# ODNR Report 10/05/05



## Big Daddy

Wildlife News 
Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Division of Wildlife

The Fish Ohio Report

October 5, 2005

CENTRAL OHIO
Hoover Reservoir (Franklin County)  Saugeye, bass, catfish, and crappies are the mainstay fish species for anglers fishing in this northeast Franklin County lake. Largemouth bass fishing pressure is light mainly due to the 10-horsepower boat motor limit. Areas that have submerged wood on structure are good places to fish for largemouth bass during the early morning and evening. Use small spinners, buzz baits, minnow imitations, six-inch plastic worms and live bait for best results. Saugeye can be taken at various depths when using minnows or night crawlers. Use jigs and minnows in the upper end of the lake for crappie. 10 horsepower limit.

Kiser Lake (Champaign County)  Hybrid striped bass and largemouth bass fishing improves this month as water temperatures decline. Hybrid stripers can be caught on chicken livers fished on the bottom. Largemouth bass can be caught on a variety of artificial baits fished around brush cover and downed trees. Bluegills can be caught using wax worms around the stone T fishing piers. No motors are allowed including trolling motors.

NORTHWEST OHIO
Maumee River (Wood County)  Channel catfish are being taken in good numbers by tight-lining night crawlers. The Livestry Access area is a great spot. White bass are also being taken in good numbers by using eight-ounce jigs with white or chartreuse tails. The best spot seems to be below the dam in Grand Rapids and in deep holes in the river. The Otsego Access area seems to be a hot spot. Smallmouth bass are also being taken in these spots using the same jigs. Fishermen have been taking the occasional walleye in these spots as well using the same methods

Killdeer Plains Pond # 33 (Wyandot County)  Largemouth bass are being taken during the day time hours by still fishing with minnows. The south dike is the best.

Sandusky River (Sandusky County)  Catfish, carp, white bass and white perch are being taken during the evenings and nighttime hours. Worms, liver, shrimp and minnows have been working very well. Still fishing or fishing under a bobber would work the best. The Ballville Dam and the Sand Docks are the best spots.

Pleasant Hill (Richland County)  Saugeye in the 15 to 16 inch range are being taken on jigs with night crawlers cast out and jigged back. All shorelines are great places to fish.

NORTHEAST OHIO
Ashtabula River and Conneaut Creek (Ashtabula County)  Ohios silver bullet, the steelhead provides great fishing in the tributaries beginning now and lasting for many months. Anglers are catching these trout on fly patterns such as nymphs and streamers like wooly buggers, princes, egg-sucking leeches, shiner patterns, and clouser minnows. Remember that these fish are more likely to chase lures or bait at this time of year with the rivers warmer water temperatures. 

Fairport Harbor (Lake County)  Steelheaders get your poles! Action is warming up near the break walls so some easy casting with silver and blue or silver and green spoons will do the trick. Daniels Park Dam (Chagrin River near Willoughby) is also providing good steelhead fishing with anything resembling baitfish (spoons, spinners, or crankbaits). Expect to catch fish ranging from an average 25 inches or 8 pounds. The dam is located near State Route 84, five miles east of State Route 91. Anglers will find adequate shoreline access along the parks edge. 

Mosquito Reservoir (Trumbull County) -- Anglers fishing at night are catching crappies off of the State Route 88 causeway. Fish eight to 12 inches in size are hitting on minnows suspended five to seven feet under a bobber. Fish concentration devices were introduced in the spring of 2003 along the southeast side of the causeway in seven to 10 feet of water. Shore anglers and boat anglers should target this area for these tasty pan fish. Follow State Route 88 to State Route 46 (Mecca). Unlimited horsepower is permitted at this 6,550-acre lake.

SOUTHWEST OHIO
Caesar Creek Lake (Clinton, Greene, and Warren counties) - Anglers are beginning to catch crappie fishing minnows under a bobber and casting jigs in coves with standing timber. Remember all crappie less than nine inches long must be immediately released back into the lake. Anglers casting in-line spinners, bucktails, and crankbaits are starting to catch a few muskellunge and, also, having fish follow their baits. Try fishing the deep standing timber areas of the lake. Saugeye anglers are catching a few 15 to 18 inch fish from six to 15 feet depths, but most fish are small. Troll medium or deep diving crankbaits along submerged points or underwater humps. Cast or drift with live night crawlers on a bottom bouncing harness rig, or use a lead head jig tipped with a piece of worm. Channel catfish are being caught by shore anglers using night crawlers, shrimp, and chicken livers. Fish the bait tight line along the bottom in five to eight foot depths.

Acton Lake (Preble County)  Bluegill and sunfish are being caught by anglers using crickets, red worms, earthworms, mealworms, or wax worms on a #9 or 10 long-shanked hook as bait. Keep the bait off of the bottom and two to three feet deep using a slip bobber. Largemouth bass are being caught along the east shoreline in four to five feet of water by angler casting black rubber worms. Remember all bass less than 15 inches long must be immediately released back into the lake. 

SOUTHEAST OHIO

Seneca Lake (Guernsey and Noble counties)  Some largemouth bass have been biting on buzz bait and crankbait on the upper (main) portion of the lake Get an early start; the best fishing has been in the morning close to shore. Fish concentration structure was submerged in the lake in 2004. The location of the submerged structure can be found by locating trees along the shoreline that have an orange paint mark, mostly on the upper portion of this 3,500 acre lake. Remember, largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass have a minimum length requirement of 15 inches at Seneca. 

Scioto River (Scioto County)  The River is slightly low and 79 degrees F. Anglers have been using gizzard shad fished off the bottom to pull in 15 to 20 pound flathead catfish. Hot spots for flatheads are the twin bridges and the mouth of the Scioto going into the Ohio River. 

Jackson Lake (Jackson County)  Water conditions are clear and normal. Check out the old boathouse parking area, as well as the upper shelter house fishing area for great catfishing opportunities. Consistent catches of catfish have been reeled-in on chicken livers and nightcrawlers while fishing from shore. 

LAKE ERIE 
Western Basin

Walleye
Walleye fishing has remained slow with little targeted effort. A few walleye, mostly from the 2003 year class, have been caught by trolling spoons or worm harnesses around Gull Island shoal and Kelleys Island shoal. As water temperatures drop larger adult walleye will migrate back towards Kelleys Island, the Bass Islands, and the area around Marblehead and Lakeside.

Yellow Perch
Last week the best western basin perch areas included the Toledo water intake, the northern cans of the Camp Perry firing range, east of the Gull Island shoal buoy, south of C can of the Ontario border, east of the Kelleys Island airport, and south of Kelleys Island shoal. Most fish are still running on the small side, but larger fish (10 to 12 inches) are starting to appear in the catch. A perch spreader tipped with shiners is the most popular set-up.

Central Basin

Walleye
Walleye fishing has been fair in Ohio waters of the central basin. The best areas were the northern end of the sandbar off Lorain, seven to nine miles north to northeast of Ashtabula in 68 to 70 feet of water, and seven to eight miles north-northeast of Fairport Harbor in 65 to 70 feet of water. Trolling 30 to 50 feet down with spoons or crawler harnesses, using planer boards, jet divers, or dipsy divers have produced the best catches. Fish have ranged from 15 to 24 inches.

Yellow Perch
Yellow perch fishing has been excellent four miles north of Wildwood State Park and Euclid in 51feet of water, three to four miles north of Ashtabula in 52 feet of water, and two to five miles north between Eastlake and Fairport Harbor in 44 to 60 feet of water. A perch spreader tipped with shiners is the most popular set-up. Fish have ranged from seven to 13 inches.

Steelhead
Steelhead are starting to be caught by casting off of the Fairport Harbor pier, the Chagrin River and Euclid Creek with small spoons or spinners. Fish have ranged from 16 to 28 inches. 

Lake Erie surface temperatures are in the mid to upper 60s.

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
Lawrence, Monroe, Scioto, and Washington counties - River conditions are clear and slightly low at about 74 degrees F. Crappies eight to 10 inches in size can be caught in the embayment near the Shawnee State Marina. Use minnows and fish around brush piles and docks in four to six feet of water. For largemouth and spotted bass fishing, try fishing close to the bank on or near points with crankbaits. For hybrid striped bass and channel catfish stay in the tailwaters. Channel cats are being caught on cut bait, live shad, chicken livers and worms during the day and through the night. For flathead catfish try live suckers, shad and skipjack. Keep an eye out for hybrids breaking the water surface as they feed; cast out large crankbaits as they move in and out of the tailwaters. Tailwaters are going to provide the best concentration of fish along the river.


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## JIG

BIG DAD fills a big pair a shoes! Nice info but im curious to something Big D.
Is Skeeter the lake of choice by the DNR. Other words is it the best chance for the eye bite. Didnt see much of that. Im sure there caught all year round.
Seems like why the hush.  Are they that hard to get on?


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