# Pike fishing in Ohio



## The Fishing Addict (Mar 19, 2014)

Just curious what bodies of water provide the best pike fishing in Ohio? 


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## cast4life (Mar 19, 2013)

I live close to tusc. river in massillon. We do pretty good between canal falton & massillon on the river.


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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

Cuyahoga River has them almost everywhere. Some places are better than others though. There are some at West Branch and Mosquito Reservoir.


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## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

Ladue


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## caseyroo (Jun 26, 2006)

Mosquito and the Cuyahoga and Tusc Rivers


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## Jo-Jo (Jun 29, 2016)

North end of Mosquito, and the Upper Cuyahoga river, Ladue and East Branch Res., they used to stock pike in Aquilla lake, I haven't fished there in more than thirty years though. The problem is most people keep all the pike they catch. I did a catch and release on a nice 8-10 pounder at Ladue this past spring. The next cast I caught a 4 lb walleye, that one went into my frying pan.


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## set-the-drag (Jan 13, 2013)

I've noticed a decline in ladue the last few years i think the cormorants have contributed by eating the smaller pike. I used to catch a bunch of small pike in the spring but the last few years i haven't had them like i used to. Would average like 4 a trip lucky if i see one a year


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## [email protected]#$carp (Aug 29, 2010)

How early in the spring is a good time to fish the Cuyahoga?


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## Jo-Jo (Jun 29, 2016)

Pike begin to spawn right after ice-out, so I would say as soon as the water clears up..


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## Jason Keppler (Aug 29, 2019)

[email protected]#$carp said:


> How early in the spring is a good time to fish the Cuyahoga?


It should be really good now.


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## Jason Keppler (Aug 29, 2019)

That is if the fiber isn't too high


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## set-the-drag (Jan 13, 2013)

I push ice and cast. As soon as its open its game on


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## wattsup48 (May 26, 2017)

Late February, early March is when I catch the most big fish down there. 


[email protected]#$carp said:


> How early in the spring is a good time to fish the Cuyahoga?


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## OptOutside440 (Feb 3, 2019)

What type of bait/lures this time of year for pike?


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## set-the-drag (Jan 13, 2013)

I found 2-3" mimic minnows are like crack to them but you'll go through a bunch they obviously tear them up. I work shorelines and bays. I also will throw hj 12


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## wattsup48 (May 26, 2017)

OptOutside440 said:


> What type of bait/lures this time of year for pike?


My go to is the 4in phantom. Easy to control depth and quickly change direction when working around wood. Also can effectively be worked in less then 2 ft of water and on short casts. If you get the lure to hang after directional change they can't help themselves. You just have to be very confident to be throwing a lure that expensive in shallow rivers.


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## djl (Sep 20, 2014)

I've actually had some good success with chatterbaits. Anybody else ? Rarely target them though.....


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## set-the-drag (Jan 13, 2013)

I started throwing rattle traps one day and started smacking a bunch smaller ones though


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## Lucky311 (Dec 28, 2016)

Any area better than other in ladue?


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## OptOutside440 (Feb 3, 2019)

Lucky311 said:


> Any area better than other in ladue?












Unfortunately it's off limits, but I sure wish someday they would open up these restricted zones.


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## set-the-drag (Jan 13, 2013)

They are all over


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## Lucky311 (Dec 28, 2016)

Yea kinda figured they are all over. Not a pike fisherman but just bought a small boat to be able to fish more areas and looking for advice. Not looking for a honey hole just some general areas.


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

Try any of the shallow bays, north or south. 


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## set-the-drag (Jan 13, 2013)

I just work shorelines like i said they are all over. Ive caught them trolling


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## JayW (Apr 12, 2015)

Like others have said, pike in LaDue are widely scattered. Best bet is to just work shorelines and across bay mouths, weed beds etc. Either end of the lake. My biggest LaDue pike was caught drifting crawlers straight down the barrel of the north end, in 20+ ft in July. If I want to target them, spinner baits and jerk baits towards the bank, especially windward banks, trolling deeper structure in summer with cranks may work, too, but I've never tried as I'm chasing other stuff by then.

This is not to say that you'll be catching tons of pike. They're there, you'll find a couple, but it's not a bonanza like you'd find in Michigan or Canada where there's a pike under every lillypad, and it's not even the best pike fishing around (I'm not telling) but there are decent fish to be had if you're willing to work pretty hard and rely on a good measure of luck.


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## set-the-drag (Jan 13, 2013)

To jayw note if you want a good area with high numbers the hoga between 422 and where ladue dumps into the river is a pretty loaded area


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## OptOutside440 (Feb 3, 2019)

I've heard of a near state record caught in Lost Lake North of Eldon Russell.


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## JayW (Apr 12, 2015)

set-the-drag said:


> To jayw note if you want a good area with high numbers the hoga between 422 and where ladue dumps into the river is a pretty loaded area


Yep. We've probably seen each other out there. I fish that stretch often in spring and fall. It's gotten much slower the last few years, my usual spots haven't held fish like they used to.


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## WISH IT WAS YOU (Jul 25, 2006)

Was out in the north northeast chasing pike won’t say what body of water. But fished hard today and struggled from sunrise till 5.
water temps in main lake was between 40-41. In the coves went up to 50. Fished shallow 3-4 foot of water in old weed beds kicked a couple up but they were not interested. On the way out I started to notice a lot of movement in the shallowest of water and the thickest of weeds. Went to check it out and started seeing a lot of pike all paired up some groups had 3-4 males on 1 female. Probably saw 20-25 pike in a small half acre section of water. They are certainly spawning right now and we’re not interested at all in feeding. I was bouncing baits in theirs faces. I’d say next week they should mostly be done spawning and hungry!! Fish thicker and shallower areas than you’d expect.


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