Anyone been on Hardy Dam yet this year? Just curious what the water temp has been.
-Genie
The temp is probably good, it's the water level that isn't. Drove by it two different palces this past Sunday, still down >2-2.5', which makes most of the ramps marginal at best, unless you have a small boat on a roller trailer.
Matt
When do they raise the water levil back up? I thought it would have been done by now.
They are working on the darn dam. I heard it would be up for the opener on the 28th. Genie if you want to go check it out let me know Ill drive.
The 28Th? Wow that should change things up for the spring. I know a friend of mine has been up there a couple of times and launched at the county park directly next to the darn with out any issues.
I don't even have my boat out of storage yet ... hopefully this weekend or next. Probably just in time for CIR. Just curious if some of the warm weather might have fooled some fish to come up early ...
bazinga
I've never even been to Hardy. Heck, I've never even seen it. It's only an hour from home.
At the right time of year it is a blast! Just like catching smallies on St Clair.
I've heard good things about it, just never made it over there. I wasted a day on Robinson Lake, which isn't far away from there at all. Should have shot over there. None of the people I fish with regularly go there, so that may have a lot to do with it too.
Best place ever to learn how to bed fish!
Quote from: Genie on April 18, 2012, 08:36:00 AM
At the right time of year it is a blast! Just like catching smallies on St Clair.
It may be comparable to St. Clair during June or July but prespawn nothing can touch Clair.............
Well, now you guys have my interest up. It's good in June and July, huh? Realistically, I don't think I can make it to bed fish, as I need to be here for the wife. But, come June, I should be able to get away for a bit. I will definitely put it on my to do list for this year.
I have never had good luck once spawn and post-spawn are done. Some guys still catch them all summer long. It's just so much fun bed fishing for them. That's my first couple of trips every year!
Just got word today, not from a real good source but I heard its up to normal pool. I think I might be the number 1 fan of hardy, but its feast or famine after the spawn. Most of the time for me its great but once in a while its horrible.
That's the general consensus ... I have a couple buddies that fish there all year and do well in tournaments - but there skill has yet to pass on to me.
I'd be suprised if they got it to full pool in three days, but who knows. Just be careful out there, there will be a lot of wood floating out there, some big some small. The worst areas are from about Big Bend up, and it can get real bad in the turns by Brower and up by Gilligans. All depends on the wind and current.
Matt
Spring and Fall great. Don't waste your time in the summer months. just my humble opinion.
Quote from: chrisvmo on April 20, 2012, 10:07:42 AM
Spring and Fall great. Don't waste your time in the summer months. just my humble opinion.
And thats the reason why people don't want to have tournaments there. If no one will give it a chance and try to learn it in the summer its always going to have a bad reputation. We had a summer division on Hardy and many weeks it would take over 15 pounds to win. Another it took over 19 in July fourth had like 15 pounds. I really think people just over think it. We chase the smallies and for some reason they wont bite we can always get a good largemouth bite. Its a perfect body of water for tournaments people can spread out its 18 miles from dam to dam with lots of cuts, you can literally catch fish fishing the way you want to if you don't over think it. Teams have even done really well on frogs.
Agreed ... overthinking it ... chasing smallies ...
I've never done well there in the summer so I am just as guilty.
I have never been to Hardy. Would like to go there sometime. Maybe this year. But when you have St. Clair and Erie as accessible as they are to me living in the area, why go anywhere else. Although I have some inland lakes near me that are worth going to. But St. Clair and Erie are always my first choice.
BD ;D
Quote from: UAWBigDog on April 20, 2012, 05:38:09 PM
I have never been to Hardy. Would like to go there sometime. Maybe this year. But when you have St. Clair and Erie as accessible as they are to me living in the area, why go anywhere else. Although I have some inland lakes near me that are worth going to. But St. Clair and Erie are always my first choice.
BD ;D
If Erie and St.Clair were in my back yard I wouldn't fish anything else either.
Quote from: ROI Outdoors on April 18, 2012, 09:17:00 AM
Quote from: Genie on April 18, 2012, 08:36:00 AM
At the right time of year it is a blast! Just like catching smallies on St Clair.
It may be comparable to St. Clair during June or July but prespawn nothing can touch Clair.............
Agreed!!!!
Quote from: PIGSMALLIE on April 20, 2012, 07:49:40 PM
Quote from: ROI Outdoors on April 18, 2012, 09:17:00 AM
Quote from: Genie on April 18, 2012, 08:36:00 AM
At the right time of year it is a blast! Just like catching smallies on St Clair.
It may be comparable to St. Clair during June or July but prespawn nothing can touch Clair.............
Agreed!!!!
Just goes to show you that everyone has their favorites.
BD ;D
Quote from: customfishn on April 20, 2012, 01:58:26 PM
Quote from: chrisvmo on April 20, 2012, 10:07:42 AM
Spring and Fall great. Don't waste your time in the summer months. just my humble opinion.
And thats the reason why people don't want to have tournaments there. If no one will give it a chance and try to learn it in the summer its always going to have a bad reputation. We had a summer division on Hardy and many weeks it would take over 15 pounds to win. Another it took over 19 in July fourth had like 15 pounds. I really think people just over think it. We chase the smallies and for some reason they wont bite we can always get a good largemouth bite. Its a perfect body of water for tournaments people can spread out its 18 miles from dam to dam with lots of cuts, you can literally catch fish fishing the way you want to if you don't over think it. Teams have even done really well on frogs.
Don't get me wrong either, Hardy is one of my favorite places to fish and it's an Ideal location for tournaments. Genie is right the bed fishing is an absolute blast in the gin clear water. I have had good luck in the fall as well. I must be one of those over thinkers in the summer because I struggle. It seems like I can catch fish for the first 45 minutes of day light and then I can't find another fish all day. It's so stinking deep and maybe that's the part that I'm over analyzing?
I haven't fished it a lot but you can catch them real shallow and real deep. Maybe just fish the way you like to fish and find spots that match?