How would you start to fish this? (Mystery Water)

[AJPeacock]

Howdy all,

Found out about a sand pit that supposedly has some BIG pike in it. I found it on the TerraServer (satellite images), its almost 1/2 mile long and 200 yards wide. I was told that the center of the pit is very DEEP.
The pit is pretty well off the beaten path and doesn't even have a name. So, is there a good chance that there ARE big pike in there?

How would you attack it? Its in mid-lower Michigan.

http://webpages.charter.net/thepeacocks/fishing/photototal.gif

Thanks,

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Don "AJ" Peacock
[email protected]

Lapeer, Michigan

[This message has been edited by AJPeacock (edited 12-04-2003).]

[This message has been edited by AJPeacock (edited 12-04-2003).]

[This message has been edited by AJPeacock (edited 12-04-2003).]

[Chris Haley]

They would have had to be planted, without any river or creek system attached. And I don't think they could spawn successfully without a creek or river, or very shallow rip rap type bottom. I would start by checking for a break line, and set tip-ups with big suckers or other type of big (7+ inches) minnow just off the break. Weed growth would be nice, if you find weed growth set up just outside of that. It's probably going to be a gradual drop to the center, due to caving in and settling.

[Chris Haley]

Wow, it looks interesting. There is a river nearby, is it low enough that maybe it flooded at some time and allowed them in the pit??

[Ruttin' Buck]

I worked road construction/pits to pay for school years ago. Everyone who worked for the company could fish the pits on weekends. They were stocked by employees for probably 75 years and had a ton of fish in them.

That body of water could be all sorts of fun. We had pits with water holes exceeding 150 feet. Most will drop off immediately if the banks are clay, bedrock, or if the pits continued to mine after it flooded with a cable dredge and floating conveyor system. There is usually not much caving in.

I would hit it with a power auger and some electronics. Just like any new lake, you'll need to learn the structure and where the fish are hanging. Due to the depth (dropoffs) and likeliness that little organic material is present in the hole there will likely be little vegetation.

If you don't have electronics, drill a line of holes out 100 yards, 10 yards apart. Fish 5-10 minutes a hole and keep moving out.

[EBass]

Be very cautious of the ice as pit lakes don't freeze well due to the depth. We have some mine pit lakes in Crosby and some scuba/rescue guy that lives close to there told us horror stories of rescues (aka pulling bodies) because someone fell through.

I don't mean to discourage you, just use common sense.

[grab da net]

Well, I'd second the caution message, (be careful) but what I'd try is setting up some tip-ups pretty close to shore (5-10 ft of water) with either a 4-5" live minnow, or a dead smelt or ciscoe if you can get em. Put your bait about half way down.
Those big pike love to cruise the edge habitat looking for easy pickins. Just make sure you use some heavy mono for a leader, (4 foot or so), and some tipup braided hand line on the spool. It's pretty fun checking a flag and seeing that line just a spoolin off like crazy.

[Try Too Fish]

Another safety tip:A lot of pits have under water/ground springs so ice can varie a lot!
There are some by me that never freeze unless its a very cold for quite a while!then they just get a few inches!

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Try Too Fish
Forced Too Work!!

[AJPeacock]

Thanks guys,

Yes the river that is few 100ft away that has pike in it (shown north of pit). The feller told me that the depth is over 100' in spots (he actually said over 200', but thats hard to believe) I'll find out this winter.

He also told me to be VERY Cautious as there are a couple springs that seep in and cause fluctuations in the ice depth.

As far as safety.
1)Never going alone
2)Each having a rope
3)Each carrying safety picks (hand spikes).

What other safety precautions?

Thanks,

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Don "AJ" Peacock
[email protected]

Lapeer, Michigan

[This message has been edited by AJPeacock (edited 12-04-2003).]