So where the heck do they go ???

[Fish Chris]

So it's looking like my big Redears are just about done making babies, and now seem to be vacating the spawning areas.

 

But obviously, they are still in the lake > somewhere ! But where ??? The obvious answer for me would be "deeper".... but the water next to the spawning areas (in this lake anyway) just presents a very gradual taper for probably half way across the lake ! No structure of any kind, that I'm aware of.... and even if their were any, I'm not sure RE's would relate to this anyway ?

 

On the one hand, I would not expect to get any "record setting" RE's immediately into the post spawn.... but it would still be nice to get some 1 1/2 to 2 lb'ers for a dinner or two per week (I got spoiled on that).

 

So anyway, finding these things when they are not spawning is just like finding a needle in a hay stack :-( If anybody here has any answers.... or even just good suggestions, I'd greatly appreciate it.

 

Heck, my Stripers and Sturgeon won't be coming on for at least 8 or 10 more weeks.... And that's a long time to go without something yanking on your string ;-)

 

Thanks in advance,

Fish

 

PS, Oooooh ! And where might they be in the pre-spawn ??? Now that sounds like a good way to catch "record" size RE's ! {if they are anything like their Largemouthed cousins}

[Bill "Musky" Modica]

Find the sticky bottom near the basins pivot point......chuck spoons tipped with crawler chunks, and slowly drag the presentation. This works for me well after the spawn in Northern Illinois.

[Fish Chris]

Well thank you Bill....

 

But now I'm going to sound like a dummy here...

Sticky bottom ? The basins pivot point ? I'm sorry, but can you break those terms down just a little ?

 

Fish

[Bill "Musky" Modica]

The pivot point is where the main drop-off meets the basins edge....this is typically 12-20 feet deep....this area is known to concentrate silt, otherwise known as sticky bottom.