[oelgnal1]

Can't say for sure but my experience is that alewives don't fair well in cold water and while fishing open water in the Winter, I've seen dead or almost dead alewives on the surface. I wouldn't think that a fish from 70 degree water being lowered down to 40 something degree water would fair too well. This time of year they are on or close to the surface and as the water warms they seem to go no deeper than the thermocline in deeper lakes.