Swampmaster
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![[*]](./images/xpsilver/default_icon.gif) posted on 7/23/10 at 04:21 AM |
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Northerns!......It's the "Dog-Days" come early!!
Hey Folks, if you're looking for Northerns(and there's plenty of BIG ONES too), the rivers are the place to be, with the Johnson being numero uno
and the Snye, Bassett and Chimmy all running a close second to the wire!
Fish the shallower cattail edges, backwater bays/pockets and weedy outturns on bends.....they are seriously in there this week(and should stay) and
are crushing everything from topwater to tubes!
The heat wave and accompanying warm water are forcing them to cooler optimum, oxygenated temps.
Quality is good and there's bonus Smallies, Largemouth, BIG Perch and a few Walleyes and Muskies to keep things interesting........but far and away
the Northerns were very active in there this week!
All fish have upper and lower avoidance, plus optimum feeding and "at rest" temperature zones that they search out and follow, without fail......and
they're all different.....
Under these "heat wave conditions", knowing about upper avoidance and feeding temp zones for whatever you're fishing for can keep you from spending
a lot of time in dead water.....
You should also be aware that these zones will always have an accompanying current, however slight or strong it may be, and wind direction plus
velocity will dictate how that current sets up.....the good thing is that the lake...be it St.Clair, Erie or Huron...will almost always set up the
same way under the same conditions.....and the bad thing is that extended Easterlies will always break a dominate Westerlie pattern.....Lake Erie at
Erieau is a prime example of that in that Westerlies(SW-WSW is best) set up dominant current and thermocline patterns, hence the salmonids(steelhead,
coho's, chinooks, pinks and bait/smelt migrate there way towards the 'Eau in the lake's most dominant current and thermocline.....and then, any
moderate to strong Easterlies will break the pattern, possibly beyond "repair" depending on the time of year.
Very few Walleye's coming from the Eau'??.....Maybe there's too much top to bottom cold water current and it's a lower avoidance issue........
This heat has created upper temperature avoidance issues in some areas of Lake St.Clair and forced a lot of fish to the rivers, the outflows and their
cooler lake current patterns.....in some instances you will find surprisingly large numbers of fish in these cooler currents......a prime example is
the Johnson and the Snye and there accompanying river and lake currents
These are times that a surface temp indicator really pays off on St.Clair.....being able to identify even the slightest variation in surface temp of a current break or an upwelling can be the difference between a zero and
a hero in this heat wave!
BTW, Walleyes have gone to a VERY early morning and late evening/very low light level bite, plus a nice chop is nearly a must .....the baits are still the same...Erie Dearies, Split Shot Harnesses, Bottom
Bounced Float/Spin Drifter crawler rigs, Crank Baits off the boards.....just the focus has shifted to Prime Time which is low light levels with a chop
to break the surface tension!
The "Dog-Days" and heat waves can be very productive if you pay a little more attention to Mother Nature's rules of detail and do a little thinking
outside the box, no matter where you are fishing
"A government big enough to give you everything you want,
is strong enough to take everything you have." -Thomas Jefferson
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." - Benjamin
Franklin, 1759
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miko
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| posted on 7/23/10 at 04:55 AM |
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A lot of great advice there Dennis thanks for sharing with every one.
Fish for the right reasons not greed think of the future and take a kid fishing tonight. Cheers
Please feel free to visit www.muskiescanada.ca
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rascal49
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Location: Kingsville, ON.
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| posted on 7/23/10 at 03:23 PM |
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Excellant reminder of seasonal changes Dennis.
Remember, kids are the future of our sport. Teach them wisely and take them with you often.
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jackbquick
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Location: Windsor, ON
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Mood: itchin ta go fishin
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| posted on 7/23/10 at 03:53 PM |
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Swampmaster, all good stuff Boss. Thanks for taking the time.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
Albert Einstein - (1879 - 1955)
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bassndude
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Location: Leamington
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Mood: Feels the need for a good fish feed!
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| posted on 7/28/10 at 09:54 PM |
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tx hoss. good info to pocket away... do you need a walpole island to fish the rivers?
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