# Dad finally got a whopper!



## WalleyeJones (Feb 15, 2006)

Conditions weren't great, but at least we stayed dry. It was a slow bite most of the day, but picked up when the sun would peek through. Dad got the biggest one of the year (7.2 Lbs, 26"). He was tickled. He would've overtaken me for first place at the Outdoorsman, but didn't feel like driving over there.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/buckeyejonesfamily/


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## jmenchhofer (Jan 12, 2007)

Nice fish, congrats to your Dad! I got out for a while yesterday afternoon, but was not successful in finding any fish. The ice was a mess on top, but was 12-14" thick wherever I drilled. I wonder how much longer it will be safe??


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## AEFISHING (Apr 25, 2004)

I heard they have been snagging a bunch of them below the spillway. I wonder if they came out of Grand Lake or all the way up the river.


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## NewbreedFishing (Apr 15, 2004)

are those eyes out of st. marys or erie??


beautiful fish ....look like your winter was PRO-ductive!:B


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## WalleyeJones (Feb 15, 2006)

I've been fishing there for years and no one had even heard of walleye below the spillway until they stocked the lake with them back in the late 90's. I'm convinced they originated from the lake.

There was a report that they had been getting some nice ones through the ice on the South side, but jmench says it wasn't happening.

a227...I hope you're not making accusations??? These were all caught legally. I've been there alot lately, and haven't seen any illegal activity...although I did find a large treble in the parking lot Sunday. FYI, I snagged a 20Lb Buffalo. It was about the wildest fight I've had in a long time. I couldn't tell what it was for 10 min., but finally landed it. We joked that it was a missing link ceolacanth. It was unlike any carp I was used to. You snag alot of drum, quilbacks, and shad down there. 

What was weird about this trip...Dad caught two channel cats...legally! I didn't know channels would hit a jig. We don't use stingers or anything like that. It's just too expensive.

We were the only ones I saw catch any. The water level needs to come back up for it to get good again. These are great fish, but it was a long day...


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## AEFISHING (Apr 25, 2004)

My brother was there yesterday and said he saw people snagging fish left and right. He also said he saw two 7lb walleye snagged and brought in and kept. Those are nice walleye if they are coming out of St. mary's. I live in Cincinnati now so don't get up there much. The last I heard is the walleye never really made it in St. Mary's. I just crappie fish except when I go to Lake Erie.


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## WalleyeJones (Feb 15, 2006)

True. People (myself included) were snagging a lot of fish. You can't help but to snag fish. It's going to happen in a spillway. 99% of those fish are garbage fish. Fun to catch, but worthless otherwise. I offer a word of warning when accusing others of snagging and keeping. First of all, only 4 walleye were caught from 7am to 1:30pm and we caught them (minus two dinks I caught). No one was there when we caught one of the two big fish. The other one, I helped net with plenty of people around. It was hooked in the mouth and anyone nearby would have (and did) seen that plain as day. 

Also, I saw no snagged walleye the whole day. Only trash fish. I used to work for the Ohio EPA and worked closely with the cities of Celina and St. Mary's water conditions. I'm also well aware of the additional game warden presence that has been stepped up at Grand Lake. There's no way myself or especially my dad would keep a snagged walleye or any other fish for that matter. 

Either your brother saw a fish caught after 1:30pm or he is mistaken. It's a shame that people keep snagged walleye. I can't say I haven't seen it happen at Grand, but it's more infrequent than frequent...thankfully.


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## jmk112 (Mar 12, 2006)

It wasn't you guys. Those are nice fish. I was there after 1:30 and saw 2 walleye around 6-7 lbs. snagged and kept. Also saw a crappie snagged and kept. That is one of the few times I have ever fished down there and I guess no one cares about the snagging and keeping since the fish are flowing out of the lake. No one said anything to them. I caught and snagged about 25 carp, 15 sheep head, and few catfish. I threw mine all back..


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## jmenchhofer (Jan 12, 2007)

"There was a report that they had been getting some nice ones through the ice on the South side, but jmench says it wasn't happening."

Just for clarification...I said it didn't happen for ME...that in no way means that it wasn't happening at all! 

Actually, I assumed your fish came through the ice. My cousin made the trip up from Columbus to fish Sunday afternoon below the spillway, but I was already on my way out ice fishing when he called. I stopped and checked on him at the spillway about 5:00 pm and he had a 19" on the stringer that was caught legally, as far as I know. His sister's fiance and kid were also fishing with him...the kid caught a lawn chair with about 8-10 lures snagged in it! My cousin also said he had hooked a hawg, but that his fishing partner missed it twice with the net and it got off.


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## jmenchhofer (Jan 12, 2007)

a227986 said:


> I heard they have been snagging a bunch of them below the spillway. I wonder if they came out of Grand Lake or all the way up the river.


Up the river from where? My money is on Grand Lake, as opposed to all the way up the Wabash from the Ohio and into Beaver Creek all the way to the base of the Grand Lake Spillway!


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## WalleyeJones (Feb 15, 2006)

Man, I bet a few of mine were on that lawn chair...

I really hope Grand is on the up-swing this year. Crappie have been so slow, there's been no point to go there...unless you were after catfish. And where's all the perch?!?! Some think (myself included) that the lake hasn't been the same since they put in that new spillway.


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## jmk112 (Mar 12, 2006)

I agree about the fishing in the lake being terrible since the new spillway. Crappie fishing has definetly declined and didn't show signs of getting any better last year.


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## Weatherby (May 27, 2005)

Nice fish!! Congratulations.


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## WalleyeJones (Feb 15, 2006)

Crappie wise, I've been going to Loramie, Acton, and Cowan. All have been producing nice numbers in the spring and fall. I've gotten huge numbers at Cowan, but they're running very small. Loramie has been really good and both Acton and Loramie produce the occasional saugeye while fishing for crappie.


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## catking (Apr 5, 2004)

Very nice fish indeed !!! And to answer a question , or a coment, channell cats do indeed hit jigs. In fact , my brother caught a very nive 16 pound channel cat on a shad rap. I've caught literally hundreds on jigs... THE CATKING !!!


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## WalleyeJones (Feb 15, 2006)

Speaking of cats, I got two of the biggest channels in my life last year. One at Loramie and one at Acton, both on a minnow fishing for crappie. Both pushed 20Lbs. I didn't think those little lakes could produce such monsters.

My dad catching those two on jigs made for a pretty good laugh. Until then, he hadn't caught a thing. He was getting kind of frustrated...then all hell broke loose and he caught those two big walleye within about 1.5 hours.


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## FISHONAJ (Oct 25, 2005)

:B Jones, congrats...

I agree with catking, trolling for eye's at Indian can be tuff when the kitty's want to put the feed bag on and about swallow the rapalas. The will hit about anything!

I'm still waiting to hear about a hot bite IN the lake for eye's at GLSM  

AJ


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## catfisherbrad (Mar 9, 2006)

those are some great fishes, congratz


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