# 12/08/12: LMR/Ohio River trip. 8 pound hybrids, 5pound drum and a 50 pound carp.



## HOUSE (Apr 29, 2010)

This report is a few days late, but it took me a while to catch my breath and believe that this trip really happened. This was by far the best fishing trip of 2012. We caught 16 hybrids ranging from 3-8 pounds, 5 drum in the same range, and my friend caught a 42inch carp that maxed out my 50+pound scale. Here's the play by play:

I met up with a good kayaking/fishing friend, Brian, Saturday morning around 7am with the intent of driving out to Meldahl again and going after some sauger with proper tackle. The weather was not cooperating, though, so in light of 60% chance of rain we decided to stay closer to home and ventured down the LMR to where it dumps into the Ohio River. Weather conditions were pretty bad. We were soaked before we hit the water and the fog was so thick you couldn't see the other side of the river at times. Here's what it looked like at 8am:







-Notice the huge log barreling down the river! We had to avoid those all morning.

We stayed on the upstream side of the river and focused on a current break about 30yards from shore where the muddy water and clear water met. Depths in this area averaged about 10-15ft deep.









I nicknamed my friend "Spoonman" because he started killing the white bass and hybrids vertically jigging a Kastmaster spoon off the bottom. I think I took 5 pictures of him holding big fish before I finally swallowed my pride and tied one on myself. Here are some of his big fish early on:

















































My first big fish came on my ultralight with 4 pound line on it. It was a monster hybrid with only one eye I named "One-eyed Willy". I forgot my boga grips at home and I had 3 chances to lip this one but just couldn't get my hands on it. I made the mistake of grabbing the line and it snapped me off nearly causing me to flip my kayak. I think it was my biggest of the day, and I went on to catch some behemoths.

I finally broke the skunk with this smaller hybrid and his bigger brother:

















I had a lot of catching up to do with Brian, and he was letting me know about it the entire time. Just when I thought I had some momentum going, I hear him shout out: "Holy %@%*(@$ dude, get over here!" as I see him getting pulled out to sea by something massive. I literally watched his kayak get tossed around like he had hooked into a black marlin. I rowed up to him and was astonished to find a 4 foot long grass carp on the end of his line! I was also alarmed to see that we were getting pulled downstream into some pretty nasty water, so I had to tie his kayak to mine and paddle him and his fat fish back upstream to shore. Here's what it looked like out of the water:

(crap, I hit the OGF 10 image limit! Let me continue this in a second post...)


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## HOUSE (Apr 29, 2010)

(part 2)

So the carp ends up measuring some 42inches in length and when we weighed it, it maxed out my 50 pound scale. It was massive:








I'm pretty sure it was a grass carp, but we were wondering if that would count towards the state record "carp" which was 40" and 50 pounds. Does anyone know? 

I wasn't sure how the day could get any better, but with 2 hours left to fish we started getting into some really big hybrids. I got my revenge on One-eyed Willy and caught a 7pound 14 ounce beast:








and a few more 5pounders:

























Brian caught several more tanks of his own with his own 7 pound 10 ouncer:

















We had to call it quits around 4pm and head home. The fish showed no signs of letting up, either, so I can only imagine how many more we might have caught had we stuck around until dark. 

Almost all of the fish were caught vertical jigging spoons, jigs, or blade baits along the current break. The key was to make contact with the bottom and bounce the lure up 1-3 feet while drifting downstream. Heavier lures helped get it down in the fast moving water. Favorite lure was a chrome 3/4ounce BPS Gay Blade.

I don't think I can top that trip so I think this might be my last report for 2012. Thanks to everyone on OGF for the river tips. See ya in 2013.

-House


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## Dizzy (Oct 1, 2012)

I don't think you will surpass a great day like that for a long time. Congratulations! 

I have looked around that area in the property records and it is all surrounded by private property. I guess I will have to get a kayak for next year.


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

Awesome report and day of fishing! Great pics too. How did you get that aerial of the LMR confluence? Is that a bing shot?


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## QueticoMike (Sep 25, 2008)

Sounds like a great day! 42 inch carp matches the best one I have ever caught out of the river. I caught a bigger grass carp once out of a pond while bluegill fishing, but I never got a measurement on that one. I caught my 42 incher on a black and silver AC shiner. What did your buddy use to catch that monster? Or did he snag it?


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## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

Those are some awesome fish! Looks like one of the best trips I've seen on here all year.


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Great report house! Those are some beautiful monstrosities.


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## Smittyfisher (Dec 11, 2012)

Where did you guys put your yaks in at?
I love fishing from my yak are there a lot of OGFers that kayak fish


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## whodeynati (Mar 12, 2012)

That looks like a great time! 

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## nitsud (May 22, 2010)

Didn't you guys hear? Fishing season is over! Duh!

Nice fishes in any case. That carp is an ugly slob.


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## Mean Morone (Apr 12, 2004)

That's got to be one of the best reports of the year.


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## Grafton (Feb 15, 2012)

Perfect timing! You guys were in the right place at the right time. I have had a very similar day across the river by the KY water in-take. Great fish and thanks for sharing.


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## co-angler (Jan 3, 2010)

Thats it......i'm getting a kayak.

Well done!


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## BassAddict83 (Sep 21, 2010)

Wow dude that's one heck of a way to end the season! Nice job buddy!


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## Blue Collar Bob (Nov 13, 2011)

Great Report.


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## HOUSE (Apr 29, 2010)

QueticoMike said:


> What did your buddy use to catch that monster? Or did he snag it?


That carp was a legit hook in the mouth on a BPS Lazer Blade. I was shocked that it stayed hooked as long as it did without bending a hook or breaking off. My friend had 10pound braid that held up for the 30minutes it took to land it. I was using a Cotton Cordell Gay Blade and a Smack Tackle Flitterbait mostly. Any other lipless crankbait just didn't get down to the bottom with the Ohio River moving as fast as it was. I'm going to try a 3-way rig next trip with a floating minnow behind it.










(Lew: That was a Bing map picture. If you rotate the camera in Bird's Eye view you can see a lot more detail.)
(Smitty: We rowed all the way down from Magrish in the fog  Everything else is private property with that water treatment plant there. You can also row down along the Ohio River though.)


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## Smittyfisher (Dec 11, 2012)

Thanks for the info on your put in. Whats the water like from put in to the river ie rapids? Just wondering i have a big yak but if there are rapids i wouldnt bring that one. I am so jealous me and couple other buddies are going to head down on friday any one with a yak is welcome to come with us.


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## Dandrews (Oct 10, 2010)

Holy cow!!! Just about any ONE of those fish would make for a good day.

I'll take your word for it that it was a grass carp that your buddy caught, but it kind of looks like a common carp to me...from that angle.


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## Smittyfisher (Dec 11, 2012)

House thanks for PM but I can not Pm you back until I post more I will try and post more and send you a pm back. thanks


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## FishDoctor (Aug 9, 2012)

Well I'm convinced, looks like Im gonna trade the canoe in for a yak! Good report House.


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## ARReflections (Jan 7, 2011)

FishDoctor said:


> Well I'm convinced, looks like Im gonna trade the canoe in for a yak! Good report House.


Unless I missed something seems to me a canoe would have worked just as well in getting to the area. 

Good thing he didn't tell everyone he was wearing pink underwear while catching those whales, that could get a little weird...

BTW nice report and thanks for sharing your spectacular outing House!


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## Dandrews (Oct 10, 2010)

ARReflections said:


> Good thing he didn't tell everyone he was wearing pink underwear while catching those whales, that could get a little weird...


Hey, if it takes wearing pink underwear to have a day like that.I dont know, the jurys still out..LOL.


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## HOUSE (Apr 29, 2010)

ARReflections said:


> Unless I missed something seems to me a canoe would have worked just as well in getting to the area.
> 
> Good thing he didn't tell everyone he was wearing pink underwear while catching those whales, that could get a little weird...
> 
> BTW nice report and thanks for sharing your spectacular outing House!


Funny you should say that, lol...I have a video of my friend fighting the fish but I didn't post it because I was laughing my butt off the entire time like a little girl. I'm with Dandrews though, I'd wear pink panties on my head if it meant I could do another trip like that again 

As to the canoe bit: You'd be nuts to go out there on a canoe, dude. I've almost flipped my yak about 5 times now. Once due to running over a submerged tree, once due to a big hybrid spinning me around, and a few more times due to snags. I actually broke one of my rods off trying to free a snag and not flip over. It shook me up enough that I stopped fishing that day. Be careful out there if you try it...I wouldn't venture far from shore.


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## Bostonwhaler10 (Apr 30, 2012)

Did you catch those by the power plant?


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## Smittyfisher (Dec 11, 2012)

Just fyi the put in is closed for deer hunting. I was there today and not to mention the river is way up. Just thought i would give you guys the heads up


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## boonecreek (Dec 28, 2006)

and it gets better as the winter goes on. great job


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## ARReflections (Jan 7, 2011)

WAREHOUSE said:


> ?..I'm with Dandrews though, I'd wear pink panties on my head if it meant I could do another trip like that again
> 
> As to the canoe bit: You'd be nuts to go out there on a canoe, dude. I've almost flipped my yak about 5 times now.....


Ok it has gotten weird LOL 

I would probably not take either type of craft on waters like the mighty Ohio on debris days...


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## FishDoctor (Aug 9, 2012)

ARReflections said:


> Unless I missed something seems to me a canoe would have worked just as well in getting to the area.
> 
> Good thing he didn't tell everyone he was wearing pink underwear while catching those whales, that could get a little weird...
> 
> BTW nice report and thanks for sharing your spectacular outing House!


You missed something 

Its a big old canoe that I can't load or launch alone. And poor me, I often don't have someone around to fish out of it when I have some time to go. Ergo a man-portable yak, would probably be better for me than said canoe


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## ARReflections (Jan 7, 2011)

FishDoctor said:


> You missed something
> 
> Its a big old canoe that I can't load or launch alone. And poor me, I often don't have someone around to fish out of it when I have some time to go. Ergo a man-portable yak, would probably be better for me than said canoe


Figured there was more to the story. I too would probably pic a yak over a canoe for one man excursions too


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## Grafton (Feb 15, 2012)

I&#8217;m not trying to change the topic of this thread but I thought this might help some people in the market for a river boat...
I have a two man canoe and as FishDoctor mentioned they are not easily launched alone. Last year I looked at a lot of small boat options and found the old town pack (http://www.oldtowncanoe.com/canoes/recreational/pack/) to be the best fit for me. The pack only weighs 33 pounds which is lighter than most kayaks and it can hold a lot of gear. A kayak may be more stable but I didn&#8217;t like how low you sit in the water and most good fishing kayaks I found weight a ton. I have had a great year in my solo canoe and would recommend it to anyone in the market. Plus canoeing is a lot more enjoyable when you don&#8217;t have to break your back getting in and out of the water&#8230;.


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## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

WAREHOUSE said:


> I'm with Dandrews though, I'd wear pink panties on my head.


(I didn't really want to comment... just wanted to quote that out of context)


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## FishDoctor (Aug 9, 2012)

Not to hijack the topic even more, but.....











Where I grew up these type of single, inflatable pontoon boats were really popular for negotiating rivers. I've yet to see any here out toolin around on the LMR. I've been thinking about getting one for down here. Anyone know anyone with one that fishes the LMR/GMR have any insight for them on these rivers?


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