Saugeyes.....

[CritterGitter]

This Indian Summer has sure slowed things down. Hopefully, we'll get a cold front in the next week or so and it will cool things down. Once that happens the fall bite should really take off.

CG

[Ohio Bill]

Where did summer go? Leaves are starting to fall now and I cant wait for snow...lol

[Links r Us]

Even though fall can be fickle with a on & off bite, she sure brings alot of smiles to the guys who chase them from the shoreline when the Eyes are on the feed!:)

[Links r Us]

IL's surface temp is/was 69 about everywhere I went this afternoon till the sun came out a lil' while ago n' I came home ... hugh shad balls on the recorder everywhere in deeper water & yoy were a-dimplin' the surface all over the shallow water areas ... slammed some sUMo shad while a pullin' dipsy's n' deep RR's in deeper water while a-doin' a test drive -eek:eek: :cool: :D

[Links r Us]

Most large fish that move up shallow to feed, abandon the area at the first sign of sunlight or traffic.

It's probably going to take a tempting live-bait presentation in deep water to catch them during the day when they aren't actively searching for food.

It's like a bowl of ice cream. If somebody slides it past you on the table, you probably won't act upon it. But if it comes to rest directly in front of you, you might just take a bite or two.



;)

[Links r Us]

:cool: :D ... "like up to 2 ½ to 3 ½ mph" -heheh!!! :)

If there was ever a perfect time for tying into a monster walleye the early fall period would top the list. That’s not to say you can’t catch a fish of mammoth proportions at other times of the year because you can, it’s just that right now is when everything seems to come together and the odds start tilting heavily in your favor.

For one thing the question of whether or not you’re dealing with active fish at any given time is basically answered with a resounding yes. Right now old marble eyes instinctively knows that he is running out of time and being finicky won’t get the job of putting on thick layers of fat to get through the winter period done. That fact alone accounts for most of the “odds factor” and is definitely something to take advantage off.

Another endearing aspect of targeting fall fish is their propensity to set up on quick breaking structure where they are easily found with good electronics. A high definition digital graph like the Raymarine C120 with its massive 12” color screen can help make the task a lot easier and can easily pick out those fish holding tight to a break. It also doubles as a GPS chartplotter that can display Navionics maps and where you are in relation to it all which can save tons of valuable fishing time. Instead of running and searching and running and searching you can actually see what you’re looking for on the C120’s color display and make a bee line for the exact spot you want to check out.

Hot fall spots include sharp breaks that drop into deeper water, and are similar patterns found in natural lakes as well as reservoirs. Big reservoirs like Lake Oahe in South Dakota see heavy concentrations of walleyes stacking up on outside bends of the old river channel where it pulls in tight to the bank. Gull Lake in north central Minnesota is another tremendous producer of fall hawgs which are typically found holding on sharp breaks off main lake structure. That scenario repeats itself over and over again across the entire country which helps to keep it all rather simple.

A quick look at a good map will reveal the areas likely to hold the lion’s share of fall hawgs, ultimately leaving you with more angling time which can then be spent concentrating on high percentage spots. If you’re looking at a big reservoir try to find fast breaks and deep water up major creek arms. On lakes like Gull look for quick breaks on sunken humps and under water points as well as inside turns along shallower shoreline shelves or flats.

Once you’ve found a few starting spots the next item on the agenda is presentation and there are several options and includes live bait rigging and jigging. Another hot fall technique that is often overlooked is trolling those aforementioned break lines with crankbaits, especially the larger variety. Big fish will take a big bait and the bigger the better when you’re chasing down real monsters.

Baits like Deep Husky Jerks or Deep Tail Dancers are a good bet for hooking up with deeper running daytime fish. The new Deep Tail Dancer for example can be worked down to thirty feet on monofilament, which will get you into the range of most of the good fall hot spots. If needed, a braided line can help you to pick up another ten feet or so and leadcore will cover every depth from top to bottom.

Anglers working the night shift should take a look at the same areas but concentrate their time on the very top of the quick breaks. A typically scenario includes active walleyes holding deep during the day and moving up shallow to the top edge as the sun goes down and even spreading out across shallower flats. The top edge is a concentration point and a staging area for hungry eyes on a serious feeding mission.

Chasing the night run requires a variation in bait selection and is where shallower running baits like the Husky Jerks and Original Floating Rapalas come in. What remainsthe same is size and includes #12’s and 14’s in the Husky Jerks and #18 in the Floating Rapalas.

Trolling speed is another key to nailing fall hawgs and slow may be the first thing to come to mind but is not always the case. Early in the fall period water temperatures are still warm enough to allow for a quicker pace, like up to 2 ½ to 3 ½ mph. Those are speeds that my 250hp Direct Injection Evinrude main motor can easily handle, all which allows me to cover plenty of potential hawg holding ground. Later in the season when things really cool off you may have to slow it way down to still get hit, or even pick up the rigging or jigging rod, but not now. Now is the time for big baits, plenty of speed, and a few fall hawgs.


http://www.walleyecentral.com/mods/articles/?a=591

:)

[chopiq]

Good article Ray. Hey I see your buddy Lucky is on the IL web page again advertising crappie trips. Good to see him back. Any word on the crappies yet at Geronimoes?

[Links r Us]

Originally posted by chopiq
Good article Ray. Hey I see your buddy Lucky is on the IL web page again advertising crappie trips. Good to see him back. Any word on the crappies yet at Geronimoes?

Hey, How about that :) cuz I only ran into Lucky out on the lake one time this whole soft-water season & I'm out about every weekday and a few weekends... maybe he has been hidin' under dream @ nite this summer...

I only chase Crappie in the spring & Web n' his friends get into fishin' the Bull Gills in the fall, so I haven't heard anything ... if I do I'll post ...

-usually the sUMo-size slab crappie bite for no#s is in front of the trap @ NF, but they can be caught alot of places, seen some nice size slab catches over along Pony/Long Isle W-channel last fall too...the state cleaned alot of logs n' cover from the backside of the E-channel/Long-side behind the fill-island this summer back by the hole...

later Gator --

[CritterGitter]

Went out to Alum today with my uncle and we only managed 3 keeper eyes. It was a breezy post cold front clashin with Ivan kind of afternoon and evening so the fish were a little scattered. The ones we caught were nice ones and did hit agresively. Surface water temp was at 71 degrees. Things should get much better soon.

Also, lots of nice crappies being taken at Hoover, but lately no big saugeyes. At least he and I haven't hit them there recently?

CG

[Links r Us]

I took a hayfever pill & went out trollin' on cloudy Monday & Tuesday afternoons ... I could not find them on the riprap or close in yet, but both days were a Easterly breeze so I strag trolled the deep water baitballs that had marks & picked up a culled limit of eater size 17-17.5"ers for the old folks winter larder --

-scattered Eyes n' slow pickin's, but they should be movin' in tight soon, if not already, as I haven't checked since Tuesday .. had 49 degrees up here on the mountain last nite...

[CritterGitter]

Rumor has that the fall bite is heating up. The guys boated a couple tickets the other day at local hotspot & had a nice mess of 19inchers! The key is to focus on the "fall" pattern!

CG

[nofish]

CritterGitter, your talking about the 'fall pattern' and Links, your talking about 'moving in tight' (to shoreline ?). I have always read the fall pattern to be 'steep and deep' as described in the article Links put up on Sep 9. The shoreline @ IL doesn't seem very steep or deep to me. Any insights about fall patterns you local Ohio pro's would be willing to share with a novice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
nofish

[CritterGitter]

Well, first of all, I am no pro. I just fish a lot. Not sure about ole Ray. He seems to catch his share. Anyway, I'll give you three keys to success for fall saugeye. Rocks, bait and darkness! There you have it. Now, go on out and git some of them bigguns! Fall is definately trophy time cept ole Misfit got him one during summer, but he is a good fisherman too.

CG

[Links r Us]

nofish ... I bet you read a walleye article, these saugeye act a lil' more like L-Bass at times when they go shallow to feed & then soak their heads in deeper water when inactive, Yes uptight means along the shore-line & in streams/channels/basins here on IL ...

later Gator --

PS .. here's part of a e' I sent to a fishin; bud this afternoon:

It's just about drive the truck season to hit the best spots around IL for keepers, except for the smelt holes for dink no#s. Lookin' forward to the nites they decide to move into my channel, if like past years!!! :-)

[CritterGitter]

What's the word guys? I haven't had a chance to get out lately. It should be heating up especially the night bite with shad raps, rogues, and husky jerks. I would think IL channels would produce now, Alum flats and points, and there some low head dams in the rivers that are real hot spots. For those that don't hunt now is the time to catch a trophy saugeye!

CG

[CritterGitter]

Also, I heard a rumor that a guy caught a 6 lb'r below O'Shaunessy about 2 weeks ago, but I don't know if that is true or not. It might be worth a look.

CG