# Prairie Oaks



## myNitrobassboat (Apr 6, 2009)

Hello,, ,has anyone ever fished in the ponds at Prairie Oaks Metro Park off Amity road ???? Had any luck???


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## Knopper76 (Jul 20, 2008)

Never fished it, but I have scuba dived in it...lol


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## cpr_mike1 (Feb 25, 2009)

A lot of people have been fishing it. And when I say a lot there are two people at about every hole. When I was there I only saw one guy pulling out besides me. I saw him pulling out a small cat as I was pulling away in my truck.


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## NITRO-RIDER (Jan 26, 2007)

Reelmanly and i used to fish it often, before the state bought it and opened it up to the public, it used to be very good for quantity and quality (bass). We've fished it twice since it opened to the public and it does'nt even compare to the fishery that it used to be. And the no trolling motor rule? How does an electric trolling motor hurt anything? And speaking of trash left lying around (Ross lake post), you never saw that until it was opened to the public. The lakes are not any different than roads. A lot of people just don't care or have any respect. sry for straying from the subect.


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## thegcdawg (May 26, 2008)

I have tried fishing from the bank and a canoe. No luck. Maybe 10 fish in 2 years. I only go now to walk the dogs.


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## Basskisser1 (May 15, 2004)

when it first opened it was good. too many people keeping the fish.
here's my big one from there.


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## myNitrobassboat (Apr 6, 2009)

thanks for the replies I don't think I will be wasting my time lol


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## Corn (Aug 19, 2005)

I go there when i want to catch bluegills during the summer sometimes. Havn't really seen much of anything else caught.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

I just don't understand why people want to keep fish *shrug*

It's pointless, really. Buy fish from the store.


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## Perchy101 (Apr 14, 2004)

Basskisser1 said:


> when it first opened it was good. too many people keeping the fish.
> here's my big one from there.


That USED to be the norm. I spent countless days back there before it went public catching bass like that.... Now, I don't even waste my time.


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## OSU_Fisherman (Mar 1, 2007)

It can provide some good bank fishing at times. I was there a few weeks back and landed 10 LM Bass (averaging ~12inches) in about 5 hours of fishing split between 2 nights. The fish are definitely in there.


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## Smallmouth Crazy (Apr 4, 2006)

I fished it alot the first year it opened and caught some monster gills in there and some average bass..but it has went down since then.


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## st.slippy (Oct 3, 2008)

I agree with not keeping fish in small ponds. In large bodies of water, sure. The pond I have been loving by my house the last few years was just partially bought out by the parks system, and I'm afraid all of the good fish will disappear in no time.


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## reelmanly (May 19, 2005)

Used to fish it when my brother worked the quarries, was truly an awesome place but since the almighty powers bought it out...well you know how the story goes, give it a little more time and it will be fished out more or less, I used to watch em blast out the big quarry on the left as you go in, THAT is a deep hole. Cant even put in a Belly tube.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Correction



Clayton said:


> I just don't understand why people want to keep *BASS* *shrug*
> 
> It's pointless, really. Buy fish from the store.


It's not pointless keeping fish that are delicious and stocked for the purpose of catching and cooking (saugeye, public lake rainbow trout). Keep all the crappie and panfish you want too. Usually doing a pond or small lake a favor.


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## andyman (Jul 12, 2005)

Why the venom from so many?

From what I know of those quarries:
They used to be private, no tresspassing, but now they are open to the public with nice facilities like paths and restrooms.
So everyone can fish it now as opposed to the few that had permission or broke the law in the past.

I believe they have some strict rules on live bait and keeping fish.
Sounds like fish/game management to me...like many lakes we fish on.

Maybe the fish have wised up, but I find it very hard to believe that it's fished out. 
Judging from Mrs Basskisser's photo, maybe it just takes a more skilled person on the other end of the rod than it used to.
Nice fish!


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## BassBlaster (Jun 8, 2006)

reelmanly said:


> Used to fish it when my brother worked the quarries, was truly an awesome place but since the almighty powers bought it out...well you know how the story goes, give it a little more time and it will be fished out more or less, I used to watch em blast out the big quarry on the left as you go in, THAT is a deep hole. Cant even put in a Belly tube.


Hey, who was your brother? I used to work for Olen so I probably know him. Heck if you were in there enough to see us blasting then I may even know you.


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## cpr_mike1 (Feb 25, 2009)

andyman said:


> Why the venom from so many?
> 
> From what I know of those quarries:
> They used to be private, no tresspassing, but now they are open to the public with nice facilities like paths and restrooms.
> ...


Not fished out at all. Just need to be patient. There is great cover there so better be ready to lose some lures.


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## reelmanly (May 19, 2005)

Brother was Mike, and His son Matt also worked there, so did a Guy named Terry who was the Honco there sorta. PM me if ya know me.


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## BassBlaster (Jun 8, 2006)

I do know you!! PM sent.


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## selfishboy22 (Feb 9, 2009)

might go there this weekend, my wife likes going there. where should i go to catfish around central ohio?


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## andyman (Jul 12, 2005)

cpr_mike1 said:


> Not fished out at all. Just need to be patient. There is great cover there so better be ready to lose some lures.


I'm very familiar.


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## cpr_mike1 (Feb 25, 2009)

andyman said:


> I'm very familiar.



You are not the only one andy. lol My life is invested in the prairie oaks waters lol. Well my life of this year lol.


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## Big Joshy (Apr 26, 2004)

andy man if you had seen the thousands of people fishing the first month it was open and the stringers full of fish coming out of there, you would understand the venom.
Dont get me wrong people have the right to keep fish if its within the law. Just don't complain when 80% of the fish are gone from there in the first few months. And no one should pretend that their management plan was a success when the fishing went from a 10 to a 1 in a matter of 2 months. To maintain good fishing with that much pressure strict catch and release is the only way.


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## cpr_mike1 (Feb 25, 2009)

Big Joshy said:


> andy man if you had seen the thousands of people fishing the first month it was open and the stringers full of fish coming out of there, you would understand the venom.
> Dont get me wrong people have the right to keep fish if its within the law. Just don't complain when 80% of the fish are gone from there in the first few months. And no one should pretend that their management plan was a success when the fishing went from a 10 to a 1 in a matter of 2 months. To maintain good fishing with that much pressure strict catch and release is the only way.


I think more fish should be a strict catch and release only. I dont see the point of eating smallies or lm. But that is just my opinion.


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## Smallmouth Crazy (Apr 4, 2006)

I was fishing next to a guy and a kid one day who were throwing LM on a stringer that might have went 10", I told him of the size limit at the time and he just kinda shrugged, there was nobody around to inform about the guy who couldnt care less about harvesting small fish, so you just had to kinda let it ride, I used to have descent luck just before dark with Pop-Rs out there.


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## andyman (Jul 12, 2005)

I've probably been there 2 dozen times since it went public. And most of those were just teaching my kids to kayak.
I don't doubt what you guys are saying at all, but I can only think of one time when I did not see a park ranger there, enforcing the restrictions. Those guys seemed pretty on top of it when I'm over there.

Kind of sad to hear the real truth.
Who the $#@% fills a stringer with 10" bass?
Nimrods.


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## stumpsitter (Jul 3, 2004)

Are there perch in there?


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## trofybassinassasin (Aug 4, 2008)

Went there once last year in November. I fished for around 4 hours and got one largemouth that was around 11 inches. Considering the time of year and that I was shore fishing I think it could have some potential. I saw a guy on a jon boat catch probably a good 4 pounder. It's all in the wrist.


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## SPEAKSUP (Feb 19, 2009)

I have had some good luck there and they are in there. Yet they are not the best cause they keep alot of them. 

Best luck I have had out there with 3 to 4 inch Red and Purple plastics. Rooster tails seems to do pretty good. Dan and me where out their this year where getting bites on shaky heads.


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## Smallmouth Crazy (Apr 4, 2006)

stumpsitter said:


> Are there perch in there?


Yes there is.


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## DC9781 (Apr 3, 2009)

I've fished there about 6 times this year. Its ok but as people have already mentioned there have been several times I've seen people taking fish out (including bluegill). They are allowing night fishing this coming weekend though so I'm going to take my nephews there to see if we can catch any catfish. I haven't tried to fish that species there yet. If anyone has any recommendations on which lake please let me know. Thank you.


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## SPEAKSUP (Feb 19, 2009)

I have sen some bigguns pulled out of the kid's pond so if your nephews are young enough you're in luck. 

Most I have seen pulled out there have been in the area you can boat. If your coming in the entrance it's the lake on the right. 

Yet im sure they are all over the place. 

So their night fishing there this weekend. I might have to go and fish for some cats.


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## DC9781 (Apr 3, 2009)

Went last night with the nephews. We were able to catch a 18" cat from the kids pond. They had never seen one upclose so that was a nice moment. They caught quite a few blugill and a bass. Now they know how to tie a knot, cast and take fish off the hook. Mission accomplished.


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## mevers (Sep 26, 2009)

I fished Prairie Oaks today for about 2.5 hrs and came up empty handed. Lost one on the bank but that was the only hit of the day and it cost me 2 spinner baits in the process. 

I've been fishing these ponds for about 2 months now and have yet to catch anything.


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