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

 

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.

 

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. [emoji6]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.

 

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

 

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..

 

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.

 

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..

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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?

 

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.

 

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

 

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 .

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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

 

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....

 

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

.

 

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!

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

Will hopping lipless cranks work same as blades?