# Belmont Lake, Barkcamp State Park



## esoxhunter (Apr 7, 2004)

My 5 year old daughter and I are taking a 4 day vacation to Barkcamp in Belmont County in two weeks. I haven't fished this lake since the mid 80's so you might as well say I'm going in blind. I'm gonna fish mainly for bass, but I am interested in these golden trout they stock in there. I'm guessing this is a long shot, but does anyone have any experience fishing for these trout in Belmont ? Is fly fishing productive at all ? Or is this a PowerNugget kinda place ? inline spinners perhaps ? all or none of the above ?
Bass fishing is a little tough for my daughter so I'd love to put her on some trout. Any advice greatly appriciated.

esox "trying to picture himself fishing with a Power Nugget  " hunter


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## redone29 (Jun 12, 2004)

I fish this lake often. The trout are hard to come by. I throw spinners alot there and have yet to catch a trout. Catch almost everything else in the lake though on them (crappie, bass, saugeye, catfish, bluegill). Bass are also hard to come by. The lake sees alot of pressure from boats and shore fisherman. Crankbaits are probably the best bait i've used i usually throw a smaller crank but my buddy always throws a hellbender and catches them everytime. Jitterbugs before dark work well. When I did catch some trout it was down by the damn on powernuggets. But it was during the colder months. You fishing from shore or boat? My girlfriend and I camp out there every summer and she slays the bluegill on nightcrawler under a bobber. Small hook and little piece of crawler. most of the gills are small but she gets some decent size ones. I just heard from a buddy that he was catching largemouth out of the spillway. You might want to check on campsite availability. Jamboree in the hills is coming up and campsites might not be available. Jamboree camping usually lasts all week and that would be the week of July 11th thru the 18th. Good luck.


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## esoxhunter (Apr 7, 2004)

Bass are tough to come by ??? I heard it was a real *sleeper* of a bass lake. It's probably a great bass lake. Those fish just havent seen my Senko yet  I'll be fishing from a boat and I should be a memory before the Jamboree folks show up. I'll be there the 7th - 10th of July.
Thanks for the reply!
EH


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## redone29 (Jun 12, 2004)

Just fished it Monday evening. Caught 2 bass a saugeye and a bluegill. The bass came on a jitterbug. Doesn't seem to matter what color. I've never thrown a senko before. That might be the ticket. Good thing you'll be outta there before Jambo campers show up that area will be a madhouse when all the people show up. I usually try and stay away from that area that week. You ever fish any strip pits around that area? there's some good ones out near barkcamp.


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## esoxhunter (Apr 7, 2004)

I used to fish a lot of "pits" along 519 and 250. I live in Columbus these days and don't get to hit those ponds any more. BTW Redone, I was born in Bellaire and raised in the Adena/Colerain/Martins Ferry area. Good to hear from another Valley Boy


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## THarris (Apr 12, 2004)

Another "Valley Boy" here...

Bridgeport High grad, class of 1988... Used to do a lot of cattin at Barkcamp... Fished the strip pits hard on 519 as well. Used to bass and gill strip pit ponds from Barnesville to Cadiz to Mt. Pleasant every weekend in the summer. 

Glad to see a couple of guys from the valley reminiscing on OGF! By the way I live in the Cincinnati area now, stayed here after going to college at UC...

Todd


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## cheezemm2 (Apr 7, 2004)

Man, it's a small world....I graduated from St.Clairsville but am originally from a place called Maynard...ring any bells? There's strip pits everywhere in the valley, not to mention, lots and lots of farm ponds!!! About barkcamp too....hang a right just before the beach access gate...park...walk down the big hill(kind of a pain)and go as far to the left as possible...There will be a little cove and I've always done well there for cats...Good luck..and watch the jambo folk...You've never seen soooooooo many ******** in one place at one time!


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## THarris (Apr 12, 2004)

Used to do a lot of driver's ed out that way ... driving around on the backroads with the instructor to get the required hours in... 

Bet this thread brings lots of other VALLEY GUYS out of the woodwork!

I grew up off Chermont Rd, between Blaine and Colerain...


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## bigraysr (May 23, 2004)

Hey Guys,
You guys are stirring up memories for me also. I am a Bridgeport grad and an old Blaine boy. I lived in Blaine for 14yrs gowing up and moved to Lansing to finish high school. Then Air Force and married life after that. Still live in Bridgeport,5 houses from the high school. Did you guys know that there will be a new school built in the old Harts building? The building has been empty and for sale. The school board took it over on eminate domain. The hassle of how much went to court and they settled for around 800,000. They will start soon to tear down the harts building and build the new one . It will house all grades. BIGRAY


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## esoxhunter (Apr 7, 2004)

he he he. I know where Maynard is. I lived off of Rt 250 near Holly Memorial Gardens cemetary (heck of a pond in that cemetary i might add). Graduated from Martins Ferry High in 91.
Funny that the old Harts was mentioned. I loved the artwork on the outside of that place. Anybody know the Dairy Jean ?    
My folks still live out there and I frequent Casey's Bar on 250 in Colerain whenever I'm in town for a musky trip.
EH

PS: THarris....was that Starks Driving School LOL


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## esoxhunter (Apr 7, 2004)

Oh, and by the way...I used to work at Walker's Homemade Ice Cream on 250 when I was a young lad.

for $2 and hour


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## Bassmastr (Jun 8, 2004)

I haven't been doing any good for them lately. I would say your best bet would be power bait around the dam, also you might catch a few trout on a real small inline spinner. Most of the people i've talked to are catching them on velveeta cheese.


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## redone29 (Jun 12, 2004)

I'm still here in Bellaire. Probably moving up to Columbus soon though. Trying to decide on that. Taking classes out at Belmont Tech and was thinking of transferring up to Columbus State to finish. My girlfriend is already living up in Columbus so I already have a place to move into. Bassmstr and I fish the pits regularly. All over Belmont County into Harrison County. I've heard of all those places you guys brought up. It sure is a small world. Nice to see some Valley people here.


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## WillyB (Apr 7, 2004)

Hi guys. Mt Pleasant resident here. Most confess I don't fish Barcamp but spent many a day on some of the pits and ponds around New Athens - Rte 519 area. Spend most of my fishing days now on Tappan, Piedmont & Clendening and as many trips to Canada as I can afford.
Essoxhunter, I hit Walkers ice cream just as many times as I can. My wife would tell you - to many times!!


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## uglykat23 (Jun 13, 2004)

hey i live in bethesda just a short distance from barkcamp. not to many people catch alot of trout in the summer months there but one good spot i have found was by accident i was catfishing with 
night crawlers and caught a few and every time nothing else is biting i hit this spot just t catch something when you pull walk down to the large walk way that goes out in the water cast as close to the pilons as you can thats where my 5 year old usually catchs them , but as for me im a die hard cat man i always catch cats of all sizes near the two bridges near the boat ramp on chicken liver or if your into bigger cats fish the boat ramp or the coves with 6 to 8 inch blue gills for flat heads, when i was fishing for bass i catch alot in the two coves i just mentioned around the brush on bass minnows . and it is nice to know im not the only belmont county person in here if any one would like to hit theriver for some monster flatties gimme a shout im there alot and could use the company hope you catch lots and have fun. take care and godbless


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## Bassmastr (Jun 8, 2004)

What's up Ugly? Where do u fish at down the river???


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## uglykat23 (Jun 13, 2004)

when i go to the river i start at pike island dam on the pier if nothing is biting there i work my way down the ohio side bank, usually with in a mile i find a descent sschool of cats. I usually toss out one pole with live blue gill and one with liver or fresh cut creek chubs i do better with the creek chubs caught a nice 11 pound channel cat just a few hundred feet from the pier on the bank. but i usually hit the river during the week cause its not so congested i usually get there around 8:30 or 9 i have found thats about when the bite starts and most of the day fisherman are leaving, if i have the weight i usually try to get a live gill out as close to the first lock as possible, i found out the hard way not to go past the wall there is a metal line that runs straight down river from it i hooked it a few times. i didnt learn the first time so i did it agin just to make sure
lol
if any one wants to go im always up to new fishing buddies my old ones dont like me cause i catch all the big ones well bigger then them anywaylol. god bless and take care hope tp se yall there soon


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