# Advice on Clear Fork of Mohican River



## McFishin (Apr 23, 2008)

The family and I will be camping at Mohican State Park the last week of July. I've fished the entire stretch of river that runs through the campground before and caught a couple of Smallmouth and one brown trout on both spinning combos and fly rods. Typically I see dozens of huge carp but can't seem to get them to hit anything. 

My past experience has been mostly in the fall when water temps are cooler. I know late July is going to be a whole different ball game. I'm not really targeting Trout this time of year since they've probably mostly died off or been caught by now, but I'd love to hook a nice size carp on a fly or get into some decent Smallmouth. I have a kayak but would prefer to wade since the river there is so shallow. Any advice on where to target Smallies? Also, any specific flies or other lures that might work on those carp? I thought about trying further west of the campground toward the covered bridge, but I've never really been past the state park cabins. Not sure whether it's worth the hike or not. 

I was also thinking of taking the kayak up to Pleasant Hill Lake. Is it worth a visit? I mostly Kayak fish at Alum Creek Reservoir, which is a much bigger lake.


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## Deazl666 (Mar 30, 2012)

Tons of pressure on that stretch, angling and recreational. And if the spigot is turned down upstream at the dam, the water level will be very low, almost too low to fish. My advice would be to throw tubes isolated holes and try to avoid the crowds.


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## Workingman (Jan 21, 2016)

If you go to pleasant hill, stay on the top 1/2 of the lake, i think it's speed limited on that end so no skiers and tubers! It's a pretty lake. You should go if you have time!


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## akak (Mar 24, 2013)

OK, since I just asked for help on Buckeye, I'll tell you what I can here.

To daezl's point there's pressure... But, as to your question, if you go to the covered Bridge and go down toward B Camp, and past there, there's kind of a path down the river.... right about where the bath house is, there's a downstream V riffle, you can kind of combo wade, walk on the bank down from there. Its July, so who knows but I've caught small mouth, crappie, saugeye starting there back toward the dam. There's some cool areas with big boulders for cover, you just never know.

As to the lake itself... to workingman's point, the top half (which is kind of the east half) is speed restricted. If you launched your kayak at the public ramp and headed east, you might have some luck on the north side and work toward where the river enters the lake (and you can go up the river, which is what I would do - or work a lot around that area where it enters if I were looking for bass, but I'd also have a boat with a motor) Also, from point where the river enters the lake (at the far east) and then if you drew kind of a line (though it obviously is a curve) to the swimming beach for the park, you'd kind of be on the line of the old river bed, if you were going to troll from your kayak, I'd work there. Obviously a depth finder makes it a lot easier, but the closer you are to the mouth of the river the more you know where it is.. That seems to be a place where the Musky's and big bass are kind of patrolling.. sometimes... who knows. But, seriously the mouth of the river and the river itself is fun in a canoe or kayak and its easy to paddle up.

This map has the stream channel on it oddly. http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/pleasanthillreservoir


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## ejsell (May 3, 2012)

I've caught several carp below the camp ground on nymphs and crawfish patterns. They are pretty spooky with all of the campers and tubers so you need a nice clean drift with the nymphs. Just fish the banks anywhere there is any depth.

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## OnTheFly (Jul 30, 2010)

yeah smallish crayfish patterns are my go to for carp. gotta get it pretty close to them without spooking. try to only target actively feeding fish (tailing/mudding) and take your time moving slooooooooowwwly to sneak up on them. this will make your odds go way up. When I say slow I mean it, esp. if you are wading. Pick the right fish in the right mood and sometimes they will absolutely lock in on the fly and destroy it


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## McFishin (Apr 23, 2008)

akak said:


> OK, since I just asked for help on Buckeye, I'll tell you what I can here.
> 
> To daezl's point there's pressure... But, as to your question, if you go to the covered Bridge and go down toward B Camp, and past there, there's kind of a path down the river.... right about where the bath house is, there's a downstream V riffle, you can kind of combo wade, walk on the bank down from there. Its July, so who knows but I've caught small mouth, crappie, saugeye starting there back toward the dam. There's some cool areas with big boulders for cover, you just never know.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the detailed response. I'm a couple days away from our trip and looking forward to getting out on the water! I'll definitely check out the areas you mentioned.


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## McFishin (Apr 23, 2008)

Deazl666 said:


> Tons of pressure on that stretch, angling and recreational. And if the spigot is turned down upstream at the dam, the water level will be very low, almost too low to fish. My advice would be to throw tubes isolated holes and try to avoid the crowds.


I know avoiding the crowds will be a challenge, but I'm hoping all the rain we've had lately will have increased the water level a bit. Thanks for the tip!


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## McFishin (Apr 23, 2008)

OnTheFly said:


> yeah smallish crayfish patterns are my go to for carp. gotta get it pretty close to them without spooking. try to only target actively feeding fish (tailing/mudding) and take your time moving slooooooooowwwly to sneak up on them. this will make your odds go way up. When I say slow I mean it, esp. if you are wading. Pick the right fish in the right mood and sometimes they will absolutely lock in on the fly and destroy it


Thanks for the tip. I'm still complete newbie at fly fishing but really enjoy it. The only carp I've hooked at Mohican was on a white twister-tail jig. I dropped it right under his nose, and he took it. Right place, right time, I guess.


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## McFishin (Apr 23, 2008)

ejsell said:


> I've caught several carp below the camp ground on nymphs and crawfish patterns. They are pretty spooky with all of the campers and tubers so you need a nice clean drift with the nymphs. Just fish the banks anywhere there is any depth.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


Thanks for the tip. Here's a complete "newb" question... I'm getting decent at casting but don't always know the best way to present my fly to the fish. Should I be casting down stream and then stripping back toward me or casting upstream and letting the fly drift back toward the fish that are holding in the current? I guess what I'm really getting at is whether to use dry or wet flies, and where to cast from relative to where I think the fish are holding. Typically the water is pretty clear in Mohican, so a lot of times I'm sight-fishing. The one trout I've caught there was in heavy ripples with a dry fly cast directly down stream... but I'm guessing that was blind luck. I know Smallies will likely be near cover, so not sure how to use the current to my advantage.


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## ejsell (May 3, 2012)

McFishin said:


> Thanks for the tip. Here's a complete "newb" question... I'm getting decent at casting but don't always know the best way to present my fly to the fish. Should I be casting down stream and then stripping back toward me or casting upstream and letting the fly drift back toward the fish that are holding in the current? I guess what I'm really getting at is whether to use dry or wet flies, and where to cast from relative to where I think the fish are holding. Typically the water is pretty clear in Mohican, so a lot of times I'm sight-fishing. The one trout I've caught there was in heavy ripples with a dry fly cast directly down stream... but I'm guessing that was blind luck. I know Smallies will likely be near cover, so not sure how to use the current to my advantage.


Simple answer is yes. 

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## ejsell (May 3, 2012)

If they are chasing around try stripping it. If they are just sitting drift it.

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## Tazmanme (Jul 5, 2017)

If your throwing a nymph think something small and black size 18 or smaller cast above you in the current the first cast should be almost directly above you letting them float down to you and progressively going out into the river each cast that is nymphingyou're covering the river in front of you start close to you and keep casting out above you now you want to be throwing a hopper dropper if you want to throw a streamer and you throw that not quite as far above you and as it is going down the river you were pulling it back to you


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## stonefly71 (Apr 14, 2004)

18 or 20 dry flies will catch you alot of fish from dam all the was to rt 3.


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## Tazmanme (Jul 5, 2017)

stonefly71 said:


> 18 or 20 dry flies will catch you alot of fish from dam all the was to rt 3.


Have you been fishing it much lately is it producing pretty good the last time I was there only caught one brown trout I mean it was great but that was early in the spring


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## stonefly71 (Apr 14, 2004)

Not latley.When I do fish it I'm there before daylight . Are you from up there? Have you ever fished clearcreek down in Hocking county? Lots of Hold over fish down there,plus plenty of smallmouth.


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## Tazmanme (Jul 5, 2017)

stonefly71 said:


> Not latley.When I do fish it I'm there before daylight . Are you from up there? Have you ever fished clearcreek down in Hocking county? Lots of Hold over fish down there,plus plenty of smallmouth.


Not from there an hour away ,live down in Nashport on the licking river , never been to clear creek ,usually just go back and fourth to wva , that where I spent weekend smallie fishing the cheat river


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## Waylontdog1964 (May 31, 2017)

McFishin said:


> The family and I will be camping at Mohican State Park the last week of July. I've fished the entire stretch of river that runs through the campground before and caught a couple of Smallmouth and one brown trout on both spinning combos and fly rods. Typically I see dozens of huge carp but can't seem to get them to hit anything.
> 
> My past experience has been mostly in the fall when water temps are cooler. I know late July is going to be a whole different ball game. I'm not really targeting Trout this time of year since they've probably mostly died off or been caught by now, but I'd love to hook a nice size carp on a fly or get into some decent Smallmouth. I have a kayak but would prefer to wade since the river there is so shallow. Any advice on where to target Smallies? Also, any specific flies or other lures that might work on those carp? I thought about trying further west of the campground toward the covered bridge, but I've never really been past the state park cabins. Not sure whether it's worth the hike or not.
> 
> I was also thinking of taking the kayak up to Pleasant Hill Lake. Is it worth a visit? I mostly Kayak fish at Alum Creek Reservoir, which is a much bigger lake.


Try dough balls for carp. We have a seasonal camp site on the Black Fork and catch 10-15 pounders all the time.


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