# Is it just me or are saugeyes the hardest fish to catch in central ohio?



## 93stratosfishnski (Aug 25, 2011)

i've had no problem landing 20+ of every other species this summer...
largemouth-35
small mouth-22
white bass-26
hybrids-52
crappies-145
bluegills-tons
catfish-31

*saugeyes-2*

I fished indian lake today with my dad from the bank because i'm waiting on parts for my boat, and people caught fish all around us. we mocked their baits, they're technique.. and i missed 1 bite and caught a scale and a rock.
*Thats right you heard it here.. my hook stuck into a rock and I then reeled it in like 10 ft to the shore. * BUT NO SAUGEYES!!!!!!

i'm about to pay some of our pros here for a guided tour.

RANT OFF


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## killingtime (Apr 29, 2009)

saugeye can get the best of you sometimes. i have been on both sides of what your talking about. i walked up to a spot where about 15 guys were fishing and the guy next to me said they are not hitting worth a darn and 40 minutes later i walk out with a limit and a couple nights late i go up and fish for 3 hours and catch 1 while a few guys next to me got there limit. i just dont know what to say i guess keep going after them until you get that groove going. were you fishing with the same baits as them or something differant.


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## puterdude (Jan 27, 2006)

First off it may be your attitude.You are probably trying too hard.Go out and just go out for the fun of it.Don't go out with the attitude that your are targeting them.Just go out with the frame of mind you are fishing because you enjoy it.Be ready and do fish with a style or method favorable for eyes but don't try so hard.If you are going out beating yourself up over them before you start you've set yourself up for failure already and as odd as it may sound ,attitude is half the battle.You can do it,just any of the rest of us.Just quit trying so hard.


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## 93stratosfishnski (Aug 25, 2011)

puterdude said:


> First off it may be your attitude.You are probably trying too hard.Go out and just go out for the fun of it.Don't go out with the attitude that your are targeting them.Just go out with the frame of mind you are fishing because you enjoy it.Be ready and do fish with a style or method favorable for eyes but don't try so hard.If you are going out beating yourself up over them before you start you've set yourself up for failure already and as odd as it may sound ,attitude is half the battle.You can do it,just any of the rest of us.Just quit trying so hard.


To be fair, it was definitely discouraging watch a fire tiger blade bait slow retrieved on the bottom catch fish right next to me when i had the same bait on, and same thing with a double rigged chartreuse grub tipped with minnow bounced on the bottom.. i copied to no avail... that being said even counting a full day today i've spent maybe 13-14 hrs on saugeyes this year, they just haven't exploded like other fish have for me.

I ALWAYS enjoy fishing, matter of fact my dad was tired by about 4pm so on the way back to columbus I hit griggs for an hour just to wash the skunk off, and landed a few fish. Its just a fishing technique i need to learn

thanks guys


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## puterdude (Jan 27, 2006)

Well I can already see two requirements you have in your favor,the love for fishing & persistance. I have a feeling you'll get the hang of it before first ice and be posting some nice pics for us to view.Stay after it and you'll be rewarded soon.


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## killingtime (Apr 29, 2009)

i am no expert at all but the vibes can be a tricky bait. i personally am a basic fisherman with just 3" twister tails and 1/8 ounce jig. i get discouraged with swimbaits,stickbaits, and vibes but i usually can catch atleast a couple. over all i think twisters are a neautral bait for saugeye, you can usually get them to hit with realing it fast or slowly bumping it on the bottom. just stick with it until you find you what catches you fish.


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## Big Joshy (Apr 26, 2004)

saugeye especially in indian lake can be very particular on what spot they are holding in. Sometimes its the bait but ive seen times when You cant catch a fish unless you cast to a 2ft by 2ft spot. They will travel very very particular routes and the more you know a lake the more you can zero in on these tiny edges and holes that they like to travel through. Also they school up very tight alot of times so once you catch one the likely hood that you will catch another right away is very good, especially at prime bite time. I had a friend at indian a bit ago that caught 4 eyes in several hours but 3 of them were on 3 consectutive casts to the same spot. He had a school come by at the prime bite time and he cashed in. Its important not to waste time with stringers when thats happening, throw the fish on the grass behind you and keep casting!

I think what makes saugeye such a tough fish to catch is that they are ravenous feeders but alot of the year they are only feeding agressively for about 20 minutes twice a day if even that so its hard to locate them and feel confident about where you are fishing. I once caught 2 26 inchers on 3 casts from a spot ive never fished before, but ive never caught another eye there ever since, and ive tried alot. It can be crazy tough but if you find a school you can get a limt very very quick, and if you find a school of big girls its a total blast.


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## Capital outdoorsman (Mar 27, 2006)

It is not just you. They are the hardest fish to catch in my estimation. For all the reasons Joshy mentioned. You can have your bait 5 ft from a school of fish and get nothing. I remember fishing for walleye from a boat in canada with my dad and his buddy. All using the same bait. While bottom bouncing my minnow I noticed there was a pretty big rock underneath me. Every time I brought my minnow over or around the rock I got a bite. My dad and his buddy could barely buy a bite fishing within a few feet of me. 

I have been in your shoes many times with those around me getting limits while I catch 1 or 2...or none. Frustrating at times.


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## Orlando (Apr 12, 2004)

Its you 
To do the best you gotta get away from the crowds, adapt, dont fish the way everyone else is fishing, fish the edges and the wind.
As said they can turn on like a switch but I find there are always eyes to be caught somewhere
They are there you just gotta find them and make em bite


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## ying6 (Apr 21, 2004)

Ok, quick comment if someone is catching fish next to you watch their retrieve and mimic it. You may think it looks crazy but pay attention to them and you will probably catch more fish.
I know for a FACT when I fish with a buddy and either one of us catches a fish we say how fast and what kind've retrieve. We also throw in anything else that could help. Sometimes I might accidently forget to throw something in there....haha... But it definitely helps. Infact, I was fishing at Indian one afternoon and watched a kid next to me cast and burn back a vibe, catching a fish nearly every cast. SO, I started doing that myself and sure enough I started to have success.

"we mock what we don't understand". Emmitt Fitshume (sp)


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## MDBuckeye (Sep 29, 2009)

I hate to admit it because some guys who are "friends" or acquaintances of mine tend to slay the eye's but I have a very tough time with them as well. I've been struggling since I moved back to Ohio a few years ago. I can catch crappie all day long but eyes are a different story and I'm not sure exactly what the issue is. I do know a couple of the local shallower impoundments are easier to target them in but since I live so close to Alum I fish it 10x more than the others because of time restraints and the cost of gas.

The moral of the story is keep casting and hopefully you will get into them sooner than later.


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## fishslim (Apr 28, 2005)

Couple other things to throw in on this when someone by you is catching and your not other factors which we do not think about some times come into play.Reel speed you are watching how fast they are reeling and think you are matching it,BUT you are not your ratio of line retrieve on your reel may be slower or faster in which most cases it is if you have newer reels. Other night i have 2 poles same lures one pole is catching all the fish the other not a bite well finally i realized i was bringing line in quicker with new reel i just got even though i was reeling what i thought was same speed as other rig. Slowed my reel down considerably and bam started catching fish. Also line if not same weight them 6 pounds you 8 pounds bait could be dropping faster or slower. These little factors can mean the difference from a limit or nothing. So always vary your speeds of reeling pay attention to how fast your lure is dropping. Also though,TIME is your biggest issue you have enjoyed the benefits of other fish and have not enjoyed  the time of searching for saugeyes. Back breaking hours have been put in by the guys on here who catch these fish consistently and because of that it is hard to give up the locations that you worked so hard to find. Other places though like Indian,Buckeye can be easier places to start and get feel for fishing for them because crowds do tend to form around the hot fishing areas on those lakes. Just keep at it look up the posts on here and get some more head knowledge from that but keep trying and enjoy the challenge. That is why we like to stock them because it is always a challenge and never the same in most cases. Your a good fishermen they will come!!!


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## HookSet Harvey (Aug 12, 2010)

For me it has to be the elusive muskys. 
I do alright on eyes but the ski's just plain don't like me.
I'm still new to the musky scene just gotta figure out what I'm doing wrong. Been out over 7 times with no thing to show for it, had to go for some crappie this weekend just to up my spirits.
Good luck on the quest for eyes seems its season for em.


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## jshbuckeye (Feb 27, 2005)

One day you get em anothe r day someone else will or you may get two evenings in a row. My biggest change this fall is a more sensitive rod and braid line it has helped recover alot of jigs and so much more sensitive I feel the tick alot better, also dont be afraid of changeing up colors or styles till you find something you have good confidence in, weather it is a lighter jighear with a long shank hook so as to hold a larger grub that allows you to fish a lil slower or a rubber minnow bait with a ribbon tail that takes very little movement to get very fast action from it, once I found what I beleive in I fish it more diligently and thoroughly


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## 93stratosfishnski (Aug 25, 2011)

Lots of great info here guys I appreciate all the suggestions.. slim that's a great point about combos I litterally felt like I was reeling in sync with him but wasn't getting the hits..


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Yeas great thread guys... And great timeing, cause i believe the fall bite has officially started! And I think the most important thing posted on hear, is time in the field(on the lake/river) I started spending more time on the water a cple yrs ago and i catch alot more fish now then when i first started this cold water eye thing. And i go when ever i get the chance, it dont matter if its cold,raining,snowing, midnite or noon, If i get a window i go! You never know when they will be on a good bite!!
Bobby
Oh and haveing some swagger swims dont hurt either LOL!!


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## st.slippy (Oct 3, 2008)

Like others have already said. time is the key. I can't tell you how many nights I've gone home wondering what the heck I did wrong, only to come back the next night and kill'em doing the same thing. Also the reverse, I think I'm the freaking saugeye king one night, just to find out I am still more of a Court Jester the next night. I like to get away from people for the most part. It makes me too anxious that what I'm doing is wrong, then I change it up too much, and never get a rhythm with any of the baits. I learned about the line retrieve the hard way as well. I started fishing for eyes on a spincast combo, and was doing very well. Got a symetre once I knew I wanted to go for them. Wondered why, with such a nice new rod and reel I couldn't get them. Line retrieve was 18" versus 35". Go figure. Patience, Concentration, and time are all of the secrets to catching saugeye. No bait will be your always go to unless you are killingtime.


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## killingtime (Apr 29, 2009)

are you picking on me again slippy.


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## SConner (Mar 3, 2007)

Another thing you might consider is to put on a pair of waders and go hunting them in local rivers. If the headwaters are stocked they will be in the rivers below them. Find deep holes, lowhead dams, etc. I have been fairly successful fishing local river with floating or suspending minnows. Good luck!


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## 93stratosfishnski (Aug 25, 2011)

I'm anxious to go fish buckeye with all these tips, ill report back this week as I get out after work.


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## StumpHawg (May 17, 2011)

fishslim said:


> Couple other things to throw in on this when someone by you is catching and your not other factors which we do not think about some times come into play.Reel speed you are watching how fast they are reeling and think you are matching it,BUT you are not your ratio of line retrieve on your reel may be slower or faster in which most cases it is if you have newer reels. Other night i have 2 poles same lures one pole is catching all the fish the other not a bite well finally i realized i was bringing line in quicker with new reel i just got even though i was reeling what i thought was same speed as other rig. Slowed my reel down considerably and bam started catching fish. Also line if not same weight them 6 pounds you 8 pounds bait could be dropping faster or slower. These little factors can mean the difference from a limit or nothing. So always vary your speeds of reeling pay attention to how fast your lure is dropping. Also though,TIME is your biggest issue you have enjoyed the benefits of other fish and have not enjoyed  the time of searching for saugeyes. Back breaking hours have been put in by the guys on here who catch these fish consistently and because of that it is hard to give up the locations that you worked so hard to find. Other places though like Indian,Buckeye can be easier places to start and get feel for fishing for them because crowds do tend to form around the hot fishing areas on those lakes. Just keep at it look up the posts on here and get some more head knowledge from that but keep trying and enjoy the challenge. That is why we like to stock them because it is always a challenge and never the same in most cases. Your a good fishermen they will come!!!


Well said, the challenge is what keeps me going on these predators like no other species of fish.


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## st.slippy (Oct 3, 2008)

Ben, it is not picking on you as much as kicking myself. I don't throw twister tails nearly as much as I should.


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## Net (Apr 10, 2004)

Big Joshy said:


> I think what makes saugeye such a tough fish to catch is that they are ravenous feeders but alot of the year they are only feeding agressively for about 20 minutes twice a day if even that so its hard to locate them and feel confident about where you are fishing.


I couldn't agree more. I also like the comment about not messing around with stringers when it's on. Just get your lure back in the water.

I used to think fishing from a boat gave me an advantage over the shore guys...and to a certain extent it does because I can pick & choose my depth, structure, presentation, etc. But with saugeye you have this weird "dinner bell" effect. They can fire up in multiple spots at the same time and then go inactive for days.


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## MDBuckeye (Sep 29, 2009)

This all has me questioning my location and presentation constantly. Since I fish Alum, mainly by shore, the fish have so much more room to roam than they do our shallower impoundments. I was out last evening for 4 hours without a fish to show for my efforts. I pitched the swagger the entire time with no avail. I was trying a new area, to me, that looked somewhat promising on the map. The conditions seemed right, the wind was blowing in my face and there were rocky points, but it just didn't work out. I may fish this area again by boat just to figure the structure out a little more in the future.

Maybe I should have switched up baits but it seemed like the swim bait was a good presentation at the time.


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## dre (Aug 14, 2009)

If gas isn't an issue and you don't mind exploring/walking quite abit, get out there and chase them at several different lakes/rivers in central ohio. Look for the same structure you would normally look for when you are targeting saugeye at all the different lakes/rivers. You will soon find your honey hole at your favorite lake and you will be posting some fine fish! It just takes work, time, and money(because if your me you lose a lot of lures!). Good luck.


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## Net (Apr 10, 2004)

MDBuckeye said:


> I was out last evening for 4 hours without a fish to show for my efforts. I pitched the swagger the entire time with no avail. I was trying a new area, to me, that looked somewhat promising on the map.


I did a little shore hiking at alum yesterday myself and hit some nice wind blown areas that I know have produced saugeye in the past. Just one small LM to show for it. No big deal. It's like feeding the slots at a casino...eventually it pays off. Trouble with me is I get distracted by all the free drinks and side shows .


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## Big Joshy (Apr 26, 2004)

i hit a few lakes yesterday with slim and it was a very very slow evening. 2 for me and 2 for him all on swimbaits with alot of hours put in. saw very few fish caught also. fish were just not very active last night.


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## killingtime (Apr 29, 2009)

st.slippy said:


> Ben, it is not picking on you as much as kicking myself. I don't throw twister tails nearly as much as I should.


i seen you trying to tip that swim bait with chicken liver the other night. i thought i was the only one that did that especially with twister tails.


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## geoffoquinn (Oct 2, 2011)

I have only had minimal luck below the dam @ Alum and a few other places in my whole time fishing. Reading these forums have inspired me to head out early this Saturday. Any more tips would be appreciated for the upcoming trip.


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## 93stratosfishnski (Aug 25, 2011)

i'm going after work friday to buckeye and staying late till i catch on a few.. wish me luck


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## Capital outdoorsman (Mar 27, 2006)

If the rain stays "drizzly" and the wind is going, along with this cold weather we may have a recipe for an active night. I may try to head on over to buckeye at dusk for a couple hours.


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