# Salt Fork



## shroomhunter (Aug 6, 2004)

Will be at Salt Fork on Sunday, I'll be in the Cabin Bay area pullin Vib"es and jigging spoons.


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## Smallmouth Crazy (Apr 4, 2006)

Let us know how it went, the Wife and I as well as some other friends usually head out that way this time of year to rent a cabin and watch the OSU/Mich game, this year were headed somewhere else, I always watched guys from the deck of our cabin trolling the bay on brisk fall days like this and said to myself those guys are hard core, if your out on a day like this the least the fish can do is cooperate, I mean its common courtesy


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## shroomhunter (Aug 6, 2004)

Had a great day!! The fish were slammin' Vib"es today. The white bass were on fire and they were big fat whiteys, lost count on them, we also caught numerous crappies and largemouth and smallmouth bass, not big but worthy of mention. We boated 3 saugeyes 2 of them were 18" and the last one was this years stocking and he was the only fish caught on a stickbait. I had something huge on for a moment but it was gone fast. There was no particular size or color of Vib"e that was better, they all worked but the 3/8 oz size was the ticket early then as the day faded they were killing the 1/2 oz size. Great day of fishing/catching for such a gloomy looking day.


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## OSU_Fisherman (Mar 1, 2007)

Great report.
Did you end up sticking with your original plan and fishing in the cabin area? 
I will be out there the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving... then winterizing on Sunday 

Would any of you have any suggestions on where a larger concentration of crappie might be? I know up on Alum they have been decently tight on wood adjascent to deep water, but I've never hit the jackpot on Salt Fork for any species. I'm looking for a few filets for the freezer and I've always been told that white bass does not freeze as well as crappie.


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## shroomhunter (Aug 6, 2004)

Yes, I never left the cabin bay and that would be my suggestion for crappies as well, all we caught were keepers but I just didn't feel like cleaning fish so they all went back in the lake.


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## Smallmouth Crazy (Apr 4, 2006)

Thanks for the report...sounds like a great time.


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## katfish (Apr 7, 2004)

Smallmouth Crazy

I fished a couple of days across from the cabins on all the submerged timber I could find. Lots of small crappie all day and then several nice crappie for about 45 minutes till dark. All the big ones were very tight to larger logs.

Had a special "guest" appearance of a largemouth about 5 to 6 pounds on a crappie minnow and ultralight set up with a bronze hook  

Saw lots of people fishing the points for saugeyes but none of them were smiling.


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

I just got a new book at the library yesterday. Fishing Ohio-200 spots...something like that. Published in June 2008.
I get to the part on the Muskingum River and low and behold...who do I see again?
I say "Hey, there's Robby" My wife "Robby who???"
He has a 40lb+ flattie in his normal classic pose.


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## smalliediehard (Oct 28, 2005)

i was down there sunday too and was in the cabin bay area most of the day and didnt see you there,we had similar luck but in other areas later in the day. we got like 30 crappie on vibees in 16-24fow on sharp drop offs on rocky shorelines


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## DJA (Jun 18, 2004)

I also fished SF on Sunday, We were the second boat in at MG and the 3rd to last to leave, dark to dark, trolled for Muskie some and fished for Saugeye mostly. Was in cabin bay mostly and caught nothing and saw nearly nothing caught. You guys were fortunate to get into a hungry school because we couldn't find them, and we tried hard.


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## shroomhunter (Aug 6, 2004)

We launched at the cabin bay ramp, we were in a small bass boat with a 25 HP Merc. I talked to a couple guys trolling in a big boat with a nice cover setup. They were trolling and we talked as they went by. I did see another red boat with a couple guys drift from the ramp area down past the beach.
We stayed on the break along that shoreline in 17-19 fow and that's where the fish seemed to be. Just before dark we were tearing up big whiteys on the cabin side of the point where the no wake buoys are. We never made it down to the other big point at the end of the cabins, we were on fish and didn't see a need to move. I'll be back out there soon as I know the big eyes will move in there.


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## DJA (Jun 18, 2004)

Yes that was us in the lund with the cover, Were you in the boat with 3 people, one being the young lad? If so, it's great to see the kids out!


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## smalliediehard (Oct 28, 2005)

we were the first to launch at morning glory,we were fishing before light and the saugeye seemed to be active then,we stayed till alot most dark but we had and hour drive home and fish to clean so we had to go even tho we were still on fish pretty good.we were in the tan color bass tracker.


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## shroomhunter (Aug 6, 2004)

DJA said:


> Yes that was us in the lund with the cover, Were you in the boat with 3 people, one being the young lad? If so, it's great to see the kids out!


Josh likes to fish although he was more concerned with that giant flock of Buzzards in the sky. There must have been 200 of them big birds, I guess it's time for them to head South. Did you end up doing any good trolling? Most of the fish we were marking were close to the bottom in 17+ fow although out in the open we did mark some suspended fish down around 10'.
I'm not done yet but I'm torn now between Piedmont or Salt Fork, once they draw Piedmont down it can get real good, I just have to use my jon boat as the main ramp is high and dry.


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## shroomhunter (Aug 6, 2004)

smalliediehard said:


> we were the first to launch at morning glory,we were fishing before light and the saugeye seemed to be active then,we stayed till alot most dark but we had and hour drive home and fish to clean so we had to go even tho we were still on fish pretty good.we were in the tan color bass tracker.


Seeing you fishing a point in the cabin bay when we first got there but then you headed out of the cabin bay. I see you're from N.Canton, used to call that town home also, been many years now though. I remember when Belden Village was a swamp and that area that's now home to Wal-Mart on Portage/Dressler was a great mushroom hunting spot, it was a gravel pit and back in behind there was a swamp full of snapping turtles......moved to Columbus to go to OSU and ended up staying in the area.
OK I hijacked my own thread...


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## Skarfer (Jan 27, 2006)

Hey - question........why do the crappies and saugeyes move into the cabin bay? During the summer, I had good luck fishing for saugeyes with rubber worms (haha.......joke there, but caught 3 saugeyes on 7" rubber worm bass fishing one day).........but I caught them in the bay that leads back to the stone house.

When you first enter the no wake from the speed zone leading to the stone house - on your left, alll along that side - the water drops from like 2' to 25' real fast..........caught them in there.


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## BrianSipe17 (Aug 5, 2006)

Jigtwins and I are planning to fish the Fork this Saturday. We have never really hit the cabin bay. We'll be looking for crappie, but would like to get into some white bass action. When you mention submerged timber, is it shallow, or are you just picking it up on your electronics in deeper water? All I remember is the shallow point by the cabins. We tried the shorline accross from the cabins before with little luck. Any advice is appreciated, as we would like to try this area.


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## smalliediehard (Oct 28, 2005)

cuz the baitfish are moving down the lake and the fish follow,its a necked down area


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## shroomhunter (Aug 6, 2004)

Fish the steep shorelines out in 17+ foot depths, you'll find them there. They weren't on timber they are just on the breaks dropping into deep water, watch for gulls diving, good indication of baitfish, find the bait find the fish!!


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## Tiny Tim (Sep 19, 2006)

Got to fish the Fork today ( Tuesday ) Didnt get on the water until 1:30pm. Started out in the Cabin bay and got straight on the Eyes. Ended up catching 9 with only 4 keepers. Too many Whites to count also. Tryed the bay down next to dam for awhile also,that was a bust. Tons of Shad there but only got a few Crappies. Went back to the Cabin area and got the last Eye when it was so dark you couldnt tell what you were doing. A word to the wise. The boat I was in today was a 20ft.Champion. The lake is getting low enough that we had a hard time getting it back on the trailer at the cabin ramp. I was afraid to back in too far and drop off the end of the ramp. I have seen that happen there and you better have a AAA card for the tow.


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## OSU_Fisherman (Mar 1, 2007)

How far out do the ramps at the dam run? Should I have any problems there around Thanksgiving weekend with my 18' Ranger?


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## Spaniel235 (Jun 19, 2005)

How's the Morning Glory ramp? Thanks........


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## Skarfer (Jan 27, 2006)

When the lake gets low - the cabin ramps and morning glory are the first to close up. Even when the morning glory ramp was high and dry a couple years back when the dam was being fixed, I could still get out on the 541 ramp.......but it wasn't pretty.

Best bet would be to put in over at the ranger station when the water gets low - that area is always good.


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## shroomhunter (Aug 6, 2004)

Looks like I'll be the only guy out there, I can carry my boat


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## Tiny Tim (Sep 19, 2006)

The Morning Glory ramp will get tricky if they keep dropping it. There will only be 1 to 1 1/2ft of water to work with in front of it. The 541 ramp is full of rocks in front of it too. The Cabin ramp you will still be able to use, you just have to not back in too far. If I remember right the ramp extends about 3ft. past the walkway in the center. I know when they had it drawn down a few years ago to work on the dam you could walk around the end of the walkway on the ramp at the cabins and not get your feet wet while the Morning Glory ramp was clear out of the water.. Dont know how much they are going to take out of it, but if it is like last year you can still use the Morning Glory ramp.


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## Spaniel235 (Jun 19, 2005)

Thanks for all of the replies.............


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