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| I have a real hard time fishing a hometown lake in the summer. The visablity is a foot or less with a bad clay stain. I have never boated a fish from the lake in the summer. [:((] I've had excellent succsess in the spring and the fall, when the water clears up. Most of the fisherman troll the deeper water thru the summer, but I'd much rather cast. The lake sets up a thermocline at 16ft and I've tried fishing the top sixteen feet of the water column with no succsess. The lakes weedline is about 3ft deep and all the weeds are brown (look like there dying) and there is only 3 fallen trees and no rock piles. What structure would you concentrate on? And what lure type would you throw?
Thank You,
esox-anator |
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| Look for any type of structure available if you only have three trees. Look for docks, boat lifts, pontoons, etc. This is great structure and muskies could care less if they are under a pontoon or a tree.
If the water is very cloudy, try single blade spinnerbaits way back in the slop and in the man made structure. Squirrly burts make lots of noise and are great in the slop. Topwater buzzbaits are another good choice, talk to your local bass boys and they will tell you if they are getting snipped off or not.
[:sun:] |
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| Usually clay stained water is close to shore with a distict break into clearer water. If this is the case try fishing near the spots that you would usually fish but try casting parallel to the dirty/clear water break. I'm guessing that if this dirty water is most prevelant in the summer it's due to wave action created by pleasure boaters. Does the water clear up at all during low traffic times? If so, try fishing at those times. Also, if any homeowner/marinas have done any type of shore improvements, ie. rip rap, the water should be a little clearer there. Alot of the Southern Res' have clay banks. If you are fishing a lake like this the guys out trolling may be doing so because they are chasing the schools of shad. If this is the case I would suggest giving trolling a try. You could troll while keeping a close eye on your depthfinder and then casting around the schools of shad that you locate. |
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| The problem with the lake is that it's only 700 acres and located in a state park, so there is only one boat launch, and thats the extent of manmade structure. It's got two nice points were I get most of the follows. The contour of the lake is similar to a soup bowl. The slop areas are extremly shallow and almost impossible to fish. The entire lake has the clay stain with the bay areas having a visiblity of 0, mostly from all the carp.
Just adding a little mor info.
Thanks,
esox-anator |
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| Sorry anonymous,
I didn't know that you were the only one on the board with an opinon on clay stained water. I just wanted some other anglers insight also. You were very direct with your first post. Thats why I didn'y reply to your first post, and I'd like to see what others thought. But thank you for your response. |
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| I am going to the lake you mention sunday. Jakes in firetiger, spinners in orange blade/black body.
Use your stained water collection of lures.
email me [email protected] |
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| anonymous,
I'm sorry for the rude reply, clearly I have take you the wrong way. I'm just a little frustrated not boating a fish from the lake in 1 1/2 months. I just wanted to know what everyone thought and how they'd go about fishing it. I have to say that it's the hardest lake I've ever fished. I even have a hard time catching bass and crappies in the summer from it. Thank god for St. Clair where all fish are always eager to bite.
How do you guy know what lake I speaking of? And whats the lakes name? I don't remember posting the lakes name.
Sorry anonymous!
esox-anator |
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| Esox- there is only one lake that I know of with Musky that has 1.)Clay stained water to the extent you mention 2.)No manmade structure 3.)And lies within a state park. I believe you are talking about Hudson Lake.
And yes, it is a son-of-a gun to fish. But it sure is nice and quite out there. I am from Whitmore Lake so I get out to Hudson five or six times a year. I am going out this Sunday. email me if want to talk about musky holes. [email protected] |
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| Click,
Thats it! I'll be heading out Sat. I'll keep you posted. Have you ever been to Beleville Lake? In 98 they started stocking it with northern stain. I've been out there twice bass fishing and my partner missed a musky the first time out and I missed one the second time. Both on bass baits. I hear the lake may have been stocked once in 97 but I can't get no more info on it. The one I missed blew up at boat side on a jitterbug, and it appeared to be between 35"-40", and thats the only reason I can see some truth to the 97 stocking. If you can find anything out let me know.
Thanks for the advice!
esox-anator |
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| Esox, no I have not been out to belleville in the last 10 years, which is a shame because I work within 5 miles of it.
One of these days I will bring my boat to work and head out afterwards.
I too have been watching the DNR stocking reports and noticed that they have been stocking it.
Good luck saturday. |
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| Went to Hundson today and did pretty good. Had 3 follows and 2 strikes. Missed one and caught the other. I didn't measure but it was about 35". The fish was in bad shape, the left side of its mouth was all tore up and just barly hanging on. I hooked him on the other side and didn't want to grab him cause I thought I'd rip his jaw off. Thats why I didn't get to measure him. I figured I'd release him in the water. He was a nice fat fish! All the folows came on an orange mepps bucktail with orange willow blade. The one I missed, and caught came on 6" jake in firetiger. THANKS FOR THE TIPS GUYS. Good Luck! |
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| Esox, I bombed out on Hudson today. Went with three of my boys. I was on the water by 6:30 AM, and off by noon. Nothing! Oh well , thats way it goes sometimes. Glad to hear you did well. It seems hard to keep up a positive fishing attitude in that murky water, but there are definetly some big ones in there. Till next time! |
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Clay stained water