# Metzgers Marsh



## jonaddis84 (Sep 24, 2009)

Went to Metzgers for the first time last night, pretty slow night but I see major potential in it. Best fish was a 4lb 8oz largemouth on a YUM frog.

Wanted to see if anyone frequents the marsh and has any tips on bait or locations. Its difficult to fish anything but topwater in there, but we may have missed a good spot also.


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## bassmaniac (May 10, 2004)

Is it shore fishing only there? I've never been there but heard good things about it.


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## fishing dad (Sep 8, 2009)

where's this place at?


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## jonaddis84 (Sep 24, 2009)

We were in a boat, you cant do much fishing from shore but Ive heard people go with waders and walk through it, I would suggest waders as you would probably end up with plenty of leeches and other creepy crawleys in your shorts.

Its off of 2 out towards wildwings and all those marinas. Google map metzgers marsh and it will come up.


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## olderfer (Feb 2, 2009)

It's MetzgER Marsh (no s), and it's right here:

http://ohio.hometownlocator.com/maps/bigmap,n,wards canal,fid,1067132.cfm

Metzger is a wonderful place to go for a paddle in a canoe or kayak. It's natural and very, very beautiful.

As to fishing: As a challenge for this summer, I've decided to catch a BIG carp on a fly rod from my new little canoe. Haven't got to it yet, but Metzger is a likely spot. While paddling kayaks, I've spooked some monsters in there (and they've spooked me).

There are also fair populations of largemouth and bluegill. I don't know about the bluegill, but the bass can be caught all along the rip rap breakwall that separates the marsh from the lake. You can fish it from shore.

The ODNR lists something like 80 other species of fish in the marsh -- practically anything the swims in the western basin. Whether they are desireable or present in fishable numbers I cannot say.

Jim


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## jonaddis84 (Sep 24, 2009)

I wonder what is still surviving in there though. Since there used to be a hydrological connection to lake erie, you are right, anything in the lake could be in there. But since 05 or 06 or something they have permanently closed the lock connecting the two, now whatever is in there has to reproduce itself.

I had heard it was a good place to fish for northern pike at one time, but we didnt find any, I think if the water level was a little higher you could throw spinnerbaits and have a little more luck, but like I said its basically 100% topwater right now.

Found this stat in here if youre interested in reading: http://www.ohioseagrant.osu.edu/research/fish/?ID=R/ER-065-PD

"At some stations within the marsh, we caught as many as 204 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing. A catch of 100 per hour is considered a dense largemouth bass population (Flickenger et al. 1999)."


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## Imfowl55 (Dec 24, 2005)

interesting article, i found a 9 inch pike floating dead in there on an early teal hunt three years ago,would'nt surprise me if there are a few giants in there!


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## olderfer (Feb 2, 2009)

I haven't fished or paddled Metzger in a couple of years. Stopped by the ramp the other day, tho. The water is a bit lower but looks the same. Which is to say, the large open area across the north side is turbid, probably from carp, whereas the channels back among the reeds are clear as could be.

Has anybody fished the marsh lately?

Jim


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## xxpinballxx (Jul 18, 2010)

Glad I found this site....I have never fished here but my brother in law has a condo out in Oak harbor and this is on the way pretty much. Be nice to take my tackle out there and try this spot. I've been reading up on topwater fishing for the last week and eager to try it out in a good spot!


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## freyedknot (Apr 10, 2004)

i am suprised . i started duck hunting there in the 70's and a lot after the dike was built ,but never saw any real evidence of fish life in there.


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## I_Shock_Em (Jul 20, 2008)

Lots of great bowfishing in there, carp, buffalo, bowfin. Regular fishing is real good too...lots of largemouth and pike


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## Sandpike85 (Jan 9, 2009)

Are you guys talking about in towards the shore pretty far in the swamp side? I have fished on that strip of land that seperates the lake from the marsh, to the wright of the pier that goes out on the lake. What general areas can you where waders and fish in there for bass and pike?


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## I_Shock_Em (Jul 20, 2008)

i've always fished it by boat


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## fshnfreak (Feb 24, 2007)

is there a place to launch a 16 ft aluminum boat? id love to try something different.


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## freyedknot (Apr 10, 2004)

yes , on the road out ,you will see the ramp.


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## olderfer (Feb 2, 2009)

fshnfreak said:


> is there a place to launch a 16 ft aluminum boat? id love to try something different.


The ramp is good for a LIGHT 16-footer. I wouldn't put a heavy, Lake Erie-style boat in the marsh, tho.

Jim


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## KingFisher89 (Feb 22, 2007)

if your going to put a 16ft boat in there you might want to take waders especially if the water is way down


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## jonnyspeed (Mar 11, 2007)

My father and I fished it for about an hour or two last Sat. This is a picture of the 6lb er he landed fishing from the ****. I knew there were good fish in there, but everybody told me otherwise. I think they were trying to drive me off  I also saw a couple of young Largemouth fry so they are in there and reproducing.


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## Scum_Frog (Apr 3, 2009)

Hog daddy.....with the weeds in there im assuming you guys were throwing topwater or am I wrong?


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## fshnfreak (Feb 24, 2007)

it is a lighter boat but i do use it on erie as well i dunno i may not wanna chance it. how deep is the water i need atleast 2 ft to run my trolling motor.


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## ErieAngler (Apr 15, 2006)

1 - all you really need in there is a good push pole and a flat bottom boat, you should be fine with 2 fow.

2 - did he weight that 6 lb'er??


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## Scum_Frog (Apr 3, 2009)

Andrew have u ever fished big water before  Also when we going fishing man? Its been a while!


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## ErieAngler (Apr 15, 2006)

Scum_Frog said:


> Andrew have u ever fished big water before  Also when we going fishing man? Its been a while!


You will have to call me, Ive been through 3 phones this year already and lost my numbers every time. I'll probably perch fish this Sunday a.m. if you want to join in.


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## freyedknot (Apr 10, 2004)

it is deep around the dike and during duck season they do run some larger boats in there. but a lighter boat and some waders would be best along with the pushpole.


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## jonnyspeed (Mar 11, 2007)

ErieAngler said:


> 2 - did he weight that 6 lb'er??


Didn't weigh him, but he was 6lb no problem. My dad is 6'2" and about 340 so he kinda makes the fish look smaller  sorry pops... Biggest LM since I pulled a 23" 8lber from Resthaven last spring.


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## jonnyspeed (Mar 11, 2007)

Scum_Frog said:


> Hog daddy.....with the weeds in there im assuming you guys were throwing topwater or am I wrong?


Nope. Big Spinner took this guy. I was throwing a Flat Rapp and they didn't want anything to do with it.


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## Scum_Frog (Apr 3, 2009)

8lber from Resthaven? Which pond were you fishing??? I fish there all the time and the biggest Ive seen pulled out of Any of those ponds has been a 6lb fish. Would be great to see an 8lb hog.


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## bassmanmark (May 17, 2005)

Unless weighed by a tournament type scale...I'm always skeptical on the weights people through out of the fish they caught. A Rest Haven 8lber...been fishing there A LOT in the last 5yrs and NEVER have I seen one much over 5...not to mention any over 4 lately. Not saying it's not true...I just don't believe it until I've weighed it, or see it being weighed on a tournament scale.


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## jonnyspeed (Mar 11, 2007)

bassmanmark said:


> Unless weighed by a tournament type scale...I'm always skeptical on the weights people through out of the fish they caught. A Rest Haven 8lber...been fishing there A LOT in the last 5yrs and NEVER have I seen one much over 5...not to mention any over 4 lately. Not saying it's not true...I just don't believe it until I've weighed it, or see it being weighed on a tournament scale.


I would be skeptical too if I hadn't been there. I was always being told how there aren't any big fish in there. I won't give up my secret tactics ;-) but she was measured at 23" long and 8.15lbs according to my scale. Hopefully she is still in there because I released her. That wasn't the biggest LM that I saw that day either. Most of the fish were in the typical 14"-18" range that day though. The thing is to be out there in the right spots at the right time and be stealthy (think kayak). That's all I'm saying  I'm not gonna argue on an internet forum.... I caught her and I had a witness with me. That was the biggest LM I have caught in some time. Only the Hogs in the everglades and some giant farm pond bass have been bigger.


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## KingFisher89 (Feb 22, 2007)

Jarrett when have you pulled a 6 pounder out of haven????? I think your forgetting who sworped it but you did do a good lipping job on it


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## AvianHunter (Jan 23, 2009)

Guys are you forgetting this is a FISHING forum?
Meaning we are all fishermen and may have slight tendencies of slightly exaggerating????? LOL
That looks like a 9 lb'er to me...prolly a 10 if I woulda been there


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## Scum_Frog (Apr 3, 2009)

Hey Adam....before your mouth gets a running u might wanna actually read the post before jumping the gun....because if u actually ready the post it says "Biggest I've seen pulled out" not biggest ive caught....because we all know I pulled out a 480lb bass outta there last year....while i was fishin for them peacock bass out on the spring during ice season on whites landing lol


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## jlieder (Jul 23, 2010)

Looks like from earlier posts that LMB can be had from the dike.  How deep is the water off the pier into the lake? Any chance of catching some perch off that pier?


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## AvianHunter (Jan 23, 2009)

jlieder said:


> Looks like from earlier posts that LMB can be had from the dike. How deep is the water off the pier into the lake? Any chance of catching some perch off that pier?


Yes you can catch bass from the dike and in the good old days perch fishing used to be pretty good from the pier. Plenty of white ones for you off of it nowadays.


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## Eugene (Jun 23, 2004)

jonaddis84 said:


> http://www.ohioseagrant.osu.edu/research/fish/?ID=R/ER-065-PD
> 
> "At some stations within the marsh, we caught as many as 204 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing. A catch of 100 per hour is considered a dense largemouth bass population (Flickenger et al. 1999)."


Hey, I wrote that! (Not the whole report, but I did write this quote.) Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to run any sampling gear on Metzger since 2003 and don't know how the fish assemblage has structured itself after the hydrologic connection with the lake was closed. I presented that work to the American Fisheries Society in 2006. Still hoping to get a publication out of it all. If any of you lot are nerdy enough to care, I'm happy to share more details of that research.

FYI, the only appreciable depth is along the dike, and I've heard there has been considerable siltation since I was working there. The marsh's interior is quite shallow for the most part.


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## davycrockett (Apr 9, 2005)

If the warm water temps haven't pushed them out, the shallow reed areas seem to produce the most LM. 1 foot of water is all it takes to hold them. Any frog fakes and weedless stuff will work. As mentioned leave the trolling motor in the truck and opt for a push pole and paddle, unless you want to kill your battery 100 yards through the marsh. Too much vegatation to eat through. Last hr. or so of light was best time for us. As for the breakwall I've caught a few Lm there in the past with spinnerbaits or flipping to riprap/brush. But the biggest bass for me always come from the thick stuff. Always heard about the pike but never caught any.


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## Eugene (Jun 23, 2004)

davycrockett said:


> Always heard about the pike but never caught any.


When sampling, we consistently took pike in fyke nets there throughout the last couple years of the project. Never any beasts, but adults up to approx. 30" were common.


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