# Mahoning Pike?



## Barnrat (Jun 4, 2012)

Anyone ever fish the Mahoning for pike? I have fished them in the Cuyahoga and hear they are in Breakneck Creek, but I just moved out by Newton Falls and looking at the map the West Branch of the Mahoning upstream from Newton Falls looks like likely habitat. I figure that below the West Branch dam and downstream one could maybe find pike, walleye and possibly (?) a musky? I also see on the map a chunk of land called "West Branch Park" (not to be confused with the state park) just upstream from Newton Falls. Can't find any other info than that. Doesn't look developed. Just curious, always looking for somewhere new to get a line wet.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

That's good musky water.


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## Fishing4the Lamb (Feb 11, 2013)

Mosquito lake has a lot of pike. I wouldn't eat anything out of that lake, but you could get some trophies. 


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## fish420 (Feb 25, 2012)

i hit the mahoning here in youngstown for the first time out this year yesterday tryin to find some pike.. a couple bites but they werent big. water is still too cold.


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## Khersh88 (Aug 20, 2011)

I'm not sure about the pike in there I have caught one on a Mepps but that's it I have seen a few muskies and caught a couple though. I fish downstream from newton falls and have caught quite a few nice walleye


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## t.stuller (Feb 25, 2010)

ezbite said:


> That's good musky water.


That it is! There is some pike in their, but not like the cuyahoga. It's definately worth trying though.


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## Eriesteamer (Mar 9, 2007)

Yes I have fish this river from Milton and Westbranch threw Newton Falls for years back years ago. They say not eat the fish after it passes Levitsburge as it was to be poluted there after. Was there a post on a D and L dumping brine in it just a bit ago. Our news here showed a short on how in Youngstown there was a canoe rental and races on it back some years ago. Was hoping they returned but that is hope not a sure thing. Last where was they dumping the brine. As we still fish it..


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## Eriesteamer (Mar 9, 2007)

They put it in a storm drain thats a bit up from Youngstown on salts spring road area thats up a ways and will pulute where I fish river. Dang it


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

Barnrat said:


> Anyone ever fish the Mahoning for pike? I have fished them in the Cuyahoga and hear they are in Breakneck Creek, but I just moved out by Newton Falls and looking at the map the West Branch of the Mahoning upstream from Newton Falls looks like likely habitat. I figure that below the West Branch dam and downstream one could maybe find pike, walleye and possibly (?) a musky? I also see on the map a chunk of land called "West Branch Park" (not to be confused with the state park) just upstream from Newton Falls. Can't find any other info than that. Doesn't look developed. Just curious, always looking for somewhere new to get a line wet.


 the section of the spillway below west branch dam to wayland rd is fishable, but after the road by the parking lot is private property. a few pike can be had off knapp springs rd ramp area, and most bays in wb in the spring..


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## Barnrat (Jun 4, 2012)

Scouted from Wayland Rd. to the dam today. Nice walk. Dog took off like a shot, ran down to the river and pulled the remains of a 38" musky out of a log jam. Wow, what a big fish in that small river. I will be there Sunday morning! Hey Snag, What's the deal with the property between the Newton Falls Rd. Bridge and Newton Falls? On the map it says it's "West Branch Park", but I'll be damned if I can find any signs or access into it. Looks like a couple miles of nice river.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

There's plenty of pike in WB so not too surprising if they aren't in the river below the dam also. Throwing large artificials, or large live minnows(suckers, shiners, chubs) under a bobber would be my program. I don't think anyone targets them there but may just be keeping quiet abt them being there. If there's any in the river, they will come upstream seeking quiet, shallower areas to spawn(right now), so the area from the bridge to the dam would be that area in my opinion. Everything in the lake(state record striper came from that section of the river back in the early 90's-though I think it was later determined the fish was snagged!) seems to be found in the river so why not give it a try. Anywhere below the dam at Mosquito would be a secondary place to try as well since there are definitely northerns in that lake. In lew of fishing the rivers, any backwaters of either lake would also be worth trying if you're intent on catching pike. You may have to resort to ice fishing those places though.
ps-You could float the rivers "over" the private property, just don't put a foot down on the river bed or you could be cited for tresspassing. Between bridges would be best bet-or hell, just knock on some doors to see if you can get (written) permission, just like deer hunting!


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## WISH IT WAS YOU (Jul 25, 2006)

Their is pike a muskie in the mahoning nbutnfewnand far between me and an buddy have been chasingntuem in that river for a fe w years and only have had a couple hook ups to show for it but they are in their and also tons of walleye in that river nice eyes and smallies 

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## fish420 (Feb 25, 2012)

WISH IT WAS YOU said:


> Their is pike a muskie in the mahoning nbutnfewnand far between me and an buddy have been chasingntuem in that river for a fe w years and only have had a couple hook ups to show for it but they are in their and also tons of walleye in that river nice eyes and smallies
> 
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


i agree never really see too many pike. ive caught several big smallies though. seen others catch walleye too. it just depends where youre at really. theres tons of dams and waterfallls and trees and all sorts of stuff in the mahoning.


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## Nimi_fisher5 (Jun 12, 2011)

I've never fished there but after reading this I'd suggest just floating some decent sized creek chubs in the river. Then you'll have all the species these guys are naming covered haha 


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## Johnnycaox (Apr 22, 2012)

c. j. stone said:


> There's plenty of pike in WB so not too surprising if they aren't in the river below the dam also. Throwing large artificials, or large live minnows(suckers, shiners, chubs) under a bobber would be my program. I don't think anyone targets them there but may just be keeping quiet abt them being there. If there's any in the river, they will come upstream seeking quiet, shallower areas to spawn(right now), so the area from the bridge to the dam would be that area in my opinion. Everything in the lake(state record striper came from that section of the river back in the early 90's-though I think it was later determined the fish was snagged!) seems to be found in the river so why not give it a try. Anywhere below the dam at Mosquito would be a secondary place to try as well since there are definitely northerns in that lake. In lew of fishing the rivers, any backwaters of either lake would also be worth trying if you're intent on catching pike. You may have to resort to ice fishing those places though.
> ps-You could float the rivers "over" the private property, just don't put a foot down on the river bed or you could be cited for tresspassing. Between bridges would be best bet-or hell, just knock on some doors to see if you can get (written) permission, just like deer hunting!


Can somebody tell me how I can get to the Dam at mosquito I usually fish at the break wall at the marina for LMB. Thanks!!


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## fish420 (Feb 25, 2012)

its on rt 305 at the south end of the lake


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## the_waterwolf (Feb 8, 2013)

If you find a good spot, keep it to yourself.


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## dbyrnesr (Mar 12, 2013)

No Pike in Mahoning between Berlin and Newton Falls. Plenty of big Muskie. That's not saying that there aren't a few pike there, but I've been fishing here since about 1969 and have never seen one.


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## Fishing4the Lamb (Feb 11, 2013)

Muskies huh. I know where I am going. 


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## dbyrnesr (Mar 12, 2013)

If you are planning on fishing there for muskie, bring serious gear. There are definitely record muskie there. I would recommend 30 lb. power pro with 17lb flourocarbon leader. I also use a Quantum Energy pti-30 with a 7' medium-heavy IM-8 Quantum pti rod. The water is 2-3 feet deep so the muskie can't use their usual high speed runs. To make up for it, they have learned a few new tricks and will ruin your day in an instant. In a couple of Weeks, they will be moving into the upper part toward the Milton spillway. They are in there heavy for about a week. Makes for great exercise. After that, they filter back down the river, but they can be caught throughout the year there.


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## Fishing4the Lamb (Feb 11, 2013)

Yeah, I'm gonna have to do some shopping. My heaviest rod might be able to do it, since its geared for catfish, but, I'd rather have a backup rod just incase. I have two walleye rods in my car right now for just such an occasion. 


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## dbyrnesr (Mar 12, 2013)

I've seen pretty big stuff broken like twigs there. Be sure your reel can handle quick runs without burning up the clutches. These are the meanest muskie I have ever seen. As for lures, just about anything you use for Walleye, will work for these muskie. I've caught them on jigs, spinners, Rapalas,Wally divers, live minnows etc.


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## vc1111 (Apr 13, 2004)

I would definitely NOT recommend a 17 pound mono leader when fishing for musky anywhere, but especially in a shallow rocky, stumpy river.

Use a wire leader or at least 80 lb mono.. A 17 lb leader is a great way to leave a lure lodged in the mouth of a musky after he disconnects it from you and your rod..


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## dbyrnesr (Mar 12, 2013)

Read again. 17lb flourocarbon, not monofiliment. Flouro doesn't cut on rocks and is strong enough for even the largest muskie. I've landed plenty of big ones with it. I lose them normally when they straighten out my hooks or shake the lure. I don't recall getting broken off since I went to this combination.


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## vc1111 (Apr 13, 2004)

I stand corrected; you said fluorocarbonBoth, but I still respectfully disagree. The break strength remains at or around 17 pound test and it can still get nicked which will reduce its strength. It can also more easily get sliced by teeth than either wire or heavier fluoro.

You can catch a musky on even 8 lb test, but doing such a thing is hardly something to "recommend" in my opinion.


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## Khersh88 (Aug 20, 2011)

I've caught two muskies out of the mahoning burg below levisttburg area never tried up stream I have personally seen a few and got to see one come up a wall after bait mahoning is awesome fishing place. I think I have been skunked 2times in my life there seriously. From smallmouth up to muskies and walleye. Last year right after the walleye spawn the big suckers were spawning in the river and would inhale rap alas catching a few of those 5-10# fish in a row will really wear you out.


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## dbyrnesr (Mar 12, 2013)

In the mahoning, these are the species I remember catching. Walleye, muskellunge, yellow perch, crappie, blue gill, carp, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, white bass, white perch, channel cat, blue cat, shovelhead, white sucker and black sucker. Sure I've forgotten a couple. The blue cat in the summer are absolute monsters. Best fishing location I've ever fished. Probably why I've continued to fish there for over forty years.


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## Fishing4the Lamb (Feb 11, 2013)

dbyrnesr said:


> In the mahoning, these are the species I remember catching. Walleye, muskellunge, yellow perch, crappie, blue gill, carp, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, white bass, white perch, channel cat, blue cat, shovelhead, white sucker and black sucker. Sure I've forgotten a couple. The blue cat in the summer are absolute monsters. Best fishing location I've ever fished. Probably why I've continued to fish there for over forty years.


Where were you catching the blue cats? 


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## dbyrnesr (Mar 12, 2013)

Below the spillway. The huge ones seem to move in around mid-june. We catch a few in daylight on crankbaits or floating a minnow. The monsters hit at night.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

dbyrnesr said:


> I've seen pretty big stuff broken like twigs there. Be sure your reel can handle quick runs without burning up the clutches. These are the meanest muskie I have ever seen. As for lures, just about anything you use for Walleye, will work for these muskie. *I've caught them on jigs, spinners, Rapalas,Wally divers, live minnows etc*.


LMBO!!!
I've GOT to find the pictures of the one I caught below the Summit Street Bridge!
HeHeheee,,, it barely fit in my EXCAVATOR bucket!! You should'a seen my co-workers trying to get that huge thrashing thing out of that bucket! 
In one day, WE caught like 42 huge carp, a dozen or so cats, some w bass, smallies, LM bass, northerns, rockies, crappies, and even 1 small palmetto trout!????
(After a 3 day rain, the river came up so high it flooded the new bridge abutment footers. lol, I had to bail 'em out with my hoe,,,, )

FYI,,, The Youngstown Vindi had a sports writer who fished for, and caught 40"+ Muski in the deep hole behind the Warren Park, near the 'High-Rise'. ;')


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

dbyrnesr said:


> In the mahoning, these are the species I remember catching. Walleye, muskellunge, yellow perch, crappie, blue gill, carp, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, white bass, *white perch*, channel cat, *blue cat*, shovelhead, white sucker and *black sucker*. Sure I've forgotten a couple. The blue cat in the summer are absolute monsters. Best fishing location I've ever fished. Probably why I've continued to fish there for over forty years.


Does the ODNR know about the white perch? Never heard of them being in the Mahoning. If what you really did catch were white perch, then this isn't good. 

Blue cats- sorry, but we need pics. Also need pics from all the ones people are catching at Mosquito and elsewhere across NE Ohio, excluding the OH river. 

Black sucker- new species? Never heard of it.


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## dbyrnesr (Mar 12, 2013)

White perch have been there for a few years, there are very few. I would suspect that perch or another big eater is keeping their numbers down. Black sucker is what we always called the other fish, they look like a white sucker and their slime coat tends to cause a burning sensation on your skin if you don't rinse it off.


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

Interesting about the white perch. I know they have been caught in the Allegheny before(and maybe the Ohio and Monogahala?) but in exremely few numbers, especially compared to white bass. 

Other suckers that are in the river are redhorse suckers, northern hogsuckers, and possibly quillbacks(very few probably) but none of those seem to have a slime that burns like you described, from my experiences. Maybe it's just Mahoning River fish lol.

Still need blue cat pics


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## fish420 (Feb 25, 2012)

theres white perch in some of the lakes around here its gonna happen that they get into the river. hell theres a small lake by my house here in struthers full of white perch and its prolly a mile upstream from the mahoning. it drains through a creek that runs right into it. it doesnt seem like a good thing though because years ago that lake was full of crappie now the perch have taken over or so it seems. anywho, you guys gettin pike in the mahoning yet?


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## dbyrnesr (Mar 12, 2013)

No pike in the upper Mahoning (before Newton Falls) Muskie are hitting.


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## BASSINaDL (Aug 24, 2010)

This goofy feller on the youtube has a video at the Mosquito causeway of a smaller blue cat about 10 lbs, deffinantly not a channel. I beleive his name is 'RiverMonsterMike'. 'Chomp' also has a video of another decent blue out of the cuyahoga im thinking in the kent/cuyahoga falls area.


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## t.stuller (Feb 25, 2010)

BASSINaDL said:


> This goofy feller on the youtube has a video at the Mosquito causeway of a smaller blue cat about 10 lbs, deffinantly not a channel. I beleive his name is 'RiverMonsterMike'. 'Chomp' also has a video of another decent blue out of the cuyahoga im thinking in the kent/cuyahoga falls area.


It is RiverMonster Mike. Deer creek in Alliance used to have blue cats in it years ago (also used to be a good musky lake). I havent heard of or seen any coming out there since the early 90's. It over flows into the mahoning/ Berlin


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

fish 420, you mind naming the lake? Not looking for someone's white perch honey hole lol or even a new place to fish(probably private anyways), just curious. 

I haven't seen the one from the Mosquito causeway, but I have seen one of his youtube vids where he catches a channel catfish(idk, around 18in or so) from Mosquito Creek in Niles and him and the other guy he's fishing with both say a bunch of times that it is a nice blue catfish, when it was clearly a channel. There was another vid where he caught a channel and said it was a blue. I'll have to look for the one from the lake....


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

BASSINaDL said:


> This goofy feller on the youtube has a video at the Mosquito causeway of a smaller blue cat about 10 lbs, deffinantly not a channel. I beleive his name is 'RiverMonsterMike'. 'Chomp' also has a video of another decent blue out of the cuyahoga im thinking in the kent/cuyahoga falls area.


Couldn't find the one from the causeway, although there are some channel cat ones which he even says in the title/description they are channels. The fish in Chomp's video is definitely a channel from what I could tell(shape of head, anal fin(rounded), coloration, etc).


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## fish420 (Feb 25, 2012)

that "rivermonstermike" guy is a complete *******. i commented on one of his videos about how he kept a 34" musky out of the water for 5 minutes and threw it all over the ground and just treated the fish like ****, and he comes back accusing me of working for PETA and that there is no "proper way" to handle a fish, calling me foolish for believing such "nonsense", basically whati m saying is dont watch his videos. yeah he catches fish, but id rather throw him in the river.


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

fish420 said:


> that "rivermonstermike" guy is a complete *******. i commented on one of his videos about how he kept a 34" musky out of the water for 5 minutes and threw it all over the ground and just treated the fish like ****, and he comes back accusing me of working for PETA and that there is no "proper way" to handle a fish, calling me foolish for believing such "nonsense", basically whati m saying is dont watch his videos. yeah he catches fish, but id rather throw him in the river.


+100000000000 It makes me sick, just about every fish is mishandled in so many different ways. Cement/rocks/dry mud/dry grass and fish don't mix. Then keeping the fish out of the water FOREVER...just sad.

Back on topic, now how about that white perch lake lol. You don't need to tell, was just curious which lake in the system got infested. Hopefully the population doesn't take off, but since it hasn't already(as there have documented white perch catches in the Ohio river watershed in the past) I don't think it will. Sure hope not.

Pike wise, I haven't fished the Mahoning this year(and never for pike) but I've been out for pike once this year so far in the Shenango watershed and got one. I know others report catching some also. If there's a time to fish the Mahoning for them, now's the time.


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## BASSINaDL (Aug 24, 2010)

fishinnick said:


> Couldn't find the one from the causeway, although there are some channel cat ones which he even says in the title/description they are channels. The fish in Chomp's video is definitely a channel from what I could tell(shape of head, anal fin(rounded), coloration, etc).


Yea your right, seen that a while ago. I went back and watched the one from the Mosquito causeway and appears to be a channel. Kinda hard to see though. and the one out of the cuyahoga on Chomps video is clearly a channel. Just a darker color might confuse some. Well I didnt know their was channels like that in section of the river, ill have to make a couple of smaller trotlines for the ocasion..


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