# Wills Creek Dam



## leaky tiki (Apr 14, 2004)

Quite a few years ago, a neighbor took me down to wills creek, and we caught some sauger/saugeye...

can anyone tell me any info about this area...where to go, what to use...

any help would be greatly appreciated

thanks


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## leaky tiki (Apr 14, 2004)

Boy, this place must be a heck of a honey hole if no one will give me any feedback on the place...


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## shroomhunter (Aug 6, 2004)

I like the spillway and the area below it. Haven't been over since january though so I don't have an up to date report. If you follow the signs off of 83 to the dam there is a general store/baitshop on the way, they give good up to date info. There are Saugeye, Cats of all breeds, crappie and numerous other fishes to catch. :B 
Sorry i don't have any up to date info but I've been fishing Buckeye for saugeye and crappie and have no reason to go that far. The mushrooms ain't poppin just yet


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## tuscriverfisher (Jun 29, 2005)

If your comeing from a distance in my opinion your wasteing your time.This is my opinion and will probably offend ppl and be called a non fisherman but i just go by what i have seen while down there and what i have done.I think in 10 trips there i have seen maybe 10 fish caught there both at the spillway and above the spillway.I personally will not go back there.But ofcoarse there are fish there but there scared of hooks.But yes the bait store down there is a really good one and very generous ppl.We need more like that one across the state.Best luck!!!!George


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## leaky tiki (Apr 14, 2004)

Thanks for the info...

If I decide to make the trip, what kind of bait are we talking about? Jigs withe twister tails?


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## catfish_hunter (May 31, 2005)

Try in the southeastern ohio forum, I have only ever fished it for cats but i know alot of people fish it for eyes...Ive heard from pretty good sources that they have been catching them down there which this was in Jan with Minnows under a bobber...


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## shroomhunter (Aug 6, 2004)

Tipped with twistertails, bring along plenty as with all spillways there are snags. Jig n minnow will work as well or as suggested minnow under a bobber.
As with anywhere else one day I get a limit of nice fish the next day I can't catch a cold. They call it fishing, not catching  Snakebite can tell ya that  
The other option is to go to the tackle shop buiy some jigs n twistertails head to the wine shop get your fav. juice go to the movie rental shop get a Bill Dance video go home Throw the the jigs n twistertails in the trash can(they'll be stuck in the riverbottom anyways) open your can of juice pop in ol Bill and enjoy the fishing  Save some Gas!
Don't really matter if I catch fish or not, just enjoy trying!
Can't stand the old boobtube, I'd rather be thawing out my line guides on a cold night of fishing than watching tv.
Good Luck if you go, if you get there real late at night or very early in the Am and see a guy thawing out his line guides come and say hi!
Snakebite, ya ever gonna get a day off? Fish are biting


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## George (Mar 27, 2005)

I've heard the better fishing is obviously near the dam. It can get really shallow there. Vertical jigging is a good approach. State record saugeye once came out of Wills Creek.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

> State record saugeye once came out of Wills Creek.


 indeed it did,george.it was also the world record at the time.









and here's it's almost identical twin,caught there by the record holder's son not to long ago.there are still some hogs in there


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## rockbass (Apr 16, 2004)

Awesome fish Rick. I have seen the other pic, but not of yours. 


The Dam can be awesome fishing. I primariy fish for catfish there, but have also come across some other fish. I personally have caught crappie, saugeye, and a striped bass there on top of catfish. I have been there catfishing and wished I had my other rods, because I have seen many other people within an hour catch a limit of saugeye, or catch white bass seemingly one after the other. When the water is way down as it was most of last year, the fishing declined bad. We still had a few nice days/nights down there.
Some of the trips were a total waste of gas, but some were great. It would have been the same if I stayed near home, but it is nice to get out


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## bimhoff07 (Mar 9, 2006)

Do you all fish directly below the dam in the fast current or where exactly do you recommend? I've only fished there once and no one around caught anything while I was there. I just wondered if there was a better area to fish than where we were.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

rocky,that second fish is my cousin's  
i haven't joined the "family 10 pound club" yet,but i'm breathin' down their backs with a near 9  
as for cats,my cousin says there are a few nice ones caught there occasionally  









he even plays net man now and then for his dad,when one of those pesky muskies interupts their saugeye fishing


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

bimhoff,you find good fishing and easy access in the whole stretch from the dam to several hundred yards below.


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## rockbass (Apr 16, 2004)

I am sure you will be there soon Rick! I have been known to catch a few nice flatties out of there too  

As far as where to fish. I have caught fish all along both sides. I ahev also seen others catch fish all along both sides. Fish right down near the handicapped dock. I know I lost one there that would have gone easily over 60 lbs. the same night on the opposite side of the creek a guy broke hi rod on one......Flatties that is. saugeye are all along there too
I notice it depends on the water flow on where the most fish are caught. Maybe we will meet up down there some time to fish it


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## BigChessie (Mar 12, 2005)

Hey Rock Are those 2006 totals??


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## rockbass (Apr 16, 2004)

yeah they are. except I just noticed my saugeye number was wrong.....supposed to be 15 not 19.....I will fix it shortly. I noticed a few guys on this site and on others were doing a total thing in their signature, so I jumped on the bandwagon


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## leaky tiki (Apr 14, 2004)

What size jig are we talking about here? I am planning on being there Friday Morning...but would like to be all tied up when I leave my place so I can start "catching" as soon as I get there.


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## rockbass (Apr 16, 2004)

Jig always depends on water flow for me. I just try to keep in contact with bottom. usually I use 1/8 oz, but sometimes I use lighter or heavier. Even when 1/8 is enough to keep me touching bottom, I will use 1/4, but that's just me. I also use some weedless jig I make to help from snagging to easily. be ready to lose some jigs if you bounce bottom


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## leaky tiki (Apr 14, 2004)

Rock...

thanks so much for the info!


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## rockbass (Apr 16, 2004)

No problem man, I am hoping to make it down there soon myself. I will be looking for a report....please let us know how it goes.


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## leaky tiki (Apr 14, 2004)

Man oh man...that's a heck of a drive from the Massillon area...I don't remember it being so long the last time I was there...

Caught one catfish...

then I stopped on the way back home and tossed a rooster tail into the Tusc. river (I've never fished this river before...but I have caught plenty of smallies in the Hocking river doing this)...

I guess I should have made the trip to Toledo to freeze my @$# off in the Maumee...


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