Deep water eyes

[wally-eye]

Fished Fremont lake yesterday. Surface temps were anywhere from 81 to 88 depending on where you were on the lake. After exhausting all the usual spots I just took a break and was drifting across the lake eating a samwich and watching the graph. When I hit 48 fow I noticed a big pod of fish on the bottom that I assumed were perch. After a few more feet I noticed quite a few bigger blips that were hanging right around the bigger school. So I used the trolling motor and got back up wind and started jigging a 3/4 oz gold hopkins spoon. Didn't take long. Picked up 3 eyes from 48 to 56 fow TIGHT on the bottom. Only problem all 3 were sub legal, close but still sub legal.

First time I have gotten eyes that deep on purpose. I would assume that it was a touch cooler at that depth.......gives me ideas for the next time that I go to Fremont Lake.....

Anyone else ever really target eyes at depths over 40 feet and have any success?????????????

[schaaed1]

Wally-eye,

Sent you a PM.

Ed

[sfw1960]

I always knew Frmt. eYes went deep during the day - I'm not sure what kinda graph you have , but my old X70A marked them well... And the LMS332C does a better job nowadays.
I tried a few years ago to get 'em to go on my downrigger , but you know how the bottom is on that lake , Dan.....
In the winter I fish deep for them , but I seem to have better sucess day in - day out considerably shallower. Now you got me wanting to try the 'rigger again w/ a thunderstick ...of course I do have some nice sized sVedish Pimples too...
;)

Nice job on eXploring them out!
LMK how ya do next trip !
:D Robert :D

P.S. I sure am curious what Ed had to say....
:lol:

[wally-eye]

I'd tell ya but then I would have to kill ya.........:lol:


Basically talking about spots in the lake and different GPS readings and wanting to go fishin sometime....

I ain't seen you out there the last 2 times I was there. I'm still waiting for you to show me them Croton Eyes............................cus I ain't never been there.:yikes:

[sfw1960]

Well Dan,
Go ahead & kill me!! I'm dyin' to know anyways!!
:yikes:
I was planning to take a jet up to Hardy dam from Croton , but you got me all twitchy over these deep divers here...
BESIDES!!
You're the one who's retired!! I hate fishing busy places on weekends & do NOT have an endless supply of VaCation days to burn!!
;)
Last Sat. the Gills were suicidal , so when in Rome......
:rant:
I forgot about the eyes , it's all about the KoRnMeal!!
:lol:

I'm even working next week with our maint. dept - since our shop is having the annual 4th shutdown... now you are making me want to blow off some time next week!!!!!!!!!

Robert

[schaaed1]

..of course I do have some nice sized sVedish Pimples too...
:D Robert :D

P.S. I sure am curious what Ed had to say....


Hmmm .... sVedish pimple?? :idea: Maybe I could break out my Ice rods, Vex and the jigging raps and jig right down the sides of some of those drop offs.

Actually, last winter I was convinced that those fish had gone deep, deep, deep. I never did find them though ... need to get me a quad. I have never fished the lake during soft water season.



Ed

[wally-eye]

Ed:

Quad? I think that ol Gibby guy has one that he never uses. Hell, we could go git it this winter and he probably wouldn't even miss it.........at least we probably could get a ways down the road before he misses it......then he'd be too tired to chase us anymore.........:lol: :lol:

Ed: Sorry about ranting on the pm. You were the first one I got to gripe on. I'm usually not like that..........

Deep eyes right after the holiday.............................:yikes:

[schaaed1]

Yup, Gibby has a quad. We have used it a couple of times. Think on Muskegon lake. Now that you mention it, I know right where that quad is :evil: But it is his hat that I really want!! Hmmm ... have not heard from him in a couple months, think I'll have to drop him a note tonight as well.

As far as the rant ... NO PROBLEM!! Was going to pm you back, just did not get to it yet.

The more I think about those Jiggin Raps, the more I like the idea!! Have to be a pretty calm day, but why wouldn't it work (provided the fish are there). Ane you wouldn't have to worry about those front & rear hooks gettin caught on the ice!

Will be in Manistee on Sat, then Petoskey next week. Maybe we can hook up the following week.

Ed

[Westlakedrive]

Just out of curiousity. Was it windy that day? And if so was the wind coming from the opposite side of where you were. For instance if you were on the SE side was the wind coming from the NW.
That lake is very fertile. The dissolved O2 would likely be low at that depth unless there was a wind to stir things up and push the termocline down by creating a reverse current.
Walleye actually prefer a similar temperature to perch so you could very likely find them in similar places.
There have been a ton of boats on the lake with the warm weather thats for sure.
Oxygen is replenished by plants when they get sunlight and sunlight does not penetrate that far down in that lake. In addition oxygen is used up quicker at night and quicker in fertile lakes. Therefore I would not expect them to get any deeper as the days get shorter and also would expect them to be somewhat succeptible to wind direction. Just my two cents.
Any type of jig should work.
I read it can take 4-7 years for a Walleye to reach 2 lbs.
And with respect to the food chain it would take 20lbs of smaller gamefish consuming 200lbs of baitfish consuming 2000 lbs of zooplankton consuming 20000 lbs of phytoplankton. Food for thought.

[wally-eye]

Dang it Westlakedrive. I thought that you just went out with your boat and dropped a line in the water and if a fishy was there you caught em. I didn't think that you needed a PHD to catch em. Tooo much knowledge can be scary at times.

Actually when I caught the eyes the wind was almost dead calm. I think if I would have taken some more time and went just a tad shallower (30 instead of 50) I would have found more. I know that day they weren't real shallow.

After the holiday is over I'm going to do some more jigging in some unusual areas on the lake that I usually don't fish......might find the mother lode.......

[Westlakedrive]

Also walleye love perch so they may have been there feeding on them. Maybe thats why you didnt catch any big ones they were already full!

[The Whale]

:D.....and another "Walleye In-Sider" magazine reader tips his hand ! :D :fish2:

[Westlakedrive]

Actually do read about fishing a bit. No magazines though.
If you work more than you fish, but you might have downtime at work..
why not read about fishing:lol:

[sfw1960]

I went out Saturday morn' about 6AM to Freekmont and before I gave up on the d@mn eYes :bash: I tried a pimple & ended up losing one jiggin rap on a log in about 8-9 fow , (I could reach the rod tip to it , but could NOT dislodge it) I was getting ATTACKED by the yellow bellies... as usual 5 inchers by the thousands! I managed to sort & keep 33 of them (7"-8 1/2") for a meal but the larger gamefish were suspending @ around 25' & I didn't get any whacks on the deeper water. I did not see anything way down there and the perch were in about 8-10 fow and SUSPENDING. Water temp was about 77°.
I have a feeling the eYes were back up into the veggies & rooted down.

:D Robert :D

[wally-eye]

Good job on the perch Robert. I know theres some big ones to be had if the conditions are right, over the deeper water.

I am planning a trip there probably on either Wed. or Thur. evening. Hopefully
"weed" out a few eyes. Also planning on going up to Hodenpyle Dam Pond some time this week. Haven't been there since hard water. Usually good for a few eyes. Kind of a drive but I got the time.

Good luck fishin.

Dan

[sfw1960]

Great!
Let me know how it goes this week...
BOTH places!
I have a good buddy that lives in Brethern - and I almost called him to see how it's going on Portage - he usually puts the sMaKDoWN on the eYes there...
:yikes:
I'll be lurkin' & listenin'.....
:rant:

:D Robert :D

[schaaed1]

Nice job on the perch Robert. It is hard to believe the number of little ones in there ... it seams like there is no end to them.

Let us know how you make out wally-eye. I'm still up in Petoskey on vacation. Thinkiing about slipping back down to Manistee and put the smack on some more salmon. We had a great day out of there on Sat.

Ed

[sfw1960]

You're right !

It's downright
UNBELIEVABLE.

:yikes: I pulled into that cove near the old baitshop over on the SW end I stood up & saw probably somewhere between 3000 and 5000 perch around the boat! Of course the bigger ones were @ the bottom of the stack , so gettin a bait down fast was IMPORTANT!
Would you believe Gander has NO Jiggin Raps on the shelves?? UGH!
:bash:

You'd swear with the pure numbers of perch , that some of them would outrun the eYes & NoRtherEEnz ,and make it to 12" now & again... when I get a 9 or 10 incher - I get all giDDY!
:corkysm55
I know there's some better ones in there , but finding them on 780 acres of mostly DEEP water is a major task , given they CAN & DO suspend in the lake....Enjoy the rest of your VaCa Ed....


:D Robert :D

[wally-eye]

Dang it Robert, now you got me digging around in my hard water tackle boxes. Like I ain't got enough stuff to carry now. I know I got a few of the raps hanging around somewhere.

From what I remember Hesperia Sports Shop still had some raps hanging on the shelf, if you ever get over that way.

Got a Dr's. appt. in a minute and when I get home thinking about hitting Freekmont lake, probably be around 6pm or so when I get there, might make a night out of it....

[sfw1960]

Dan ,
I do have several dozen Jiggin' Raps & Nils Masters minnows - but I wanted to replace the lost one before I forgot....
I'm telling you I lost about a #5 Rap , but put a #2 on after I lost it- with an eYeBaLL on the treble , those perch were KILLING themselves... Too bad I couldn't get the eYes to dive onboard like the perch... I'll be waiting to hear from you - and it should be a good day to sPanK a few.....
Go git 'em.
I'm takin' Friday off , maybe there or Croton w/ my Wifey to collect supper.... :corkysm55
It does take confidence to vertical jig , and that's why so many people won't try it mid-summer!
I'm too dumb to know any better!!
:bash:


:D Robert :D