# Ohio's record northern...



## Jackfish (Apr 15, 2004)

Was caught out of Lyre Lake - but I have never heard of this lake and can't locate it using internet search or search of Ohio's lakes...

Does anyone know the story? Was this a private lake or something?


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## silverbullets (May 18, 2009)

I found this similar question on another fishing site. Someone replied back with these responses.


"It's east of Dayton near Medway on Lower Valley Pike. If I remember correctly it is actually owned by a fish and gun club? I think the lake or lakes are old gravel pits."

"Yeap, and save your time on tying to get in. 
I have been lucky enough to fish this place once. WOW, a 3lb Largemouth would be considered small. The lake isnt big, but it has or at least had TONS of trophy fish. It used to be a gravel pit for American Ag, I think now they are called Mark Marietta. The emps used to be able to fish Lyre Lake, thats how I got in. I hvae wrote letters asking for consideration for membership as well as left messages, but no luck, not even a simple response. I finally gave up 5 or 6 years ago. PS-Their phone number to the clubhouse used to be in the phone book."


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Steve, I have fished there a few times with an (now) ex Martin Merrietta employee, We fished it about 7-8 years ago, I never thought the fishing was great but we were shore fishing, I did manage a 2 lb pike and a small channel and a few 10" bass one day. 
I might add that I was on the "waiting " list about 15 years ago and had to have a member recommend you for the waiting list, I had a letter from them saying such, then over time I lost contact with the guy that signed me up and moved at least twice and lost my letter, so a few years ago called up ( and it took an act of god to track down the clubs phone number at that time) and found out the guy who recommended me had passed away and they had no record of me ever being on the list, of course I wished I still had the letter from them but when i spoke with them, I tried to find out what it would take to get on the list/ fees etc. and they hushed up real fast never giving me a answer other then it took someone to charter you and the list was miles long. 

As far as the state record Pike, it has been questioned many times as it is essentially a "pay to fish" lake and should never have been allowed for the record but like the recent Blue Cat record, DNR's free publicity for folks to buy licenses far outweighs anyone actually verifying facts on the where it was caught. I know a few guys on the Ohio Outdoor Writers assoc and that is typically what they have all told me. ( in so many words) 

BTW, from what I hear, they are no longer stocking NP out there and a few may be around still as they had some limited natural reproduction. Being a deep ground water filled gravel pit with many pushed in banks and topsoil added, the weedbeds are really unique for this area, that is why the pike did well in there. 
Please let me know if you get anywhere with this. Ill PM you a bit more info I have. 

Salmonid


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## Jackfish (Apr 15, 2004)

You answered (sort of) my main question - which is why is this the record if it's a pay lake fish? (or pay to fish lake, whatever) This wouldn't be any different than someone catching a cat from catfishermans paradise and claiming it for the OH record.

Being from this area, I can't beleive a natural pike could reach anything close to that size in Dayton. Temps to warm, to much pressure. A private lake stocking something much larger than fry and keeping pressure to a min, I guess I could see that.

I don't know the name of it, but there is a private fishing lake close to Centerville High School, that has some old pics of pike on the walls. They apparently stocked them big - and could afford to based off the membership dues and limited pressure. The same lake stocks Walleye at eating size. 

Seems dumb if Lyre is the same type of story, which sounds like it is. Someone could head to Ontairo, tag a nice fish, sell it to a lake (yes you would need to be properly licensed for this) and then have someone say - "look a new record"... goofy.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

I thought i just recently read a similar story to that in the Cinci papers....

Dont worry , the next Hybrid Bluegill record is growing in my bait tank, another 18 months and I should double the present record......

Its all about press and publicity which in turn will sell more licenses. Is that simple....why do you think only like 2 states ( I read this somewhere) have there state records which have to be caught from "public" waters.

So it goes something like this, someone looks through all the states LM Bass records and see that Ohio has a pretty respectable 13 lb'r and subconciously thinks, Ohio must have some decent LM fishing there. Its all about deception.

Salmonid

PS Jackfish, Ill call you


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## bubba k (Mar 29, 2006)

Why does it matter that it was a "pay lake"? In no way am I trying to cause controversy or upset anyone....I'm honestly asking the question. Why does it matter? There are private lakes and ponds all over the state that are stocked so what is the difference? The only real advantage is that many pay lakes are catch-n-release which has no real baring on genetics. A record fish has more to do with freakish gentics in a positive environment than anything else. I know of a lot of lakes that are catch-n-release that result in stunted fish because predators are overpopulated. If in fact they were raising fish through a cycled feeding system then that would be different, but I'm guessing that's not the case.


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## vc1111 (Apr 13, 2004)

I think that it is possible for a Northern to grow to unusual size in one of the gravel or strip pits under the right circumstances. 

I targeted Northerns for over 15 years in a local lake. It was interesting because over those years I found that the larger fish actually went up into the shallows and laid over natural springs that fed into the lake; they did this every year when the water temps soared into the high 70's and low 80's. You could easily feel the differences in water temps in those areas, which I targeted with buzz baits after discovering them. 

I could easily imagine that a gravel pit or strip mine might have cool water springs and waters deep enough to support the temps Northerns might want when the surface temps get too warm in mid-summer. I also remember that certain strip mines I fished over the years seem to produce incredibly large pan fish for some reason or other, while others produced only average or smaller fish. I'm not sure if it was the make up or content of the water such as minerals, etc, but some of those strip mines were MUCH better than others.


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## Pike (Apr 7, 2004)

Jackfish,

The boat you have was originally used at Lyre Lake, at least that was what I was told when I purchased it. 

Pike


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## Stripers4Life (May 2, 2007)

vc1111 said:


> I could easily imagine that a gravel pit or strip mine might have cool water springs and waters deep enough to support the temps Northerns might want when the surface temps get too warm in mid-summer. I also remember that certain strip mines I fished over the years seem to produce incredibly large pan fish for some reason or other, while others produced only average or smaller fish. I'm not sure if it was the make up or content of the water such as minerals, etc, but some of those strip mines were MUCH better than others.


i second that, I've fished many strip mines all over in north and southeastern ohio, and some produce huge fish, others..... well they just don't seem to have any size. Some of my favorite big fish strip mines were over in bessemer PA, don't think we were allowed to fish em, but man there were some huge crappies, and bass. Some strip mines can be incredibly deep making me think that huge pike could weather warm months in the depths.


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