# Osprey lake....Darbydale...



## The Tator Tot (Feb 16, 2012)

I know there's alot of guys on here who fish from shore either by themselves or with the kids...a few years ago I stumbled across Osprey Lake...in Darbydale...early March and I was pleasantly surprised to find a slew of what I think were Spotted bass. And I've caught some pretty nice ones...up to 19" long.
Easiest way to fish them I found was a "shaky head" with plastic in tow...right along the shoreline on RIGHT side (I think the west side)...Immediate drop off and the fish were found along that drop. 

Just throwin' it out there...EASY ACCESS and fish are there...might be a good way to maybe teach the youngin's how to fish plastics.

John.




NO SUCH THING AS THE FISH AIN'T BITIN'...I JUST HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT WHAT THEY'RE BITIN' ON....YET.

ONE DIMENSIONAL FISHING GIVES YOU ONE DIMENSIONAL RESULTS...and fish left in the water.


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

What's up man? How come you aren't out delivering the goods this morning? I'm going to get out here in a bit and wade a little bit of the new and improved section of the Olentangy... see if I can't find a wintering hole. I haven't given it a good look yet.


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## The Tator Tot (Feb 16, 2012)

Hey Neal...go get 'em man. I'm still in the process of healing my right elbow and I've been havin' some problems with the "old man" meds I have to take...had to leave work early yesterday and head over to the VA...blood pressure to high or to low, fluctuating...finally got it figured out...old age may bring experience and some wisdom, but it also brings physical misery day in and day out! Good luck. John.


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## Namlot79 (Jan 12, 2013)

me and a buddy caught a slew of crappie there last year, get there early in the season though because that pond gets hit hard and cleaned out quick...at least it did last year


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## The Tator Tot (Feb 16, 2012)

AND, if you are a Carp fisher...I've seen guys sittn up on the Darby creek side with, what I assume to be, a thousand dollar set up. I'm gonna try and find the pic I have of a bass I got out of there and maybe somebody can tell me if it's a LMB or Spotted.


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## Big Joshy (Apr 26, 2004)

I can confirm there are spots in that lake. But largies too. Yeah it gets hit really hard by alot of fishermen looking to keep everything they can. So I wouldn't make a trip there unless you are close by and have time to kill. I grew up right there back in the days when it was a pay lake. My best catch there was a day in the early spring back a couple of years after the parks bought it and it first opened to the public. I caught alot of bass up to about 4 lbs on jerkbaits as they were in prespawn. I saw one female that year on a bed that was every bit of 8lbs but she was spooky and not interested in anything. I have never realy done much good there the last few times I have tried it but its still a good place to mess around if you have time to kill.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

streamstalker said:


> What's up man? How come you aren't out delivering the goods this morning? I'm going to get out here in a bit and wade a little bit of the new and improved section of the Olentangy... see if I can't find a wintering hole. I haven't given it a good look yet.


Looking forward for a report....and hopefully pics !


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## The Tator Tot (Feb 16, 2012)

Hey guys...I finally found the pic...IS THIS A SPOT OR LMB and how the heck do you tell the difference???


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

Mushijobah said:


> Looking forward for a report....and hopefully pics !


I basically took a walk with a fishing pole.  Once the water warms up, I'll be doing the pedal/paddle thing at least a few times and let you know. I'll be able to lock the yak up down by the river, drive to the confluence, peddle back up the bike trail to my place and grab my gear and go.

Sorry, John, don't mean to hijack your thread.


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

The Tator Tot said:


> Hey guys...I finally found the pic...IS THIS A SPOT OR LMB and how the heck do you tell the difference???


Here's a nice chart: http://www.bassfishingnetwork.com/articles/bassid.html
Rough patch on the "tongue" is an easy way to tell. There are plenty in the Darby downstream from there, so you can bet there are plenty in there too.


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## The Tator Tot (Feb 16, 2012)

Thanks Neal...you're not hi-jackn anything...after I heard you went out I took a gander outside and noticed the tree's bending...I almost called you and asked if you were freezin' your butt off.


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## The Tator Tot (Feb 16, 2012)

And I checked out the site you gave...it's a spotted bass...dorsal fin all connected. Thanks bud.


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## Marshall (Apr 11, 2004)

Here is a spotted bass. Looks like you caught a nice Largemouth.







View image in gallery









View image in gallery​


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## The Tator Tot (Feb 16, 2012)

You might be right...I just compared the chart fin description for a spotted dand I noticed the corner of the mouth of the fish I caught looks like it doesn't extend past the eye...oh well, a bass is a bass is a bass...nice pic...thanks...John.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Tator, the mouth on a spotted bass is noticeably smaller than a LMB. Both can have a rough patch on tongue, rare in adult largemouth. The spotting is prominent and will have a thicker dark lateral line. Connected dorsal like a smallie, but some largemouth can be borderline connected. From your photo, I think LMB but your the one who saw it up close and personal. Try and catch another!

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## The Tator Tot (Feb 16, 2012)

Thanks Mushi...and Marshal...I do believe that the two of you are correct. It's almost as if I was makn a mountain out of a mole hill...the mouth is the key...nowhere near as small as the pic you gave marshal...good call guys. John.


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## StuckAtHome (Apr 29, 2004)

Id go with large . that would be a huge spot for around here. rivers are plum full of them, slack water is mostly where youll find them. nice bass!

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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

Sup, MushiBushi?
With your background, how do you feel about the presence of spotted bass in Ohio streams?
(I'm not setting you up. I just really can't make up my mind and I feel like some hard core smallie guys are feeding me bad intel.)


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## StuckAtHome (Apr 29, 2004)

Here's my take, like it or not.
I believe the spots are BOOMING here because the water temps, maybe less likely the low hot summer water. Ten years ago I didn't even know about spots, but hardly ever caught a lm or spot in our flows. Last few years spots end up being the majority of fish caught. I think the habitat is swinging towards the spots preferred habitat, and away from prime smallmouth territory. The same thing is happening with lake Erie, more from the zebra mussel filtering the lake, read a paper saying Erie is turning into a shield type lake, the walleye are on the decline, and sight feeding fish like smallmouth and pike and muskie are taking their place. I believe our rivers, lakes are always in flux, for some time they suit one type of fish, then change, could be years, decades, centuries.

The spot is in its northern range here, the warming helps it by competing better for food, the smallmouth is in its middle southern range, we don't have the higher zones that feed colder water into our streams like Kentucky, Tennessee, so they don't do great in the heated water we have seen the last decade or so.

The flows I fish were nasty in the summer fall, algae blooms, next to zero flow, no big rain storms to clear it out, I'd bet we lost a bunch of fish this year, it wasn't healthy at all for smallmouth.

I'm done...Lol

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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Bubbagon said:


> Sup, MushiBushi?
> With your background, how do you feel about the presence of spotted bass in Ohio streams?
> (I'm not setting you up. I just really can't make up my mind and I feel like some hard core smallie guys are feeding me bad intel.)


Well I've been catching them in walnut, big walnut, darby since I first started fishing. Had a small one in my dad's classroom aquarium for years, caught it in Sycamore Creek, just upstream from Walnut. Cool little fish. I guess I'm used to them being around. I really don't think they will take over the darby like some people say, but that's just a hunch. They have been around longer than people think. I could see them doing well on the lower scioto, but I honestly catch way more smallies. There are a few streams near Waverly that for whatever reason are PACKED with spotted bass. Have been for some years.

What do you think?


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## Big Joshy (Apr 26, 2004)

I grew up fishing the darby and I think I only caught 1 or 2 spots ever. Now im down on paint creek and they are fairly plentiful. But still only 1 to every 10 or 15 smallies. I think what part of the river you fish makes a big difference. In the darby I stayed in faster stretches. The Spots here are more in the slack water close to current but not in it.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

Mushijobah said:


> Well I've been catching them in walnut, big walnut, darby since I first started fishing. Had a small one in my dad's classroom aquarium for years, caught it in Sycamore Creek, just upstream from Walnut. Cool little fish. I guess I'm used to them being around. I really don't think they will take over the darby like some people say, but that's just a hunch. They have been around longer than people think. I could see them doing well on the lower scioto, but I honestly catch way more smallies. There are a few streams near Waverly that for whatever reason are PACKED with spotted bass. Have been for some years.
> 
> What do you think?


Not really sure. But I like catching them, I know that. 
I know a few guys whose opinions I respect, who say that they are invasive. In places like the Ozarks, that they've essentially run most of the other sport fish out of town. Not just old timers saying it, but guys who have a good understanding of lotic ecosystems.
I know guys in Indiana who encourage anyone that will listen to throw them all up on the bank, for the same reasons. And these are guys who are involved in conservation groups. 
I'm not sure I have the stomach for that.
So I dunno. I'm just gonna keep on catching them for now until a smart guys convinces me otherwise.


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## skycruiser (Aug 7, 2009)

in regards to osprey, i used to be convinced there weren't any good fish in there. last year i went with a buddy who swore they were catching bigguns. it was peak spawn time and there were huge LM's sitting on beds all over that place. i couldn't get them to bite, but the males were huge and saw a couple giant females. my buddy ended up catching what had to have been all of 5-6lber on a freaking worm and bobber the next week. still in shock, for the amount of time i spent fishing that place when i was first getting into fishing and not catching a dang thing...dude goes out there with a zebco and nails prolly the only pig in the lake. they gotta sit way out there in the middle in those weedbeds where you can't reach them with normal casting


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