# ODNR Fish Report 6/28/06



## Big Daddy

Wildlife News

Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Division of Wildlife

The Fish Ohio Report

June 28, 2006

CENTRAL OHIO

Big Darby Creek (Franklin and Madison counties) - Anglers can enjoy wading, bank fishing or float fishing on this scenic central Ohio stream. One of the few streams in central Ohio containing all three species of black bass found in Ohio. Smallmouth bass, spotted bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, sunfish and carp provide good fishing opportunities. Use hellgrammites and soft craws fished in the pools below shallow riffles for smallmouth bass. Top-water plugs, surface baits and imitation baits fished near aquatic vegetation works best when fishing for largemouth bass and spotted bass.

OShaughnessy Reservoir (Delaware County) - This 845-acre reservoir in northwest Columbus offers excellent summer fishing for largemouth bass and bluegills. Use top-water baits, 6-inch plastic worms, and live bait in areas along the west shoreline that have fallen trees and submerged brush piles. Early morning and late evening are the best times to fish. Bass will measure 12 to 18 inches. Areas with submerged shoreline cover offer good bluegill fishing when using small worms and larval baits fished under a bobber at depths of two to eight feet.

NORTHWEST OHIO

Charles Mill (Richland County)  Excellent catches of catfish at Charles Mill lately. Worms, liver and frozen shrimp have been very successful. The best places are Eagle Pont, and the S.R. 430 bridge.

Findlay #1 (Hancock County)  Perch have been taken in good numbers on the bottom by drifting, trolling worms by boat. Slip bobbers with a worm is working great as well. Try the east shore for the best results from bank fishing.

Findlay #2 (Hancock County)  Walleye are being taken on worms that are trolled or drifted by boat. Worms under a slip bobber are working well from the east or west shoreline.

Fostoria #1 (Hancock County)  Bluegill are hitting well on by fishing worms under a slip bobber. Set the bait at about two to three feet under the bobber. Morning and evenings are best and the fish are being caught all over the reservoir. Bullhead are being taken as well by the same methods. Fish the worms on the bottom.

Fostoria #3 (Hancock County)  Bluegill are being caught in good numbers by fishing worms about five feet under a slip bobber. The boat ramp area seems to produce the best results and these fish are hitting 24 hours a day.

NORTHEAST OHIO

Tuscarawas River (Tuscarawas County)  Anglers are catching fair numbers of smallmouth bass, saugeye, and channel catfish near the Dover Dam off of State Route 800. Note: Most of the land along the river is in private ownership and access from shore is limited. A public boat ramp has been constructed east of Tuscarawas, Ohio on Tuscarawas Road. Anglers are reminded to obtain permission from the landowner to access fishing from the shoreline. Water conditions are currently at seasonal levels. A fair number of eight to 14-inch smallmouth bass are hitting jigs and crayfish fished on the bottom. Targeting rocky structure just out of the main current or fishing underwater structure is providing good results. Saugeye averaging 10 to 17-inches are also hitting jigs and curly tails in the deeper pools of water near structure and wooden debris. Tipping a jig with a minnow or earthworm works well, too. Channel catfish between 10 and 16 inches in size are also being caught in better than average numbers. Fishing with cut bait, stink bait, chicken liver, or earthworms near undercut banks and areas with wooden debris piles have been productive for catfish.

Mosquito Lake (Trumbull County)  Anglers are catching good numbers of walleye while trolling crankbaits in 14 feet of water. The best place seems to be between the island and the causeway on the north end of the lake. Boat anglers should also trying jigging for walleye in the weed beds. On the west side of the lake, largemouth bass are biting close to shore. There is unlimited horsepower at this 7,241-acre lake. Wheelchair accessible shoreline facilities are available. 



SOUTHWEST OHIO

Cowan Lake (Clinton County)  Crappie are being caught by anglers trolling small minnows and jigs as bait. Fish the bait in five to 15 feet of water. Use a #1/0 or #4 baitholding hook. Productive spots are back in the coves, down on south bank past sailing club, and the south beach. Saugeye are striking on all sorts of artificial and live baits. Good places to include Campers Cove and the north shore. Bluegills are being caught by anglers using wax worms as bait. From the shoreline, fish the bait off of the bottom in two to three feet of water and around structure. Use a #6 long shanked hook. 

Acton Lake (Preble County)  Channel catfish are biting on chicken liver fished along the bottom. Fishing for channel catfish is productive anywhere in the lake. Saugeye on the Butler County side of lake are being caught by anglers using minnows or artificial bait. Keep the bait between 10 and 12 feet deep for the best results. Crappies are hitting on minnows fished six to eight feet under bobber. Keep the bait near downed trees and brush.

SOUTHEAST OHIO

Burr Oak Lake (Athens and Morgan counties)  Anglers reported a fair amount of success in this 632-acre lake. Black bass were caught in good numbers in the upper bay using green and white spinners, at the mouth of bootleg bay using orange crankbaits, and off the shoreline across from the beach using speckled tube baits. Sunfish in the six-inch range have been caught along most shorelines with a worm and bobber. Crappie are hitting along the shore across from dock four, and channel catfish were taken along the dock three shoreline using a worm fished off the bottom. For a map of Burr Oak, visit www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife or call the district four office at (740) 589-9930.

Jackson Lake (Jackson County)  several nice largemouth bass weighing up to four pounds were reeled in over the weekend using spinner baits and tube baits. Bluegills in the five to eight-inch range were caught by shore and boat anglers using wax worms and mealworms fished under a bobber. Water levels are normal and clarity is good at this 157-acre lake.

Seneca Lake (Guernsey and Noble counties)  Several nice channel catfish have been caught along State Route 147 toward the southern end of the lake using frozen shad, cut baits and night crawlers. For white bass, try fishing jigs and twisters around deep, submerged structure along State Route 313 and above the Owls Nest. 

LAKE ERIE 

**The walleye daily bag limit is 6 fish. A 15" minimum size limit for walleye remains in effect for the entire season. The Lake Erie daily bag limit for yellow perch is 40 fish. The daily bag limit for black bass on Lake Erie is 5 after June 23. The minimum size limit for black bass on Lake Erie is 14". The steelhead trout bag limit is 5. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches.**

Western Basin

Walleye fishing continues to be excellent with many limits being caught. Fishing has been best N of West Sister to the Canadian border near Middle Sister, 2 to 4 miles N of B can of the Camp Perry firing range, and along the Canadian border W of North Bass. Drifters are using mayfly rigs or worm harnesses with bottom bouncers, while trollers are using worm harnesses with inline weights or bottom bouncers and jet or dipsy divers with spoons.

The best yellow perch fishing in the western basin has been around Ballast Island and E of Kelleys Island. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

Central Basin 

Walleye fishing in the central basin has been good. Fish have been caught 3 miles offshore from Vermilion to Lorain, 5 miles N of Cleveland in 42 to 48 of water, 6 miles N of the Wildwood State Park in 60 to 64' of water, 2 to 4 miles NE of Fairport Harbor in 45 to 65 of water, and 2 to 4 miles NW of Geneva in 50 to 65 of water. Fish have been caught on worm harnesses or bloody nose, watermelon, killer bee and copper back spoons trolled with dipsy or jet divers. Fish are suspended and anglers are fishing down 20 to 40'.

Yellow perch fishing has been excellent less than 1 mile out of Lorain, 2 miles N of Willowick in 38' feet of water, 2 miles N of Bratenal in 32-35', 2 miles NE of Ashtabula in 24-36 of water, 2 miles N of Conneaut in 36-42 of water. Fish have ranged from 7 to 11 inches. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish. Shore anglers are catching yellow perch at Mentor Headlands pier and Fairport Harbor pier. Anglers are using spreaders with shiners.

Smallmouth bass fishing has been excellent from Fairport Harbor to Perry in 10 to 24 of water. Fish have been caught on tube jigs, jigs tipped with minnows or leeches, or by trolling crankbaits. 

White bass fishing has been good 1/2 mile N of Eastlake CEI power plant. Anglers are using agitators with white jigs.

Shore anglers are catching white bass at the Eastlake CEI pier using agitators with white/yellow twistertails and small spoons.

Lake Erie surface temperatures range from 69 to 70 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

Meigs County - Shoreline anglers are reeling in shovelhead and channel catfish below the Bellville and Racine Dams using cut bait, night crawlers and chicken livers. Evening activity for hybrid striped bass has been good, particularly in the tail waters of Racine  try minnows and rooster tails fished off the bottom.


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## peple of the perch

wow how many weeks in a row does skeeter have to be up there. lol


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