# St Clairsville fishing



## icingdeath (Jun 2, 2010)

My better half has to travel down there for 2 days a week and was going to head down with her. Any fishing close to there? Thank you in advance.


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## maynard (May 19, 2007)

I don't fish out that way, but Inknow there is Barkcamp State Park lake about 20 mins West of there. Also, any of the cricks around there should hold smallmouth, since they flow direct into the Ohio. You can fish the river, as well, but I'm not familiar with any access points. Would have to check online for that, unless someone on here responds.


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## BuckeyeFishinNut (Feb 8, 2005)

Pike island dam isn't far but the river has been a mess again this year. If you like pond fishing, there is Egypt Valley that has a bunch of strip pits off of Rt. 40. Piedmont isn't far either, just take 70 West to Rt.800.


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## icingdeath (Jun 2, 2010)

Thank you both. I will look those up!!


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## Dragline (Nov 26, 2007)

Barkcamp is a nice small lake and close. Easy access, boat launches and nice shore line to fish. Restrooms available.


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## Carver (Jan 20, 2010)

Also the St Clairsville reservoir.


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## icingdeath (Jun 2, 2010)

Is there any shore access on the Ohio River near there? That's where I really want to go.


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## Carver (Jan 20, 2010)

Below the Pike Island dam and around some of the marinas and mouths of creeks.


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## Jal5 (May 9, 2019)

Pike Island dam has been slow fir me with all the high water but I’ve seen guys catching some nice hybrid striped bass and the occasional saugeye or smallie. You could try the stream in Rayland that empties into the Ohio too.


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## DenOhio (Oct 18, 2016)

Boat ramps local are Wheeling Island WV (recommend), Bellaire, Moundsville WV, Powhatan Point (nice). River fishing will be a challenge lol. Wheeling Island is the nearest at 20minutes of Saint Clairsville. Turn left from that ramp and reach Pike Island locks and dam in minutes. North end of island is fair for bass. Bark Camp lake 20 minutes out but no gas motors. Piedmont about 30 minutes but 9.9hp. Tappen about 45minutes big hp. Seneca about an hour also big hp. Clendening about 50min but 9.9hp as well. Good luck.


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## icingdeath (Jun 2, 2010)

DenOhio said:


> Boat ramps local are Wheeling Island WV (recommend), Bellaire, Moundsville WV, Powhatan Point (nice). River fishing will be a challenge lol. Wheeling Island is the nearest at 20minutes of Saint Clairsville. Turn left from that ramp and reach Pike Island locks and dam in minutes. North end of island is fair for bass. Bark Camp lake 20 minutes out but no gas motors. Piedmont about 30 minutes but 9.9hp. Tappen about 45minutes big hp. Seneca about an hour also big hp. Clendening about 50min but 9.9hp as well. Good luck.


Thank you for all the great info!!


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## icingdeath (Jun 2, 2010)

Finally made it down. Going to try the St. Clairsville resevoire today. Wish me luck!


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## DenOhio (Oct 18, 2016)

icingdeath said:


> Finally made it down. Going to try the St. Clairsville resevoire today. Wish me luck!


You’ll need more then luck there! Worst possible fishing locally! You May catch a small bass if you’re very lucky. Maybe a small bullhead on bottom lol. Stay dry, lots of rain today!


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## BuckeyeFishinNut (Feb 8, 2005)

icingdeath said:


> Finally made it down. Going to try the St. Clairsville resevoire today. Wish me luck!


Yeah, would not recommend that spot either. I go there sometimes to catch bluegill for bait, but even for that, Barkcamp or Egypt Valley are better locations. This is a tough time of year in this area and weather hasn't helped. Used to do really well in the summer below Pike Island dam for smallmouth in the early morning, like 5am-7am. River is so messed up I haven't even tried this year.


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## DenOhio (Oct 18, 2016)

I’m not much of a shore type fisherman but I have on occasion fished the strip pits at Egypt Valley and AEP. It would be difficult to explain those locations lol. Goggle earth is your best bet unless someone would like to attempt it. It’s true the river has been a disaster this year. Go to Barkcamo aka Belmont Lake. Easy find and access for outta town folks.


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## BuckeyeFishinNut (Feb 8, 2005)

Yeah, places like Egypt Valley and Jockey Hollow require some local knowledge to find decent ponds. Both are fairly easy to get to, finding productive ponds and navigating the gravel roads is another issue. The entrance to Egypt Valley is basically were Rt.40 dead ends into I-70 at the bottom of Lady Bend hill. Jockey Hollow is off of Rt. 519 past New Athens but before Rt. 22.

If you want to pond hop, google earth those areas and look for ponds that are away from the road. Anything right off the road is gonna be terrible and gets pounded frequently. Spray your clothes with tick repellent as the ticks can be horrible at times. Some big bass are in some of those ponds. I always used to do well on topwater baits, poppers, torpedos, floating rapalas, etc. Some of the ponds can get really weedy.


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## DenOhio (Oct 18, 2016)

BuckeyeFishinNut said:


> Yeah, places like Egypt Valley and Jockey Hollow require some local knowledge to find decent ponds. Both are fairly easy to get to, finding productive ponds and navigating the gravel roads is another issue. The entrance to Egypt Valley is basically were Rt.40 dead ends into I-70 at the bottom of Lady Bend hill. Jockey Hollow is off of Rt. 519 past New Athens but before Rt. 22.
> 
> If you want to pond hop, google earth those areas and look for ponds that are away from the road. Anything right off the road is gonna be terrible and gets pounded frequently. Spray your clothes with tick repellent as the ticks can be horrible at times. Some big bass are in some of those ponds. I always used to do well on topwater baits, poppers, torpedos, floating rapalas, etc. Some of the ponds can get really weedy.


Amen brother! Ticks suck for real lol. My son even puts a dog flea collar on his ankles securing his pant legs tight. Does that help IDK lol. I’m an off spray guy only. Does it help, I think so but you still get a few now and then! Body check required always.


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## BuckeyeFishinNut (Feb 8, 2005)

DenOhio said:


> Amen brother! Ticks suck for real lol. My son even puts a dog flea collar on his ankles securing his pant legs tight. Does that help IDK lol. I’m an off spray guy only. Does it help, I think so but you still get a few now and then! Body check required always.


I don't even mess around anymore. If I head out to those places I wear light colored clothes, I tuck my jeans into my boots, wear a performance long sleeve shirt and tuck it into my pants, and spray my clothes with Off from head to toe (highest DEET I can find). I hate ticks and don't want anything to do with Lyme's disease.


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## icingdeath (Jun 2, 2010)

Yea it was a total bust!!! Never been that soaked in years!!! Maybe down next week and gonna try Wheeling Creek for smallies.


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## cheezemm2 (Apr 7, 2004)

My old stomping grounds...go to Barkcamp as these guys are saying (easy boat rental there too if you want). Other options are Piedmont dam and the backwaters there (edgewater) if you're shore based. Tappan lake off of 250 is a little further but has great riprap that can be fished for just about anything with a bass minnow/float and jigs/twisters. Clendending bridges offer channel cats galore.


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## DenOhio (Oct 18, 2016)

Ugh,


icingdeath said:


> Yea it was a total bust!!! Never been that soaked in years!!! Maybe down next week and gonna try Wheeling Creek for smallies.


ugh, an additional horrible choice, but good luck lol.


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## cheezemm2 (Apr 7, 2004)

DenOhio said:


> Ugh,
> 
> ugh, an additional horrible choice, but good luck lol.


Yep, take the dough balls and get as close to the Ohio as you can or you're going to have a slow day.


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## Tinknocker1 (May 13, 2013)

I remember back in the day everybody had dough bait in the bottom of their tackle boxes and it smelled good enough to eat sliced on a angle we used to drive my dads buddies International Scout into 6 mile catfishing just the red clay and that smell of dough bait must have been a lot of carp guy's back in the early 70's


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## DenOhio (Oct 18, 2016)

Tinknocker1 said:


> I remember back in the day everybody had dough bait in the bottom of their tackle boxes and it smelled good enough to eat sliced on a angle we used to drive my dads buddies International Scout into 6 mile catfishing just the red clay and that smell of dough bait must have been a lot of carp guy's back in the early 70's


Lol true, I remember tasting the dough ball my dad had! I even remember making them in the kitchen!


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## Tinknocker1 (May 13, 2013)

DenOhio said:


> Lol true, I remember tasting the dough ball my dad had! I even remember making them in the kitchen!


lol it didn't taste as good as it smelled did it ?


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## DenOhio (Oct 18, 2016)

Tinknocker1 said:


> lol it didn't taste as good as it smelled did it ?


Lol exactly right ugh!


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## BuckeyeFishinNut (Feb 8, 2005)

icingdeath said:


> Yea it was a total bust!!! Never been that soaked in years!!! Maybe down next week and gonna try Wheeling Creek for smallies.


I had a WV license last year and hit Big Wheeling Creek a number of times and wasn't very impressed. I caught some fish every time I went but not the quality or numbers you would expect for how good that creek looks in certain places. If your talking about the Wheeling creek that runs on the Ohio side, fishing has been down the last couple years and access is hard to come by.

If you want to wade and smallie fish, you would be better served going to Captina in Powhatan Point. Its about a 25 minute drive down Rt. 7. Just look for a pull off along side the road and jump in.


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## BuckeyeFishinNut (Feb 8, 2005)

double post...sorry


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## DenOhio (Oct 18, 2016)

Well if you must fish Wheeling creek park at Generations restaurant and have a good lunch. Slip over the steep hill after and fish that hole. You won’t catch bass but you’ll probably catch some carp and cats. At least you’ll have lunch and not a complete waste of time. I’d use chunks of hot dog as they work there. It’s been many, many years but I’m sure it’s the same.


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## icingdeath (Jun 2, 2010)

DenOhio said:


> Well if you must fish Wheeling creek park at Generations restaurant and have a good lunch. Slip over the steep hill after and fish that hole. You won’t catch bass but you’ll probably catch some carp and cats. At least you’ll have lunch and not a complete waste of time. I’d use chunks of hot dog as they work there. It’s been many, many years but I’m sure it’s the same.


Thank you. I will look that up!


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## maynard (May 19, 2007)

Captina, man.
Shoot down Rte 9 to Armstrong Mills and You can go either way to find a slice of Heaven on Earth!


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## Hatchetman (Apr 13, 2004)

Tinknocker1 said:


> I remember back in the day everybody had dough bait in the bottom of their tackle boxes and it smelled good enough to eat sliced on a angle we used to drive my dads buddies International Scout into 6 mile catfishing just the red clay and that smell of dough bait must have been a lot of carp guy's back in the early 70's


 It was called "Van-Do", spelling might not be right, and was made in Toronto, Oh by a school teacher. Stuff would outlast the dinosaurs if you kept it wrapped. Did catch carp though....


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## Tinknocker1 (May 13, 2013)

Hatchetman said:


> It was called "Van-Do", spelling might not be right, and was made in Toronto, Oh by a school teacher. Stuff would outlast the dinosaurs if you kept it wrapped. Did catch carp though....


that's a nice little piece of history Hatchetman it came in a clear sealed pack red letter with a carp on it ? I didn't know it was made in Toronto thanks for the reply !


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## Hatchetman (Apr 13, 2004)

Tinknocker1 said:


> that's a nice little piece of history Hatchetman it came in a clear sealed pack red letter with a carp on it ? I didn't know it was made in Toronto thanks for the reply !


If I remember correctly, his name is Bob Nelson. Had a bait shop in Toronto also....


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## icingdeath (Jun 2, 2010)

It's a start!!


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