# ODNR Fishing Report 5/18/06



## Big Daddy

Wildlife News 
Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Division of Wildlife

The Fish Ohio Report

May 17, 2006

CENTRAL OHIO
Alum Creek Lake (Delaware County) - Saugeye move shallow on cloudy days and can be caught on jigs and crankbaits. Try windy points where the bottom is stirred. Fish the mud-line and nearby weed beds. An annual stocking of about 677,000 saugeye fingerlings is expected late this month. Largemouth bass are actively spawning and can be caught in shallow water or in the mouth of spawning bays during cold fronts. Crappie fishing is very popular near submerged tree tops and cover above SR 36 and in Big Run Cove (nine inch minimum length). Muskellunge are beginning to use available weed beds. Try trolling the tops of the points or bars between Cheshire Road and the dam in seven to15 feet of water using jerk baits or crankbaits. Alum Creek is ranked Ohios number three inland muskellunge lake and offers anglers the opportunity to catch trophy-sized fish up to 50 inches.

Deer Creek Lake (Madison, Fayette, and Pickaway counties) - In the creek above the lake just north of Cooks - Yankeetown Road, use small jigs and twisters, or small rooster tails when seeking white bass. Most of these fish will measure eight to 12 inches. Saugeyes are taken at night when fishing below the dam with jigs and twisters. A former state record saugeye weighing nine pounds was taken here in 1989. This years stocking of saugeyes occurred on May 10th and included 317,604 fingerlings. Crappies can be caught around submerged tree tops and other cover using minnows suspended under a bobber. Crappies must be nine inches long or longer to keep.

NORTHWEST OHIO
Maumee River (Wood and Lucas Counties)  The water temperature is 54 degrees and the river level is rising and very muddy, pressure is low. Anglers are catching a few white bass using shiners tight lined on the bottom or fished under a bobber. The best area for white bass is from the White Street Access up through Sidecut and Buttonwood. Occasional walleye are being taken on floating and lead head jigs with brightly colored twister tails. Early mornings continue to be the best time. The best areas are near Buttonwood and around Bluegrass Island. The outlook should improve next week.

Sandusky River (Sandusky County)  The water temperature is 57 degrees and the river is rising and very muddy. Effort is low. Anglers are catching a few white bass using minnows on a jig head under a bobber or small twister tails on light jig heads. The best areas are around the sugar plant and the sand docks. The best time is morning or late afternoon. The outlook should improve next week. It could be the peak of the run.

Reminder: Black bass season is closed, any caught must be released.

Killdeer Reservoir (Wyandot County)  The water temperature is 62 degrees. The water is clear and the water level is low. Walleye are being caught in the early morning on leeches. The island area is producing the best results.

Killdeer Pond #30 (Wyandot County)  The water temperature is 64 degrees. The water is clear and at normal levels. Largemouth bass are being caught in the mornings and evenings on fathead minnows. All shorelines are producing nice catches.

NORTHEAST OHIO
Pymatuning Reservoir (Ashtabula County)  Anglers are catching high numbers of muskellunge at this very large 14,650-acre lake that stretches along the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Muskies up to 40 pounds are being caught trolling short lines through shallow water. Shoreline anglers as well as those fishing from boats are catching walleye on chartreuse jigs north and south of the causeway. Crappies are also biting from shore near fishermans point and the cabin area. 

Spencer Lake (Medina County)  Both shoreline anglers and anglers fishing from boats are catching good numbers of largemouth bass. Plastic worms or crankbaits in darker colors are producing the best results. There is a 15-inch minimum length limit on largemouth bass at this lake. Anglers are also catching crappies averaging eight inches near underwater structure. Wheelchair accessible shoreline facilities are available. Electric motors only please. 

Mahoning River (Stark County)  North of the water plant near Alliance, anglers are experiencing good white bass and crappie fishing in about two to three feet of water. A jig tipped with a white twister tail suspended below a bobber is working well. A parking lot is located near the water plant or anglers can park on the north end of the State Route 225 Bridge that is currently under construction. 

SOUTHWEST OHIO
Acton Lake (Preble County) - Saugeye are being caught by anglers using minnows as bait. Cast into the shallow sandy bottom areas near the dam. Keep the bait between three to four feet deep. Crappies are being caught by anglers using bass minnows on a fine wire hook in the size range of #6 to 8. Fish the bait between five to six feet deep in five to ten feet of water. Channel catfish are being caught using nightcrawlers as bait. Still fish from a boat, pier, or the shoreline. Place the bait on a #6, 7, or 8 sized baitholding hook and keep the bait at least ten feet deep. Use several sinkers to keep bait close to the bottom. Largemouth bass are being caught by anglers using crankbaits, spinner baits, or plastic worms as bait. Cast into areas with woody debris, submerged trees or brush. Fishing is good from a boat, pier, or the shoreline. Keep the bait three to five feet deep. Cast and slowly retrieve baits. 

Rush Run Lake (Preble County)  Bluegill and sunfish are being caught by anglers using wax worms, crickets, or mealworms as bait. Fish the bait under a bobber or slip bobber. Keep the bait between eight to ten feet deep. Use a #6 or 2/0 long-shanked hook for the wax worms and mealworms. Use a #8 fine wire hook for the crickets. Largemouth bass are being caught by anglers using spinner baits off of the points and Carolina rigged worms when fishing the riprap off of the dam.

Paint Creek Lake (Highland County)  Crappies are being caught by anglers using tube jigs or live minnows. When using live bait, use a #6 sized fine wire hook. White or chartreuse are good color choices for artificial lures. Cast into areas with submerged trees and brush. Keep the bait under a slip bobber and about three to six feet deep. Some anglers are finding success with minnows under a bobber. Bluegill and sunfish are being caught by anglers using wax worms as bait. Fish the bait under a slip bobber and keep the bait about three to five feet deep. A good hook size to choose is a #6 fine wire hook. The best fishing is in areas with woody debris such as fallen trees or over-hanging brush. Channel catfish are being caught using cut shad as bait on a #2/0 hook. Keep the bait about five to six feet deep and off of the bottom. Also cast the bait into the creek arms. Largemouth bass are being caught by anglers using crankbaits on the points and jigs with plastic bodies around the woody areas as bait in three to four feet of water. Cast into areas with rocky bottoms and submerged trees or brush. Saugeye are being caught by anglers using twistertails and casting into the spillway for the lake. Keep the bait two to three foot deep. 

SOUTHEAST OHIO

Burr Oak Lake (Athens and Morgan counties)  Bass fishing is beginning to pick-up in this 632-acre lake. Successful anglers have been hitting the water early with white buzz-baits in the upper end and off points. Crappie fishing was good over the weekend; fish in the nine to ten inch range were caught on minnows under a bobber fished over submerged structure. Catfishing has been fair with anglers fishing cut baits on the bottom.

Dillon Reservoir (Muskingum County)  Water conditions are clear and at normal pool with water temperature around 62 degrees. This 1,560-acre lake is providing excellent fishing for crappies and bluegills near the main marina, around trees along the shoreline, and by the concrete dam structure. Use minnows, night crawlers, and 1/32 ounce jigs. Largemouth bass are hitting soft baits, such as pumpkin seed, or black jig-n-pigs cast out and retrieved slowly around shallow tree structures coming off the shore off the point to the right of the marina. Yellow perch can be caught on worms under a bobber in the backwater areas. Small channel catfish can be caught in the evening on night crawlers and liver.

LAKE ERIE 
**The walleye daily bag limit is six fish. A 15 inch minimum size limit for walleye remains in effect for the entire season. The Lake Erie daily bag limit for yellow perch is 40 fish. Lake Erie black bass (smallmouth and largemouth bass) are closed to possession (catch and release only) May 1 through June 23. The daily bag limit for black bass on Lake Erie is five after June 23. The minimum size limit for black bass on Lake Erie is 14 inches. The steelhead trout bag limit increased to five on May 16. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches.**

**In the past few weeks many dead freshwater drum have been reported floating on Lake Erie and washing up on the shoreline. Samples have been taken from the drum and all symptoms point toward a viral infection. A lab analysis will be available in six to eight weeks to confirm the cause of the die off. Although a few other species have been found with the drum there is no evidence of the viral symptoms in anything but drum. The other species found dead are common this time of year and can most likely be attributed to normal spawning stress induced mortality. The drum die off will continue to be monitored and results of the lab analysis will be reported when available.**

Walleye - Walleye fishing has been best around A and D cans of the Camp Perry firing range, west of West Sister Island, and north of Kelleys Island. Drifters are using mayfly rigs or worm harnesses with bottom bouncers, while trollers are using worm harnesses, jet divers and spoons, or crankbaits.

Yellow perch - The yellow perch spawn is primarily over and fishing has slowed compared to a few weeks ago, but many nice perch are still being caught. The best areas have been northwest of Kelleys Island, southeast of Kelleys Island, around Gull Island Shoal, and south of Lucis Point (Middle Bass Island). Most perch have been eight to 10 inches with some up to 13 inches. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most perch.

Steelhead - For steelhead fishing information visit: http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/Fishing/fairport/steelhead.htm

Lake Erie surface temperatures range from 54 to 56 degrees. To view the predicted weather forecast for Lake Erie visit

http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/fmtbltn.pl?file=forecasts/marine/great_lakes/le/lez160.txt 

OHIO RIVER
Greenup Dam (Scioto County)  Anglers are catching limits of sauger at Greenup. Most fish are in the 12 to 15-inch range with some fish measuring up to 18 inches. Hybrid striped bass and white bass are also biting; anglers that cast spinner baits, three-inch chartreuse grubs, and pearl white #3 rooster-tails tipped with a minnow are reeling in stripers, sauger and white bass. Use a half-ounce weight with a leader to sink bait to the bottom. Hybrid striped bass are also biting on cut bait, using larger skipjack and shad seems to work well. 

Racine Dam (Meigs County)  Sauger are hitting on jigs tipped with a minnow, try the same set up for white bass. White bass are also being reeled in on inline spinners.

Brown, Adams, Clermont, and Hamilton counties - High and muddy.


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