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| Anyone ever have a "super hot spot" that went dry do to conditions and fishing presure.
Does fishing presure really move those fish to another location, or dont they like my selection of baits anymore.
I have one spot on one lake that I have caught at least 50 muskies off of it over the years, yesterday...notta!!!! |
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| Great topic Jason. Some of it was touched on in the latest Esox Angler in an article by Dick/Doug/Jack.
I have had this same thing happen on a few different spots on several different lakes. I think you hit the nail on the head. Too much pressure, and/or the fish get caught and move away. One particular spot comes to mind on West Okoboji where we had seen a big girl numerous times over the course of a several years, and have even hooked her once or twice. The spot is still on my milkrun, but I haven't seen her since the 2000 season. Come to think of it, I haven't seen any muskies on that spot since the 2000 season. The point is marked on the Hot Spots map, and most of the regulars hit it on their milkrun too.
I guess the way I see it, if its a good spot, then its only a matter of time before more fish move in. Might as well give it a quick once-over every time out. Its bound to happen sooner or later. |
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| Yeah, I have a spot like that, but it was due to flooding this year that the area silted in and there is a sand bar where there used to be 3 feet of water, and hungry muskies on summer evenings. There are still fish in the area, but it is not the same anymore, and the pressure is worse than ever, so I've pretty much given up on it now. |
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| I fish a 300 acre lake that was great fishing for a number of years and had little pressure. The word got out and pressure has increased over the past 2-3 years... The fishing has steadily declined.
I can account for about a dozen fish that were killed that I know of but don't know what the overall effect of that was other than 12 less fish. This lake does not support good natural reproduction and the DNR has stopped stocking it [:blackeye:]
Not sure on widespread basis but the increased pressure on the whole resource can't be good for it and I do believe fish will stop using an area if there is enough negative feedback to push them away.
Mark
Musky Adventures
Eau Claire, WI |
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| I have a spot that was great untill someone fluke a big fish on it and had his ugly face posted all over the world. This spot has gone down the sewer in under 2 years. [:((] I actualy had it to myself for so many years and caught multiple big fish off it every year. I still catch fish there but not many and certainly less big ones.
I have yet a few other spots that still score big time for me, one of wich I scored my 4th pig of the year on it last Saturday night.[:p] |
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| This is an interesting question. Jason Schillinger points out a real problem with dynamic fisheries, rivers probably being the most dynamic of all, and that is that conditions can change to the extent that the whole physical character of the spot can change. Water levels can be up or down, weeds present or not and it can really make a heck of a difference as to fish use. Rusty crayfish hit anybodies pet lake? I'll be you've noticed some changes if that has happened. I fish several reservoirs north and south and the physical facts are that you may have a tremendous "lie" at one level and a nothing spot at another, and it may change back and forth during the season. One thing that really has stood out over time is that fish do seem to use contours as a positioning guide and as long as the contours remain the same they may use certain spots even with wide fluctuations in water levels, even to the point of making you scratch your head about it. I am guessing the lead ins are so strong in certain places that they just always draw fish.
Problem with natural lakes and more stable environments is that a hot spot this year that always has a big fish or two using it is probably a hot spot next year and the next and when people figure this out and start hammering it, even though fish usage remains high, the increased interactions either remove them, cause them to flee or move off, or the fish population might become dominated by a few less active individuals or by individuals who for one reason or another do not respond to most presentations, ie. something as simple as a couple fish moving onto a spot that tend to take roving perch at first light as a feeding strategy rather than those that are targeting walleye, sucker, bullhead, and crappie movements at dark, or possibly a "big meal" feeder. Any spot that is physically stable and has produced multiple fish over the years would have to be regarded as still attractive to the fish, there is just something else going on. Regardless of former recent activity or lack thereof at my old reliables I still am going to go there when that front is moving in because good is probably still good |
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| Dynamic changes in the lake chemistry and stucture may be a good reason. I know Pewaukee has had many changes over the years after they put city sewer around the lake. Its much cleaner and there are weeds were there were not weeds before. |
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