rk_diver
04-29-2011, 07:58 PM
Spent some time in the University Bay area on Mendota today. Surface temp was 50°F when I left the lake around 1:30pm. Was searching for an object in deep water and marked some decent size schools of panfish(?) suspended at 30' in 60 FOW. They were on the move so I couldn't drop the camera down to see what they were. I also marked larger fish in schools (carp?) at various depths. While looking at "hits" from the side scan I also saw some perch in 50+ FOW (very soft, silty bottom) and even a couple walleyes laying there. At the end of one deep water rock bar there were a few perch hanging around. Water clarity in the shallows is improving, at depth it totally sucks. So just seeing a fish is hit and miss, if I see a few in the same area I can't help think there's a lot more I didn't see. With oxygen still abundant at depth the fish can be anywhere. Moral of the story from what I saw today, don't be afraid of hitting the soft silt areas in deep water. When season opens I'll be running a bottom bouncer with a crawler for walleyes to see if anything happens. I probably won't catch any fish, but that wouldn't be the first (or last) time that's happened! :) Rick