Summit

[Foosty]

Seasons greetings! Any ice forming on summit?

[satyr36]

when people say "summit" are yall referring to the lake in New Castle? ORRRR some hidden gem somewhere else?

Is This lake that good? Or usually just the first to freeze?

[Foosty]

when people say "summit" are yall referring to the lake in New Castle? ORRRR some hidden gem somewhere else?

Is This lake that good? Or usually just the first to freeze?

It's the closest big lake

[taxi1]

Used to be really really good for bluegills years ago. I think it's peaked out since but still fairly decent?

[wax_worm]

Used to be really really good for bluegills years ago. I think it's peaked out since but still fairly decent?

Once word spread to these guys, they put a hurting on it.

[satyr36]

alright - well is it the one in New Castle 

[saltwaterchangedme]

yes

[taxi1]

Once word spread to these guys, they put a hurting on it.

Well considering there is no limit on bluegills in Indiana...

But all fairness it's not limited to the bearded folks. I knew a guy and know a guy that were/are retired and harvest/harvested a few thousand a year and gave them all away. It was and is all for bragging rights. I hate to say it but one has passed away and we may see better bluegill fishing on some of the lakes he raped. The one still alive is his protégé.

I even remember a time or two keeping over 200 bluegills off the beds in Massachusetts where they're considered trash fish by many. After I filleted them into the wee ours of morning that was the last time I kept so many!

[Eye Fish]

Once word spread to these guys, they put a hurting on it.

I know some of those guys. A couple years ago a group of them caught 11 yes eleven 5 gallon buckets full in 1 day. They fished all day and they said they never stopped biting. Ridiculous!

[wax_worm]

Yep and you can bet they spread the word, and will be back with more next time, or bring boats in the spring to rape the beds.  They are famous for that.

[river_scum]

seen the same thing happen at sylvan lake, a couple years ago. we walked out on late nasty ice at jeanstrapons. there were two guys out there with fish all over the ice. i mean all over in a 50 yrd circle.  2 of them had two buckets full of crappie and gills when they got them picked up(at least the ones they did pick up!).  we thought to ourselves, "they have to be over the crappie limit" (2 guys-100 fish)!  before they started walking to shore, one took a sled over to the big island and got 2 more buckets full!!!!!  i guarantee they had well over a hundred crappies.  if you know sylvan, most that we were catching were only 9-10"fish.  we joked about being glad we weren't filleting all those.  its too bad there isnt more money to pay more wardens.

  hot bite talk has been around for ever, but with the internet it gets out of control fast!  what used to take weeks takes a day or two now.  

[taxi1]

I don't want to say anything negative about the INDNR as there are some great people working for them. But I was sure we were going to get a limit on bluegills this time around (the rules change proposals) and there seemed to be plenty of support for it. I even know people in the INDNR that would be for it.

But it just seemed to have disappeared off the radar.

Most states in our midwest area seem to have a limit on bluegills.

Michigan 25
Wisconsin 25
Illinois None except selected waters
Ohio None
Minnesota 20

[wax_worm]

I don't want to say anything negative about the INDNR as there are some great people working for them. But I was sure we were going to get a limit on bluegills this time around (the rules change proposals) and there seemed to be plenty of support for it. I even know people in the INDNR that would be for it.

But it just seemed to have disappeared off the radar.

Most states in our midwest area seem to have a limit on bluegills.

Michigan 25
Wisconsin 25
Illinois None except selected waters
Ohio None
Minnesota 20

Yep...it is like they have their head in the sand and refuse to see the obvious and do something to protect the fishery while still allowing anglers plenty to take home for a couple meals each time out.  They caved to a specific group that shouted their objections at the few meetings they had, and that same group are known to willingly violate existing limits and rules currently on the books.  They will wait until the lakes have been fished down to where 7 inch fish are considered big then try to put a rule in that will do little because it is too late.  With technology like it is today with side imaging so clear you can not only see beds in deeper water but actually see the fish on the bed and now with Garmin panopitix allowing you to drill one hole and look for fish in 200 ft diameter circle, the fish are easily found and fished for.  In the past those deeper bedding fish may have gone unnoticed and been allowed to spawn and you would of had to drill 100 holes to see what you can now do with a single hole.  It is a shame they won't do something.

[Gills-only]

I don’t want to clean any more than 25 if I get them, however lot of guys do.   Same guys that complain there’s no big ones!!

[wax_worm]

I usually fish with 3 other guys and none of them like to clean them so I usually clean them.  It is not often even with 4 of us that we bring home 100 fish between the 4 of us, so we are almost always under a 25 fish limit per person.  We don't fish all day either.  We go in the morning or the evening for a few hours, so a 25 fish limit would rarely if ever impact what we choose to keep to clean.

[river_scum]

cant go for the gill limit deal.  even though some lakes would benefit from it, others wouldnt.  lakes like sylvan and hogback are gill factories.  i have watched buckets and buckets of gills come off both lakes for 30yrs and the nice fish still keep coming. a lot of lakes are changing from the zebras too(sylvan).  they clear up from the muscles then the weeds take over and the little fish become more common. perch and gills spawn so much that they are hard to "fish down".  as you go up the predator scale the spawn is less and regulations make more of an impact.  i just cant see the need for a gill limit when they are such prolific spawners.

i didnt have a problem with the pilgrims taking all those gills.  it was the 50 fish per man crappie limit they were stomping on, that pissed me off.  and doing it with tiny fish most would just toss back to boot! we have the limits we do for a reason and i dont see any reason for more.  the point wax brings up about the finders these days is valid and i do believe it will bring reason for changes in limits in near future.  any fool with money can buy a 3000$ fish finder and go catch fish with minimal knowledge.  even crackheads and their friends can catch with with these units.   

some people just dont like to see others take buckets of fish because they see them as "their fish". lol  i think maybe that was the case with the famous sports writer a few years ago, on the "perch palooza" scandal.  lmao  (your a jerk j p!)

[wax_worm]

cant go for the gill limit deal.  even though some lakes would benefit from it, others wouldnt.  lakes like sylvan and hogback are gill factories.  i have watched buckets and buckets of gills come off both lakes for 30yrs and the nice fish still keep coming. a lot of lakes are changing from the zebras too(sylvan).  they clear up from the muscles then the weeds take over and the little fish become more common. perch and gills spawn so much that they are hard to "fish down".  as you go up the predator scale the spawn is less and regulations make more of an impact.  i just cant see the need for a gill limit when they are such prolific spawners.

i didnt have a problem with the pilgrims taking all those gills.  it was the 50 fish per man crappie limit they were stomping on, that pissed me off.  and doing it with tiny fish most would just toss back to boot! we have the limits we do for a reason and i dont see any reason for more.  the point wax brings up about the finders these days is valid and i do believe it will bring reason for changes in limits in near future.  any fool with money can buy a 3000$ fish finder and go catch fish with minimal knowledge.  even crackheads and their friends can catch with with these units.   

some people just dont like to see others take buckets of fish because they see them as "their fish". lol  i think maybe that was the case with the famous sports writer a few years ago, on the "perch palooza" scandal.  lmao  (your a jerk j p!)

While they are prolific spawners and no one will 'fish down' a lake of bluegills as far as pure numbers to where they are no gills to catch, humans do and will continue to drive down the size of the gills in many lakes.  It is already happening here and has been proven and documented over and over with multiple year studies in other states.  Smaller clear water lakes, which we have many of north of US24 are easily impacted and have been.  Large lakes like Wawasee and a few others are less impacted as their size provides some protection for the fish.  Yes there are few fertile lakes around like sylvan and hogback where the fish grow quicker and the weed growth is minimal, but those are not the norm for glacial lakes we have.  However those lakes are not going to stunt if a limit is imposed, if they are not stunted today.  Limits don't and never have caused a lake to stunt that is in balance with predator/prey and was not already stunted.  The reservoirs down south are more Crappie fisheries than they are gill fisheries.  Crappies, where present, are prolific spawners too as are redear, yet both have had limits forever and don't stunt in the lakes where they dominate.

LOL at James Phillips, perchapalooza article!     Prices are coming way down on the technology.  People are spending 500-900 or more on Marcums and Vexilars now days.  The Garmin panoptix transducer is right in that range if you already own a panoptix compatible Garmin unit, which many do.  Being able to see and pinpoint real time fish location and movement in a 200 foot diameter circle with a single hole in the ice leaves the fish no where to hide and can put a group of fisherman on the fish or eliminate a lot of water in minutes where in the past it could have taken an hour or 2 to drill open and fish the 200 foot diameter circle to see if anything is around.

[taxi1]

cant go for the gill limit deal.  even though some lakes would benefit from it, others wouldnt.  lakes like sylvan and hogback are gill factories.  i have watched buckets and buckets of gills come off both lakes for 30yrs and the nice fish still keep coming. a lot of lakes are changing from the zebras too(sylvan).  they clear up from the muscles then the weeds take over and the little fish become more common. perch and gills spawn so much that they are hard to "fish down".  as you go up the predator scale the spawn is less and regulations make more of an impact.  i just cant see the need for a gill limit when they are such prolific spawners.

i didnt have a problem with the pilgrims taking all those gills.  it was the 50 fish per man crappie limit they were stomping on, that pissed me off.  and doing it with tiny fish most would just toss back to boot! we have the limits we do for a reason and i dont see any reason for more.  the point wax brings up about the finders these days is valid and i do believe it will bring reason for changes in limits in near future.  any fool with money can buy a 3000$ fish finder and go catch fish with minimal knowledge.  even crackheads and their friends can catch with with these units.   

some people just dont like to see others take buckets of fish because they see them as "their fish". lol  i think maybe that was the case with the famous sports writer a few years ago, on the "perch palooza" scandal.  lmao  (your a jerk j p!)

Actually I can show you a INDNR study that showed even though Sylvan had some of the fastest growing bluegills in the nation back in the 60's (due in part to sewage enrichment) the study showed they could be fished down by heavy fishing pressure according to one biologist. And the numbers did go downhill to the point the lake was rotenoned and started over.

I did a creel survey in the Sumer of 77' and it was rare to catch a bluegill, let alone one of good size. Lots of carp, few bass, and some crappies but not of any size.

[Jigmup]

I love it when the word gets out about a hot bluegill bite. It frees the other 97% of the lake for those of us who chase other species.

[wallin]

LOL, agreed.

[marmooskapaul]

WOW!!!  Foosty's question went another direction fast...lol....weekend forecast not good for Summit.

[High Tide]

With the advancement of electronics it would be relatively easy to disect a body of water that would have serious consequences to our natural resources. It is a blessing and a curse that most are unmotivated to utilize the tools available to maximize the harvest giving these tools. As stated, most anglers can invest in the tools, but even then, won't take the time to understand the capabilities of those tools. Fishermen are generally to prideful or don't have the attention span to really dive into the expansiveness of the research available that could cause serious damage to this point. However, once an angler does take the plunge into the data, they usually come to conclusion that fish have a delicate balance that Mother Nature seems to balance over the course of time. The anglers that have the capability to truly pummel a fishery usually become aware of their actions inadvertently or advertently, and have a decision to make once they reach that point. It's all science, and the most dangerous outdoorsman is the one who possesses the skill to harvest, but is unaware of their impact. If you're relying on the dnr to govern that impact based on their limited data (to no fault of their own) we could be in trouble in the future.

[bigr]

Well said hightide. Vexlars are a perfect example of tech that has made ice fishing almost skilless. It's so good that most of us just turn it on and fish with success and not even know how it works or even use the extras that are built in. The fishing tech industries are doing a great job of making tools that are brainless to use. I think the fish are having a tougher time hiding than ever before. My opinion on the fish size and numbers is due to water quality not over harvest. I remember wild rice growing in a couple of lakes when I was younger. Lakes that never got dirty from rains. Rice is gone, water gets muddy from rains. I think all due to farming and drainage. some of those lakes went down hill fast and some improved. Back many years ago every body and there neighbor fished for food not just fun and the fishing was just as good then as today. Not near as many fishing now as then. What I have seen over my many years is lakes change, plant life and clarity. Some lakes have got worse and some have got better. For me the fishing has never been better for quality or numbers. A lot has to do with new tech and experience. 

[Gills-only]

Well said hightide. Vexlars are a perfect example of tech that has made ice fishing almost skilless. It's so good that most of us just turn it on and fish with success and not even know how it works or even use the extras that are built in. The fishing tech industries are doing a great job of making tools that are brainless to use. I think the fish are having a tougher time hiding than ever before. My opinion on the fish size and numbers is due to water quality not over harvest. I remember wild rice growing in a couple of lakes when I was younger. Lakes that never got dirty from rains. Rice is gone, water gets muddy from rains. I think all due to farming and drainage. some of those lakes went down hill fast and some improved. Back many years ago every body and there neighbor fished for food not just fun and the fishing was just as good then as today. Not near as many fishing now as then. What I have seen over my many years is lakes change, plant life and clarity. Some lakes have got worse and some have got better. For me the fishing has never been better for quality or numbers. A lot has to do with new tech and experience.

.            I agree, with all the flashers and graphs, I just wonder how many would be fishing , if they are honest if there was a contest with no flashers allowed. When a lot of us started fishing there was none of this stuff, now with all the technology it’s fairly simple. Skill was needed back then to catch fish, now other than knowing the layout of the lake it’s much less today !!  That being said I bought a flasher a couple years ago, and have not doubled my catch, as I caught way more fish than I needed. I find myself hopping around and my flasher is 30’ away. Good luck this winter and let’s hope most of the snow misses us !!!!

[Foosty]

WOW!!!  Foosty's question went another direction fast...lol....weekend forecast not good for Summit.

It certainly did! Lol
Dang it Paul, I want to get on ice!!!!!

[Greg2ha]

seen the same thing happen at sylvan lake, a couple years ago. we walked out on late nasty ice at jeanstrapons. there were two guys out there with fish all over the ice. i mean all over in a 50 yrd circle.  2 of them had two buckets full of crappie and gills when they got them picked up(at least the ones they did pick up!).  we thought to ourselves, "they have to be over the crappie limit" (2 guys-100 fish)!  before they started walking to shore, one took a sled over to the big island and got 2 more buckets full!!!!!  i guarantee they had well over a hundred crappies.  if you know sylvan, most that we were catching were only 9-10"fish.  we joked about being glad we weren't filleting all those.  its too bad there isnt more money to pay more wardens.

  hot bite talk has been around for ever, but with the internet it gets out of control fast!  what used to take weeks takes a day or two now.
Fact

[marmooskapaul]

It certainly did! Lol
Dang it Paul, I want to get on ice!!!!!

Well...I didn't see anything I wanted to try and get on when I drove around it yesterday....pockets of open water where there should be ice??   
So....I'm going golfing today instead!