Lake Ovid

[jacksonmj]

I need some help here, went out to Ovid on Monday and I can't believe how muddy the water is! What colors are good to try out there and do the weeds stay bad all year long, I couldn't go a cast without my lure getting stuck in the weeds. I really thought it would be nice to live close to a lake but I guess I'm going to have to find somewhere else to fish. Any help would be great, I don't need any secerts just a little jump start.

[Bender]

I've only been out there a couple times but if the weeds are heavy try some frogs this summer, that will be fun. I stopped there once last summer on the way home from a job and had some luck around the island just north of the launch and then up in the northwest corner there are some trails that lead down to shore.

[Hooksetter]

Ovid does get muddy, but the norm there is stained water, if memory serves. Don't give up on Ovid, there are some pigs there as well as a healthy population of 2-3 lbers. It is alot of fun to throw a frog there later in the summer, me and my son-in-law have had some very good days there.

Black/blue flake, green pumpkin and smoke pearl blue are my best colors for plastics there. However, last year baby bass [light green/gold and silver flake] was our best big fish bait.

Spinnerbaits and cranks produce well also, chartruese with some brown or rootbeer and/or blue worked best.

I'm sure Dan will speak up, he knows Ovid real well.

Hope this helps.

Willie

[McCarter]

only been there a few times but did ok throwing frogs on the mats.  also caught them good on a jig ( black ), caught a few on crankbaits, and a few on tubes as well.

if you really want to have some fun, throw a chartruse and white spinnerbait with gold and silver blades for non stop hammer handle musky action. 

McCarter himself

[VinceR]

The normal water color is stained, to clear (visibility down to 5 or 6'). Right now, what you are seeing is mud from a major spring runoff. The creek that feed this lake runs through a lot of farm country. It will clear up as we progress into the spring/summer. During the heat of summer, green tint from an algae bloom isn't uncommon.

The weeds will likely remain fairly thick (and to the surface) in the shallow areas. They haven't cut them down for the past three, or four years. One advantage is that they will clearly define the many shallow humps and points. The south end typically remains weedy, but the channel will be clearly defined.

I've done faily well throwing topwater and spinner baits, in the spring. Work the points and inside turns from shallow, to deep. As the water warms (late spring), I would start concentrating on the weed edges, working the more sparse weeds around the edges of the humps and points. My preferred baits are 5" flippin tubes, creature type baits (beavers, craws, etc), jig and craw.

You might want to refrain from throwing your Lucky Craft baits here, though. It has a very healthy, and agressive population of Tiger Muskies, too. Very exciting on a tube on spinning tackle with 8lb. line.

For the past couple of years, the summer bite has come on frogs over the thick stuff, and punching a jig & craw through the thick stuff. There is 3' to 4' feet of water under the weeds on the humps up on the north end of the lake (towards the dam).

This works pretty well until the heat of the summer begins to kill off the weeds near the surface. This when you want to start trying to locate some of the various underwater structure (creek channel, stumps, brushpiles, old fence rows, etc), and start probing that with your favorite "search" bait. Cranks, Carolina rig, jig & pig, drop shot will all work.

One caveat to this is that the frog bite has produced all summer for the past two years. Dying weeds didn't seem to matter.

Don't give up on this lake. It can be verrrry good, to excellent. Typical winning weights have been in the 12 to 16 lb. range (3 hr. tournaments).

Give Lake Lansing a try, too. Shhhhh! It's one of our best kept secrets, here in Mid-Michigan.

[djkimmel]

VinceR, those are true northern musky now, not tiger hybrids. The hybrids died out a long time ago because they quit planting them many, many years ago and they don't spawn.

These new muskies however are purebred and may spawn. I have seen them all sizes the past 3 years, but for McCarter, in general we're talking large ax handles and up, not hammer handles. The average fish is over 3 feet long now with many in the 40 to 45 inch range. Don't remember which year exactly the new stocking started, but about 5 years ago give or take a year, MDNR restarted the musky stocking program with pure northern musky after a long break.

Look for the ones with crankbaits hanging off their lips. Many of them are mine!!!!

[jacksonmj]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I went out there and couldn't believe how dark the water was, but I did see some crawdads and they were bright red so I know the bass will be able to find them easy enough. The muskie out there will be a challange and I hope they don't get to many of my lures. Someone let me know when they are headed out this season so that I might be able to follow along and see how it done there. I live 20 minutes from the lake so I will probably be there often!

[VinceR]

Dan, come to think of it, I did hear that. Not to mention, the last couple that I caught definitely did not look like the hybrid variety. And I have seen some dandies.

[djkimmel]

Often... all I see are the teeth

They're in trouble this year!!! I bought a new big ole Cowgirl spinner!!! Besides... I need some pictures for greatlakesmusky.com!!!

I think I'll be able to throw the big spinner for an hour or two anyway after my January peacock bass chopper workouts!