# Have a question about Old Reid Park Catfish



## ur_averagejoe4 (Aug 18, 2009)

I am from Springfield and my brother and I are out fishing probably 5 out of the 7 days of the week. We usually go to buck creek to hook into a couple carp and cats, and we used to hit up Reid for some bass. He told me that Reid had a catfish tournament a couple weeks ago and they tossed in over 250 pounds of catfish in there and he was fishing there one day while I was up in Alpena, MI and he told me he was startled when he was wading out there in the shallow part and he saw a dorsal fin sticking far out of the water from a catfish and he swore it was about 70 pounds. I don't think there is a fish that big in the waters there at Reid. What do you guys think?


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## 14shadow (Apr 1, 2006)

I don't know what is in there now but I knew a guy who caught a shovel head that was something like 50 lbs or something in Beaver Lake. He got into a dispute with the owner over the value of a tag that was on the fish and just to spite him, he took it over to that small pond across from Beaver lake and threw it in. This happened back in the 1980's


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## Mrsnspectr (May 21, 2008)

If there is a huge cat in there, there wouldn't be any small fish left - it wouldn't take long for a big flattie to clean out the pond and then die of starvation.

I have wondered myself how the fishing is there (almost has to be better than bank fishing at CJ).


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## ur_averagejoe4 (Aug 18, 2009)

Mrsnspectr said:


> If there is a huge cat in there, there wouldn't be any small fish left - it wouldn't take long for a big flattie to clean out the pond and then die of starvation.
> 
> I have wondered myself how the fishing is there (almost has to be better than bank fishing at CJ).


I was thinking the same thing about if there was that big of cat in there if it would be eating all the other fish.

The bass fishing is ok, I myself have caught some nice ones out of there with rubber worms and rat l traps.

Catching catfish there is ok, I have caught a handful, my brother has caught some, my girlfriend caught her first one there the other night. Mostly on shrimp.

The other night we were there fishing for cats, and some guys pull up in a van and get out and start tossing nets in the first pond, we were on the back side on the way to beaver lake probably the 2nd pond, and these guys just keep walking down the bank and tossing the nets, and they get real close to us and I holler out, hey I have lines out that way, and they start griping and moaning and then go past us and get close to some people further down with 5 lit bobbers tossing their net down there. People have no respect, theres a whole other side to do that on and they do it right by us.


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## ur_averagejoe4 (Aug 18, 2009)

But if you take some of the paths down on the parking lot side of Reid down to buck creek, the carp and catfish are biting like crazy down there. Some huge ones down there have been caught and some have snapped my 20 lb line.


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## wader (Dec 9, 2004)

I have fished Reid for years, and i have seen people bring large catfish from Beaver Lake and dump them in. 70 lbs? I think that is quite a stretch, but there are some biguns in there, although very few. All I really fish for there are carp. I use to bass fish it, but I see way too many dummies putting 8" bass in their baskets, especially during the spawn when they're easy to find. Ever wonder why MOST of the bass you catch there are about 1-2 lbs and smaller?


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## ur_averagejoe4 (Aug 18, 2009)

wader said:


> I have fished Reid for years, and i have seen people bring large catfish from Beaver Lake and dump them in. 70 lbs? I think that is quite a stretch, but there are some biguns in there, although very few. All I really fish for there are carp. I use to bass fish it, but I see way too many dummies putting 8" bass in their baskets, especially during the spawn when they're easy to find. Ever wonder why MOST of the bass you catch there are about 1-2 lbs and smaller?


What do you drive? If I am there, I'm there with my brother and/or girlfriend. I'll be in one of two vehicles, and white 94 F-150, or gold/brown 00 Bonneville.

I talked to my brother today and he said over the summer he saw one guy take about 30-40 bass home with him in one day. I am a catch and release guy, except if we get the fish in the gills and he's bleeding like a stuck pig, then we'll take him home and fry him up, or when we are in the mood for some catfish we'll catch 1 or 2, 2-3 pounders and take them home and cook them, but mainly from buck creek right behind reid. I caught one the other night at buck creek, then walked up the path and got to reid to see if we could get anything, and took him home and cut him up, my first time fileting and cut the head off and after I get done cutting and cleaning he was still trying to breath. I am going to compare tastes with the cat my brother caught and cooked from reid and the cat I caught from buck creek.


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## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

Over the years there have been many flatheads pulled out of there - largest I have ever heard of was a 54lber. They are all obviously released in there from locals - some from Beaver and some from other lakes and rivers. A few years ago a single mother pulled a 35lber out of there and was on the front page of the newspaper.

14shadow - the pond you are referring to is not where these guys are fishing. Many people did exactly as your friend did and tossed fish from Beaver into this pond. It was convenient as it was 100ft. from the entrance of the pay lake. I used to fish that pond heavily from late 80's until the mid 90's. It used to be quite a catfish pond, but was also decent for LM bass and gills. Unfortunately, the pond is no longer fishable - been that way for some time now.

As far as bass @ old Reid - the fishing stinks now and isn't worth fishing IMO. 20 years ago the ponds were a little deeper and a whole lot cleaner. 
I used to wade them with my buddy over 20 years ago when I was a youngen - no way I would get in that "water": now! Between the silting and the overpopulation of waterfowl that place is a disgusting mess. I have caught and seen some very nice LM bass from there (4lb range), but it was many years ago.


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## ur_averagejoe4 (Aug 18, 2009)

I haven't seen the pond your referring to, but why is it not fishable now?


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## ur_averagejoe4 (Aug 18, 2009)

My brother just caught this a month ago there. Too bad it swallowed the hook, so we took it home and we got a nice snack out of him that night.


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## spfldbassguy (Mar 23, 2009)

i haven't caught a really nice bass outta there this year so far.my biggest outta there was @ 2-2 1/4 lb.the problem with reid is ...1)too many people taking way too many fish home.2)no cast nets allowed ever.3)cut down on the goose poop problem.4)need to off limit any fishin' for a year.to allow the fish to spawn with no pressure.that way some will survive another day and some will serve as food to the others.5)require the anyone fishing the waters must have on their person a valid ohio fishing liscense.that would cut out some of the yayhoos.also they would have to abide by limts of how many they can keep.6)have someone there to monitor the fishing and the park itself.like a ranger or something...well those are my thoughts.some may think i'm stupid and some might think my brain does actually work every once in awhile.


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## spfldbassguy (Mar 23, 2009)

ur_averagejoe4 said:


> My brother just caught this a month ago there. Too bad it swallowed the hook, so we took it home and we got a nice snack out of him that night.


too bad it had to swallow the hook.the would have been fun to "mistakenly" hook it on an ultralite rig


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## ur_averagejoe4 (Aug 18, 2009)

I completely agree with you on the fact that too many people take way too many fish home from there. I think in the past year, my brother and I have take 1 bass and 1 or 2 cats. Everything else is C&R. I'd love to become a unofficial ranger at some of these places. 

So casting nets aren't allowed there at Reid at all? I'd love to know that so I can tell those guys the next time and see what they say.

Do you need a license to fish Reid?

There are way too many ducks and geese there, and most of them look like they are sick.


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## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

averagejoe:

The pond WAS directly across from the entrance to Beaver; it is no longer a pond and has completely filled in (hence why you don't see it). Hard to believe, but 15 years ago it was a darn nice pond.

You do need a fishing license to fish in Reid park.
Cast nets are permitted to be used there, but you must abide by the laws.
I am guessing spfldbassguy is talking about people taking illegal panfish and/or damaging fry, etc. You can keep the shad and other legal fish caught.


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## wader (Dec 9, 2004)

I've sent a number of emails to National Trails thru their website regarding the very subjects that splfdbassguy mentioned. I never get a response. So either they don't care, or don't read the emails generated thru their "contact us" feature on their page. At the very least they should ban feeding the ducks and geese. If Ronez would close down or burn to the ground, that would cut down on the dummies as well.


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## wallyman (Dec 29, 2005)

Fish-N-Fool said:


> averagejoe:
> 
> You do need a fishing license to fish in Reid park.


You don't need a fishing license for Old reid or Snyder park(lagoons, not the creek). These are landlocked ponds and are owned by the city. The reason the division of wildlife stopped stocking trout in Old Reid, for those that remember it, is because they wouldn't require anglers to have a fishing license which ,of course, is how those trout are paid for.


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## Tom Patrick (Apr 16, 2005)

ur_averagejoe4 said:


> My brother just caught this a month ago there. Too bad it swallowed the hook, so we took it home and we got a nice snack out of him that night.


Next time a bass swallows the hook, try this: Through The Gill Hook Removal

Myself, and other people I know have used this method without one drop of blood.

Tight lines,
Tom Patrick


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## ur_averagejoe4 (Aug 18, 2009)

Tom Patrick said:


> Next time a bass swallows the hook, try this: Through The Gill Hook Removal
> 
> Myself, and other people I know have used this method without one drop of blood.
> 
> ...



He was already bleeding like a stuck pig, if he wasn't, then we would have got it out, my brother and I are good at getting the hook out when their deep.


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## Tom Patrick (Apr 16, 2005)

ur_averagejoe4 said:


> He was already bleeding like a stuck pig, if he wasn't, then we would have got it out, my brother and I are good at getting the hook out when their deep.


I know what you mean, sometimes there's just nothing you can do to save the fish.

By the way, Nice Bass!

Tight lines,
Tom Patrick


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