11/09/13 Beaver Lake Fising Report

[J-Doc]

Location: Prairie Creek to South of Beaver Shores

Water Temp: around 61-62

Water Clarity: (+/-) 2ft

Today was opening modern gun season. After a brief attempt at deer hunting (annoying story, won't go into details) I hit the water by 8:30. I initially went looking for fish and told myself, "don't wet a line unless you find something on the graph that tells you what the potential pattern is". So I hit up 7 different locations around Prairie Creek. Hardly a fish on the graph and if I did see anything, it was generally around 40-50ft!!! It wasn't but 2-3 weeks ago the nominal depth range was 18-22ft. This cold water temp drop from 70 to 60 and all of the crazy up and down air temps has the fish scattered and in a funk. I spoke with some locals later in the afternoon after a club tournament. Winning weight was about 10lbs and bites were really hard to come by.

Baits used:

- Primarily the a-rig

- Rattle-trap

- Squarebill

- Buzzbait

- Jig (briefly)

- Finesse worm (also briefly)

- Jigging spoon

- Trolled Flicker shads of various sizes to meet target depth

I know..........I should have tried several others like a jerkbait and dropshot more. Didn't see the point in dropshot unless there were fish on the graph. I only found one good opportunity to dropshot. No takers.

Here's what I found:

- Fish are scattered

- If you find fish, they are grouped tight together and in places you would not normally look

- Bait...........................where the heck did they go?????? They went deep and open water. That's where.

- Found a massive bait ball directly over the main river channel in 100ft suspeneded around 40ft range with possible stripers and hybrids below the bait ball. (I stayed on them for .5hr with a jigging spoon. Not even a missed bite. They only wanted what they were feeding on and nothing else)

- Main channels of coves, that's where I found fish. Suspended in the trees.

- I beat the banks with the a-rig and a volley of shad imitating baits and did not get a single bite all day.

This is the second trip where I have "zerod". I'm not used to that nor do I like it. I'm going to change things up big time next trip. I'm either going to the dam or way up river.

Here are a few cool screenshots I picked up today. For anyone not believing fish are deep or suspended.....here's your proof.

I was nice enough to provide my interpretations of the screenshots too. (you're welcome)

Notice the fish nested in the trees and the depth they are showing up

Same here...

Oh, and this is just off of the marina at Prarie Creek! With all of the fish being turned loose at the ramp......I'd focus on that area if I had to do it all over again. There are a good number of fish there scattered about in open water (not on the bank). Break out the jigging spoon or drop shot!

[zarraspook]

Not that I didn't believe your story but, the pictures are GREAT !!!!

I would have not thought to look that deep until the end of the month...

THANKS

[J-Doc]

Oh and here's a little motor related tid-bit for you.

I've been using Yamaha Ring Free fuel additive for about 12-18gallons worth of fuel now. My motor is just a bit on the cold side temperature wise. Combine that with trolling and it can gum up your piston rings. The Ring Free additive has made a noticable difference. Compression came back up 5psi on all 4 cylinders. I also add Royal Purple Max Clean to help keep deposits and carbon build up to a min.. I have gained 100rpm by using the combination of the two and gained 2mph. Hey.........when your little boat runs 38 normally and now runs 40 easy......it's noticable.

Just thought I'd pass along this for others in case they wanted to keep their outboard clean. Seems like the motor runs stronger, harder, and all the way around better.

[J-Doc]

Not that I didn't believe your story but, the pictures are GREAT !!!!

I would have not thought to look that deep until the end of the month...

THANKS

Yeah, it was a big shock for me too. I was really put off that the fish have gone so deep so fast! I mean it's only 62 degrees?

I guess when you consider the fish stayed deep mostly all summer within 20-35ft (at least on open water areas) so it's not too much of a stretch to see them run down to 40 & 50. I bet it's darker than anything at that depth with only 2ft visibility at the surface. The rascals sure didn't want my jigging spoon either.

Next trip out, I'll have on a few more spoons in various sizes/color/flash and be more prepared and leave some rods at the house.

[Quillback]

Fishing has been tough lately. We have that big cold front coming in next week, might get them going.

[J-Doc]

I should clarify by stating I found fish mostly deep (a lot deeper than I would expect for 62-63 degree water), this is not to say that ALL fish in the lake are deep. There are some that live shallow all year long. Right now, those fish are harder to find and sporatic in locations. Sometimes you can find fish grouped together tightly.

This report is also based on my findings at the Prairie Creek area, Coose, and just south of Beaver Shores. This doesn't mean that the upper end of the lake or lower end of the lake reflect the same results. Could be completely different.

My advise is...

• For bass: You have to have a great trolling motor and be prepared to cover a lot of water as fast as possible to find a reaction strike if you are hunting bass.
• For crappie: 1) Watch your graph and mark spots of potentential brush piles that are holding crappie and sneak back to them later with the trolling motor if less than 20ft. 2) trolling doesn't seem to be an option right now if fish are too deep unless you have downriggers 3) Be prepared to use jigging spoons
• Catfish: I have not clue! LOL
• Walleye: Those suckers got sucked up by alien ships and cannot be found anywhere. I spoke to several people that have the same opinion, they just disappeared. I suspect they have gone back towards Rocky Branch or Cliffty and will be found in open water on ledges in 40-50ft if I had to guess. The one's that didn't get alien-napped anyway! LOL
• Whites: I'm pretty sure they are suspended just below large moving bait schools in deep open water. Like the main channel open water up to 100ft deep. Drive slow and watch your graph. You may find a jackpot. Getting them to bite a spoon is a bit more difficult. Better try multiple spoon combinations/colors/techniques.
• Stripers: You're reading the wrong post. I don't have a clue. This is my first year where I'm wanting to catch a striper so I know little. I do know I saw several striper boats in open water looking for suspended bait with lurking stripers below. Open water as in the places most of us are driving at WOT and not watching a graph.

Hope this helps someone. I'd go again today and give it another try but I was out all day yesterday. I'm staying home and consuming as much hot coffee as humanly possible and resting. :-)

[J-Doc]

Fishing has been tough lately. We have that big cold front coming in next week, might get them going.

I keep hearing that the crappie bite and such should be dynamite this time of year in Nov/Dec. I sure hope so. I'm ready to learn some more techniques and catch some slabs. Yell at me if you want to go out with me. Be glad to take you!

[kjackson]

Nice report; thanks.

[LarryC]

I got to fish in that area last night for a couple of hours. Drug an umbrella around the islands trying for stripers. No bites but I didn’t expect any as I didn’t see much bait. Gave up on that idea and tried for walleye. They are alive and well in Coose but only 17” long.

[J-Doc]

Well glad someone found some. I admit, i didn't check Coose thoroughly. I went into the cove on the right and tried to see if bait & fish were in the back of creeks yet. I suspected secondary points and that is the case for the most part but most of the fish on secondary points I found were still deep. They may have pulled up some today but yesterday the bite was slow and fish were pulled back to deeper levels.