# Salt Fork



## BABS (Feb 4, 2005)

I fished Salt Fork on 5/18/14 from 2PM-8PM. I was mainly fishing for Crappie but managed to catch a variety of fish including Bass, Blue Gill, Rock Bass and even a few small Perch. I would guess me and my nephew caught approx 50 Crappie with most between 6-9". We were catching fish at 3' all the way to 12' deep. We kept 14 total fish. 11 Crappie were between 10-12" and 3 Blue Gill about 8". The water was still high. I would guess 2-3' above summer pool. Water temp about 66-67 degrees. I was surprsed with the the water clarity as it seemed normal for Salt Fork considering all the rain. Hope this info helps.


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## Sr.Jigger (Feb 17, 2005)

BABS, Wish I had that luck. 
I fished Saturday and Sunday 5 hours each and got nothing worth bringing home. Saturday it was so windy, high and muddy back around the old Saltfork marina. 4 of us only caught 5 Crappie and only 2 were legal. Sunday I went up around the first ski zone campers beach to the lodge area. The water was a little clearer but the results were the same. We fished for Saugeye mainly only 2 little dinks and a couple small cats.

Sunday I talked to several bass tourny guys that said they didn't catch a bass let alone have a keeper yet. I didn't see another boat land a fish all day.
Funny,,, guess I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.


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## BABS (Feb 4, 2005)

Sr. Jigger. Depending on the weather it depends which area of the lake I target. I was planning on fishing Saturday but due to the lousy weather I scheduled trip for Sunday. I fished Sunday from the end of the second Ski zone to the old stone house. I tried several areas but caught the majority of fish from 2 different locations.

There is no doubt that Salt Fork has changed over the years. I have been fishing this lake for 38yrs and ever year it gets more difficult to catch larger fish.

Hopefully the size limits on the Crappie will help but I wonder how many people truely adhere to the size restrictions?

I can tell you one thing though. I have never seen the amount of Ranger(s) on the lake and or walking the shore line in all the years I fished this lake.

I was shore fishing with my 13yr old nephew in April and a Ranger checked my fishing license. I was fishing off the "beaten path" and this was the first time that has happened in 20 yrs.

Yesterday I had a Ranger pull me over in my 16' deep bottom metal boat with an 8hp motor. He claims I was making a wake in a No Wake Zone. He gave me the "speech" and took the time to check my boat to make sure it was properly equipped with the necessary safety equipment. He issued me a warning and told me to slow down. 

As in life I realize that it is better to be polite and claim ignorance even though you may be right. Choose your battles wisely.

I have no problem with them doing their job and I have "nothing" to hide.

I pitty the person that is on Salt Fork without a fishing license or GOD forbid chooses to drink on the lake!

With all that being said besides Lake Erie it is the only lake I fish.

Take care.


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## behole (Jul 31, 2013)

rangers dont really have alot going on, i figure their prolly pretty bored , so im assuming thats why their all so gung hoe about checking every boat and making excuses to board boats. but yeah you cant give them any kindve **** ive met some that were cool but most seem to have a chip on their shoulder


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## ranger175a (Apr 20, 2011)

I seen the ranger back in rockyfork sunday. As soon as he left and went around the corner into sugartree a bass boat came in hammer down all the way to the back. Forty five minutes later I see the ranger go by heading for the damn. A couple minutes after that bass boat comes out hammer down through the no wake again. I hate no wake zones but if I tried a stunt like that I'd be busted for sure.


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## Forker (May 5, 2011)

Got stopped last year on the morning glory ramp for a safety equipment check and to verify that at least one of us was old enough by the boating law to drive. He wasn't a boner about it. On the weekends you definitely have mind your manners there and be prepared for the inspection.

I've always found crappie there hanging off the end of laydowns or dropoffs near channels. If I find crappie, I usually find catfish hanging there too. However, I can count on one hand the number of times I've left the lake with more than 8 or 10 keeper crappie from SF over the last few years. I think they know to stop growing at 8.75".


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Know about 4-5 rangers that are retired LE from larger depts. By the time they've put their 20yrs+ in on the street, they've pulled enough bodies out of bad situations due to alcohol, their tolerance for being high on land or water wears fairly thin. Not too many things will get to ya like pulling a body up from the bottom with the hooks that has been down there 3-4 nights. 

Most I've dealt with have been ok. Just doin their job. 

I did run into one up on Griggs about 20-25 yrs ago back at the head of Twin Lakes. One early Sun. morning a fella in a very nice Skeeter bass boat was plugging away about 100yds ahead of us. As we rounded the corner and could see the bridge, we saw a cop sitting in his cruiser facing the water. He had his bino's out looking our way. What he was watching was the fella in the Skeeter that had a big 'ole' can of Bud sitting at his feet. Well, cop got over load speaker and told fella to pull his boat over to the shore.

The guy complied but did not want to get his boat close to the rocks. That made cop mad. They exchanged some words cause the guy wouldn't get closer so the cop reached out and snatched ahold of the Skeeters front eye hook, lifted the front of the boat up, pulled it over the rocks and dropped it. 

The sound of the thud even made me tense up. IMO, LEO was a total Richard cranium of the first order.

Again, this attitude has not been the norm of what I've experienced out on the water.


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## winguy7 (Mar 12, 2014)

The whole no alcohol thing in a state park is B.S. As long as the driver of a boat isn't drinking and everyone else on board is minding their manners, then who cares. As for shore if ya throw em away and don't plan on driving for awhile, who's it hurt. We're adults, as long as you act like one what's the big deal? Ohh yeah there isn't one except for the fact that the smell of alcohol is pleasant to them. Kind of like the smell of new money!


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## turkeyt (Apr 13, 2006)

That sounds like a great plan. Now, convince the people who have put up and cleaned up after those "other" people. You know, the ones who tossed their cans and bottles and trash in the water and on the shore. Oh, don't forget about the guy who runs into or over someone. In the long haul everyone is being held as guilty, because of those "other" people. That is what is called B.S. and no amount of it can bring back a life lost. Have a safe Memorial Day and support our troops.


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## behole (Jul 31, 2013)

drink em up


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## winguy7 (Mar 12, 2014)

turkeyt said:


> That sounds like a great plan. Now, convince the people who have put up and cleaned up after those "other" people. You know, the ones who tossed their cans and bottles and trash in the water and on the shore. Oh, don't forget about the guy who runs into or over someone. In the long haul everyone is being held as guilty, because of those "other" people. That is what is called B.S. and no amount of it can bring back a life lost. Have a safe Memorial Day and support our troops.


Yeah they are the other people! I don't go fishing to get drunk or litter. But if I want to have a couple beers it shouldn't cost me 150 bucks. No one's losing their life because they were responsible, for the most part. Laws should not be made because of the fear someone will abuse their rights. I`m not saying it should be party time, but they have other laws for drunk and disorderly and so on. Should you not be able to bring Doritos because you might throw the bag down. It's cool though you just go hungry and don't think for yourself. I`'ll be enjoying myself.


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## winguy7 (Mar 12, 2014)

Just to clarify, I meant no one ever lost their life life being responsible....for the most part. In context to alcohol consumption.


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## Rob (Mar 31, 2005)

Anyone know if the lake is still up, water temps, or clarity?


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## keith772 (Apr 19, 2014)

Rob said:


> Anyone know if the lake is still up, water temps, or clarity?


Was there for most of the day on Tuesday an the water level was still up at least 2 feet from summer level. Caught several bass and a couple saugeye.


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## RiverWader (Apr 1, 2006)

How's the Catfishing at Salt Fork


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## dre (Aug 14, 2009)

RiverWader said:


> How's the Catfishing at Salt Fork


I basically grew up on the lake and grew up cat fishing it a lot. Tons of channels in there, you may get a couple really nice ones. The Flathead fishing can be AWESOME! At least when I was in my prime of Flathead fishing there. Can't go wrong with a live bluegill fishing the point between the regular beach and boaters beach..well known spot though get there early evening!


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## chrism1367 (Aug 11, 2012)

winguy7 said:


> The whole no alcohol thing in a state park is B.S. As long as the driver of a boat isn't drinking and everyone else on board is minding their manners, then who cares. As for shore if ya throw em away and don't plan on driving for awhile, who's it hurt. We're adults, as long as you act like one what's the big deal? Ohh yeah there isn't one except for the fact that the smell of alcohol is pleasant to them. Kind of like the smell of new money!


Yeah in a perfect world everybody would act like responsible adults. I'd like to drink on a boat too, but asshats ruin it for everybody else. Seen plenty of them. That's why there is that law. 

Sent from my EVO using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## Forker (May 5, 2011)

Fished around the point across from sugar tree on Monday for crappie. Second cast with a minnow under a slip bobber and it's fish on. However, it feels like I caught a carp and I'm using an ultralite setup. Get it close to the boat and I can barely see the fish but from head to tail this is a big fish. Anyway, fish let's go and I reel in the line and find a 8" crappie on the hook torn to shreds. My guess is a flat head was pay attention to the crappie in the channel and took the opportunity to grab one that was hooked up. That's the second time that's happened in my life. The other time was a muskie on a bluegill across from the cabins.


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