake Shiner, fished weightless will be lobbed past the bursting shad and gently eased back through the spot. Long, 8, 9, or 10 foot rods are used to lob these baits at their targets. These long rods also serve to cushion the force of the drag burning runs that can take place when fish running from 6 to 10 pounds are hooked in water less than a foot deep. Light line is a must for casting these unweighted baits. Here again the long rods tend to forgive angler's mistakes. 
One of the most exciting and rewarding ways to catch big Saugeyes in our area, this opportunity is overlooked by many anglers and ignored by others. For those of you who are in areas where Saugeyes have been introduced, give the extra "thin" waters a try. It may not work for you, but, if it does, hold on to your hat! The fun is about to start!


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## Lewis

A Dan Armitage article referencing Jim ..... 








Blade baits like these Cicadas from Reef Runner Tackle make excellent choices for late-season fishing.


One of the best fall lures for fooling a variety of fish is one of the simplest: the blade bait. Consisting of little more than a metal head or belly molded to a thin blade stamped into the profile of a baitfish, blade baits are easy to fish, can catch any gamefish that likes to eat minnows, and are particularly productive when water temperatures begin to drop in the fall—or rise in the spring.

Popular blade baits include the classic Heddon Sonar, the Vibe-E, Reef Runner Cicada, the Gay Blade from Cordelle, and Worden’s Showdown, to name a few of nearly a dozen makers of the metal lures.

Blades can be cast and retrieved or trolled conventionally, but most anglers prefer to jig them vertically, using a simple lift-and-drop motion. That said, there is a wide range of lift speeds and distances that anglers use to fool autumn fish, and some anglers even stifle the drop or fall part of the retrieve, interrupting what would be a “natural” drop by adding action on the way down, or controlling its pace by keeping the line tight and dropping the lure at a slower-than-normal speed. Most fishermen agree that simply letting the metal blade drop at its own pace on a limp line is the most productive technique—and often when the take occurs.

In the autumn, when fish such as walleyes, crappies, bass, and trout are holding tight to structure, the late Ohio-based blade flipper and angler extraordinaire Jim Corey would cast to the shallows from a boat positioned just off the deeper edges to locate active fish. His hopping retrieve from the shallow flats to the depths beneath his boat imparted a leaping motion to the lure, which he made sure came into contact with the bottom between each short jump. After each hop, he recommended allowing the lure to flutter back to the bottom on a controlled slack line. Once the blade bait was worked back to below the boat, Corey would impart a vertical jigging action, allowing the lure to pound the bottom, sending up clouds of silt or ticking off gravel to attract fish in the area. After he determined the depth at which the active fish are holding, he focused on the productive blade presentation, either vertically jigging or casting.

When running his beloved blades, Corey was careful to match his tackle to the weight of the lure he was using. When fishing blade baits weighing 1/8- to 3/8-ounce in shallower inland waters, he preferred a six-foot, medium-action spinning rod. When angling deeper, open waters with blades that may weigh 1/2- to 3/4-ounce, Corey switched to a medium/heavy-action bait casting outfit. On the reels of both, he spooled Berkley Fireline, 10-pound-test on the spinning reel, and 14-pound-test on the bait caster, which he preferred for its casting capabilities and sensitivity. Using a double Uni-knot, he attached a leader of fluorocarbon and used a round-nosed snap to attach the lure. His leaders would test 10 pounds with the spinning rig and 15 pounds with the bait casting outfit, and were 18 to 20 feet in length.

“The Fireline alone sinks too fast, and the long fluorocarbon leader slows down the descent of the bait, which triggers more strikes,” Corey explained to me. “And when a fish is at the boat, I don’t like having a knot between me and the fish. The long leader means the weakest link—the knot—is on the spool when I’m landing the fish.”

Make sure you have an assortment of blades aboard your boat this fall, fish ’em like the late blade runner himself, and you’ll be reaching for the landing net in no time.


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## Saugeyefisher

Lewis,thankyou for takeing the time to post them! Keepem comeing!


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## All Eyes

Lewis said:


> Guys, I apologize with all the Jim Corey posts, but I sure enjoy talking about his legacy. Beneath that bearded exterior was a man who was so intelligent and a joy to be around. I found a few more of his old articles. If someone learns something from these articles, Jim would be proud. Hope y'all don't mind.


He had it down to a science didn't he? I think it's great that we are talking about him and his words are being seen by a new group of people that can learn from them. You probably have some great pictures of him with his short Falcon rod in one hand and a saugeye in the other. If I'm remembering right, I think Jim said that he broke the 10 pound saugeye mark 5 years in a row. He used to tell me that fishing for the big girls didn't get good until Thanksgiving.


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## ducky152000

haha i remember that falcon rod! think it was 5 foot and mybe 6 inches. never understood why he liked that for snap jigging vibes. i prefer a 7 foot rod and a fast quauntum smoke reel to be able to take up slack very quickly. but ol jim sure could use that small rod with a vibe.


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## fishslim

Great articles the man was on point. First article on shallow water is what I love to preach. At show today I was getting funny looks from some newer guys to eye fishing when I told them ealy spring head to coves and bays with feeder creeks and you will be shocked how big the fish are in that skinny water. I am loving the direction of this post in my opinion it ranks right up with rainy jerk bait post. This should an will be brought back every winter just as other post to allow new ones the opportunity to read this awesome important info. From Jim and all the others who have responded. OUTSTANDING


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## All Eyes

ducky152000 said:


> haha i remember that falcon rod! think it was 5 foot and mybe 6 inches. never understood why he liked that for snap jigging vibes. i prefer a 7 foot rod and a fast quauntum smoke reel to be able to take up slack very quickly. but ol jim sure could use that small rod with a vibe.


Jim liked sub 6 foot fast rods for vertical fishing and I think he even modified some of them to make them shorter. He loved saugeye fishing but was also dialed in on other species as well. He could really whack the big stripers in Seneca and other lakes, not to mention about everything else. Wish I still had some of my old pictures to share. He was hands down the best fisherman I've ever had the privilege to talk to and learn from. It's great to see all this discussion and articles remembering and honoring his name. I will never forget him.


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## Lewis

Thanks guys...he converted me to shorter rods for casting and vertical jigging metal....lol I use a 5 1/2 ft St Croix Avid. They key is a short butt end so it doesn't dig into your gut or side while jigging..
I'll look around and see if I can find some pics.


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## Skippy

Thanks Lewis, keep them coming. Some super information. The shallow water holds so true. More then once I've had to tilt my outboard up fishing the back of coves. Like Troy said, you do get some funny looks when telling folks about how shallow the eyes will go. It takes time to figure it out and there's more then just a few who will try it but they keep looking out in the main lake and see all those boats out there fishing. It's so easy to tell yourself ,"that's were I should be, heck, I can see bottom. There can't be any eyes here." Bait shop guy said to troll or drift out towards the middle. Old Buck Perry's main saying was there either deep, shallow or somewhere in between.
Used to play the hide a stringer game years ago and up to a few years ago after putting the boat back on the trailer, someone would come up and ask If I did any good. Standard answer was," just a few small ones".
I'm a firm believer in the bigger baits bigger fish but like all things there's times down sizing will pay off.
Like the one post said, "Never say Never". I just love this saugeye game..


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## Fishin Finatic

Old Buck Perry also said the home of the fish is deep water. What he didn't say is that they go out to eat. That's why he made the tiny spoonplug so he could fish 3' of water. I fished walleyes for years in Hoover and Alum before they started stocking the saugeyes. They are quite a different fish ... had to relearn everything. That's what makes it enjoyable tho.


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## catchin_eyes

I've caught some nice eyes in that skinny water over the years, especially after a good rain that brings the water level up. I've caught them in the middle of the day at times, in 4 feet of water or less when the water is stained. Numbers are usually down in these spots for me, but the QUALITY of fish is unbelievable!


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## Skippy

Fishin Finatic, in what way are walleyes and saugeyes different?? I live by a privet lake and we stock walleyes. Drive out the gate and I'm in saugeye land. I used to live up in northeast Ohio and fished Mosquito and LaDue a bunch. Walleye lakes. I'm not talking Lake Erie eyes but the inland lakes eyes. I was told there a different fish but using the same lures and pretty much the same presentations as I used up north work for the saugeyes. The only thing I've noticed different is the saugeyes seem more nomadic then the walleyes. Also, warm water with a notable thermocline will find walleyes suspending off of structure more so then saugeyes. While not noted for suspending, at times saugeyes will also. Fall night bite shore fishing they are the same critter 100 percent.. All of that and the bottom line is I think that taste the same.


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## ducky152000

I fish for saugeye 95% of the time. so i dont realy have a lot of experince with inland walleye. but the few times a year that i go up north to fish for walleye the only difference i have noticed is on days fish have lockjaw there is always something you can get a walleye to bite on. whether it be downsizing,upsizing, slower presentation or faster. i have had days fishing for saugeye it seems like you just cant get them to fire on them lock jaw days. sure you may catch a saugeye or two with a fast reaction bait, but getting limits when fishing is tough seems to be much harder than getting a limit of inland walleye on the same day. I dont really understand why when saugeye seem to be a much more agressive fish when they are feeding. Seems like barometric pressure and cold fronts mess with the hybrid fish more than the pure bred.


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## RiparianRanger

`


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## Lewis

*Saugeye Reproduction* 
*By Jim Corey*

When the subject of Saugeyes comes up in my shop, fishing chatrooms, or on message boards, one of the most confusing topics is: "Do Saugeyes reproduce or not?" Most anglers have formed their beliefs on this subject from "what they've heard" because there has been little or no effort on the part of State Fisheries Departments and DNR's to educate the angling public. Even questions directed to Game Wardens and Park Rangers brought conflicting responses when I tried to get some answers for myself. Since Ohio was in the forefront of the experimental Saugeye stocking programs and much of the original research was done here, I decided to go to the source and find out for sure. 
Ohio State University, Department of Bio Sciences did much of the original experimentation and controlled and evaluated the data gathered in the first Ohio stockings. Some of the data that they used was collected from earlier stockings done in Kentucky and Tennesee. 
Contrary to popular belief, Saugeyes can and do reproduce both with either parent species and with other Saugeyes. The most informative study that I have been able to find on the subject was done by M.C. Hearn in 1986, titled "Reproductive viability of Walleye-Sauger hybrids". It was published in the Progressive Fish-Culturist 48:149150.(now the North American Aquaculture Journal) 
Part of the confusion lies in the fact that all Saugeyes are not created equal. Of the eggs resulting from the cross of a male Sauger and a female Walleye (F1 Hybrids), some will turn out to be true Triploid Saugeyes (sterile hybrids), while others from the same egg mass will not develop eggs or even show recognizable gender differences. Still others will develop with the ability to produce viable eggs. In the study done by Hearns, the eggs from Female F1 Hybrids (Saugeyes) were fertilized by milt from male Saugers. The results were 38% "swim-up-fry". This term means that, out of the total eggs produced by this single cross, 38% lived to complete the swim to the surface necessary for Walleye/Sauger/Saugeye fry to break the surface tension of the waters' surface and take that mouthfull of air needed to fill their swim bladders for the first time. They then performed the same experiment with one male and one female F1 Hybrid (Saugeye) and, when Saugeye-to-Saugeye, the % of swim-up-fry was 46%, 8% better than when the Saugeye eggs were fertilized by milt from a parent species. 
Further confusion is caused when the body of water where the Saugeyes are stocked has no proper spawning habitat. Naturally, no reproduction can take place in such waters. In different bodies of water the survival rate of Walleye fry to adulthood may range from 1% to 10%, depending on predation and other factors. That figure is basically the same for stocked Saugeye fry. With Saugeye, however, only a small percentage of the fish that reach adulthood will be capable of producing viable eggs. Then, of course, if those eggs aren't deposited in the proper spawning areas, under the right conditions, and fertilized with milt from that equally small percentage of male Saugeyes who are virile, the whole point is moot. 
In the right body of water, with the right conditions, Saugeye can and do reproduce, but in a limited way, and not in a way to sustain a population without stocking. 
I hope that this helps clear up some of the confusion about one of the most exciting additions to the gamefish species available to anglers across the country. 

Other studies of interest are:
"Comparative survival, growth, and reproductive development of juvenile Walleye, Sauger, and their hybrids reared under intensive culture conditions." J.A. Malison, D.L. Johnson, and S.A. Schell. 1982 North American Journal of Fisheries Management 2:381-387
"Reproduction of Saugeyes (Fx Hybrids) and Walleyes in Normandy Reservoir, Tennesee." F.C. Fiss, S.M. Sammons, P.W. Betolli, and N. Billington, 1997. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 17:215-219


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## rattlin jones

Lewis said:


> *Saugeye Reproduction
> By Jim Corey*
> 
> When the subject of Saugeyes comes up in my shop, fishing chatrooms, or on message boards, one of the most confusing topics is: "Do Saugeyes reproduce or not?" Most anglers have formed their beliefs on this subject from "what they've heard" because there has been little or no effort on the part of State Fisheries Departments and DNR's to educate the angling public. Even questions directed to Game Wardens and Park Rangers brought conflicting responses when I tried to get some answers for myself. Since Ohio was in the forefront of the experimental Saugeye stocking programs and much of the original research was done here, I decided to go to the source and find out for sure.
> Ohio State University, Department of Bio Sciences did much of the original experimentation and controlled and evaluated the data gathered in the first Ohio stockings. Some of the data that they used was collected from earlier stockings done in Kentucky and Tennesee.
> Contrary to popular belief, Saugeyes can and do reproduce both with either parent species and with other Saugeyes. The most informative study that I have been able to find on the subject was done by M.C. Hearn in 1986, titled "Reproductive viability of Walleye-Sauger hybrids". It was published in the Progressive Fish-Culturist 48:149150.(now the North American Aquaculture Journal)
> Part of the confusion lies in the fact that all Saugeyes are not created equal. Of the eggs resulting from the cross of a male Sauger and a female Walleye (F1 Hybrids), some will turn out to be true Triploid Saugeyes (sterile hybrids), while others from the same egg mass will not develop eggs or even show recognizable gender differences. Still others will develop with the ability to produce viable eggs. In the study done by Hearns, the eggs from Female F1 Hybrids (Saugeyes) were fertilized by milt from male Saugers. The results were 38% "swim-up-fry". This term means that, out of the total eggs produced by this single cross, 38% lived to complete the swim to the surface necessary for Walleye/Sauger/Saugeye fry to break the surface tension of the waters' surface and take that mouthfull of air needed to fill their swim bladders for the first time. They then performed the same experiment with one male and one female F1 Hybrid (Saugeye) and, when Saugeye-to-Saugeye, the % of swim-up-fry was 46%, 8% better than when the Saugeye eggs were fertilized by milt from a parent species.
> Further confusion is caused when the body of water where the Saugeyes are stocked has no proper spawning habitat. Naturally, no reproduction can take place in such waters. In different bodies of water the survival rate of Walleye fry to adulthood may range from 1% to 10%, depending on predation and other factors. That figure is basically the same for stocked Saugeye fry. With Saugeye, however, only a small percentage of the fish that reach adulthood will be capable of producing viable eggs. Then, of course, if those eggs aren't deposited in the proper spawning areas, under the right conditions, and fertilized with milt from that equally small percentage of male Saugeyes who are virile, the whole point is moot.
> In the right body of water, with the right conditions, Saugeye can and do reproduce, but in a limited way, and not in a way to sustain a population without stocking.
> I hope that this helps clear up some of the confusion about one of the most exciting additions to the gamefish species available to anglers across the country.
> 
> Other studies of interest are:
> "Comparative survival, growth, and reproductive development of juvenile Walleye, Sauger, and their hybrids reared under intensive culture conditions." J.A. Malison, D.L. Johnson, and S.A. Schell. 1982 North American Journal of Fisheries Management 2:381-387
> "Reproduction of Saugeyes (Fx Hybrids) and Walleyes in Normandy Reservoir, Tennesee." F.C. Fiss, S.M. Sammons, P.W. Betolli, and N. Billington, 1997. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 17:215-219


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## rattlin jones

Very interesting I always assumed they couldn't reproduce , thanks for the good read


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## fishslim

Yeah great info. I was always told there was dome reproduction. Great thread keeps getting greater. I told everyone at the Expo Seminars to sign up to OGF if not already just to get educated by this thread and the rainy day thread. Brandon said he got dome new members hope they enjoy and learn from the great information found here.


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## Skippy

Another great post Lewis. Thank You. One true answer I've never found is the exact reason why there not stocked in lakes/rivers leading into Lake Erie?? Competition to the true male/female walleye? Some kind of a reverse strain back to almost true walleye??
I've read where there thinking of trying to reintroduce true sauger back into some rivers leading into Lake Erie.


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## Bleeding Minnow

Lewis said:


> Guys, I apologize with all the Jim Corey posts, but I sure enjoy talking about his legacy. Beneath that bearded exterior was a man who was so intelligent and a joy to be around. I found a few more of his old articles. If someone learns something from these articles, Jim would be proud. Hope y'all don't mind.


Lewis these are great and thank you for sharing! I had been looking for a good winter read and found it right here in these excellent Jim Corey articles.


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## Lewis

Anything with the potential to flow north is no longer stocked with saugeye after they discovered some crossbreeding is possible. This was done in an effort to protect Lake Erie. I don't know their reasoning on true Sauger, other than they are native to those rivers.


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## Lewis

Saugeye vs Walleye by Jim Corey

The one thing about Ohio Saugeyes that seems to hold true is that they are DEFINITELY not Walleyes, Lol. The techniques used up on Erie are poor producers on the inland lake Saugeyes. Those techniques can however, be adapted to work very well. The main difference between the habits of the two seems to be that a Walleye can suspend and still be actively feeding, making open water trolling a great producer, while when Saugeye suspend, you may as well go home. They are much more bottom related than Walleye when active. "Belly-to-the-bottom" is what they seem to prefer. Trolling produces when the bait or lure is kept in a strict zone, sometimes only inches from the bottom or digging. The thing that makes drifting a poor inland lake method is the habit of the Saugeyes to use specific contour depths on given days or times. If you find fish at 9 feet somewhere on a lake, the odds are that 9 feet is where you should be targeting and I mean 9 feet, not 7 or 11. With the irregular bottom contours of our inland lakes, drifting only puts your bait near the fish when you happen to cross that specific depth contour. Erie Walleyes often gather in schools miles long and can be staggered throughout the water column from the bottom to very near the surface.The high percentage presentations for our inland Saugeyes center around more depth specific methods like jigs, jigging spoons, bladebaits, bait rigs, bottom bouncers and harnesses, or contour trolling close to the bottom. Another difference is the Saugeyes apparent preference for shallow water. There are more huge Saugeyes caught accidently by the Bass anglers here than by Saugeye fishermen These 8#+ fish can run the banks in water less than a foot deep, in August, with little or no wind, and in bright sunlight. If the food is there, the Saugeyes can be there too, regardless of the light penetration. (This doesn't seem to hold true in some of our deeper inland lakes where the Saugeyes can be caught in 60 feet of water or more. In these lakes the Saugeyes seem more apt to move shallow at night and follow more traditional Walleye patterns.) Of course Walleyes can do this too but I believe that they are more easily turned off by light penetration than are Saugeyes. Saugeyes also seem much harder to pattern and predict than Walleyes. When Walleyes are holding off rocky points on the windward side of a lake Saugeyes might be cruising in 2 feet of water, in back bays, over mud bottom along the edges of lilly pads. When Walleyes are in deep water and need finesse presentations, Saugeyes might be best approached by speed trolling (up to 5mph) over shallow flats less than 3 feet deep. After saying this, I will say also, that the Saugeye's most dominant chacteristic is their ability to make fools out of fishermen. I have seen them, on occasion, come to the top and slam jerkbaits over 20 feet of water or more. I have seen them tailwalk like Muskies and roll over and over like Channel Cats. They drive me crazy but I love 'em!


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## Lewis

Saugeye identification:
One of the most common problems with the identification of Saugeyes, Walleyes, and Saugers has to do with the lack of factual information provided to the angling public. Experienced anglers can easily tell the difference between Saugers and Walleyes but when you throw Saugeyes into the equation things can get confusing very quickly. Just as in humans, fish inherit genetic traits from both parents. Although the majority of Saugeye from any one mating of a female Walleye and a male Sauger will end up with the common physical characteristics of Saugeyes that we see in pictures and articles on the subject, there are always some that will favor "Mom" or some that will look more like "Dad".
In one of our area reservoirs, Tappan Lake, Walleye stockings were stopped after 1976 and yearly Saugeye stocking were begun in 1990, with an experimental stocking done in 1986. Annual stockings have averaged from 300,000 to 600,000 fingerlings per year. Anglers today still claim to catch pure Walleyes here on occasion, although the odds against it are staggering. Walleye lifespans at this latitude average from 8 to 12 years, with old fish occasionally reaching 15 years of age. ( These figures are for our inland lakes and may be different for Erie) Even if there were an old female swimming around, genetically uncorrupted, the odds of her eggs being fertilized by another existing pure male Walleye are even more staggering, especially since Walleye spawning habits are not monogamous and several males may fertilize the eggs of any one female. If local anglers see no well defined saddle markings on the fish, they believe that it is a pure Walleye.
In any waters where Walleye and Sauger coexist and have overlapping spawning habitat there will be a naturally ocurring population of Hybrids (Saugeyes). Most estimates for waters like the Ohio and Missouri River systems run about 4% of the total combined species. This 4% poses no threat to the gene pool of either parent species and can be reabsorbed. When the number of Saugeyes is increased dramatically by upstream stocking programs it becomes impossible to prevent eventual contamination of the parental species.
The following is a quote from a study titled "Evaluation of Skin Pigmentation for Identifying Adult Saugers and Walleye-Sauger F1 Hybrids Collected from Lake Sakakawea, North Dakota."
"Correct identification of brood fish from waters where sympatric species hybdidize presents a challenge to fisheries managers and hatchery biologists. Misidentification of brood stock can result in inadvertent hybridization and the failure of hatchery programs."
We are seeing the results of such incorrect identification here in Ohio. Traditional inland Walleye lakes like Seneca and Salt Fork are now being stocked with Saugeyes. When questioned about the reasons for this, the ODNR blames anglers for releasing Saugeyes into the lakes and corrupting the existing Walleye populations. Salt Fork Lake had long been a "Mother Lake", one where hatcheries personell collected female Walleyes to strip eggs for the State hatcheries programs. One of the States largest hatcheries in just below the dam on Seneca lake. Some of the fry and fingerlings from the eggs harvested made their way back into these lakes through stocking programs. The Female Walleyes were identified by morphology (physical characteristics) by the hatcheries personell at the time of capture. Here is another quote from the same study quoted above. It is based on the capture of 143 fish from Lake Sakakawea, 14 of which (10%) turned out, under genetic testing, to be incorrectly identified as Sauger by using physical characteristics.
"In the context of fish culture operations, the consequenses of a 10% error rate can be enormous. We used Hearns (1986) data to show how the genetic composition of the Sauger population of Lake Sakakawea could have been changed if the incorrectly identified fish were used as broodfish. Hearn (1986) crossed two F1 hybrid (Saugeyes) females with Sauger males and produced about 47,000 fingerlings. Of the 14 fish we identified as F1 hybrids eight were females, two were males, and the gender of four could not be determined. Given success comparable to Hearns(1986) about 188,000 fingerlings could be produced from the eight females. Hearn used one male to fertilize three females. Following this protocol, if the male hybrids were used as brood fish, a total of about 580,000 hybrid fingerlings could result."
It seems far more likely that the presence of Saugeyes in lakes like Salt Fork and Seneca stem from misidentification of brood stock and subsequent stocking of hybrids rather than by fish released by a few anglers.


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## Lewis

Fish Id, the saddle markings are stiil the way to go if you are identifying Saugeye. The problem comes when a Saugeye doesn't exhibit these characteristics. In other words, if it looks like a Saugeye, then it's a Saugeye, but if it looks like a Walleye, it still MAY be a Saugeye. This should only apply in waters where Walleye coexist with either Sauger or Saugeye. In that case the only way to tell is to get tests done. Send a scale sample to the State.
Jim, as I explained above, if it has the spots on the dorsal and the saddle markings, etc., it's a Saugeye. Walleyes don't carry the genes for those markings. All Saugeye, however, may not carry those genes either, or they may not be dominant in that individual fish.
Yes they can cross a male Walleye and a female Sauger. The reason that they chose to do it the way they do is because the hybrids tend to take on the size of the mother and they wanted the most for their hatchery dollar. Most fisheries biologists didn't expect Saugeye to reach the size they are obviously capable of reaching because usually hybrids don't get as big as the bigger parent. They also didn't expect them to have a very long lifespan. Lifespan in fish is related to their growth rates, and growth rates relate to average water temps/latitude. In a Walleye's Northern range they can live 15 years and up. (I heard of one from Minnesota that tested at 34 years of age. If that is true then that would be a record) In their Southern range(Arkansas, for example), 7 or 8 years seems to be the top end. 
Saugeyes have surprised everyone involved with their breeding and stocking. They just don't follow the rules in reproduction or habits. That's one of the reasons that I like 'em so much. The minute you think you have them figured out they do something totally unexpected. I've said before that, to be a successful Saugeye fisherman, you have to be part Bass fisherman, part Walleye fisherman, part Lake Trout fisherman, and 100% crazy!


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## Lewis

The Tappan Man is gone.

Jim Corey, 60, of Dennison, was a shining example of what is great about fishing.

Corey died on Friday of quickly-spreading cancer. He owned the Cripple Creek Bait and Tackle Shop on the Tappan Lake shoreline. Corey loved fishing and was one of the best friends Ohio fishermen ever had.

Especially those who wanted to improve their skills or simply catch a few crappies, catfish or saugeye.

We talked often about the fishing around his small kingdom, which included Tappan, Clendening, Atwood, Piedmont and all of the reservoirs a short drive from his small, crowded tackle shop.

He never owned a slick boat with a powerhouse outboard motor. The lakes around his shop would not allow them. He was happy to putter around in his small boat with a tiny motor, trolling for muskies and saugeye. We spent more than a few days on the water because he liked my company and wanted to show me the exceptional angling his favorite lakes had to offer.

Corey had a dream that almost, but not quite, came to fruition.

The bearded outdoorsman spent many months building a new Cripple Creek shop just down the road. There so many obstacles, but Corey was obstinate. He was never a quitter. He came so frustratingly close to opening the new shop before being diagnosed a few weeks ago with cancer.

Corey tirelessly promoted fishing. He encouraged young anglers and embraced old-timers. Corey always told the truth. If the fish weren’t biting at Tappan or Clendening, Corey would offer alternate opporunities. Sometimes he would say the best bet would be to stay home, even though it would mean he wouldn’t sell as many fishing lures, minnows or nightcrawlers.

You would always find the love of Corey’s life, his girlfriend Darlene Ayers and his little dog, Half Pint, at the shop. And some great stories, most about fishing.

Corey was the angling expert of the region. And he ached to share that knowledge. His many friends showed up at his shop recently to hold a benefit ice fishing tournament, even though the fishing was almost impossible. But it wasn’t about the fishing. It was a gathering to say goodbye to the Tappan Man.


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## fishslim

Lewis thanks again for posting these great reads. At the Expo I told everyone there to get on OGF and register then go to this post and the rainy night jerkbait post and see how much information is there. Told them if you wanted to be a better eye fisherman or just gain knowledge about saugeye and how to catch them get on site and read. Thanks again this is a thread that will be read every year like the other thread. Love it!!!


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## saugeyesam

ducky152000 said:


> I fish for saugeye 95% of the time. so i dont realy have a lot of experince with inland walleye. but the few times a year that i go up north to fish for walleye the only difference i have noticed is on days fish have lockjaw there is always something you can get a walleye to bite on. whether it be downsizing,upsizing, slower presentation or faster. i have had days fishing for saugeye it seems like you just cant get them to fire on them lock jaw days. sure you may catch a saugeye or two with a fast reaction bait, but getting limits when fishing is tough seems to be much harder than getting a limit of inland walleye on the same day. I dont really understand why when saugeye seem to be a much more agressive fish when they are feeding. Seems like barometric pressure and cold fronts mess with the hybrid fish more than the pure bred.


Excellent point about the barometric pressure. My absolute best days have been low pressure cool, rainy days. The bulk of my limits have been caught on days like that. I love the Hopkins spoons for tossing prop wash and boat wakes. My method for saugeye is this. I decide a starting point then I will chart a course of my best spots. I fish each spot a specific way then move on. But when I move I troll with the electric motor running 1/2 to 1 1/2 mph and drag a 1/32-1/4 oz jig and twister tipped with a medium sized minnow. At Atwood where I fish 95% of the time I will hit what we call "The Dunes" a set of sunken sand humps the smaller hump comes up to about 6 feet from the surface and the bigger hump comes up to about 3 feet of the surface. I will troll jigs across them if i pick up a fish I mark the spot and will either set up in deeper water and cast to the top of the hump and run a #5 Shad Rap in either Chrome/Blue or spotted shad pattern down the slope from shallow to deep. I catch A LOT of fish running those cranks down that slope. Sometimes they want that shad-rap other times they want a bigger bait like a #12 Husky Jerk, Clown and Chrome/Blue are my best producers. Then there are days where they sit in deep water off of a point or a shallow flat those are the days I drop a blade right in their face. For me, I've found that saugeye are at different places at different times of the year. Jim tried to convince me a long time ago to go to a shorter rod, I never did, I stuck with my 7' rods. I use a berkley lightning rod that thing is crazy sensitive It amplifies any little contact. I often wonder if I'm missing fish because of the longer rod. I don't know, but I will say this, I learned more from Jim than I probably ever would have figured out for myself. I first got hooked on saugeyes when I was 15. I lived with my dad in his friends sunset valley cottage. I had a 12 foot john boat with a 6hp evinrude no trolling motor no sonar. My dads friend took me out and we caught 3 a piece that were 18-20 inches. Since that day in 1993 I have been obsessed with Saugeye and Atwood lake.


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## Gfhteen

Tonight I found and determined a saugeye spot. Fish were holding right on the bank, everything I caught was parallel casting 3 feet from the bank. Kept a 16 and 20


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## percidaeben

Nice work! Hoping to get out in the rain tomorrow myself.


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## greatmiami

What a great feeling to find a saugeye spot all on your own! For me that is one of the most satisfying and rewarding accomplishments on saugeye fishing. Just knowing the whole world most likely won't be already fishing there when you arrive is kinda sweet. Nice work, way to stay after it!


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## Sweetbeaver

Anyone been fishing clear fork Lake for eyes???


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## Gfhteen

Tried a spot I've been meaning to try at alum for a long time and it payed off. 23" on 2.75 lime joshy and 15" on lime crush rogue. Using my navionics app I found a spot where deep water came up to a shower flat area and both fish came in the transition from from deep to shallow. Felt good to make a game plan and actually have it work.


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## MDBuckeye

Nice job! That big girl hasn't dropped her eggs yet which is interesting. They will probably be up trying to do their thing the next few nights.


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## willieg89

Nice fish man!! think we may have walked up last night as you were catching the big girl.


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## Gfhteen

willieg89 said:


> Nice fish man!! think we may have walked up last night as you were catching the big girl.


Group of 3?


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## 93stratosfishnski

Gfhteen said:


> Group of 3?


Yeah I was next to you but wasn't 100% that was you until I saw your post.. congrats on fighting that wind it was playing tricks on me.. I went back to spot we started and hid from it..lol


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## gpb1111

You guys fishing from the bank at Alum? 

I've been making the 45 min trip to Buckeye because I thought the water temp was too low?

Met 2 fisherman tightlining at Buckeye yesterday and they were from Cleveland! They said they make the trip to Buckeye several times a week. At least I'm not doing that!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Gfhteen

That wind was absolutely brutal!


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## Gfhteen

gpb1111 said:


> You guys fishing from the bank at Alum?
> 
> I've been making the 45 min trip to Buckeye because I thought the water temp was too low?
> 
> Met 2 fisherman tightlining at Buckeye yesterday and they were from Cleveland! They said they make the trip to Buckeye several times a week. At least I'm not doing that!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I don't know exact numbers but water feels at least 5 degrees colder at alum than buckeye


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## willieg89

Yea that was us that wind was brutal!


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## tchrist5

Nice fish man that thing even looked huge from far away!


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## Guest

This is a great thread...Great info! Thank you all!


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## fishslim

You guys stay out of my spot.lol good Job the Alum girls want to dump those,eggs. It is the moon for dumping.lol love that Lime at night great bait.


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## flathead10

Wow this is one great thread, full of info and old reads that are full of info from a legend, and Mr Fishslim a legend himself. Both men have helped literally thousands of fisherman on this site alone and all over the web with their knowledge on this fish. A big Thank You to both men, along with others on the site. I and others, have enjoyed the articles, pictures and info very much. The In-Fisherman television show , magazines,and books, used to have a formula that I thought would be fitting here. It was (FLPS) F+L+P=S. Fish, plus location, plus presentation equals success. They may still be using this currently, I am not sure, But I have used it for 40 years on all different fish. If you put it all together and stick with with your plan it will work.


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## MassillonBuckeye

catchin_eyes said:


> Far as finding and determining saugeye spots, I recommend fishing the "community holes" first. While fishing, always observe what everyone else is doing. Ask yourself questions. "What size/type bait are people catching them on?" "What type of retrieve?" "What area of the hole is most of the fish being caught?" "What time are the fish being caught?" "What depth?" "What times seem to be dead periods?" "What are the weather/water conditions on the day of a good bite?" Write everything down in a journal, and you'll start noticing patterns that repeat themselves.


Reminds me of one time I was fishing a "community hole" and striking out.. Dude literally comes and stands right next to me and proceeds to cast to this very exact spot(that I wasn't fishing) and starts pulling them out one after another.

Moral of the story. Fish the whole area. Fan cast. Work it. They could be stacked up a few feet from your lure and you'd never know it.


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## MassillonBuckeye

fishslim said:


> You guys stay out of my spot.lol good Job the Alum girls want to dump those,eggs. It is the moon for dumping.lol love that Lime at night great bait.


Pretty much.. Lol! I know I'd feel dirty hitting that spot from shore!


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## Gfhteen

Thought I would share an article from a Facebook page "masters of saugeye"

Spawning saugeyes: The biggest saugeye myth

Many years ago, I had started my open water fishing season at a well known spot for big saugeye catches. Inexperienced, I started fishing from the bank a few hours before dark at a shallow area. I threw everything I had in my box, but could not get a strike. As the sun started to set along the horizon, I decided that the fish had not turned on yet. Determined, I returned for four more evenings, with the same results. On the fifth evening, once again no fish were pulled onto the bank at sunset. I began to gather my rods and tackle, but something in me decided to wait a little longer. After a half hour of fishing, I was in close to total darkness. On my last cast, I noticed a splash close to the bank. Immediately I ran over to where I heard the splash. Then I heard more splashes. I caught a glimpse of a fin, and to my amazement I was looking at a nice eater size saugeye! Then I seen a big female swim by with four smaller males banging against her side. I quickly tossed out a jerkbait, and instantly after the first pull, I felt a tap on the line. I reeled in a nice eating size male, milk oozing out from underneath it. I caught a fish almost every cast that night, and brought home a limit of quality sized fish. This pattern repeated for almost two weeks, and was by far the most saugeye action I have ever experienced. A couple hours after dark, The action subsided and I decided to quit fishing. I drove home with a smile that night, not just from the incredible fishing action I had just experienced, but because of what I had learned.

“Saugeyes can’t spawn, they are a hybrid!” I’m sure most have heard this from someone at least once in their lifetime. However, if you filet a saugeye, you’ll notice that every one of them have the proper equipment to spawn. These hybrids do not know they are hybrids, and shortly after ice off, they head to the shallows to perform their yearly ritual. This usually happens somewhere around the forty to fifty degree temperature range. Your fishing pattern should revolve around this activity, from ice off clear until post spawn. 

During the prespawn period, expect to find saugeyes in deeper water. However, in some bodies of water, these fish will also head to shallow backwater areas. In most cases they will not be far from the spawning grounds. Bladebaits can be a dynamite presentation at this time. Also, trolling crankbaits can provide large catches. It may be necessary to use lead core line when trolling deeper reservoirs. Jigs are another great choice, but keeping contact with the bottom is very important. In shallow water, suspending jerkbaits are an excellent choice, especially at the shallower lakes and sometimes at the deeper lakes toward late evening and after dark. At deeper lakes, fish can be caught near steep drop offs from the shore. This pattern can produce some great quality fish. Big females are frequently caught, swollen like toads from the eggs that they are about to let loose.

Once the spawn starts, expect less catches of trophy females. However, the incredible action from the males make up for it. The deeper water pattern still holds true for day fishing during this time. Once the sun sets, look for fish to be in extremely shallow water with a gravel bottom, if available. Look for areas less then six feet deep. The larger shallow areas seem to hold the most fish. Suspending jerkbaits produce very well, as well as jigs. Slower presentations usually work best but don’t be afraid to speed it up some if that’s what the fish want. Stay awhile after dark if possible, as this time period usually provides the most action.

Predictable patterns, giant females full of eggs, and large concentrations of fish make this one of the best times of the year to catch saugeye! Dress warm, as this time of year can bring some nasty weather. Patience, persistance, and knowledge will provide some awesome catches!


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## greatmiami

Great article there thanks for sharing! It's very consistent with my experiences so far


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## midoh39

Just thought I would ask these two questions here. First off, I'm starting to organize all of my saug stuff for the fall. I plan on replacing hooks on my jerks. Anybody have a certain brand that they would recommend putting on Smithwicks and Rapalas? Second, I have been wondering this for awhile and I guess it goes with finding saugeye spots. But, I plan on scouting out some fall spots up at IL on Wednesday. I seem to only have areas to fish with a West and South wind. So, I'm trying on broadening my horizons for other spots other than (Moundwood, Oldfield ect.), how do I know if certain areas are private or not? I got chased away from a channel that I was told I would be able to fish. I'm pretty much trying to avoid encounters like this since the guy wasn't the nicest of people. Thanks for any input!


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## Saugeyefisher

Mid,i use the same size gama's. Except for the rapala ripnraps i go a size bigger. The hooks are pretty small on them. Once the hooks are switched out,it becomes my favorite lipless.
I dont fish indian enough to know whats private and whats public. But if its anything like buckeye you would be suprised at whats public;-)


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## Skippy

It mite go against some folks beliefs but for HJ's, Rogues and P-10's I don't change the hooks out. Just keep them sharp. I mite mess around and change a few hooks out to red trebles or maybe a few wide gap trebles but mostly just use the stock hooks. Bandit walleye lures are different. Started using a few of them this year and those hooks need changed.
Saugeyefisher is right about what's public. Most lakes own a 15 to 50 foot easement around the high water line. "YOU" just have to know where that is. County land office will have this info. Some land owners will try telling you your trespassing,,,,, "YOU just have to know your legal. Rivers and creeks, streams are a different story altogether. 99 percent of land owners own to mid stream or even both sides along with the bottom of said stream,creek or river.

Most times it's not worth getting into a shouting match with someone.. You also have to use some common sense at these times...


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## midoh39

Thanks for the replies guys! I figured I would ask about the hooks since a few on some older stickbaits are rusting up. And I will have to look into that Skippy, I tend to be very non-confrontational so I would rather know if its legal or not, and avoid any sort of shouting match.


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## Baloogala

I read through this thread over the past couple of days and found it to be very helpful. In fact, I used the info here to bag a saugeye on the Scioto this afternoon--along with a couple more lost fish (and my kids lost a couple for sure; my oldest had something absolutely attack his lure and strip out a bunch of line before he knew what was happening...that's where experience comes in I would think). We were in a decent current with some trees overhanging; I'm not sure of depth, but there was a significant drop off not very far off shore. I know that a bit further south there is a hole that's about 9' deep and I'm guessing this area is about that.

All three of us started with something different to find out what they wanted. My youngest was using a Big Joshy shad, my oldest was using a pearl swim shad, and I was screwing around with a 2A baby bass. I switched pretty quickly to a firetiger color wild eye swim shad (2", 1/8 oz). 4th cast in, I caught one about 14" long. What got me is that the line just felt a bit heavier at first--it was so subtle that I thought I had hit a stick, so I just jerked the rod just a little. That's when I saw the line dancing and I pulled him ashore after a very short "fight." I got him under the trees moving across current.

Now, the coolest part is that we weren't too far from a hiking trail and there was a mom and a little girl nearby and she was fascinated so I took the fish up to her after asking if she wanted to see it. Pure fascination. Took the hook out, set him loose and went back to business.


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## percidaeben

Baloogala said:


> I read through this thread over the past couple of days and found it to be very helpful. In fact, I used the info here to bag a saugeye on the Scioto this afternoon--along with a couple more lost fish (and my kids lost a couple for sure; my oldest had something absolutely attack his lure and strip out a bunch of line before he knew what was happening...that's where experience comes in I would think). We were in a decent current with some trees overhanging; I'm not sure of depth, but there was a significant drop off not very far off shore. I know that a bit further south there is a hole that's about 9' deep and I'm guessing this area is about that.
> 
> All three of us started with something different to find out what they wanted. My youngest was using a Big Joshy shad, my oldest was using a pearl swim shad, and I was screwing around with a 2A baby bass. I switched pretty quickly to a firetiger color wild eye swim shad (2", 1/8 oz). 4th cast in, I caught one about 14" long. What got me is that the line just felt a bit heavier at first--it was so subtle that I thought I had hit a stick, so I just jerked the rod just a little. That's when I saw the line dancing and I pulled him ashore after a very short "fight." I got him under the trees moving across current.
> 
> Now, the coolest part is that we weren't too far from a hiking trail and there was a mom and a little girl nearby and she was fascinated so I took the fish up to her after asking if she wanted to see it. Pure fascination. Took the hook out, set him loose and went back to business.


Good stuff here!


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## DenOhio

As for me, I count no place out! I have favorites that I always hit having said that, I've hit places I've never fished and wrangled in a few. So my thought would be never count any place out. I've gone to my favorite spot and zero. Conditions always change things as well. One big change coming up in the lakes I fish is: When they open the dams to allow for the winter run off the saugeye move upstream like they are going to spawn lol. They don't spawn but they have that built in! Knowing that helps me. Any little info you gain is a plus for me. You know, this fishing stuff is rough


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## Gottagofishn

There is so much knowledge here... I once thought I knew how to fish. I guess it's a never ending process... maybe that's why we love it so much?

I just wanted to emphasize current in putting the puzzle together. As already mentioned there are many factors that determine a spot. However... I recently posted the results of a recent trip that was very successful. I have repeated this success year after year and am totally confident that I will be able to duplicate this success again next year. 
I used to think that it was water temp that set up this bite. And to be clear it is partially, as this bite will not occur until temps have dropped into the 60's (even better 50's)... but even though the fish are there, they will not school up and be as aggressive without current in the mix. The current is what let's me know where they will be located on this particular structural element.

I am not saying current is necessary, but in _this_ situation, it is a HUGE factor.
Happy Hunting!


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## Saugeyefisher

Gotta, what is causing this current for you? Wind or winter drawdown?
Or both at times?


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## Gottagofishn

Well... the point of my post was to emphasize the effects of current. My location has only modest and unpredictable success without the current. Add current and it's a whole different ballgame. I'm sure you and other Saugeye fishers have documented the same with some of your favorite spots. Would that be a correct statement?


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## Saugeyefisher

Oh ya for sure. I was only asking because it can make a difference in my opinion. I was wondering say water temps are down were they need to be. And the wind is blowing in the right direction to create current at said spot. Is that enough to get them going? Or are you depending on water being released from a lake(assuming your fishing a lake) to create current?
I have a couple spots on a lake that only produce when the lakes being drawn down. ... No matter how much the wind creates currents in these spots if the dams not releasing water the fish are not there....
Some guys might not realize that winter draw down can have enough force to create current through out the whole lake. In areas that funnel. Or along the banks...


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## Gottagofishn

Again the level of fishing knowledge on here is amazing.... just to have that awareness to ask that question. I am most certainly relying on the draw down for this current. The wind can also trigger this in this area although the bite would be shallower I imagine. The draw down fires them off the deeper structure for sure...


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## Saugeyefisher

Thanks for the reply. And your not lying. There's so much 'eye knowledge on this site its not even funny!


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## Gfhteen

Wind was coming from the north at alum tonight and was afraid it was going to be bad. Focused on the wind blown shore line and just at dark the fish turned on. 4 saugeye 3 14.5" and 1 16" and 1 4lb largemouth.


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## DenOhio

Gfhteen said:


> Wind was coming from the north at alum tonight and was afraid it was going to be bad. Focused on the wind blown shore line and just at dark the fish turned on. 4 saugeye 3 14.5" and 1 16" and 1 4lb largemouth.


Nice!


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## Gfhteen

Is it wrong that I was a little disappointed that it was a big bass and not a big saugeye?


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## Saugeyefisher

Gfhteen said:


> Is it wrong that I was a little disappointed that it was a big bass and not a big saugeye?


Lol not at all!


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## Workingman

Ha ha.it's understandable, i was out one morning early before work and caught a smallmouth that didn't jump at all. felt like good keeper.... and then oh, dang it. better than the skunk i would have caught though!


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## DenOhio

L


Gfhteen said:


> Is it wrong that I was a little disappointed that it was a big bass and not a big saugeye?


Yup, you lucky dog you lol


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## polebender

Damn trash fish!


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## Gfhteen

Forgot to add that the area I was fishing had current from both wind and water discharge


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## ChromeBone

In summer when the water gets really low, in the front of big runs behind the rapids ill use floating thundersticks for big eyes in the scioto. Its pretty cool catching them on topwater . Just got to find that flow with a nice little drop off behind it.


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## Gfhteen

Last year I was studying a lake map trying to gather ideas for potential areas to try out. I found what looked like on paper a good location, a nice shallow flat with deep water near. Every time I am at this lake I always try to hit that spot. I've tried dozens of times without a single bite.......until now. The last 2 nights I've seen 16 fish come from this spot. I've heard it said multiple times and it is definitely true, location is only as good as the conditions presented.


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## Skippy

Gfhteen, that is so true. Maybe not while fall/spring shore fishing but while using the boat I will often times leave active fish and check out other spots just to see if anything's working there. Active fish while shore fishing I will also switch out lures or colors of lures. Ones not going to know what works or not unless you try different things while your on active fish.


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## greatmiami

Skippy said:


> Gfhteen, that is so true. Maybe not while fall/spring shore fishing but while using the boat I will often times leave active fish and check out other spots just to see if anything's working there. Active fish while shore fishing I will also switch out lures or colors of lures. Ones not going to know what works or not unless you try different things while your on active fish.


This is an excellent point as well. It's so hard to put down what is working and try other stuff when the fish are on. So important to do this though. A lot of the time I find myself experimenting with new stuff during the slow bite periods, but when I think about it, it would make more sense to use the known producer until a bite begins, then start throwing some different stuff.


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## Skippy

Good point greatmiami, Now I can understand someone who only gets out once in a while camping out over catchable fish. Heck, I used to do the same thing.

Now this is 100 percent the truth. Me and my wife have been married for 47 years the 21 of December. We have never had an argument. "BUT" when were fishing and she's catching fish and I mention moving to a different spot,,,, I do believe I can see some fire in her eyes.


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## Blue Collar Bob

I just want to thank everyone for a great thread. I am glad that it has been added to the top of the board for other to find easily and enjoy.


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## carp

Experience on a specific lake is the key! Also experience of the fisherman. I know the 8-10 best spots on Indian off the bank. I can usually hit 4-5 in a day or evening and saugeyes will be in one of them. But if conditions are right I will stick out for a long time. Take last night for example, a buddy of mine hit 3 or 4 spots while i hit another. He was 0 for the afternoon and I caught a saugeye on my 5 cast first spot i tried! Another one on my 8 cast! Called him and we both hammered them for about 2 hrs and both got a limit. Great thing about the fish not biting, is you try spots you normally wouldn't fish, and sometimes your rewarded with a new saugeye spot!


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## Bruce Speller

carp said:


> Experience on a specific lake is the key! Also experience of the fisherman. I know the 8-10 best spots on Indian off the bank. I can usually hit 4-5 in a day or evening and saugeyes will be in one of them. But if conditions are right I will stick out for a long time. Take last night for example, a buddy of mine hit 3 or 4 spots while i hit another. He was 0 for the afternoon and I caught a saugeye on my 5 cast first spot i tried! Another one on my 8 cast! Called him and we both hammered them for about 2 hrs and both got a limit. Great thing about the fish not biting, is you try spots you normally wouldn't fish, and sometimes your rewarded with a new saugeye spot!


Without giving away your favorite spots, what do you look for in a spot. I am a lifelong Indian lake fisherman with a boat, but only recently started trying for saugeye. Was always looking for bass,crappie or bluegill before. Had a couple of good saugeye outings, but I think it was more dumb luck as I couldn't go back to those spots and catch them again. I was using crank baits mostly.


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## carp

Bruce Speller said:


> Without giving away your favorite spots, what do you look for in a spot. I am a lifelong Indian lake fisherman with a boat, but only recently started trying for saugeye. Was always looking for bass,crappie or bluegill before. Had a couple of good saugeye outings, but I think it was more dumb luck as I couldn't go back to those spots and catch them again. I was using crank baits mostly.


Without giving away my individual spots which many, many, many people know about. Just drive around the Lake will give you 4 or 5 of the traditional spots on Indian! Just last week when it was warm, 55 degrees, 20 people were hitting one of the main public ramp saugeye spots on Indian! I believe I caught 12 that night! To be honest if you, find rocks on any bank on Indian in the Spring, their will be saugeyes on it! 40-50 degrees water temp might be the key for the rocks!


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## gumbygold

fishslim said:


> Man what a great read the ability to adapt to be brave enough to do different from the tried and tested things that work is crucial at times.
> I don't know if anyone read the article in the Outdoor News from this Jan. 15th vol.11 but it was about winter fishing rivers for Saugeyes. Slow Down Your Presentation for Winter Saugeyes. Had some good points but I cringed at the thought that Saugeyes won't eat a faster moving bait in cold water rivers and lakes.
> Yes some times lighter smaller baits or jigs is the trick but in spillway and rivers I love throwing 3/16-1/4 oz. Jigs with 3 to 5" tails or Swims. When done there is no slow approach you have to keep rod up and steady reel that jig knocking it hard against rocks as you go. Those bigger females this time of year have no problem moving to hit that bait they enhale it.
> Mid afternoon sunny day in winter if I can I am fishing a Saugeye hole on a river fast covering ground and banging fish.
> Put on smaller jigs and tails like the norm will catch fish as well bit more the males then they larger females who want lunch and dinner at one sitting.
> Just because it's cold does not mean they don't eat and when they do they don't sit and wait for it to bumb there noses they go find it and eat it.
> Great article Jim was the man he had it figured out from shallow to deep.


This was my experience on the spillway a few weeks ago. I was jigging joshies both 3.5 and J5's and they were absolutely inhaling them.


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## Bruce Speller

carp said:


> Without giving away my individual spots which many, many, many people know about. Just drive around the Lake will give you 4 or 5 of the traditional spots on Indian! Just last week when it was warm, 55 degrees, 20 people were hitting one of the main public ramp saugeye spots on Indian! I believe I caught 12 that night! To be honest if you, find rocks on any bank on Indian in the Spring, their will be saugeyes on it! 40-50 degrees water temp might be the key for the rocks!


We have a cottage north side at Turkeyfoot near Acheson's. Channels are good for saugeye late fall, but I had heard south side in spring for them. Also heard night is best, which i usually never fish at night. May have to try. Thanks


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## ChromeBone

Sometimes when they are not in the normal places I will start goofing around and start throwing "crazy" things in weird places like shallow fast runs. I've randomly salvaged the day many of times doing this lol. I figure if they are not in their normal "homes" they might be grouped up on them move chasing dinner. Find the shad and you most likely can find some toothies not far behind.


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## Lewzer

Great thread and a quick question.

I know the state gets the walleye eggs from Mosquito, Berlin and I believe Ceasars Creek. Where do they get the milt from the male saugers? Ohio River?
That's the only place I have caught saugers in Ohio. Pike Island Pool.


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## Lil Crappie

I've caught them 10 to 15', in 20' of water. Trolling for crappie with cranks. But usually shallow shoals are best. Maybe, one years stockings DNA is more like walleyes?


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## fishslim

There is a percentage that take on the walleye strain but seems the majority are more sauger dominate which is fine by me.


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## Gottagofishn

I posted a fishing report last fall and talked about current and how it affected the bite. This past weekend I was out fishing and ran into another instance of current and the bite. I am dropping this post in this forum but it actually applies to pretty much any game fish. 
The wind started to pick up as we headed out from the dock on my favorite lake. By the time we motored to our likely looking spot it was pushing pretty good. The spot I stopped at was at the downwind side of a necked down area. We began to crush the fish (largemouth in this instance) and it soon became obvious why. The wind was pushing the wind from the bay through this necked down area and creating a distinct edge with a good current. The bite was nothing less than fantastic.
Pay attention to the wind, look for areas that are affected by the wind and or edges created by it. 
You'll be glad you did...


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## Lewzer

Looking for an answer to my question, I came across this masters thesis by Bryan Blawut of OSU.


https://etd.ohiolink.edu/!etd.send_file?accession=osu1492169462975574&disposition=inline

Milt from male saugers are collected from the Ohio River. Eggs from females walleyes are collected from Mosquito, Berlin (as we know if NEO) and Maumee River which was news to me (page 2).


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## Saugeyefisher

Lewzer said:


> Looking for an answer to my question, I came across this masters thesis by Bryan Blawut of OSU.
> 
> 
> https://etd.ohiolink.edu/!etd.send_file?accession=osu1492169462975574&disposition=inline
> 
> Milt from male saugers are collected from the Ohio River. Eggs from females walleyes are collected from Mosquito, Berlin (as we know if NEO) and Maumee River which was news to me (page 2).


I believe a few years ago,when they thought The lake Erie walleye may of had a disease they stopped getting milk from the females there and relied on are inland lakes to fill the void. As a result the stocking numbers were cut for a few years,until they started using lake Erie fish again. Now the numbers are back up. 
Thanks for sharing!


----------



## float4fish

So after reading both threads, how do you find the current? If I am on a boat does the wave direction indicate current? I have seen current on an upground, but not on a lake. How strong of a current should I look for? Does current effect saugeye in open water or just saugeye relating to the bank? Is current as important in the summer as fall/winter?


----------



## Sampy67

Go Thin to Win by Jim Corey
There have been many articles written about targeting Walleyes in "skinny" water. We have learned, contrary to traditional beliefs, that Walleyes can be caught in very shallow water at times. Well I'm here to tell you that, at least in the Muskingum Watershed Lakes of East Central Ohio, Saugeyes like their water the "skinniest" of all! 
Most of the MWCD lakes are relatively shallow with maximum depths ranging from 20 to 40 feet. They are, for the most part, older reservoirs; flood control lakes, badly silted in, and are subject to regular Winter drawdowns. There isn't much mainlake structure in these lakes, although there are exceptions where hard surfaced roadbeds, humps with hard substrates, or shale outcroppings have resisted the siltation. Our thermoclines form at about 14 to 16 feet and the fish use those shallow edge waters throughout the warm water months. After Winter drawdown our local Saugeyes concentrate on mainlake structure in those waters where it exists, and scatter out over the mud basin in the others. As the lakes fill up in the Spring and the water temps rise into the 40's, the Saugeyes make their move into water so shallow, so thin, so skinny, that it wouldn't seem enough to cover their backs. I have long believed that Saugeyes, perhaps because because of their "hybrid vigor", were far more apt than Walleyes to ignore any discomfort caused by light penetration, instead following the food wherever, whenever, and at all costs. We regularly take big Saugeyes from less than a foot of water, on bright windless days, in the hottest part of July and August. The local Bass anglers curse these toothy pests and, more often than not, the biggest Saugeyes of each season are taken by Bass anglers from very shallow water. At the same time that the main lake surface water temps are around 50 degrees, we usually have some warm rains, and the runoff serves to raise the water temps in the shallow feeder creeks into the 70's and even 80's in some years. This is where the Saugeyes will be. 
While the 'Eye anglers are beating the water to death, swearing that "these lakes are getting fished out", there are tight lipped locals, poling their flatbottomed boats through the mud at the very heads of these lakes, or standing on bridges that span creeks that a man can step across, hiding their stringers of big Saugeyes from curious passersby. Ask them if they're doing any good and they will tell you "Nope! Nothin' but a couple Carp and Mr. Whiskers". Don't believe 'em for a minute! 
When our Saugeyes are up in water this thin, many methods will put them in the boat. Jigs, very shallow cranks, small jerkbaits, or live Shiners, Chubs, and Suckers are the favored presentations. As they pole their boats into the mouths of shallow feeder creeks, anglers look for the wakes of fish that were spooked by their intrusion. Small pods of Shad will burst from the surface and scatter, shining and glinting in the sunlight. A live 4 to 6 inch Lake Shiner, fished weightless will be lobbed past the bursting shad and gently eased back through the spot. Long, 8, 9, or 10 foot rods are used to lob these baits at their targets. These long rods also serve to cushion the force of the drag burning runs that can take place when fish running from 6 to 10 pounds are hooked in water less than a foot deep. Light line is a must for casting these unweighted baits. Here again the long rods tend to forgive angler's mistakes. 
One of the most exciting and rewarding ways to catch big Saugeyes in our area, this opportunity is overlooked by many anglers and ignored by others. For those of you who are in areas where Saugeyes have been introduced, give the extra "thin" waters a try. It may not work for you, but, if it does, hold on to your hat! The fun is about to start! 



Jim Corey 
gofishohio.com


----------



## float4fish

Interestingly enough, I have been studying Corey most of the day. Stuck at work, so what better than preparing for the fall bite. Lots of great information and ideas out there, but still not sure if I understand how to find current not on the bank. Fishing humps, points, rock piles etc, how do I know if I am on the correct side of the structure? Does the current always flow towards the dam? A particular lake in central Ohio has an awesome rock pile in the middle of a large flat, where should I be looking on that rock pile for the fish? Am I correct to think that they will use this to easily transition from shallow to deep, to trap baitfish? A lot to learn, which makes it fun.


----------



## fishslim

many different currents yes natural current flow towards dam. May be stronger them other depending on outflows from dam. But you will also get currents that form from the winds pushing water in different directions. Also there is boat traffic currents water that is displaced or moved by wakes and prop wash. all are used by saugeyes for feeding purposes and not all times will they be positioned into the current,i have found them many times to be in front side of structure on on the top of structure when aggressively feeding. Some times they will stack on the back side especially if a deeper edge is present allowing current to push bait above them to come up on and eat. 

Jim's article on Skinny water is so true it is amazing how shallow they will go if bait is present no matter how much sunlight or how much heat there is in air or water. have caught them in less the. 2 feet with water temps in the mid 90's during summer.


----------



## float4fish

Wish I would have been saugeye fishing when Jim Corey was still with us. Went back and read a lot of his posts, what a treasure chest! Thanks to those of you who continue passing on his lessons along with what you have learned along the way. Looking forward to my first saugeye fall fishing experience!


----------



## Lewis

I sure miss Jim. I was so blessed to fish with Jim for nearly a decade, a couple of those years as his tournament partner. I thought I was a good fisherman before, but he took me to an entire different level when it came to Saugeyes and I consider myself lucky to have retained a small percentage of what he taught me. The guy was an absolute genius when it came to fishing. He knew many lakes like the back of his hand. Every dropoff, every bottom change and he had a sixth sense when it came to seasonal or weather related movement of saugeyes. He was part scientist and part fisheries biologist, I swear! Jim was also a humble man and an absolute joy to be around. Damn, I miss him!


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## BrettSass844

If anyone is interested, I have ODNR saugeye stocking records from 2010 - 2017 for all lakes. I couldn't locate some information I was looking for online, so I requested some information last week. ODNR was kind enough to send me a nice PDF records summary. PM me your email and I will send it over to you.


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## Lewis

I know many of you might have seen this, but there is some great stuff in here that would apply to many lakes...... http://fishandtales.net/saugeyestudy.html


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## Gottagofishn

This past weekend I was fishing from a long concrete dock at Erie. I fished my way down both sides of the dock with no success. Once I made it to the end I immediately hooked up. There were several other fishermen there and they felt the reason for the success at the end of the dock was the depth (10 ft or so). One side of the dock was just as deep as the point. It quickly became apparent why the active fish were there. There was a fairly strong current sweeping from w. to e. I believe once again, current was the deciding factor... 

A question was asked earlier in this thread "how much current". I think it's relative. If there is no current on a body of water then you find some current... it may be enough. Certainly enough to check it out.


----------



## BrettSass844

PDF report attached to this reply. Hopefully this works...


----------



## acklac7

Works for me, thanks!

And Indian Lake total, LOL!. 20 Million S-eye....


----------



## MDBuckeye

acklac7 said:


> Works for me, thanks!
> 
> And Indian Lake total, LOL!. 20 Million S-eye....


20 million is obscene! Lots of fish caught though.


----------



## acklac7

MDBuckeye said:


> 20 million is obscene! Lots of fish caught though.


Got to look at Fry vs. Fingerling #'s. But still, that's alot of Saugeye!


----------



## float4fish

Nice surprise as there is a lake close to me that I had no idea was stocked with eyes! Thanks Brett. Seems as if Alum and Indian are the prize lakes for the state, Hoover seemed kind of low in number which is again a surprise.


----------



## Jordy24

Thanks for posting the stocking numbers. Is it too much to ask that I catch 6 each time I go fishing out of the tens of millions released into our lakes each year! haha


----------



## fishwhacker

Awesome info.....im sure this is going to change some of the lakes people target


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## fishslim

indian has been a test lake for past 5 years might be the 6th now. was putting in fry 1 year then fingerlings next year. then when netting and shocking was done each year they would get idea if fry were surving as well as fingerlings. if fingerlings were showing good survival rates it lowers cost of producing them as it takes more money letting them become fingerlings.

The weather and water levels at indian have been very stable the ladt 5 years and survival has been very good for both the fingerlings and fry. which in turn has left the lake in great shape with 5 classes of fish. thus the great fishing last couple years. 

Still when you see fry you will see drastically larger amounts put in as many do not survive but not all lakes do as well with fry. 

Hoover has been terrible last 3 years with not many surviving. looks like the fingerlings might be best bet. talking with ODNR they are trying to get the lake back to where it should be but thoughts are that the super large quanity of Crappie in the lake are eating many of the fry and wiping our the yearlings. 

This made more sense to me as i had questioned the blue cat being problem maybe. but after seeing numbers of blues to eyes being put in it is not the major problem. 

Alum as well has been having excellent survival rates with weather and not as many major flood events has produced some large quanities of 2 to 3 year classes that we are seeing all summer and last fall. I feel pressure and fertility of lakes is why nunbers seem so different from lake to lake. the Odnr has and is doing a outstanding job producing and distributing saugeyes statewide. 
i for one truly appreciate the eye fishery in the state and know other states model or are learning from Ohio about this great hybrid we have come to love.


----------



## fishslim

Lewis i agree on the info you just posted about saugeye study in Hoover. Used it in power point presentation at the Hoover seminar and said same use these maps to help understand eyes movement thru year and bait movement as well.


----------



## Lewis

I recently had a one hour conversation with one of the odnr fishery supervisors about our lakes here in the southeast, regarding stocking and missing year classes. There are also a couple lakes here that alternate annually with fingerling/ fry stocking. Their target goal is fingerlings are stocked at a rate of 100 per acre with fry being 1000 per acre. Hats off to the odnr! A lot of these lakes would be pretty damn boring without the saugeyes!


----------



## Saugeyefisher

fishslim said:


> indian has been a test lake for past 5 years might be the 6th now. was putting in fry 1 year then fingerlings next year. then when netting and shocking was done each year they would get idea if fry were surving as well as fingerlings. if fingerlings were showing good survival rates it lowers cost of producing them as it takes more money letting them become fingerlings.
> 
> The weather and water levels at indian have been very stable the ladt 5 years and survival has been very good for both the fingerlings and fry. which in turn has left the lake in great shape with 5 classes of fish. thus the great fishing last couple years.
> 
> Still when you see fry you will see drastically larger amounts put in as many do not survive but not all lakes do as well with fry.
> 
> Hoover has been terrible last 3 years with not many surviving. looks like the fingerlings might be best bet. talking with ODNR they are trying to get the lake back to where it should be but thoughts are that the super large quanity of Crappie in the lake are eating many of the fry and wiping our the yearlings.
> 
> This made more sense to me as i had questioned the blue cat being problem maybe. but after seeing numbers of blues to eyes being put in it is not the major problem.
> 
> Alum as well has been having excellent survival rates with weather and not as many major flood events has produced some large quanities of 2 to 3 year classes that we are seeing all summer and last fall. I feel pressure and fertility of lakes is why nunbers seem so different from lake to lake. the Odnr has and is doing a outstanding job producing and distributing saugeyes statewide.
> i for one truly appreciate the eye fishery in the state and know other states model or are learning from Ohio about this great hybrid we have come to love.


Good stuff! Makes sense. That lake has more crappie in it then........ 
It don't matter where you fish you get into them. Some of the schools are rediculous


----------



## odell daniel

fishslim said:


> many different currents yes natural current flow towards dam. May be stronger them other depending on outflows from dam. But you will also get currents that form from the winds pushing water in different directions. Also there is boat traffic currents water that is displaced or moved by wakes and prop wash. all are used by saugeyes for feeding purposes and not all times will they be positioned into the current,i have found them many times to be in front side of structure on on the top of structure when aggressively feeding. Some times they will stack on the back side especially if a deeper edge is present allowing current to push bait above them to come up on and eat.
> 
> Jim's article on Skinny water is so true it is amazing how shallow they will go if bait is present no matter how much sunlight or how much heat there is in air or water. have caught them in less the. 2 feet with water temps in the mid 90's during summer.


We were in Minnesota a few years back, we floated around an island and I noticed a school of baitfish busting the surface right against the bank. I figured smallmouth or pike had them pinned to the shore, we started casting floating rapalas up to the shore and got nailed instantly, we were really surprised when it was walleye up there, I bet we caught every fish in that school in less than 2 ft. What a blast, they were hitting topwater like a bass.


----------



## bob Jones

I always thought buckeye received more fish than that


----------



## RiparianRanger

BrettSass844 said:


> PDF report attached to this reply. Hopefully this works...


Really cool info. Does anyone know of a comprehensive list of all species ODNR stocks across all bodies of water?


----------



## Gottagofishn

Thanks for the stocking summary. I thought ODNR had given up on Alum given the new administration and budget cuts.
Thanks again.


----------



## KillaBBQ

I did not see Delaware lake on that report. I have heard people catching Saugeye out of there though.


----------



## odell daniel

I don't think their are saugeye in deleware, 30 years ago yes but they lost them all in the river. we used to fish under the spillway for them.


----------



## fishslim

bo saugeye stocked at Delaware for many years


----------



## Trucked

Gfhteen said:


> Curious on how many times you guys will fish a particular area without luck before determining that it's not a good spot? And on the flip how many fish do yu have to catch at a spot to determine it is a good hole and not just a random fish





Gfhteen said:


> How long without any activity should you wait before moving locations


Well here's the deal, I fished Shaughnessy everyday for 3 years sometimes at night all night till 6 in the morning. There's a Place South of what you put in at home Road across from Twin Lakes that we call the Saugeye Flats there's a ledge there that goes down to 30 feet just a little bit on the inside of the ledge there's six to eight feet of water that's the flats it's across from Twin Lakes like I said but you have to look at the houses on Riverside Drive there's a big yellow house that starts the flats then you head north for half a football field turn around make sure you're still on the ledge 6 to 8 feet of water throw your black worms back and forth on the bottom. Any other questions about Shaughnessy let me know if you want or there's a bunch of guys that fish it on Tuesday nights also at Thursday night's I forgot.


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## acklac7

There's a familiar face! Glad to see you got your screen name back, Steve


----------



## Trucked

acklac7 said:


> There's a familiar face! Glad to see you got your screen name back Steve


Thanks to you and Shaky. Dam I gotta get fishing. I'm willing to try the dam bro. I can bring a bucket to sit on and take it slow walking back up.


----------



## acklac7

trucked said:


> Thanks to you and Shaky. Dam I gotta get fishing. I'm willing to try the dam bro. I can bring a bucket to sit on and take it slow walking back up.


I'll get you down there, don't worry. We need some rain first


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## Fishin Finatic

Good structure that truck is talking about.


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## Trucked

acklac7 said:


> There's a familiar face! Glad to see you got your screen name back, Steve


Thank you, thank you, thank you. I just gotta get something on a hook. LMAO


Fishin Finatic said:


> Good structure that truck is talking about.
> View attachment 247938
> View attachment 247939
> View attachment 247940


Exactly what I'm talking about FF. Matter of fact that looks like THE place I'm talking about. Right?


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## Fishin Finatic

Yes it is the spot. Years ago I would spoonplug that edge and catch a keeper on each pass.


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## Trucked

We had a lot of fun at that spot. I used to pick my daughter up at Liberty School when she was finished at 2:10 I had the boat hooked up when I picked her up and we went right to Shaughnessy on a Friday evening and fished it till Saturday morning. I remember the bats used to dive bomb us every time we casted.


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## Trucked

odell daniel said:


> I don't think their are saugeye in deleware, 30 years ago yes but they lost them all in the river. we used to fish under the spillway for them.


I still fish under the spillway for them. Great fishing down there.


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## Trucked

Saugeyefisher said:


> Good stuff! Makes sense. That lake has more crappie in it then........
> It don't matter where you fish you get into them. Some of the schools are rediculous


I LOVE to fish below that little dam 30 feet from rte33. Know where I mean?


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## 9Left

trucked said:


> I LOVE to fish below that little dam 30 feet from rte33. Know where I mean?



... lol... who doesnt


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## Trucked

9Left said:


> ... lol... who doesnt


LMAO.


----------



## Gfhteen

Went out Tuesday night 11/7 without much hope since the wind was coming from a north east direction but still wanted to try as I have not really gotten out much this year. Found the most direct wind blown rocky shore line I could was blessed with my first saugeyes of the year. Sounds funny to say that I am just now catching my first saugeyes of 2017 but I needed to take a break from fishing to focus on my family and my marriage. Feels good to be back out in the cold getting a line wet. All fish on Glow perch joshys and 1 on a blue chrome rogue. The big girl was also my first tagged fish I’ve ever caught.


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## Trucked

Mmmmmmm. Gotta get out there.


----------



## Sbrum25

New to the forum. A lot of good info on this thread! I've been wanting to get into big saugeyes for a while. I grew up at deercreek fishing for them below the dam, but I've never had luck on landing anything with size. I bought my first boat this winter and I think moving into the lake may be the trick. Does anybody have any experience fishing in the lake? This thread has me overwhelmed with info, I need the idiots guidelines...


----------



## Saugeyefisher

Sbrum25 said:


> New to the forum. A lot of good info on this thread! I've been wanting to get into big saugeyes for a while. I grew up at deercreek fishing for them below the dam, but I've never had luck on landing anything with size. I bought my first boat this winter and I think moving into the lake may be the trick. Does anybody have any experience fishing in the lake? This thread has me overwhelmed with info, I need the idiots guidelines...


Im sure theres a good bite on that lake somewhere. But who ever has found it has done a wonderfull job keeping it quite. 
Ive never targeted saugeye on the lake at deer creek. But may through june will be the time for you to look for them. 
Look for shallow flats an in mainlske an back of coves an start casting jigs vibes and shadraps. Shallow flats like 2-4 fow. If the flats are big you can drift or troll over them to cover ground. Good luck out there!


----------



## Brahmabull71

rumit08 said:


> we utilized this blue line as a manual for decide the line of entry point and we chiseled the septum just along it.


WTH is happening with this dude?


----------



## ski

Sounds to me like somebody getting a nose job! “Chisel along the septum”


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## acklac7

Brahmabull71 said:


> WTH is happening with this dude?


Trying to get access points to post in the Market Place is my best guess.


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## Fishon77

The last 2 evenings I have been consumed with this thread! Outstanding I must say and I know i sure gained something from it. Just hope I can apply. Thanks so much to all for sharing.


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## Derbefisheye

Thanks for the info


----------



## Wildturkey

acklac7 said:


> Yea, they'll lay on the bottom then use their swim bladder to "levitate" upwards in the water column. It's a pretty cool site to see; they don't use any fin movement to accomplish the maneuver, you'll just see them float up dead-still.


What make and model of fish finder do you use to get that kind of detail?


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## Bass Assasin Slaton

My %100 spots are usually near feeder creeks into larger systems! The baitfish live and thrive in the shallow creeks while the predatory fish wait near the mouth for opportunities for ambushes! I have ALWAYS caught saugeye in and around creek mouths! Also the saugeye will move into the shallower creeks at night to chase the baitfish.. If you find a nice stream that has some soliD current your in the PROMISE LAND


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## 9Left

Hello... 9left here... checking in


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## dropthetailgate

I’ll do you one better. I beg any of you to go with me to my favorite landscape scenery low head dam hole and show me how to catch one. I rarely catch anything.


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## Snookhunter52

I'm game. Are you talking about one of the low heads in columbus? We can meet up when I get back to Columbus in March. Do you have waders?


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## dropthetailgate

Yeah I have waders. The one Down at circleville.


----------



## Gottagofishn

trucked said:


> Well here's the deal, I fished Shaughnessy everyday for 3 years sometimes at night all night till 6 in the morning. There's a Place South of what you put in at home Road across from Twin Lakes that we call the Saugeye Flats there's a ledge there that goes down to 30 feet just a little bit on the inside of the ledge there's six to eight feet of water that's the flats it's across from Twin Lakes like I said but you have to look at the houses on Riverside Drive there's a big yellow house that starts the flats then you head north for half a football field turn around make sure you're still on the ledge 6 to 8 feet of water throw your black worms back and forth on the bottom. Any other questions about Shaughnessy let me know if you want or there's a bunch of guys that fish it on Tuesday nights also at Thursday night's I forgot.


When I first started fishing out of a boat I stumbled across that spot. I was out in early Oct. I had been fishing the mouth of Twin Lakes and noticed several boats anchored on the spot your talking about. There are some small humps there. They were anchored around one throwing shad raps and crushing the Saugeye. 
Over the years that spot has accounted for many fish dinners...


----------



## Saugeyefisher

Gottagofishn said:


> When I first started fishing out of a boat I stumbled across that spot. I was out in early Oct. I had been fishing the mouth of Twin Lakes and noticed several boats anchored on the spot your talking about. There are some small humps there. They were anchored around one throwing shad raps and crushing the Saugeye.
> Over the years that spot has accounted for many fish dinners...


My uncle and his buddy used to LOVE anchoring up on spots out there an tossing shad raps back in the 90's.


----------



## Snookhunter52

dropthetailgate said:


> Yeah I have waders. The one Down at circleville.


Oh that's not a bad drive. Let me know when you want to meet up and we can give it a try. I have never been there but it looks promising.


----------



## Schooleylewis

Saugeyefisher said:


> My uncle and his buddy used to LOVE anchoring up on spots out there an tossing shad raps back in the 90's.


New to this site - thx for sharing good info. Can’t wait to fish more in 2021 with increased work flexibility and now that kids are older / more independent. It’s been a few years, but I grew up fishing for saugeye at Alum, Buckeye, and deer creek. Getting my first boat this year as well and will probably put it in slip at O’Shaughnessy (out of necessity) as home base. I have never fished there, but looking forward to making a run at saugeye.


----------



## Snookhunter52

Schooleylewis said:


> New to this site - thx for sharing good info. Can’t wait to fish more in 2021 with increased work flexibility and now that kids are older / more independent. It’s been a few years, but I grew up fishing for saugeye at Alum, Buckeye, and deer creek. Getting my first boat this year as well and will probably put it in slip at O’Shaughnessy (out of necessity) as home base. I have never fished there, but looking forward to making a run at saugeye.


Welcome to the site! I have no real experience fishing O'shay but may fish it more this year. O'shay just under went a lowering event a couple years ago to do construction on the dam. ODNR also started stocking twice as many saugeye up there because they stopped stocking griggs. There should be a really healthy population of them in there by now. There is also a good sized population of wipers on there. A buddy of mine has caught a lot of fish there but mostly below the dam. I am not sure if they are still working on the dam or if the flow is more predictable now. But the good news is the saugeye should start waking up once the water hits about 40.


----------



## Schooleylewis

Snookhunter52 said:


> Welcome to the site! I have no real experience fishing O'shay but may fish it more this year. O'shay just under went a lowering event a couple years ago to do construction on the dam. ODNR also started stocking twice as many saugeye up there because they stopped stocking griggs. There should be a really healthy population of them in there by now. There is also a good sized population of wipers on there. A buddy of mine has caught a lot of fish there but mostly below the dam. I am not sure if they are still working on the dam or if the flow is more predictable now. But the good news is the saugeye should start waking up once the water hits about 40.


Nice, good to hear about the stocking. I had no idea there were wipers in O'Sh... The dam work is done - should be a better year to fish there...looking forward to it. If anyone has any other feedback on O'Sh, I would love to hear it.


----------



## Gottagofishn

Some very nice sized wipers at that. Check with Acklec, he does quite well on the Scioto. There are several easily recognizable Saugeye locations. Problem is many of them are fished pretty hard. Never hurts to check other areas close to deeper water when there’s bait present. Don’t overlook the Zoo area...


----------



## Gottagofishn

I’ve caught many nice fish over the years down below...especially at night. It’s been a few years though.


----------



## Schooleylewis

Gottagofishn said:


> I’ve caught many nice fish over the years down below...especially at night. It’s been a few years though.


Thx again. I couldn't find Acklec...do they go by another username?


----------



## Saugeyefisher

Schooleylewis said:


> Thx again. I couldn't find Acklec...do they go by another username?


No longer a member here.


----------



## Gottagofishn

Too bad... heck of a fisherman.
I must have missed something.


----------



## Schooleylewis

Just checking in on O’Sh…has anyone had any luck with Saugeye this year? I’ve caught a few south of mouth of twin lakes on west side of river, but nothing too impressive. I’ve only been able to get out a few times….


----------



## Schooleylewis

trucked said:


> Well here's the deal, I fished Shaughnessy everyday for 3 years sometimes at night all night till 6 in the morning. There's a Place South of what you put in at home Road across from Twin Lakes that we call the Saugeye Flats there's a ledge there that goes down to 30 feet just a little bit on the inside of the ledge there's six to eight feet of water that's the flats it's across from Twin Lakes like I said but you have to look at the houses on Riverside Drive there's a big yellow house that starts the flats then you head north for half a football field turn around make sure you're still on the ledge 6 to 8 feet of water throw your black worms back and forth on the bottom. Any other questions about Shaughnessy let me know if you want or there's a bunch of guys that fish it on Tuesday nights also at Thursday night's I forgot.


hey ‘trucked’, is this spot on the east side of river - closer to riverside?


----------



## Silver Fox 23

Schooleylewis said:


> Just checking in on O’Sh…has anyone had any luck with Saugeye this year? I’ve caught a few south of mouth of twin lakes on west side of river, but nothing too impressive. I’ve only been able to get out a few times….


Haven't had much luck in the main reservoir, but did manage several decent size saugeye in the spillway back in March/April. I guess I just don't know where to target them either. That and I'm always afraid of tearing up a prop there.


----------



## Gottagofishn

If you look at stocking records you’ll find ODNR doesn’t put many ( if any) Saugeye in O’Shey any more. If you’re looking to catch Saugeye you will have more success at other central Ohio lakes. There are some in there, just not the numbers of some of our other lakes.


----------



## Snookhunter52

Yep I want to get out this weekend but it got too busy. I probably won't be able to get out until next week. It can only get better from here on out.


----------



## Infamous_CrayJ

Gottagofishn said:


> If you look at stocking records you’ll find ODNR doesn’t put many ( if any) Saugeye in O’Shey any more. If you’re looking to catch Saugeye you will have more success at other central Ohio lakes. There are some in there, just not the numbers of some of our other lakes.


News to me.

Historically, Griggs and Oshay receive the same number of fish per acre that the rest of Ohio's Reservoirs receive - Save for Buckeye and Indian which get zillions. The past few years the DNR has done away with stocking Griggs due to the fact so many fish are washing downstream - they put the Griggs fish in Oshay, so Oshay gets a bumper stocking.

The key to Griggs and Oshay is _trolling._ Troll Flicker Shads and Hot N Tots, you'll catch them.


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## Infamous_CrayJ

Gottagofishn said:


> Too bad... heck of a fisherman.
> I must have missed something.


I attacked another angler on this site. I deserved to be banned. But not permbanned. 

Out of the norm for me - pandemic hit me hard. I'm sorry.


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## Infamous_CrayJ

Schooleylewis said:


> hey ‘trucked’, is this spot on the east side of river - closer to riverside?


PM Sent.


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