# Low water crimpin your style yet?



## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

Big time for us.
Cant even reach our old spots by boat.
Had to get real creative and put in some long hikes for some action.


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## sswhitelightning (Dec 14, 2004)

Did the long hikes pay off?


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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

Broke down and bought a Mud Motor, although my beloved Harsens Island cottage will probably have dirt at the mouth of the canal going out to the bay very soon.

It might be canoes before it's all over, but have one of those too.


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## limige (Sep 2, 2005)

Making life rough here as well.

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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

sswhitelightning said:


> Did the long hikes pay off?
> 
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Ya, it was worth it but Im ready for the big water, if we can even get out. Our launches around here are gunna be mud holes in a month.:sad:


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## Snuffy (Sep 9, 2010)

Water levels are extremely poor at Harsens. If your not ready for a challenge, you will be very dissappointed.


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## Zofchak (Jan 10, 2003)

Snuffy said:


> Water levels are extremely poor at Harsens. If your not ready for a challenge, you will be very dissappointed.



That they are.  I was out this morning and if not for the strong southwest wind it would have been impossible to get a boat into the areas I normally hunt there. I don't plan on risking it again unless I'm in the kayak, just a slight decrease or change in wind direction and my morning hunt could have turned into a very long day of dragging the boat.

Fortunately, the wind cooperated and we did manage 7 Blue Winged Teal and one Black duck, but there were very few birds and practically nothing flying out there after the first hour.


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## sswhitelightning (Dec 14, 2004)

Divers Down said:


> Ya, it was worth it but Im ready for the big water, if we can even get out. Our launches around here are gunna be mud holes in a month.:sad:


If we can launch a blow boat I travel. lol. Hopefully I don't have to use it all year. 


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## quack head (Oct 23, 2007)

Nope, doing just fine.

I should add..........I get bye with a little help from my friends.


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## outdoorfreak (Mar 5, 2010)

the mud buddy is making life easy this year thats for sure


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## someone11 (Mar 15, 2009)

Its made it hard hiding the boat on the St. Mary's and some of the launches are a little worse than they already were. I was told not to launch off of munuscong river unless you have a mud motor cause once you get to the mouth its super shallow, so ive been avoiding that. We've had rain ALL day today and on and off yesterday so hopefully it helps a little and the rain keeps up, we need it.


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## anon2192012 (Jul 27, 2008)

Nope, helping my style  

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## Retiredducker (Oct 11, 2011)

And what would that style be?


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## anon2192012 (Jul 27, 2008)

Retiredducker said:


> And what would that style be?


Most of the water I hunt has been to deep to wade the last couple years. Now I can actually walk into a lot of places I would have needed a boat last year.

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## field-n-feathers (Oct 20, 2008)

Huntermax-4 said:


> Nope, helping my style


X2.


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## casscityalum (Aug 27, 2007)

someone11 said:


> Its made it hard hiding the boat on the St. Mary's and some of the launches are a little worse than they already were. I was told not to launch off of munuscong river unless you have a mud motor cause once you get to the mouth its super shallow, so ive been avoiding that. We've had rain ALL day today and on and off yesterday so hopefully it helps a little and the rain keeps up, we need it.


Yup! a guy with a 18' mod v and 48 hp surface drive get stuck for 6 hrs after be beached it coming into the river mouth. They took motor off and got it out and ended up going to dans to get picked up. 

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## ugly808 (Mar 24, 2011)

What kind of or length of kayak do you guys use? I think one of these would be great for a few ponds I hunt.


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## hunteramargin (May 7, 2005)

field-n-feathers said:


> X2.


 x3!


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## Retiredducker (Oct 11, 2011)

It is especially hard on us "older" guys....I have hunted some spots that I generally would not & had some decent hunts however.


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## carsonr2 (Jan 15, 2009)

casscityalum said:


> Yup! a guy with a 18' mod v and 48 hp surface drive get stuck for 6 hrs after be beached it coming into the river mouth. They took motor off and got it out and ended up going to dans to get picked up.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Yep that....kinda lucky those guys had shovels for them to borrow to help get that boat dug out.


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## wavie (Feb 2, 2004)

Nope, just got to adapt with the new tender.

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/photos/camels/


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## Swamp Boss (Mar 14, 2003)

I run the 12.5 Foot kayak you see in my avatar which works pretty well. The 14 runs the shallows better but it is red and is too hard to cover up. The 9.6 Kayaks e.g. Otter are cheap enough and may work but from what I have noticed your tail will drag pretty deep.

Also planted some Saguaro cactus near the frieghter channel this summer so I have an offshore blind to use. They are kind of yellow from the lack of rain but they should make it to 30 November!


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## Bellyup (Nov 13, 2007)

I can walk into areas now where last year it was wet and way to muddy to walk. The mud motor is helping greatly to get back to a couple spots, I can still make it there, just have to pull a little on the new to me shallow spots. But once I got back there, I found a couple spots high and dry that are normally flooded timber. So I managed to walk around and find some pockets. less water makes finding birds easier, but a LOT more difficult to access. Funny thing though, not many tennis shoe hunters willing to do a lot of extra work, so maybe that is working too. 

So what HunterMax4 said, X4 I think it is up to now. i will admit though, if it gets much worse, hunting tactics will have to change. We can't lose a lot more and still be able access some areas without an airboat or parachute. Anyone have a cesna we can junp from ? I think next year it will be worse, becasue I have a feeling winter will not provide a smusch as we need to recover. I hope I am very, very wrong.


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## The Doob (Mar 4, 2007)

Low water has dramatically impacted our hunting season - the water is to low to launch the big floater, so the "Cadillac" style of hunting, i.e. drive boat out, set decoys, drive boat into blind and crank up, get out and hunt off from dry deck with a roof.

Any type of south wind is giving the guys with mud motors fits as well as the air boat types (Saginaw Bay - east side). Today, with a 30 kt west wind, the sand bars were still exposed and there was still a long gravel flat out from Geiger road. At 2:00pm this afternoon, there was not a car, boar or trailer in the Geiger road lot nor was there any in the lot at the Bay Port State launch.

We did make it out of Bud's and with today's weather, we should have been covered in ducks. However, we got the skunk and saw fewer birds than I can ever remember. I am beginning to wonder if the low water is keeping the divers out of the area ( I only have 3.5' left around my little blind).


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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

If we ever get an East wind for Erie, I'm takin the day off work. Just may be able to take the boat out this season.


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## fsamie1 (Mar 8, 2008)

Divers Down said:


> If we ever get an East wind for Erie, I'm takin the day off work. Just may be able to take the boat out this season.


Are you saying no water st SSP, Bolles and Luna Pier launches? I,ve got to go to Turtle area a few times for my four BBs.


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## Hardwoods89 (Oct 8, 2008)

Today it actually helped my cause, hunting a pond in the middle of a marsh that drops off quickly...I was able to toss my blocks out a little bit farther for better visibility thanks to much lower water levels.....my partner and I brought down a mallard drake, woody drake and a honker this AM


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## someone11 (Mar 15, 2009)

casscityalum said:


> Yup! a guy with a 18' mod v and 48 hp surface drive get stuck for 6 hrs after be beached it coming into the river mouth. They took motor off and got it out and ended up going to dans to get picked up.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


I can usually run in about a foot of water with the motor on tilt. I have a 14ft v bottom with 15horse mariner. I know I was hitting bottom once in a while last year from the river mouth, so I wont even think to venture out there this year. Good thing my buddy has a mud motor this year! Its saved us a lot so far.


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## herblorentz78 (Jan 21, 2009)

I bought a 20hp go-devil this year. Geiger rd. is iffy at best. But the spots I hunt just seem to be more concentrated with ducks.

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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

fsamie1 said:


> Are you saying no water st SSP, Bolles and Luna Pier launches? I,ve got to go to Turtle area a few times for my four BBs.


No, maybe and absolutley not, regarding those 3 [email protected] this time.


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## UplandnWaterfowl (Jan 3, 2010)

October monthly bulletin just came out and it worse then last months, now they have the middle of the prediction setting a new low record.

Projected change in levels from Oct 5 to Nov 5, 2012 (inches) -3. 

http://www.lre.usace.army.mil/_kd/Items/actions.cfm?action=Show&item_id=3885&destination=ShowItem

Now I am wondering with so much area with skinny water and the cold nights, are we going to be surprised one morning here soon with first ice, that will start crimpin style's.


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## zx10r2004 (Sep 24, 2005)

I know my mud buddy prop has been shrinking!!! 


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## anon2192012 (Jul 27, 2008)

UplandnWaterfowl said:


> October monthly bulletin just came out and it worse then last months, now they have the middle of the prediction setting a new low record.
> 
> Projected change in levels from Oct 5 to Nov 5, 2012 (inches) -3.
> 
> ...


Nope, ice helps too.... 

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## field-n-feathers (Oct 20, 2008)

Huntermax-4 said:


> Nope, ice helps too....


LOL! Bring it!!


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## The Fishing Pollock (May 9, 2006)

The water up here isnt too bad yet. But my buddie did open up the 2nd chute at the ER dam today , so in a week we will be down a few feet


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## forDUCKsakes (Oct 12, 2012)

waxico said:


> Broke down and bought a Mud Motor, although my beloved Harsens Island cottage will probably have dirt at the mouth of the canal going out to the bay very soon.
> 
> It might be canoes before it's all over, but have one of those too.


Have you gone out to Harsens in the past couple days? I normally hunt the open water in the Bay but want to pay my annual homage to the refuge. I know the water level is crazy low, so would you recommend boat or canoe...or wet suite (Also, I am new to this forum). :help:


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## fishing extreme (Feb 13, 2005)

Harsens managed areas are iffy. Some are real low and a waste of time.
The back of the bay was inaccessible today even with a Mud Buddy Surface Drive. Big time stuck...and it big time sucked...


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## Daveldman (Jun 6, 2010)

forDUCKsakes said:


> Have you gone out to Harsens in the past couple days? I normally hunt the open water in the Bay but want to pay my annual homage to the refuge. I know the water level is crazy low, so would you recommend boat or canoe...or wet suite (Also, I am new to this forum). :help:


Don't waste your time. And tell anyone who may want to head out there, that they would be more productive at home. 


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## zoombaiter25 (Oct 27, 2011)

looked at some new spots that were nearly dry and had to settle for rabbits


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## cheeseandquackers (Jun 20, 2007)

coming to the realization that ill be putting the boat back behind the garage for the rest of the season. Strange feeling.


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