# OMBTT thinking of Ohio river open in 13 (Give me ideas)



## alumking (Feb 27, 2006)

Alright guys what pool, what time of year need good ramp too. Is just a thought at this point but seriously considering.

Jami www.ombtt.com


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## ranger487 (Apr 5, 2005)

Cumberland Pool was really good this year at the end of May but you know how that goes. Kennedy Ramp has more parking than you need cost $5.00 to park there. NOAA tried to have a big event there a few years ago and if I remember correct I think it was shut down do to lack of entries? But its not a bad Idea to give it a shot Just try to get a weekend were theres no schedule conflict with other events and you know all about that stuff. Remeber PA bass season dont open untill mid June and alout of guys like to go that way.

Mark


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## Rivergetter (Jun 28, 2011)

I run a weekly tx out of Steubenville. The limits and weighs are high in may start to drop in June and don't come back till late August gets good sept thru oct. that fall bite is as good as spring in my opinion. Steubenville has the room but some will have to park up top that is a little inconvenient. Ray land has the room if it's cleaned up. The NOAA event would have drawn more but alot of the guys were waiting to pay at the ramp because of the chance the river could swell. I have the roosters going back a couple of years with number of fish caught and the weights pm me if you need some insight on the fish. But what ever pool you go I'll give it a shot. 


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## ChampioNMan (Mar 17, 2009)

Mid April to early June or Mid September till the end of October!
Willow Island,Hannibal or Pike Island pools.
Trying to find a weekend with no other tournys= probably not possible! ( 3 This weekend alone) Like Rivergetter says,the Rats will show at the ramp,don't expect a bunch of pre-entries.


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

Please Jami!!!!! If you build it, they will come! I'd also love to help out in any way. Like said. Steubenville could handle it, but the ramp is kinda crappy, and the road leading in leaves a little to be desired. It's in much better shape early in the year than late summer. Problem with a spring tourney is you'll never know what the water level will look like until the week of. But you'll definitely have your best weights then. Rayland has held the SQT's and had plenty of parking as long as the owner agrees to move his crap out of the parking lot, that ramp also gives great access to 2 pools which will help spread the field. It also has a ramp fee I believe. Kennedy park is a very nice ramp with great parking and is actually a camp ground if guys would like to make a long weekend out of it and stay right at the ramp. $5.00 ramp fee. Close to the new Cumberland dam for quick access to the pike island pool to the south, or about a 15min. Run north into PA. Waters. You'll have to watch their season dates and/or borders if you go that route. I also like powahattan. It's held quite a few big tourneys. And you'll see alot of green fish factored in down there.

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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

I love the mid September to mid October time frame mentioned earlier. I've never fished a spring tournament on the river but the Fall bite is outstanding. If you're fishing the New Cumberland pool definitely Kennedy Park for a launch site. Like everyone said, it's pay to launch but it's a good ramp and a great pool. Especially for smallies. If you're fishing Pike Island, the Rayland ramp. I know Steubenville is about mid pool, but personally I wouldn't even consider fishing it, if it were from that ramp. Bad Bub was being nice when he said the ramp is kinda crappy. It sucks !!! lol And like he said, Rayland gives you access to Hannibal pool. Powhattan is sweet as well. 

In reading my post I should have just quoted Bad Bub's post and put ditto. He has the bases covered for sure. But Fall for sure. And like some of the others said, expect a lot of entries at the ramp.


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

Bassbme said:


> I love the mid September to mid October time frame mentioned earlier. I've never fished a spring tournament on the river but the Fall bite is outstanding. If you're fishing the New Cumberland pool definitely Kennedy Park for a launch site. Like everyone said, it's pay to launch but it's a good ramp and a great pool. Especially for smallies. If you're fishing Pike Island, the Rayland ramp. I know Steubenville is about mid pool, but personally I wouldn't even consider fishing it, if it were from that ramp. Bad Bub was being nice when he said the ramp is kinda crappy. It sucks !!! lol And like he said, Rayland gives you access to Hannibal pool. Powhattan is sweet as well.
> 
> In reading my post I should have just quoted Bad Bub's post and put ditto. He has the bases covered for sure. But Fall for sure. And like some of the others said, expect a lot of entries at the ramp.


Fall will also give you the best odds on weather conditions and river levels. Everyone will catch fish in the fall, but the weights won't be nearly as big. But october is a fun time to be on the river.

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## shakeyheadkid (Jan 19, 2008)

Can't beat the Powhatten Point ramp setup...IMO
First weekend of June would draw well


shakey


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

shakeyheadkid said:


> Can't beat the Powhatten Point ramp setup...IMO
> First weekend of June would draw well
> 
> 
> shakey


The plus to being at powahatten is it would draw alot of guys from the moundsville and south area. But I think you'd loose some of the guys from up north. Especially the guys that don't fish the river that much. It's an hour+ drive from steubenville, that would make it almost 3 hours for the Akron area guys. I guess you'd just have to weigh on who you think would make the drive. Pike island and new Cumberland pools would be a little more middle of the road. But as mentioned, the ramp facilities are kind of lacking.

Another thing to consider, powahatten has quite a few "larger" tournaments each year. The upper pools haven't seen a "larger" open format tournament in about 17 years. There are alot of guys that are hungry for it around here....

Advertising is going to be key to determine a good turnout in the upper pools. Many of the diehards around here don't even know how to turn on a computer, let alone find out what tournaments will be run on their own water. It's a problem i've delt with trying to get these Sunday opens to take off. I'm seriously debating on going back to sticking fliers on peoples windshields at every tournament I fish, regardless of location. The new Ohio bass blog website has been a huge help in getting new faces at the tournaments. Many are traveling 2 hours to fish them. Those are the guys we want involved long term. They like what their coming to, and they help spread the word to other teams that I normally wouldn't have access to. Mike Reeves may be able to help you get feedback on interest from guys that don't live here on the river. That would atleast give you an idea if it's worth pursuing.... 

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## Rivergetter (Jun 28, 2011)

There is some talk about a bigger open trying to get a foot hold out of Kennedy park and weighing in on stage at the Harv at mountaineer. From what our club was told the track has alot of interest in this type of thing. That is something to consider if u can get in there. 


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

Rivergetter said:


> There is some talk about a bigger open trying to get a foot hold out of Kennedy park and weighing in on stage at the Harv at mountaineer. From what our club was told the track has alot of interest in this type of thing. That is something to consider if u can get in there.
> 
> 
> _OutdoorHub Mobile, the information engine of the outdoors._


When "The Harv" was first built, the Midwest Pro Bass Series did a 2 day tournament out of kennedy and weighed-in at the harv. I went for the final day weigh in and they had some boat dealers set up and a few booths from retailers like gander mtn. It was a cool experience.

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## ChampioNMan (Mar 17, 2009)

Some great ideas being put out there! I really don't like the weigh in at the Harv deal...........Fish care should be #1. The fish have been in the livewell all day,they don't need a road trip to the big stage and the added stress. I know the modern livewells will keep them just fine but get them back in the water ASAP.... JMHO.
Don't forget about the Moundsville and Wheeling Island ramps,both can handle 50+ boats fairly easily and many more if there are people helping with parking.
They are located in the middle of all the pools mentioned.
Powhatan has a fantastic facility as well as mentioned a few times earlier.
I don't like Kennedy simply because of the closed Pa. season on bass in the spring and also the purchase of a Pa. license to fish Pa. water could be a negative as well............But there is some great fishing up there.


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## JF1 (Mar 25, 2008)

Pa waters open early June. My vote would be to have it out of Kennedy, the first sat. Pa waters are open. This would give us that entire pool. I think it's the best of the ones mentioned, and as someone stated, if you go too far down river you will lose a lot of Akron guys.


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## ChampioNMan (Mar 17, 2009)

JF1 said:


> Pa waters open early June. My vote would be to have it out of Kennedy, the first sat. Pa waters are open. This would give us that entire pool. I think it's the best of the ones mentioned, and as someone stated, if you go too far down river you will lose a lot of Akron guys.
> 
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


If you go to far up river you lose alot of the southen guys............This is where the problem lies! 
I really don't have a solution to bring everyone together.

There are probably a few that would like to see it say in Marietta,Belpre or even Gallipolis for that matter.Problem being the river is a huge fishery and most who fish it have a couple pools they like best and that's where they stay. Hard to get a die hard New Cumberland pool guy to go to Marietta and vice-versa. Some will travel but most won't. I myself have locked through 2 pools in tournys before if the $$$$$ is there but the majority just won't do it.
Take tomorrow for instance there is a Tourny out of Steubenville which may draw 20 or so,another out of Moundsville that will draw about the same,even if they were'nt on the same day they would still only draw about the same.

IMO if the money is there you can get a big turnout..........But when the only money comes from entry fees it's hard to get a big feild because nobody knows how many will show up,you don't want to drive 3 pools north or south to win $400. Then when the entry fees get over $100 you start losing more teams.

Hopefully these guys can get a big tourny going for 2013.........We have all winter to hash it out .


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

ChampioNMan said:


> If you go to far up river you lose alot of the southen guys............This is where the problem lies!
> I really don't have a solution to bring everyone together.
> 
> There are probably a few that would like to see it say in Marietta,Belpre or even Gallipolis for that matter.Problem being the river is a huge fishery and most who fish it have a couple pools they like best and that's where they stay. Hard to get a die hard New Cumberland pool guy to go to Marietta and vice-versa. Some will travel but most won't. I myself have locked through 2 pools in tournys before if the $$$$$ is there but the majority just won't do it.
> ...


Exactly! This is why we've been trying to reach the guys that don't normally fish the river. The akron guys, columbus guys. They're going to travel regardless where it's held if the money is right. We at steubenville don't have the sponsorship outlets around us and it hurts when you try to boost the payouts by raising entry fees. I feel like if an established organization like OMBTT or NOAA made a visit, it would open alot of eyes not only locally, but also to the guys that don't normally make the trip because all they think about of the river is the low weights of the '05 bassmaster classic.... bring people here at the right time, and people will be crying to come back....

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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

Over 14 lbs to win out of steubenville today..... 

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## alumking (Feb 27, 2006)

Thanks for all the input we are planning 2013 now and I would like to give a little love to the river. I miss fishing there. I will let everyone know what we decide by end of the year.


Jami


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

You and fabian need to saddle up and take the big "O" for a test drive this weekend....

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## dgatrell27 (Jan 10, 2012)

moundsville ramp!!! close enough to run to stmarys or raylin. gives lots of room for a big tourney.
APRIL-MAY definetly, big weights everywhere then, people wont come if the fish arent biting. if you need help let me know


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## Bass285s (Jun 8, 2012)

The Gallipolis pool is on fire right now!! I was out for a couple of hours last weekend, and was catching smallmouth like crazy. I agree w the others, its hard to get us southern guys to go north and vise-versa. We don't want to travel up there and get spanked by the locals. Maybe you should think about having one up north and one down south. I'll be there if you come south. Hope to see you here........

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## Bass285s (Jun 8, 2012)

Btw, not very many big tournaments go out of the Gallipolis city ramp any more.

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## alumking (Feb 27, 2006)

Sounds good lots of good info. We are waiting for some dates to be finalized and should have some news towards the 1st of the year.


jami


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## greendragon (Sep 20, 2007)

If I were you Jami I would consider the fall as spring fishing on the river can become nonexistent due to the fickle spring weather.


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