# Ladue Reservoir 9/6/16



## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

Caught my personal best largemouth tonight. I also caught quite a few white perch which I kept, if too small for filleting they get pliers to the head and dropped back in water. Best moment of the night was casting and my lure hitting and seeing the fish porpoise to rise and grab the lure. It fought hard, wasn't shaking head like a catfish either, but there is no way this was a walleye as heavy as this thing was pulling. I was reeling and the drag was still going. It finally started to get closer to my kayak and in a huge burst it peeled drag and the lure came loose and flung back to the kayak. I was left only to guess what it might have been. I've caught quite a few good size Fish Ohio channel catfish in Ladue and by now think I have a grasp on how they fight. I am thinking I had a really nice Northern on the way it peeled off so fast. Possibly upwards to 45"...lol  That's always the fun thing about the one that got away!


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

Nice fish


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## bohio (May 25, 2009)

There are giant northerns in there...yes over 40 in.!!!!


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

Nice fish! The one that got away is always huge especially after the story is more than a couple days old. Lol You will never forget about that fish as long as you live.


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## polebender (Oct 29, 2011)

Great looking largemouth! Congrats!


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## berkshirepresident (Jul 24, 2013)

Not a bad evening in Geauga County.


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## bassyakker (Feb 12, 2013)

Nice green back buddy...


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## baitguy (Dec 17, 2013)

nice fish ... that could be one of the last 3 bass left in LaDue over 15", the white perch are running everything out of there ...


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

Very nice fish. Good story too!


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## kayak1979 (Jul 13, 2014)

baitguy said:


> nice fish ... that could be one of the last 3 bass left in LaDue over 15", the white perch are running everything out of there ...


Thanks everyone! It was an awesome night and the water was being hit by fish the entire evening! I was watching fish jump all over the place too and quite a few of them were really nice largemouth bass. There are a lot of largemouth in there still. I have a friend who catches 20 inchers quite frequently every spring. I've found to avoid white perch I had to fish differently using larger treble hooks on lures or a faster retrieve. It's all about the tactics and location. I'm going to hit Pymatuning in the AM. Happy fishing everyone!


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## mas5588 (Apr 15, 2012)

I fish that lake fairly regularly for bass. I do pretty ok. I've caught bass, crappie, yellow perch, big carp and pike. I think I've only been skunked out there once or twice. 

All I hear about is the white perch problem, but I've never seen one. They must not like the bass baits I throw.


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## steelhead steve (May 5, 2012)

i had one get away at the boat once fought it for a long time thought it was tired out but i had it right there and then i saw the number 8 hook was to big for its mouth and it fell off must have been a good 2 oz er


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## REY298 (Apr 3, 2014)

kayak1979 said:


> Caught my personal best largemouth tonight. I also caught quite a few white perch which I kept, if too small for filleting they get pliers to the head and dropped back in water. Best moment of the night was casting and my lure hitting and seeing the fish porpoise to rise and grab the lure. It fought hard, wasn't shaking head like a catfish either, but there is no way this was a walleye as heavy as this thing was pulling. I was reeling and the drag was still going. It finally started to get closer to my kayak and in a huge burst it peeled drag and the lure came loose and flung back to the kayak. I was left only to guess what it might have been. I've caught quite a few good size Fish Ohio channel catfish in Ladue and by now think I have a grasp on how they fight. I am thinking I had a really nice Northern on the way it peeled off so fast. Possibly upwards to 45"...lol  That's always the fun thing about the one that got away!
> 
> View attachment 218797





kayak1979 said:


> Caught my personal best largemouth tonight. I also caught quite a few white perch which I kept, if too small for filleting they get pliers to the head and dropped back in water. Best moment of the night was casting and my lure hitting and seeing the fish porpoise to rise and grab the lure. It fought hard, wasn't shaking head like a catfish either, but there is no way this was a walleye as heavy as this thing was pulling. I was reeling and the drag was still going. It finally started to get closer to my kayak and in a huge burst it peeled drag and the lure came loose and flung back to the kayak. I was left only to guess what it might have been. I've caught quite a few good size Fish Ohio channel catfish in Ladue and by now think I have a grasp on how they fight. I am thinking I had a really nice Northern on the way it peeled off so fast. Possibly upwards to 45"...lol  That's always the fun thing about the one that got away!
> 
> View attachment 218797


Pliers to the head, I like...throwing em' back is a bad idea since then can quickly overpopulate a lake like LaDue which they have done. The problem is they threaten other species by eating the eggs of the more desirables. A favorite bait of mine for catching huge channel cats is cut bait from white perch or white bass. Go kayak 1979!!!!!


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## baitguy (Dec 17, 2013)

have a friend who lives 10 minutes east of LaDue, been there many times ... it's been my experience, like kayak, that anything smaller than a #4 hook the white perch will be easily 3-1 over everything else I catch most days ... a bit of a conundrum when the fish you're targeting can't get a larger hook in their mouth either ... some days it's been worse, 7 or 8 - 1 ... they're a real pest and as mentioned, they will overpopulate a lake, especially a small one, in a hurry ... they're bad enough in lake Erie and it's pretty big ... they could definitely be part of the problem with low hatches for perch, walleye and bass


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## Queen Bee (Feb 22, 2010)

kayak1979 said:


> Caught my personal best largemouth tonight. I also caught quite a few white perch which I kept, if too small for filleting they get pliers to the head and dropped back in water. Best moment of the night was casting and my lure hitting and seeing the fish porpoise to rise and grab the lure. It fought hard, wasn't shaking head like a catfish either, but there is no way this was a walleye as heavy as this thing was pulling. I was reeling and the drag was still going. It finally started to get closer to my kayak and in a huge burst it peeled drag and the lure came loose and flung back to the kayak. I was left only to guess what it might have been. I've caught quite a few good size Fish Ohio channel catfish in Ladue and by now think I have a grasp on how they fight. I am thinking I had a really nice Northern on the way it peeled off so fast. Possibly upwards to 45"...lol  That's always the fun thing about the one that got away!
> 
> View attachment 218797


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## Queen Bee (Feb 22, 2010)

nice fish haven't fished Ladue in quite a while,,,,,good fishing


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## Nohaha (May 10, 2013)

Caught this guy on the north side of the 422 causeway back in April. No tape measure or scale. My best guess was between 36" and 38".

Didn't have a net either. So that was fun. Ha ha


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## Jonathan Nutt (Aug 22, 2016)

Nohaha said:


> Caught this guy on the north side of the 422 causeway back in April. No tape measure or scale. My best guess was between 36" and 38".
> 
> Didn't have a net either. So that was fun. Ha ha


Beautiful fish! How is the pike population in LaDue in terms of numbers?


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## Nohaha (May 10, 2013)

I'll just say that was the first pike I've caught there in 3 years. However, I don't target them. I'm usually after walleye and large mouth.


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## mas5588 (Apr 15, 2012)

Jonathan Nutt said:


> Beautiful fish! How is the pike population in LaDue in terms of numbers?


I do ok on the accidental pike in the spring time. Jerkbaits for bass seem to do the trick. Personally, I could do without them as there are a few high end jerkbaits attached to live and/or dead pike in the lake.


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## Jonathan Nutt (Aug 22, 2016)

mas5588 said:


> I do ok on the accidental pike in the spring time. Jerkbaits for bass seem to do the trick. Personally, I could do without them as there are a few high end jerkbaits attached to live and/or dead pike in the lake.


I will be sure to use a steal leader if I target them!


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## Jonathan Nutt (Aug 22, 2016)

mas5588 said:


> I do ok on the accidental pike in the spring time. Jerkbaits for bass seem to do the trick. Personally, I could do without them as there are a few high end jerkbaits attached to live and/or dead pike in the lake.


steel*


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## dfox (Jul 15, 2004)

mas5588 said:


> I do ok on the accidental pike in the spring time. Jerkbaits for bass seem to do the trick. Personally, I could do without them as there are a few high end jerkbaits attached to live and/or dead pike in the lake.


agree with the occasional pike thing, have had a few lures sawed off there, are also a few surprise eyes in there, throw cranks around the weeds enough you might find them pretty shallow at times.


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## monte39 (Nov 24, 2011)

Use fluorocarbon leaders 10" 60 to 80#s. You won't get bit off and you will catch other species


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