# Jerome Rd Monster



## HookUpFishOn (Apr 29, 2005)

This question is for the Maumee locals. Myself and a buddy came up over the weekend and fished saturday and sunday. On sunday we were fishing Jerome Rd. and I hooked into something huge. It was pulling drag like I was a fly. Afer about a half an hour worth of fighting, I got it within about twenty yards and it hung up in some of the half submerged bushes. The water was too deep to wade to it, so i tried to slack line and see if it would get itself unhung. It eventually got off, But it came to the surface several times. All I saw was a large grey tail about the size of a dinner plate and a dorsal fin about three feet apart. The tail was even on the ends and broad, but it had a fork. Does anybody have any clue what kind of fish there are in there that get that big, or possibly what it was. Other than that we had a great day Caught five eyes in about two hours. Also about a dozen carp, sheephead, etc. Wish I could come back up this weekend, but the wife would probably leave me. Thanks for the help!!!


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## normd (Jul 5, 2005)

Possible sturgon. Heard of them in the river.


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## beach5 (May 27, 2008)

Sturgeon!!!!!


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## Scum_Frog (Apr 3, 2009)

sturg for sure....maybe even a flatty.


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## HookUpFishOn (Apr 29, 2005)

I thought sturgeon, but every pic shows them with a longer point on the upper tail section, and flat head pics dont show a forked tail at all. It was splashing around, so I could be wrong about the even tail sections. I tend to lean towards sturgeon as well. Whatever it was, it was definitely the biggest fish I've had on my line. Too bad I didnt have a bigger rig with me. Not alot of force can be put behind a 10 pound leader when you"re hooked into something like that. Definitely won't ever forget it.


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## oarfish (May 12, 2004)

That had to be an experience of a lifetime. Thinking about going back with heavy tackle?


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## hard-day-fishin (Feb 23, 2011)

It very well could have been a sturgeon. A few years back a 6 ft sturgeon was caught over by Grand Rapids, and confirmed by the Toledo Blade.


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## normd (Jul 5, 2005)

Maybe a big gar too. Seen some big one while fishing summer smallies down there.


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## CarpCommander (Jun 20, 2007)

I'm the one who got that 5 footer near Grand Rapids years ago, and several after that in WI. What you are describing doesn't sound like a sturgeon-the tail isn't even, its shaped like a shark, with the top part much longer than the bottom. Also, you mentioned the dorsal fin was 3ft forward of the tail. Sturgeon have a low profile dorsal that peaks just in front of the tail.

Almost sounds like a monster channel cat, or maybe a grass carp, but those aren't gray....hmmm


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## Rod Hawg (Jan 13, 2011)

I'd say Sturgeon. Must have been some rush. I love it when a big fish strikes and you fight in anxiously waiting to see what it is. Shame it got hung up. BTW-Nice job on getting into some walleye too


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## maumee_bowman (Feb 23, 2011)

from what u said im thinking flat head, gray, large fin, and a mosnter, the maumee is home 2 alot of flathead and they are agreesive fish, they will bite anything when hungry, i saw a guy catch a 40lb one using a twister tail 4 w-bass


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## jhammer (Jun 13, 2011)

Might be a buffalo. The Maumee holds some big buffs. :B


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

He mentioned that the tail had a fork. That does not sound like a flathead. Hmm! Interesting. Could it have been a grass carp?










They can reach 5' or more in length.


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## Redhunter1012 (Feb 6, 2006)

Big Buffalo.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Redhunter1012 said:


> Big Buffalo.


He mentioned that the tail was forked and buffalo's tails are pretty much square. Also he said the tail and dorsal fin were about 3 feet apart. I don't think buffalo get that long.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

I guess some pictures of buffalo show them a bit deeper forked than the picture on the ODNR site. Since the dorsal fins are distinctly different hopefully the original poster has preference on which looks more appropriate.

Here are a couple pictures of buffaloes.


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## I_Shock_Em (Jul 20, 2008)

Could have been a large sucker species, but by the description, sounds like you might have snagged a grass carp. They reach the size description you gave and fight like hell when they are snagged. I know a sturgeon is possible, but I think that it is highly unlikely imo.


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

Maybe it was a muskie.


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## CarpCommander (Jun 20, 2007)

Tarpon? Those are silver....so are bull sharks. And they can live in fresh waterrrrr budeeeey.....


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## maumee_bowman (Feb 23, 2011)

CarpCommander said:


> Tarpon? Those are silver....so are bull sharks. And they can live in fresh waterrrrr budeeeey.....


it was prolly big foot


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

Is could have been an asian carp.


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## die4irish (Jun 8, 2004)

Flathead76 said:


> Is could have been an asian carp.


 dont even joke about that


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## Big Chief201 (Aug 13, 2010)

I agree with Flathead, I've heard reports of Asian Carp being caught in Erie already so it wouldnt suprise me.


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## CarpCommander (Jun 20, 2007)

Flathead76 said:


> Is could have been an asian carp.



The are indeed coming my children, make no mistake....


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## HookUpFishOn (Apr 29, 2005)

Thanks for all the help guys. After careful research I have decided it was a 30 pound walleye. Actually from the pics put up, it could have been a buffalo or carp. Wish I could have seen the rest of it. I guess it will always be a fish tale.


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## Redhunter1012 (Feb 6, 2006)

Big Chief201 said:


> I agree with Flathead, I've heard reports of Asian Carp being caught in Erie already so it wouldnt suprise me.


what do they catch them on? Maybe snagged them. I always heard they only feed on plankton and won't even offer at anything else


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## BFG (Mar 29, 2006)

Big Buffaro...

I've seen some come out of the river towards the end of the run that would make your Momma cry. Big...grey...tanks.


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## Big Chief201 (Aug 13, 2010)

Redhunter1012 said:


> what do they catch them on? Maybe snagged them. I always heard they only feed on plankton and won't even offer at anything else


From what I've seen you just drive down the river. You don't catch them they catch you by jumping in your boat. I'd say bow fishing would work as well. Problem is they will decimate the plankton in the lake and ultimately starve of the bait fish and prey fish. Basically killing the bottom of the food chain. Our lakes are really going to change over the next 20-30 years. I just hope it's good long enough to show my son the joys of lake erie before it's gone. Btw screw Chicago this is partly their fault.


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## firstflight111 (May 22, 2008)

lake erie monster be my guess


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## Bucket Mouth (Aug 13, 2007)

maumee_bowman said:


> it was prolly big foot



We have a winner! I also believe it to be Harry from Harry and the Hendersons.


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## West Virginia Redneck101 (Mar 13, 2012)

good question... all u guys have good points!! ima say maybe a sturg..


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## chet (Mar 11, 2008)

.....


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## West Virginia Redneck101 (Mar 13, 2012)

im from west virginia and fished the ohio thounds of times and iv even seen sturgeons come up and swallow ducks... so i agree them things can get huge and put up one hell of a fight.. i have never landed one but snagged one down there trolling...


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## West Virginia Redneck101 (Mar 13, 2012)

im sry ohio river***


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## CarpCommander (Jun 20, 2007)

West Virginia Redneck101 said:


> im from west virginia and fished the ohio thounds of times and iv even seen sturgeons come up and swallow ducks... so i agree them things can get huge and put up one hell of a fight.. i have never landed one but snagged one down there trolling...


Swallow ducks?

Lmao.....EZ now kid....


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## Eric E (May 30, 2005)

CarpCommander said:


> Swallow ducks?
> 
> Lmao.....EZ now kid....


Sturgeon may not, but fish do eat ducks...


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## West Virginia Redneck101 (Mar 13, 2012)

im pretty sure it was a sturg.. but in that river u never know.


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## pizzacouple (Jun 5, 2011)

What were you fishing with? Maybe that would help clear it up a little.


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## West Virginia Redneck101 (Mar 13, 2012)

no i wasnt fishing for them.. i was using raw shrimp when i snagged that sturg..


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## pizzacouple (Jun 5, 2011)

Maybe a blue cat? Arent they generally larger than channel cats? they have forked tails and could bite on a lot of things.


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## West Virginia Redneck101 (Mar 13, 2012)

i was trolling when i got close to a damn i stopped for a bit and switched to bottom fish for a bit by the damn before i turned to troll the other side. thats when i snagged it.


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## West Virginia Redneck101 (Mar 13, 2012)

honestly bud i have never honestly landed one.


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## HookUpFishOn (Apr 29, 2005)

I was fishing a floater with a grub. It may have been snagged, but it was facing me like it ws hooked somewhere around the mouth/head.


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## I_Shock_Em (Jul 20, 2008)

pizzacouple said:


> Maybe a blue cat? Arent they generally larger than channel cats? they have forked tails and could bite on a lot of things.


To the best of my knowledge, there are no blue cats in the Maumee. They are in the Ohio River Watershed, not the Lake Erie Watershed


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## maumee_bowman (Feb 23, 2011)

I_Shock_Em said:


> To the best of my knowledge, there are no blue cats in the Maumee. They are in the Ohio River Watershed, not the Lake Erie Watershed


I have fished the maumee for about 15 years, and i have caught 1, im not saying there are many, but i have 1


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## warehousegoon (Feb 2, 2009)

I_Shock_Em said:


> To the best of my knowledge, there are no blue cats in the Maumee. They are in the Ohio River Watershed, not the Lake Erie Watershed


back in the 80's I caught one fishing for walleye off vermilion. it was no monster but was real cool to see.


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## Perch (Apr 5, 2004)

It was most likely a large Blue Catfish. I just caught a stout 30 Lb Blue Catfish here on Monday, it was almost 3 feet long, gunmetal gray and had the tail that you described as well............


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## boatlimit (Jan 9, 2012)

I grew up in Northern Mich .. caught and speared a few sturgeon .. their tail is like a shark like Capt. Carp said .. their dorsal fin is closer to their tail than to their head and it's not very big ..?


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## JimmyMac (Feb 18, 2011)

Its crazy how many people said flathead, as I've never seen one with a forked tail, lol. They are normally some shade of brown but do end up with some weird colors sometimes.


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## Steel Cranium (Aug 22, 2005)

I would put my money on a big buffalo. They are light gray and sort of washed out in the springtime Maumee. I was able to land one a few years ago in that general area that easily bottomed out my 30 lb digital scale. Snagged close enough to the mouth to make fighting it possible - no way it would have came to shore if snagged elsewhere. Eyeballs looked like cueballs.


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## Networthy (Dec 22, 2008)

Could it possible be a paddlefish?


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## slippy20052000 (Aug 3, 2008)

i have read all these comments i now know what the fish is.........what ever he wants it 2 be......30 lbs eye sounds great to me....i would say you might have gill hook some thing like a blue that might have been a pectoral fin but who know...only the river and what u decide to tell


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## NateTessler13 (Nov 5, 2007)

Just to toss my two cents in...

Smallmouth buffalo (_Ictiobus bubalus_) and bigmouth buffalo (_Ictiobus cyprinellus_) are spawning in and around the same riffles as the walleye at this time of year. They are a common bycatch when bouncing jigs in the lower and middle Maumee River during the spring. Both species are a gray/slate color (especially in the turbid waters of the Maumee), have a forked tail, and grow to large sizes (seems to fit your description). While electrofishing with ODNR a few years ago on the Maumee River during April, I saw a number of buffalo around 30 lbs. near the Orleans Park access. I am almost 100% certain that you were snagged into a buffalo.

-Nate


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## pjgraham2006 (Mar 27, 2006)

I think it might have been Jimmy Hoffa with a wet suit on??


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## slippy20052000 (Aug 3, 2008)

NateTessler13 said:


> Just to toss my two cents in...
> 
> Smallmouth buffalo (_Ictiobus bubalus_) and bigmouth buffalo (_Ictiobus cyprinellus_) are spawning in and around the same riffles as the walleye at this time of year. They are a common bycatch when bouncing jigs in the lower and middle Maumee River during the spring. Both species are a gray/slate color (especially in the turbid waters of the Maumee), have a forked tail, and grow to large sizes (seems to fit your description). While electrofishing with ODNR a few years ago on the Maumee River during April, I saw a number of buffalo around 30 lbs. near the Orleans Park access. I am almost 100% certain that you were snagged into a buffalo.
> 
> -Nate


well if u r ALMOST 100% THEN U should be 99% leaving a 1% possiblity out there...lmao jk u prob r right on this issue


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## slippy20052000 (Aug 3, 2008)

how about a laker....not sure if they r found in that river but that could be the monster a big old lake trout


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