# Nimisila



## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

I have been hitting Nimi about 3-4 times a week for the last two months in my kayak. I usually catch between 1-4 bass per trip for a few hours fishing. Saturday I caught four from 8:00-noon. Yesterday I got skunked for the second time but I was trying something different for the three hours I was out.
All the bass I have been catching have been 10-14". Nothing bigger. All came in the weed beds located all over the lake. They either hit as soon as the lure hits the water or they hit when I cast in the weeds and swim it back to the holes and let it drop.

Yesterday I drifted deeper water with a jig and crawler. Nothing going on in deeper water.

I've been on the north, far south and all over the mid-section hitting the weeds, weed edges, lilies and reed islands. The only places are consistent are the middle of the weeds but nothing of size. Anyone else find a pattern for the larger bass?
Thinking about tying on a fluorocarbon leader with the water clarity being what it is.

I was surprised to see some gills still on their beds yesterday. Saw a few perch milling about with the gills on the beds. I'm about ready to switch to a slip bobber and go for panfish.


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## jetskiangler (Jun 12, 2017)

I was there Sunday morning for about 3 hrs Bank fishing with my 5 year old. We caught 3 big bluegill and 1 small perch.


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## jetskiangler (Jun 12, 2017)

I was there Sunday morning for about 3 hrs Bank fishing with my 5 year old. We caught 3 big bluegill and 1 small perch.


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## jetskiangler (Jun 12, 2017)

Does anyone know if public is allowed to fish off of the dam at Nimisila?


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## caseyroo (Jun 26, 2006)

jetskiangler said:


> Does anyone know if public is allowed to fish off of the dam at Nimisila?


Have in the past, and seen plenty others as well, never an issue


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## TJ Arfons (Mar 4, 2016)

it's an overfished lake with stunted fish


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## Masterbaiter66 (Sep 3, 2016)

jetskiangler said:


> Does anyone know if public is allowed to fish off of the dam at Nimisila?


I have fished there with no problems. But that was a couple years ago.


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## brettsiglow (Apr 6, 2015)

Caught a nice 14.5 crappie there the other day off the Yak. A few others, but that was the only one worth a picture lol


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## Masterbaiter66 (Sep 3, 2016)

I have heard stories and have seen a few but what area of the lake is good for a monster Carp?


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## Fishfishburn (May 7, 2017)

Nimi seems to have changed . Used to be awesome, but I think it's too pressured . I've caught a lot of small bass this year but nothing over 3#.


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## Evinrude58 (Apr 13, 2011)

I wouldn't say Nimi is pressured. I fish there on average 4 times a week and probably twice a week there is only one other boat on the lake if any at all. The last couple years water clarity where you could see bottom in 10 fow changed how I had to fish it. This year because of the mild winter the weed beds in some areas can be difficult to get thru to some of my favorite spots. Only problem I have had is finding the Crappie. The perch have been much bigger last two years and catfishing is still good. Still haven't caught a walleye there but I don't really target them. As far as Bass go while wade fishing for Crappie this spring caught several over 18 inches.


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## Fishfishburn (May 7, 2017)

I guess I need to adjust to deeper bass fishing . It used to be an awesome top water lake but only got one so far ( it's early.) My dad caught a walleye a couple years ago by the dam in a chatterbait . I thought it was kinda weird I haven't accidentally caught a crappie there this year .


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## ItsAlwaysSunnyInNEOhio (Jun 18, 2013)

I hit Nimi this past weekend. Got to talking with the guy at the bait store. He claims the Ohio record Largemouth is in Nimi. Apparently ODNR was on the lake this year and captured her during their electromagnetic survey.


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## Rocknut (Apr 17, 2015)

I've only fished nimi a few times this year and have not had the luck as in years past. The weeds are everywhere. Spots that where good last year are choked off with weeds. I fished there this morning. I only boated 1-bass, lost a couple but then had something big hit my wacky worm and headed for cover. Broke my 8-lb braid. Could have been a carp don't know.


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## buckzye11 (Jul 16, 2009)

ItsAlwaysSunnyInNEOhio said:


> I hit Nimi this past weekend. Got to talking with the guy at the bait store. He claims the Ohio record Largemouth is in Nimi. Apparently ODNR was on the lake this year and captured her during their electromagnetic survey.


Just ban this guy already.


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## buckzye11 (Jul 16, 2009)

Used to fish Nimi more then any other lake, haven't really fished it too much this year, but one thing with that clear water is Bass would hold on deep cover a lot. Would catch them often while checking some Crappie areas with deep stumps or whatever was down there.


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## whitey7 (Aug 20, 2014)

ItsAlwaysSunnyInNEOhio said:


> I hit Nimi this past weekend. Got to talking with the guy at the bait store. He claims the Ohio record Largemouth is in Nimi. Apparently ODNR was on the lake this year and captured her during their electromagnetic survey.


I also heard that they have a loch ness monster in there too! Guess it resides close to the dam


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## Lewis (Apr 5, 2004)

Haven't fished it in years, but back in the day when we faced clear water at Nimi we fished it at night and caught many very nice bass. I had a 12 volt blacklight that I hung on the side of the boat that made florescent line really light up and look like rope. We tossed Culprit or Zoom worms at the weed edges with great success. Don't be afraid to fish plastic worms there at night. They bite them even better than during the day. Sometimes we killed them on Pop' R's or Jitterbugs.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

jetskiangler said:


> Does anyone know if public is allowed to fish off of the dam at Nimisila?


Sure, but DO wear your "gum soled tie" shoes-no crocs, flip flops, or sandals! Also, if you have a bad ankle or knee(s) keep off.(very steep/slippery!)


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## caseyroo (Jun 26, 2006)

c. j. stone said:


> Sure, but DO wear your "gum soled tie" shoes-no crocs, flip flops, or sandals! Also, if you have a bad ankle or knee(s) keep off.(very steep/slippery!)


Great point! It is steep! I've done well for bigger gills with a slip bobber there, but does anyone know how cats are off the dam?


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## Digger Dan (Jun 7, 2017)

Masterbaiter66 said:


> I have heard stories and have seen a few but what area of the lake is good for a monster Carp?


Good luck on the carp. The bowfishing pressure I think is really taking it's toll. Hit a 19# last weekend, but the weeds give them so many places to hide. Saw very few to even shoot at. May not be any good until fall and some of the weeds die off.


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

Well I fished Friday afternoon, early evening in the yak through about 5 rains. Parked at the big parking lot past the campground and fished the big bay for a few hours. Caught four bass in the weed beds. Nothing on the outer edges or areas where the weeds are sparse. I had to cast on top of the weeds and swim it over the tops till I hit a hole and let it drop. All were small.
Saturday was bright and clear skies. Parked at the Main St ramp. Fished the big weed bed out in the middle and nothing. I brought a second pole with a hair jig and stinger and drifted a fat crawler through the deeper water past the power lines and oil wells almost to the C-1 ramp.
Surprisingly not a bump. Got a skunk on Saturday.
Sunday, I parked at the C-6 ramp and headed out to the mid-lake weed bed and the reed islands. Nothing going on there. I watched a rain cloud move of the middle and northern portion of the lake dumping rain but it missed the southern portion. I headed over to the dam an fished the face of the dam all the way to the heavy weed beds by the bridge. nada, nothing. Has a storm come over the south portion and dump a ton of rain.
I did see many gills still on the beds on Sat and Sunday. I was surprised to see all the perch swimming about the beds and the gills didn't bother them. There was a lot of perch swimming around the weed beds. I also saw a nice 20lb or so carp down by the spillway near the dam.
Tonight the heck with the bass. I going for gills and perch.


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## Buick Riviera (Jul 15, 2007)

ItsAlwaysSunnyInNEOhio said:


> I hit Nimi this past weekend. Got to talking with the guy at the bait store. He claims the Ohio record Largemouth is in Nimi. Apparently ODNR was on the lake this year and captured her during their electromagnetic survey.


Cool. Which bait store? I'm always down for some local info.


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## bukinut (Aug 12, 2013)

This lake has such tremendous potential, but the lack of meaningful numbers of predatory fish has allowed the proliferation of numerous species with excessive numbers of juveniles. When lakes are poorly managed, sport fishing suffers.

Let.me give you an example in my limited experience. A small 5 acre pond in our neighborhood had decent numbers of 12-15 inch+ largemouth bass in the lake. The bluegill population also had good size, but after a few years, things changed. Some idiot decided to catch his evening meal, daily, out of this lake and depleted the largemouth population. The decent bluegill followed soon thereafter.

5 years later the lake is now home to a tremendous amount of small bluegill that are stunted due to overpopulation and lack of resources. Think of aquarium fish...

Think Nimi might be experiencing the same problem? I know they quit stocking walleye. I also know that I can catch an unlimited supply of tiny perch.


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## bassin420 (Apr 30, 2004)

Got to fish real early or head deep this time of the year.


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## driftfish101 (Jun 25, 2011)

Always fish deeper in gin clear water. Flouro is also a must. Also nimi doesn't suffer from over harvest of largemouth. Actually more competition from under harvest can have that effect. Slot limits actually work well for size and numbers. Nimisilia has big fish, just have to know how to fish gin clear water. I have fished lakes like Dale hollow for 30 years and gin clear is a different animal. If you don't know how to fish offshore deep structure it's best to just head to one of ohio s many stained lakes. the


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## bukinut (Aug 12, 2013)

Good point. I haven't put the time in to explore deeper structure, so you're probably spot-on for getting size.


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## ltroyer (Feb 6, 2013)

Fished nimi this morning.the gills were hungry few nice ones.they shut off round noon n all went back in just a beautiful morning to be out


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## bmertes (Nov 16, 2009)

Evinrude58 said:


> I wouldn't say Nimi is pressured. I fish there on average 4 times a week and probably twice a week there is only one other boat on the lake if any at all. The last couple years water clarity where you could see bottom in 10 fow changed how I had to fish it. This year because of the mild winter the weed beds in some areas can be difficult to get thru to some of my favorite spots. Only problem I have had is finding the Crappie. The perch have been much bigger last two years and catfishing is still good. Still haven't caught a walleye there but I don't really target them. As far as Bass go while wade fishing for Crappie this spring caught several over 18 inches.


Where are you catching the perch on Nimi? The past couple of years I have had good success, but nothing this year.


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## buckzye11 (Jul 16, 2009)

I was out Saturday from 6 till 11. caught at least 30 Perch, only kept 4 of them at 11"... ended up finding them in 22 fow not even relating to the weeds which surprised me since some of the weed edges are at 17 foot... thought they would be there but nope. I was on the S end. Lure was a 1" chartreuse grub on a 1/64 oz black head with a tiny chunk of dug worm on it over a drop shot.
Found some gills/redear too in 12 fow, same setup... not much size to them either.
Portage is definitely treating me better then Nimi lately although I really haven't given Nimi a fair shot at it this year.


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