# Can't be too cold for wipers yet!



## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

http://www.lrd-wc.usace.army.mil/tempgif/oh436.gif

This is the web site for temps at Meldahl, shows 60 degrees give or take.
I've been skunked there last few trips for wipers, it can't be too cold for them, there is a ton of skips and minnows in the water, the sea gulls are practically swarming just below the dam at times.
The sauger bite is coming on, anyone have any clues at to why the wiper bite is so slow when the OR is still so warm?
LMJ
BTW, caught a couple small wipers this evening, 14-15 inch range.


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## MARKW6 (May 12, 2007)

As you know, shad are everywhere. I think they have backed off slightly into deeper water...why I am not sure. I believe if we had a few less shad the hybrids would not have such a buffet to feed on. I believe that confluences are now the key. Edges where two bodies of water meet The GMR and the OHIO. A creek and the Ohio. Again I am going Wednesday and will let you know. MARKW6 Jeff, have you tried the mouth of the LMR, use a crankbait and throw intoi the confluence.


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## creekwalker (May 23, 2004)

I've been fishing creek mouths most of the fall and caught maybe 5 white bass and wipers. The ones I normally fish are also normally productive this time of year, but who knows about this year.

My theory is that with the lack of current, the bait fish aren't really concentrated anywhere, so the wipers are also roaming. Maybe some lake techniques for wipers would be productive with the lack of current? I've only been lake fishing for wipers a couple of times, so anyone have any thoughts/advice?

LMJ, I haven't taken a surface temp at the river the last few times out, but i did take one in a trib and it was down to 52, so I bet the OR will drop quickly now.


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## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

Mark, Terry, I hear ya, haven't tried confluences yet, not sure how to get to mouth of LMR without boat.
There is still concentrated shad and skips at the dams. Someone said Markland was heating up at the generators, which is on the IN side.
With 60's the daytime high this week, OR still won't take a real plunge I'm hoping, there is a good chance for a couple days soaking rain, which can bring temp down pretty quick too.
Today, sunny, warm, w/front moving in, probably the day they bite, and work and commitment this evening shuts me down! 
Won't be til next Sat. again.
LMJ


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## creekwalker (May 23, 2004)

I hear ya about the weather today. I'm working from home today and was just thinking about calling it a day and heading to the OR, but I thought I'd check OGF for any last minute advice!


CW


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## cadyshac (Dec 9, 2005)

I have been fishing a creek mouth for the last month and have been catching Largemouth and Ky bass everytime. I have got some nice wb and one wiper around 5 lb. When we got the big rain a couple of weeks ago I got some very big wb but no wipers. Sauger are now pretty regular but small. I think it is still too warm, last year I did my best the end of Nov. and into Dec., every year is different though. If we get a good rain tonight I will do my best to hit my creek because I know it will be productive. The fish I have been catching are the healthiest, fattest fish you will ever see.
Cady


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## creekwalker (May 23, 2004)

Cady, about same here. In my experience if you're catching anything but wb, sauger, or hybrids, they're not there. It almost seems like if the LM, smallies, spots, etc. are in there, the striped ones are somewhere else. I think they crowd out the basses for a particular spot or maybe they're just that much more aggressive when they have the feedbag on.

If we get a good rain, I might take a couple of days off  I'm ready for the stripes to start hitting like they normally do!

LMJ, as for water temp, I took a surface temp at Meldahl today and it was 58.

CW


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

I wonder if anyone can tell where this one is?? As for the Tribs., very good sources tell me that the bite is excellent at Portsmouth where the Scioto empties into the Ohio with wipers up to 11 lbs. The ones at the dam have been hitting the spoons pretty hard.


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## creekwalker (May 23, 2004)

Dave, I'm heading to Ironton for Thanksgiving. I'll be sure to stop in and check out the action down there


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## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

Hey Dave, nice wiper, why do they go away when I show up! 
Terry, that surface temp is about right, probably would change a few degrees depending on where at the dam you're getting it.
58 is still great wiper and striper temp!
LMJ


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## creekwalker (May 23, 2004)

LMJ, just what I was thinking about the water temp, so where they at? I sure would like to see what some current does for the striped bite!

CW


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## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

Terry, crossing OR at Cincinnati this morning, still as a lake.
Like glass, saw some circles, something rising.
I still think the current flow at the dams is where the bait and predators will be, as well as any trib flowing in, flowing is the key.
As Mark mentioned, confluence of LMR, any flowing feeder creek like yours, if it's MOVING.
Discharges, treatment plants (as unsavory as that seems, the shad love treated sewage discharges), power plant discharges, gravel and sand bars with eddies in current. 
Sounds great writing it, putting into practice will prove it one way or another.
LMJ


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## cadyshac (Dec 9, 2005)

I took two temp readings today, first several miles up the Licking from confluence with Ohio, it was 52 and I caught two smallies there. Next was a creek mouth on the big o it was 60 there and I got a lm and nice ky bass. No striped anything and the bite was slow.
Cady


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

It's not too cold yet. Tuesday at Greenup ,I saw a total of about 16 Hybrids caught on various topwater lures. Pencil Poppers, Flukes behind Launchers and weighted baits. The Sauger fishermen just stared in amazement as did I.Every time it stopped raining, they stopped biting. Start raining,started biting. They were knocking shad all over the place. So don,t give up on em' yet


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## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

Dave, one more trip out this weekend, Sat. at sunup hope to be there!
Bringing Bluewater w/me, leave 4am, fish til noon or so.
Can you arrange any rain? 
LMJ

Terry, come on out, we're going all the way out AA from Alexandria, but meet us out there!


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## Brian.Smith (May 18, 2006)

I am planing on coming down to the OR Saturday, are the fish good to eat out of the river, and how many hybrids are you aloud to keep. I saw something about only so many fish over 15".


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## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

Brian.Smith said:


> I am planing on coming down to the OR Saturday, are the fish good to eat out of the river, and how many hybrids are you aloud to keep. I saw something about only so many fish over 15".


Western Unit (Kentucky/Ohio border only)  Lawrence County west of South Point, and Scioto, Adams, Brown, Clermont, and Hamilton counties. Ohio and Kentucky will honor the other states fishing licenses along their common borders on the mainstem and from the banks of the Ohio River, excluding embayments and tributaries. The following regulations are the only unified regulations in the agreement  for all other regulations, anglers must abide by those of the state by which they are licensed, except that Ohio anglers must abide by Kentucky laws when fishing from the Kentucky shoreline, and Kentucky anglers must abide by Ohio laws when fishing from the Ohio shoreline. 
http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/dow/regulations/fishing_ohioriver.aspx
Species Daily Limit Minimum Size 
Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted bass 6 (singly or in combination 12 inches (no minimum size for spotted bass) 
Walleye, Sauger, & Saugeye 10 (singly or in combination) None 
Striped, Hybrid Striped, White & Yellow Bass 30 (no more than 4 over 15 inches) None 
Muskellunge 2 30 inches 
Black Crappie & White Crappie 30 None


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

4 over 15in. but i would not recommend eating them over 15in, one i think the bigger ones should go back and two i was on the boat collecting the fish that are tested for the consumption advisories, that river is getting cleaner but i wouldnt eat anything big/old out of it, the numbers really climb on the older predators. i'd stick to the sauger


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## Brian.Smith (May 18, 2006)

Thanks Lmj and rK I'll give you guys a report when I return. Not real rure where I am going but I am reading these posts and have a good Idea, a trib next to the OR.


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## MARKW6 (May 12, 2007)

This past Wednesday 11/14 the hybrids had moved up the GMR to the deeper river channels but were only 3-4 ft. deep, deeper meaning 12-14 ft. A Norman crankbait was still the lure of choice. The fish were not at the mouth like 2 weeks ago. Shad again were every where. We had over 75 but as the weather turned bad so did the fishing. Water temp. 54.6. More current for some reason, another key. Mark


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## sevenx (Apr 21, 2005)

Markw6, I had a feeling that might happen. I watched the LMR come up some over the last two days and air temps and sunshine. I was hoping to get out and see what I could find but tomorrow morning is my only opportunity and with the cold front in hard I don't think I will find any. Smallies will be my target so I will post in another thread but if I see any wipers I will let you all know. S


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## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

That's good news Mark, I'm heading to Greenup in morning, river will be over 21, I've caught huge wipers there with river over walkways up to top of railing.
Steve, you and the rest of us may have missed the last of LMR wipers this week, would have been interesting to know if they came back up.
There's always sauger and the HWD when it gets freezing cold! 
LMJ


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## creekwalker (May 23, 2004)

Yeah, I think I'm going to be spending some WWD time this winter to make up for the lack of "catching" this fall.

CW


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## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

Hey Terry, noticed new avatar, OGFPick, what's that mean?
LMJ


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## creekwalker (May 23, 2004)

LittleMiamiJeff said:


> Hey Terry, noticed new avatar, OGFPick, what's that mean?
> LMJ


Its the name of the extension I wrote for Firefox (web browser) to use on the OGF site. It let's me insert my fishing report template into the post and better select what threads I'm viewing, so I'm not scrolling around too much.

CW


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## MARKW6 (May 12, 2007)

I am heading out later today (Monday) to the GMR, with the water up and a little current hopefully the hybrids will be active. I will try the mouth and up river on the drops and channel edges. I will let you know the out come. Mark


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## sevenx (Apr 21, 2005)

I did not make it out Sat. To busy. May try to sneek out tues or weds. Temps in the 50's but I think mostly cloudy. I will be out early as always so smallies will be the target. Time to pull out the winter flies, I like a dead drift with a plain white streamer. Seems to work well with some shad dying off. I think cc must be releasing some. Harsha has been but down stream reading on the lower indicate its not that much, and water above the confluance is up. CC reales is a bottem realease and cold water so I sure that is such a good thing even though it bring enough water for the stripes. I hope you found some fish Mark, look forward to the report. Jeff hit Meldahl lately. I have been hearing some good reports from good sources on the KY side but also hear it has been very crowded with most guys getting out around 3:30 am to secure there spot. S


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## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

Steve, hit Meldahl last evening, 430 to dark, nada.
Lot's of skips in water, and seagulls all over the surface, so I think they're in there, just a little too far for my casting ability.
I was at greenup early sat. til 3, nada, John/Bluewater caught a few nice sauger.
I'm riding a huge skunk, since start of Oct., ???? 
LMJ


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## fisharder (Mar 18, 2005)

I think I will long line and cover a bunch of water and see if I can find some fish. I will let you know tomorrow what happens.:T


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## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

fisharder said:


> I think I will long line and cover a bunch of water and see if I can find some fish. I will let you know tomorrow what happens.:T


Bring it on, Brother! 
LMJ


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## sevenx (Apr 21, 2005)

I don't have time to make it to the ohio these days so I am going to be working the LMR if I can get out at all. Jeff I hope you 'brake" that skunk off your back. Keep at it I had along skunk this year but the day I hit em made it all worth it. Remember this pic
You'll get em. Good luck fishharder. Oh and a dumb question, is long lining trolling or another technique. Thanks.

Steve


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## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

Thanks for the encouragement, Steve, today seems like an ideal day, warm, cloudy, front moving through, WORK!!!! 
I was thinking the "Long Lining" was trolling too, being a bank fishing sometimes catching guy, don't throw those terms around loosely, to me long lining is casting the 12' surf rod across the face of the dam 300-400 feet!  
LMJ


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## sevenx (Apr 21, 2005)

Go get em Jeff. S


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## MARKW6 (May 12, 2007)

Monday, 11/19 the GMR had NO current which I believe pulled the bigger fish again back to deeper water edges....my wife and I had over 40 hybrids but were mainly in the 2-3 lb. range. It was a blast with her . She had one over 5 lbs. Zero at the mouth or confluences. A Bill Norman purple still is the bait of choice. MARKW6


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## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

Mark, once again a great report.
W/no current, what was your stategy?
fishing from shallow into deep drops?
Any shad in the GMR?

LMJ


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## fisharder (Mar 18, 2005)

Covered a lot of water today Fishing was pretty steady.Cought 11 hybrids all in the 1 to 2lb. range. Cought a nice smallmouth and some fat white bass and a walleye also cought a bunch of small sauger.


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## fisharder (Mar 18, 2005)




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## sevenx (Apr 21, 2005)

Fishharder, Nice fat smallie. Was he still pretty active or getting lathargic. Nice job. Mark glad you all had a great day outthere. S


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## MARKW6 (May 12, 2007)

Bottom Line: WE NEED CURRENT! Current gives hybrids ambush points, mainly slack water versus current edges which happens alot in river systems and in the GMR usually in deeper areas, deeper relative to surrounding water depths....4ft. to 2ft. causes currents edges or 4ft. to 7ft. causes a break or edge. Shad get caught in this break area and that is where the hybrids are. MARKW6


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