Point 5 Area Fishing

[nathanhooper]

Camped at LBS this weekend so I decided to fish the area around point 5. I have to say that I have never seen so many guide boats in my life. I really don't have a full report or anything to give unfortunately. I am still on my learning curve, about midway I think(can see the straight away up ahead), so I managed just one big hybrid. Did not weigh him, but he was under 10 for sure. I took my brother and BIL out the times we went, but as camping and fishing goes(especially with lots of children), we did not manage to get a whole lot of time in fishing. Mainly just Saturday morning, which is when I caught that one, and Sunday morning when neither one wanted to get up early and I finally made it out by myself.

The one I caught Saturday I found in a school. I was pulling my old indecisiveness trick again(think I have come to a good compromise on that) and I was set up for trolling. I did bring some live bait with me "just in case" I guess I thought because I did not pay much attention to the fact that I did not put a bubbler in the bucket for them. After trolling for a bit and not seeing much I decided to fish a spot someone told me about. Motored up and shut off the big motor before reaching it, put out the trolling motor and eased on up. My BIL had a small spinning setup and I handed him a live bait fish to put on and I had one pole set up myself for live bait so I put one on.

We eventually eased on up to the little point/hump and I started marking a lot of big arches and got excited. Then all of a sudden I saw the screen full of them and I quickly reeled up my bait which was dragging behind us and told my BIL to do the same and let them straight down over the side. No sooner had I said that when one just slammed my bait and the fight was on. I am still not sure what happened with his bait and all. He never got a fish from it and I think its that he did not get it down far enough. So after getting the fish in the boat and deciding to go ahead and set up some more rods, knowing that if I had my setup already we would have had a lot more than one in the boat...aggravation...I went to the bait bucket to grab some lively bait and they were playing possum.

So that kind of ended all of that real quick. Saw one of the biggest boils I had ever seen also. I have seen some where you'll see one or two every half second or so, kind of like the videos that have been posted here, but this one was beyond comparison. We had our backs to it, and a good ways off, when we heard this roar. Looked back to see a 50' radius or so that was covered in every square inch with fish on top. Had to have been hundreds of fish and only lasted maybe 15 seconds. This is the point when side scan sonar would have made all the difference. We tried looking for where they went, but did not know which way to look.

Needless to say, there is some good striper/hybrid activity going on around the area. I saw guide after guide, and a lot of other guys fishing it also. One interesting thing is I got to see one guide motor around looking for fish. He came in late morning and stopped at one spot for a moment, then motored over to another to have a look, then to another, and then to another before leaving. Got me to really thinking about things a lot. He was not the only one I have seen do it before. I am sure he has side scan, which lets him pick apart a lot more water than just traditional sonar, but got me to thinking that I should start being a little more active in locating fish rather than hoping for them.

I know that I am not always going to see large schools on my sonar, but I would think that finding a good number of them would prove better than not looking much at all. I've caught fish without seeing them on sonar before, but thinking back when I would catch a lot of whites or even walleye, I would always have a lot of indication on sonar. I also know that just seeing them does not equal catching, and that's where my other lightbulb has gone off. I have 4 main rods I use. In the past(up till yesterday, lol) I have had all 4 set up for either trolling or live bait. Now I am going to take 2 and leave them set up for trolling, and 2 for live bait. Sounds so simple when I say it, not sure why I have not done it up till this point. I know it does not take much to switch one out, but when your over a big school of fish like I was Saturday morning you sure do wish you didn't have to spend the time tying on different setups.

[zarraspook]

Nice report and welcome to the "search first-fish second" crowd.....

[nathanhooper]

Nice report and welcome to the "search first-fish second" crowd.....

Is it worth the effort? At what point do you determine there is sufficient evidence of fish in the area to fish it?

[Green236]

Good times! Nothing like pulling in a big hybrid.

[zarraspook]

I try 2-4 of baits I know work and if no takers I look for the next targets.... " just like slot machines-some pay and some don't".......

[Feathers and Fins]

At what point do you determine there is sufficient evidence of fish in the area to fish it?

When I call you and give you the info I did yesterday should be enough lol.... Info was simple when I see a group leave and come back 3 hours later with a limit of stripers I call that evidence. Point 5 apparently is the hot ticket right now.

[nathanhooper]

When I call you and give you the info I did yesterday should be enough lol.... Info was simple when I see a group leave and come back 3 hours later with a limit of stripers I call that evidence. Point 5 apparently is the hot ticket right now.

lol Yea, well I had written all of this way before your phone call. I deducted that the fish were there too little too late on Sunday. I say that, but really I figured it already, but not totally convinced till Sunday morning. But I learned a lot from the trip.

I guess I am wondering more on when you have not received any tips or anything like that. When things have been quiet, and you go out looking for fish, do you base a spot being worth fishing on catching some or can you base it on seeing certain things on sonar?

Seeing how I have not quite got the whole techniques of fishing down I am thinking I need more of a plan than I have had. I like the idea I have heard from some about trolling around till finding a decent spot and then picking that spot apart with other techniques. Some I have seen base that on catching fish, others on seeing fish on sonar.

This is strictly summer fishing I am talking about. Fish seem to be more predictable for me in the spring.

[Feathers and Fins]

to be truthful the best way of finding them on Beaver Lake is look for all the guide boats, that is the best clue as those guys are on them every day. If I was going out no knowledge I would simply look for them and then start fishing that zone giving the guides respect but fish the area.

[nathanhooper]

to be truthful the best way of finding them on Beaver Lake is look for all the guide boats, that is the best clue as those guys are on them every day. If I was going out no knowledge I would simply look for them and then start fishing that zone giving the guides respect but fish the area.

I figure that is the best thing also. It makes complete sense. That would only work with stripers/hybrids though. I would guess if you were chasing whites, walleye, or crappie you have to have another solution. Those species don't move around like the stripers/hybrids though do they? Not that I am after them right now, but I plan on it eventually. Trying to stick down a good over all approach to consistently coming home with fish, which ever it is I am trying for, without spending all my time in one area and having nothing to show for it. There are a few times when I just go out fishing for the heck of it, what ever bites is fine with me. But more often than not I am looking for something specific and for a good meal.

[Feathers and Fins]

The walleye, whites and crappie actually have very predictable seasonal areas you can get them year after year. When you learn them its pretty simple to catch them. This however is a weird year no reasoning to it. Typically 12 bridge is a dead zone from July to October but this year it has produced all year and a WTH moment is why are whites still in good numbers at point 12?

On years like this you take what the fish gods throw at you and scratch your head each day.