# ODNR Fish Report 4/25/07



## Big Daddy

Wildlife News 
Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Division of Wildlife

The Fish Ohio Report
April 25, 2007

CENTRAL OHIO
Knox Lake (Knox County) - Areas of woody shoreline cover are good locations to fish for largemouth bass at this time of year. Try dark-colored creature baits and jig-and-pigs or white and chartreuse spinner baits fished shallow for the best results. Most of these fish measure 12 to 18 inches. There is an 18-inch minimum for keeper largemouth at this lake. Use jigs and minnows in brushy areas to take crappie. Crappie will be moving shallow as the temperatures warm. Use shrimp or night crawlers fished along the bottom to take channel catfish. Some channel catfish weigh up to 10 pounds. There is a 10 horsepower limit at this lake.

Big Darby Creek (Franklin and Madison counties)  With the warming temperatures, anglers can enjoy wading, bank fishing or float fishing on this scenic central Ohio stream. This is one of the few streams in central Ohio containing all three species of black bass found in Ohio  largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass. Rock bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, sunfish and carp also provide good fishing opportunities here. Use small spinner baits and small crankbaits for early smallmouth action in the pools below shallow riffles. Jerkbaits, surface baits and small tube baits fished near aquatic vegetation works best when fishing for largemouth bass and spotted bass. Catfish can be caught on the creek bottom with night crawlers or other traditional baits.

NORTHWEST OHIO
Lake Barton (Williams County)  The water temperature is 45°F and the fishing effort is low. A few crappies are being taken by using a black and white jig with a spinner or fishing with minnows.

Maumee River (Lucas and Wood Counties)  The water temperature is 48°F and the water level is normal. Fishing effort is high. Fishing for walleye is excellent! We are at the peak of the spawning run right now. Anglers are catching mostly male walleye from 18 to 22 inches in length. The best bait continues to be floating jigs tipped with bright colored twister tails. The best areas to fish are the Flats, Blue Grass Island and Buttonwood. Currently anglers are taking limits in the Buttonwood area. In addition to walleye, there are a lot of white bass in the river. The best bait for white bass is minnows, but some are being caught on floating jigs as well.

Sandusky River (Sandusky County)  The water temperature is 48°F and the river is at normal flow and muddy. Fishing effort is high. Good numbers of walleye are being caught in the Walsh Park area. Anglers are using ¼ oz. jigs with chartreuse colored tails. Anglers are also catching some white bass on minnows. White bass catches should continue to increase and walleye catches will slow down in the next two weeks. 

Reminders:

-Black bass season is closed, from May 1 through June 29, 2007; any caught must be released. 

-Walleye have a 15-inch minimum length limit for the entire season.

-Walleye daily bag limit is four (4) from March 1 through April 30, and six (6) from May 1 through the last day in February.

-Other Fishing Regulations pertaining to the walleye run are listed in the 2007-2008 Fishing Regulations publication available where ever fishing licenses are sold or they may be viewed online at www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife 

-New 2007 fishing licenses are required as of March 1, 2007.

View sunrise/sunset table http://www.sunrisesunset.com/calend...;-5;1&month=3&year=2007&time_type=0&use_dst=1

NORTHEAST OHIO
Cuyahoga River (Summit County)  Near Metroparks Serving Summit County-Cascade Park, anglers are catching smallmouth bass on jigs tipped with plastic crayfish. Crankbaits are not enticing these fish yet. The bass range from 10 to 16-inches in size with the majority measuring about 13-inches. This park is located west of State Route 8 in the Cuyahoga Valley. Anglers should focus on the Chuckery Area on Cuyahoga Street. For a map go to: http://www.summitmetroparks.org/parks/

Spencer Lake (Medina County)  Anglers are catching decent numbers of crappie in this small, 50-acre lake located in western Medina County. Wax worms suspended under a bobber works best. Largemouth bass and channel cat fishing is also known to be excellent at this lake. Wheelchair accessible shoreline fishing facilities are available. Electric motors only. Locate the lake two miles east of Spencer, off of State Route 162. 

SOUTHWEST OHIO
East Fork Lake (Clermont County)  Water temperatures are finally on the rise as a result of the warm weather this past weekend. Anglers have started catching eight to 10 inch crappie by fishing live minnows under a slip bobber or jigheads with small tubes or curly tails. Crappies have begun their move to shallow water and are providing lots of action. Cast close to fallen trees or standing timber in two to 10 foot depths. If the upper end of the lake is still muddy from recent rains, try the numerous wooded coves in the lower end of the lake. Hybrid striped bass should be moving up the creeks in one to two weeks if the weather continues to warm. They can be caught on jigs, live shad, minnows, or rooster tails. Try fishing from the Tunnel Mill boat ramp on upstream. Remember, the daily limit of four fish and 15 inch size limit are in effect up to the first riffle. 

C. J. Brown Reservoir (Clark County)  Crappies are being caught by anglers fishing the marina area and telephone piling structures. Try fishing live minnows under a slip bobber or jigheads with small tubes or curly tails. White bass should be moving up the creek and along the rip-rap shorelines in one to two weeks, if the weather continues to warm. Try fishing for them with small twister tails, rooster tails and jigs for best results. They can be caught on small jigs or rooster tails. Channel catfish are being caught in the north end of the lake around the small islands and creek channel on night crawlers.  

SOUTHEAST OHIO

Hammertown Lake (Jackson County)  Waters have been clear and most anglers fishing this 190 acre lake are downsizing to a four to eight pound range with ultra lights. Anglers have been successful reeling in largemouth bass in the 13 to 14-inch range using shallow running crank baits or black and purple six inch worms that are Texas-rigged picking up fish on the drop near shallow water. Bluegill bite has been slow, although some have been caught fishing the shoreline using wax worms or night crawlers under a bobber. This lake was stocked with 3000 rainbow trout last weekend, most anglers fishing for trout from boats are trolling with white or chartreuse rooster tails or small gold or silver spoons. Bank anglers are fishing for trout using a variety of Powerbait colors or kernel corn fished tight-line off the bottom or under a bobber.

Lake Hope (Vinton County)  As water temperature increases, so has the fishing action in this 120 acre lake. Anglers have had success fishing for largemouth bass using a variety of artificial baits including shallow running crank baits. For crappie and bluegill fish live bait including wax worms and night crawlers fished under a bobber. Casting for channel cats? Try fishing the bottom using cut bait in the evening or early mornings, especially as temperatures begin to climb. Lake Hope is stocked annually with saugeye  try fishing near the dam using white or chartreuse jigs and twister tails tipped with a minnow.

LAKE ERIE 
**The yellow perch daily bag limit on Lake Erie has been reduced to 30 fish per day. The change in yellow perch bag limit occurred after the printing of fishing regulations brochure. The 2007-2008 fishing regulations brochure incorrectly lists the Lake Erie yellow perch bag limit as 40 fish per day, which has now been changed to 30.**

**The walleye daily bag limit is 4 fish from March 1 through April 30. Beginning May 1 the walleye daily bag limit returns to 6 fish. The minimum size limit for walleye is 15 inches.**

**The daily bag limit for black bass on Lake Erie is five. The minimum size limit for black bass on Lake Erie is 14 inches. The steelhead trout bag limit is two. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches.**

Walleye fishing was fantastic over the weekend of 4/21. Fast limits were caught using lead-head hair jigs in purple or chartreuse. The best jigging areas were nearshore in 10 to 15 feet of water from Turtle Creek to Wild Wings marina and also on various reefs in the Camp Perry firing range. Most fish have been 18 to 22 inch males with a few larger ones mixed in. Trollers are starting to catch large post-spawn females along the eastern cans of the Camp Perry firing range, around the Bass Islands, and north of Kelleys Island. Stickbaits and deep diving crankbaits are popular spring trolling lures.

Surface temperatures are primarily in the low to mid 40 degree range.

Maumee and Sandusky River walleye report- For recent updates on the tributary walleye fishery visit the Division of Wildlife web page at: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/fishing/freport/walleyerunreport.htm

Steelhead- For recent updates on the steelhead fishery visit the Division of Wildlife steelhead web page at: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/fishing/fairport/steelhead.htm

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  The River levels remain high and somewhat muddy with a swift current. Anglers have had limited success fishing for hybrid striped bass in the tail waters of Racine and Bellville Dams using jigs tipped with minnows. Bank fishing for catfish has been successful using cut baits including shad and shiners.


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