[fishslim]

In my head I can go to any lake stocked with saugeye and shad and catch them with stickbaits at night, especially during certain times of years.
I have been exchanging reports/notes with a couple guys that fish for saugeye in Colorado.
They are fishing DEEP lakes. Like us they look for current. But like us there not always found in the current. And there looking for shallow feeding shelfs and funnel areas. There getting to a point we're they don't have slot of open water to fish. And have been using some of the same dead stick techniques discussed in this thread after I told about tuning stickbaits to make them suspend on the pause or what ever you want them to do depending on the mood of the fish. These two guys have always used stick baits but have never really dead sticked with them. They more just steady reel with a quick pause most of the time. They have been very impressed with the results....
They also use alot of bigger J5 sized swimbaits with bass style underspin jigs. It's been very fun and very educational exchanging notes with them. I have learned from them and they have learned from me.
I'm trying to arrange a Colorado family vacation next fall (my family has always wanted to go there anyways). I'd we do,I will be linking up with these guys and see how they do it first hand. From what I can tell it's not a numbers game. And more of a big fish game. They might get 3 or 4 bites a night. But there usually pigs.

We might be talking to same guys out there. Lol I have also enjoyed the conversations that are from other areas.
Iowa,Nebraska i go back an forth with guys as well. It is enjoyable to interchange things that work here for us and out there for them.
They are about to ice up in Colorado but last week they are popping dandy Saugeye and Walleye.

 

[fishslim]

Wondering...do any of you use Scent on swim baits?

Big Joshy have shad scent in them. But I also like messing with other scents. Lure Lipstick saugeye sauce and walleye I use alot add it to my jerkbaits as well.

When I color swims I use the Spike It Markers they have some glow in them and scent Gamefish or Garlic.
I can tell you this a Silktruese with red marker Spike It is crazy good the scent maker does not hurt it thats for sure

 

[fishslim]

Wednesday evening just before dark till 8 or so shallow lake was on fire.

Stuck with Smithwicks mostly did hit some on 3.25 Big Joshy Slims Harvest.
Conditions were partly cloudy to cloudy. Rain passed thru earlier with Swest winds.
Water stainded clarity 1 foot

Wanted stickbait pull down towards bottom. Then a wrist roll pause 2 to3 seconds reel 3 or 4 cranks. then pause quick and give it wrist roll then longer pause.
Hitting mostly on pause but you knew it. That was before dark.

After Dark. Moon was in an out Clouds
Pull Jerk a foot under surface. Give it a twitch and pause 5 to 8 seconds repeat.
Midway thru pause or right as you twitch it gentle tick or line got heavy. SET THE HOOK!

Hit 35 plus keeper size 11 throw backs up till rain started again. They were munching.
Largest 2- 22.75" an 21.50" (went back in lake)
Lots of 18 to 20" girls in mix.

Rain hit hard and shut it down.
Left and stopped at a locals house
Gave him the 6 and talked under his covered boat dock till weather settled.

Never fished his dock. Hmmmm lighted every night and as Rain calmed saw shad in water. 3rd cast with stick 18" he just looked an shook his head.

Well another new dock area to now fish. Lol left there stopped at 3 spots quickly to see if bite came back after rain. Yes it did but a jerkbait would not get touched. Fished jerk 15 casts nothing throw swim Bam 2 in 3 casts steady reeled.
Same at other 2 stops with 3rd having really nice females in 2 foot water just crushing the Big Joshy. Not another bite in a jerkbait.
Left 10:45 p.m.

So if what was hot stops working and weather conditions change on you. Don't be bullheaded and not change up the pace and action of another style bait. Could mean the difference of a good night or really bad one.
Tight lines

@smithwick_lures
@bigjoshyswimbaits

 

[TClark]

Awesome report and thanks so much Troy!! definitely gonna add scents to my arsenal.

We did well at Mosquito a couple years in a row on Walleye. WOW I'll bet Big Joshy's would work on them as well.
We caught all ours on F11 Rapala in perch color.

This pic 3 of us caught 18 in 2 hours.

I have no trouble catching walleyes. Saugeye is a whole other animal for me for some reason. They are frustrating for sure!

 

[Gottagofishn]

Looks tasty! Way to keep after ‘em.

 

[1basshunter]

Fished buckeye tonight. Nobody was catching. Not normal for this time of year. This is what I do not understand. If your dead sticking a crank bait and the fish hit on the long pause how can they not get hooked well on a bait that is not moving with three treble hooks. Had three legal fish come off at my feet. Frustrating. This is my third trip in the last week. It has been dead.

It been on fire at buckeye!!!! Make a move like saugeyefisher said there is a lot of Unexplored spots to be discovered since the rebuilding of the dam. The usual spot will still produce I think it is better off to move off and find new honey holes....... or you can stay at the same old place’s and hope for the best!!!!!

 

[TClark]

Wish I lived closer to Buckeye, Alum and Indian. Awesome fisheries for sure!!

 

[Karl Wolf]

Wish I lived closer to Buckeye, Alum and Indian. Awesome fisheries for sure!!

You're telling me! Indian is over a 2 hour drive for me from Akron so I've never fished it.
Thinking next year ima need to make a 3 days camping trip out of it.

 

[Flathead76]

It been on fire at buckeye!!!! Make a move like saugeyefisher said there is a lot of Unexplored spots to be discovered since the rebuilding of the dam. The usual spot will still produce I think it is better off to move off and find new honey holes....... or you can stay at the same old place’s and hope for the best!!!!!

It’s almost an hour and a half drive just to get there. I don not make the trip often. I was fishing the north shore where I have caught fish in the past.

 

[Southernsaug]

Don't be bullheaded and not change up the pace and action of another style bait. Could mean the difference of a good night or really bad one.

Come on man, you seriously don't know any fisherman like this, do you? Especially not on OGF! We're all the most open minded professionals, you know the 10 percenters.

Just having some fun with sarcasm, don't get your pamties in a bunch....we all know we have our moments of bullheadedness

If I wasn't so lazy and bullheaded I'd drive a couple hours to one of these fall lakes for some shallow water fun. Around here all you'll get is a sore arm from casting. Late fall shallow water casting on both paint creek and Rocky fork is usually pretty fruitless. Several years ago it was hot for a couple years then poof, no more fall bite. Now it's deep water jigging mostly. MOst days will find me on the streams, both Paint Creek and Rocky Fork, in the fall. Fishing deep water holes out of my jon boat. I just don't think the population is that dense in my two home lakes. You all are lucky to have the gems of Alum and Buckeye close by, they are definitely high producers. You can't catch fish that aren't there. I may have to work harder, but I still get plenty of fish and have a lot of fun. I am lucky I have access to a lot of private posted land for creek acccess, one of the charms of being a local and living in a community all your life. Doesn't hurt that family owns access to miles of stream, too. Back on topic, I never tried dead sticking until I read this thread, it works in the creeks too.

 

[Saugeyefisher]

A couple guys I follow actually do quite well on paintcreek at night in the fall an early winter with stickbaits an swims from the bank. And several of the lakes in southeast Ohio give up straight pigs this time of year. It's not just the central Ohio lakes that produce this time of yr.

 

[Ronny]

You're telling me! Indian is over a 2 hour drive for me from Akron so I've never fished it.
Thinking next year ima need to make a 3 days camping trip out of it.

Mosquito is 2.5 for me but if you have ice, a guys gotta sacrifice.
Indian and buckeye are definitely the easiest to catch due to their shallow depth. Alum is probably harder than Tappan, Seneca, Atwood, Piedmont and Clendening. You guys have good lakes over there. Just not as good as Indian.

 

[HappySnag]

you have to find fish to catch fish,the curent position the bait and the fish falow the bufet.
Lake erie has highest population eyes now and shore fisherman are strugling ,i should have 50 fish by now and i have 2 eyes.plenty people fishing but no one is geting them from catawba to mentor.
you can write dairy but it can change every year.

 

[BrandonMiller526]

Indian is an hour away from me, and I’ve gone 32 times this year😂😂

 

[TClark]

Skeeter is 2 hour drive for me but it's so worth it when you KNOW you have a shot at a limit of walleye or crappie. Bass and Pike too.

I so agree, you can't catch em when you ain't where they ARE. I have yet to get a limit of saugeye...in a whole year of fishing for em....ever. They are a frustrating fish to fish for, but so delicious!!

 

[Southernsaug]

A couple guys I follow actually do quite well on paintcreek at night in the fall an early winter with stickbaits an swims from the bank.

I have heard those same claims, but I sure haven't hit them and I never see anyone casting the shoreline. They must be in the upper part of the lake. Of course I don't commit a lot of time to it. I have caught a few but mostly dinks. It's hard for me to devote the time when I'm hitting them other places. Yeah, do get some pigs. No real pigs this fall yet but several in the 4-5 pound range. Usually get at least a couple 6+. This year has been kind of off for me, I think I only have two 6lbs or over, but have caught a ton of 19-23 inchers.

Deleted the last statement, I never meant to offend anyone

 

[Saugeyefisher]

They commit ALOT of time to it. And it has paid off for them. They don't post reports on here or any social media. They just go out an catch fish. One guy is a friend of the family. The other is his friend. They are there to be had.

 

[Saugeyefisher]

I have heard those same claims, but I sure haven't hit them and I never see anyone casting the shoreline. They must be in the upper part of the lake. Of course I don't commit a lot of time to it. I have caught a few but mostly dinks. It's hard for me to devote the time when I'm hitting them other places. Yeah, do get some pigs. No real pigs this fall yet but several in the 4-5 pound range. Usually get at least a couple 6+. This year has been kind of off for me, I think I only have two 6lbs or over, but have caught a ton of 19-23 inchers.

Deleted the last statement, I never meant to offend anyone

No offense taken. It's been said before. It's hard to read intent on a message board.

 

[fishslim]

Last night one for the memory book the fat feast was on. Had a 40+ night.
Moon shining inbetween clouds.
Mild temperatures
Slight breeze to dead calm
Not many shad but gills and shore minnows all over.
Jerkbait bite was more aggressive movement with shorter pauses.
Were hitting early right ascyoy twitched it hard couple times.

After dark still agressive twitches but hits on pause5 to 10 seconds

Snithwick redhead clown and purple darter were best.
Water had minor color and fish were up off bottom.

Slim's Harvest was getting hit as well. Would rotate about every 10 cast. One slow down go to other and get bit

24.25" an 23" were best ones of night. Alot of 18 to 20"

After inital hot bite at dark I hit 5 other areas briefly and 3 of 5 had eyes waiting. Not a soul around those spots.
2 were very popular spots. 🤔
It was a special night for sure hope you were able to get out.
@bigjoshyswimbaits
@smithwick_lures
@stcroixrods

 

[polebender]

Troy, If you need any pointers on catching less and smaller fish let me know! I can help you out!