**Chautauqua Lake BS**

[icebites]

Good thoughts on the perch eyes, somehow I always forget to use them when I am catching the Dinks. I tried the northland perch eye with a small treble attached today at cuba.   Looks great and it glows but no takers  Going Eye hunting in the morning. 

[hunts2long]

Eye Spy, glad you had a good time and caught some fish. Remember KARMA is a great thing. More important, based on your success you found out that "it's so easy even a "LAZYJIG" will catch a fish." Again CONGRATS...h2l

[Chute82]

I would like to thank everyone who helped Cam and I have a great weekend on Chautauqua! We caught a lot of perch at Mayville keeping 70 over the 2 days. Many of you reached out with advice and some  even invited us to tag along with you! You have no idea how much I appreciate your kind gestures. Cam is only 6 but is an outdoor fanatic and had an absolute last the past 2 days.
PS I want to send a personal shoutout to one member who I won’t name for his great advice.  He had posted about doing well so I sent him a pm asking for general info since this was to be my first time. His response was “read the 96 pages”. I love the guys who love to brag about their catch but not willing to help someone out. I would rather no reply at all. 
Thanks again to all that helped.

Not over yet, you still have to turn in the 1000 word essay on the 96 pages you read on Friday.please have it on my desk by this Friday. 

[BudIce]

So switching topics, if anyone has ice reports after tonight/tomorrow I’d appreciate it. Im not looking for fish reports just ice conditions after rain. I know where I’d like to go just haven’t been on lake for a week. Looking to fish Wednesday. Thanks in advance

[buck05]

Was out today at mayville.  Beautiful sunny day. Kids caught fish came home with some keepers. Ice was 2in kinda clear 4 in junk snow ice. I would just like to  warn people that coming  accessing the lake by the QuickFill gas station there is a man size hole where a person fell through on Friday  it is about 40 feet roughly offshore a little bit right handed.  It can be clearly seen now but by Thursday it might be skimmed over. It is probably only waist deep there or less but I am sure it would really surprise a kid. Mark

[BudIce]

Thank you for the report Mark, my plan as of now is to head there Wednesday. We fished there last Monday, but will keep eye on the weather

[DBV]

Any updated reports?  Never fished the lake, but thinking about coming from Ohio on Saturday.  Thanks!

[MumbleSEED]

Are the perch still biting in Mayville?  How's the ice on Chautaugua still?  Might be making a trip Sunday.  Where are the gills in this lake?  We caught one out of the 200 fish we caught.  Any report is always appreciated.

[snowmandan76]

Just got back from mayville ice is talking alot we moved all over and ice was 6 to 8 inches depending where you are but all mixed about half black clear and half or better of white  ice the top is slick and creepers definatly help  jumbo 3 inch perch for us about every other fish or so and it was alot of work to find what they like  changing constantly dropper rings and tungsten produced well good luck boys 3 hours kept 10 fish

[dave_p.]

Was in Maple Springs area. Same ice conditions. About 8" half clear, but rock hard. Took 30 turns of hand auger. One 12"walleye, and 1 8" perch in 6 hours. Handfull of bites. Brutally slow. Pretty windy today, no snow, and you needed creepers.  At least a hundred guys out between point Chautauqua, and long point. Seen 1 quad out.

[perch chacer]

Fished Mayville today, Sat from 7 am to 6 pm, me and my fishing partner caught 150+ perch and kept (66) 8-9", any fish less went back.  Went out of Lakeside Park and got out away from the crowd.  Ice was 8" and solid hard, needed ice creepers and the wind was brutal if you did not have a hut.  Holes we cut in the morning had 1/4" ice by late afternoon.  Ice did not get damaged today.
 

[Stevanus17]

Started at mayville this morning, started shallow littered with 4” perch, tried deeper but wasn’t marking as much. Caught a couple keepers there then moved to long point and fished the weed edge in 7 foot of water. A lot less smaller fish over at long point. All in all not terrible kept 24 all together, lake seems to be over ran buy dink perch so nothing to impressive with the perch but all in all a good first time trip

[Riddlefiddle]

Ditto for silver lake.

[perch chacer]

Fished South of Lakeside Park again today.  Morning bit was tough but afternoon the perch were turned on.  Kept (48)  8-10", there were quit a few 10" today, one was 10-1/2".  Perch eyes again were the key for the bigger perch and you got to get out away from the Mayville crowd.  Ice was hard and 8" in the morning but by late afternoon the sun had made the top inch or so soft.  Warm temps and rain the next few days will most likely damage the ice.
   

[Stevanus17]

Nice good to know , what foot of water ? Couldn’t mark anything deeper than 19

[perch chacer]

Nice good to know , what foot of water ? Couldn’t mark anything deeper than 19

I did not say deeper, I said get out away from the Mayville crowd.  12.6 fow on my graph.  Same spot Sat and Sun.

[Stevanus17]

I know you didn’t say deeper I was just saying that i did try deeper away from the crowd and it was unsuccessful for me. So you would’ve been fishing off to the right if you went out of lakeside park correct ?

[Stevanus17]

Anyone catching any eyes ?

[SteelieWheelie]

96 Perch in my bucket this weekend. 50 Saturday, 46 Sunday-North Side of LP. Fished walleye in the morning and evening on Sunday in the middle of the lake North of LP 36 FOW. Caught 1 Short eye each trip out, and also lost a few on the way up. Couldn’t ask for a better weekend on the ice.

[MumbleSEED]

Fished Mayville yesterday after not getting much at Bemus in the morning.   Between 3 of us did good in 8 FOW using minnows and waxies.  60 fish kept total between 3 of us some really nice ones compared to other days out here.

[perch chacer]

Fished Mayville yesterday after not getting much at Bemus in the morning.   Between 3 of us did good in 8 FOW using minnows and waxies.  60 fish kept total between 3 of us some really nice ones compared to other days out here.

Here is a tip:  minnows are fine if you like to spend money and bait up after most every bite.   I use perch eyes and they stay on the jig in good shape for about a dozen fish.  This weekend the perch were still hitting the eye when only the skin was left.  Perch eyes don't cost $$.  Give them a try next time.  They worked for me this weekend see above posts. Good luck

[MumbleSEED]

I said that to my brother once we ran out of minnows we should just use the eyes.   Appreciate the heads up definitely will work with that next trip tight lines to you perch chacer.

[perch chacer]

I said that to my brother once we ran out of minnows we should just use the eyes.   Appreciate the heads up definitely will work with that next trip tight lines to you perch chacer.

If you use perch eyes you have to use a jig and jig fish for the perch.  Eyes won't work well on a deadstick like a live minnow does.

[icebites]

Thanks for the information chacer, I used eyes tipped on my stingnose the other day with some success. Do you have any tips for getting the eyes out? I was using my thumb nail but some popped before I got them out and getting those slippery suckers on a tiny hook point is another challenge.   

[wnyicer]

Semi frozen works great. Let them sit on the ice to stiffen up. The pop out much easier. Run the hook behind the eye and the socket. Bring the hook out in a scooping motion. Eye pops out and generally don't need your fingers to squeeze them out.

[buckduck]

I find a large paper clip is just the right size when I remember to take one out on the ice.
Perch were just out of the weeds this past Sunday in shallow 6.5’. And agree perch eyes are a great option to the big $$$$s they want for live bait this year. Perch were better up to 8.5” but nothing bigger.
Still zero for 3 on early or late walleye bite this year at previously good areas. That will made the first one or two all that much sweeter.

[perch chacer]

Thanks for the information chacer, I used eyes tipped on my stingnose the other day with some success. Do you have any tips for getting the eyes out? I was using my thumb nail but some popped before I got them out and getting those slippery suckers on a tiny hook point is another challenge.

I use a pocket knife and large paperclip.  You need to cut the membrane all the way around the eye with your knife and then push a large paperclip in behind the eye and pull the eye out.  To make things easier take a few eyes out at home from your catch for the next time.  Place the eyes in a small container with water and freeze until you go again then thaw out and pour the water off.

[Mytipupisbiggerthanyours]

I use a pocket knife and large paperclip.  You need to cut the membrane all the way around the eye with your knife and then push a large paperclip in behind the eye and pull the eye out.  To make things easier take a few eyes out at home from your catch for the next time.  Place the eyes in a small container with water and freeze until you go again then thaw out and pour the water off.

I do the exact same thing. Great way to keep some perch eyes available. Some days it will make or break your day.

[icebites]

Thank you. I am on it. I use baby food jars for egg sacks so now I can fill one with perch eyes. Will they last a year in the freezer? Different topic, but, How about crappies eyes for bait? 

[perch chacer]

Thank you. I am on it. I use baby food jars for egg sacks so now I can fill one with perch eyes. Will they last a year in the freezer? Different topic, but, How about crappies eyes for bait?

If the perch eyes are covered in water and frozen I would think they would be OK.  I do not keep any over the Summer, I always buy my mousees and spikes from a wholesaler so I have starter bait.  As for crappies eyes, I do not fish for them but I do think they would be too big for perch, but give them a try, and let us know.  I do know walleye eyes do work for walleyes.