# Why I Love Pay Lakes



## TClark

I'm 62 and have health issues as many of you know. Been fishing since I was six years old and have spent thousands of dollars going fishing.
At a pay lake, there's always people around if I get into trouble. Regular lakes like Tappen, Piedmont, etc. are BIG bodies of water and there were days I wouldn't see another person the whole day.
I fish a lake loaded with catfish. Flathead, channel and blues. I've always wanted to catch a big flathead and over the years have asked folks on here to take me and show me the ropes. Know one ever offered. (didn't want to fish, just wanted to see one caught)
So now I've found a spot where I think I can score.
I figure these fish are probably from the Ohio river caught by commercial fisherman and sold to pay lakes. These guys are trying to make a living and I'd rather see them fishing (even with nets) instead of pushing dope on our children.
I know some on here hate pay lakes, but there are a k-zillion fish in the Ohio river and I'm just not able to get out there after them like when I was a young feller.
My point is, pay lakes do provide lots a folks opportunities we wouldn't normally have in our old age and or illness.


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## mastercatman

Terry,
There are several good reasons not to fish pay lakes but that is yours to figure out. A correction to your statement that "some" of us hate pay lakes would be that "most" of us hate them! Spending a little time below one of the Ohio River dams would put you around people and plenty of flatheads and channels throughout most of the warmer periods of the year. On top of that, you wouldn't be contributing to the illegal activities many pay lakes use to stock their lakes! A fish caught from a pay lake offers less thrill and sense of accomplishment. Catching flatheads is not rocket science and no one took me out to show me what was going on. I learned through trial and error how, when, and where to catch them. There is more than enough good information on this site and many other places to give you beyond the basic know how to go and catch a fair chase fish! There are plenty of folks that fish pay lakes that are not old of age or ill for that matter. You have asked multiple questions about the subject and many of us have offered solid advice on tactics, gear, and baits to use. Now you come on here and post that you "love pay lakes". I for one of many here could get no thrill out of catching one of those starved and doomed pay lake fish. They live to give a few cheap thrills to a few yahoo's that want to call themselves catfishermen and they succumb to the stress and become another nameless carcass! To each his own, but, I think you have given up too easily! I have had a rough year but, I just keep at it as do most of us. I understand what you are saying but, there are options out there that fit your criteria which don't include pay lakes.


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## catfish_hunter

TClark, I can tell you 100% that every flathead in that paylake came from either Tappan or Clendening. I know this for a FACT. Which makes it 100% illegal!


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## leupy

I don't have any problem with someone fishing at a pay lake. I have a pond and stock it and feed the fish, I provide bait and tackle for kids that come and fish I see no difference in this than a pay lake other than I loose money and not make it. The past couple of years I have had some health issues and not gotten to fish much or hunt. I can totally understand wanting to get out and spend time fishing and being around other fisherman while trying to be safe. Being out is better than being home on a computer making friends you may neveer see.


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## DaleM

Catfish -- if your so "100%" sure why not report them? The law is there to enforce, someone bitching about pay lakes will do no good to stop illegal fish from being taken by these owners. Report the poachers, take a few pictures and let the law do their job.
Mastercat- I doubt that MOST hate pay lakes. As he stated there are times when these lakes do provide a good time for people that have disabilities, or health problems. I don't fish them myself, but I also don't put people down that do. Simply let each choose what they want to do for enjoyment. I don't see anyone forcing you or anyone else to like these or fish these. Believe it or not there are "LEGAL" pay lakes. I'm sure there wouldn't be pay lakes that are in business if some of them weren't legal.. WE all know that some of the cats in these lakes are taken from our lakes or rivers, but unless you or others can show proof to the authorities, nothing will change. saying you know 100% on a fishing form, doesn't mean crap. I'm sure the fish and game authorities will be glad to help stop this practice, IF you can show proof.


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## JimmyMac

You don't see people in your situation fishing them often though. You see mostly 20-30 year old men, usually very rude and cocky. I could go on a anti-paylake rant all day but I don't see the need. 

The little convenience they supply for people in your situation, isn't enough to convince me they have any good in them. Sure its good for a handful of people, but these damn places are putting a huge damper on trophy catfishing. Each year they get more and more popular, taking more number of fish from the rivers... Anyone catch a sturgeon lately?


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## mastercatman

First off, yeah, most people on this site who have been here a while talking catfish...don't like paylakes, I would say it is safe to say that! Second, I am aware that a few paylakes operate legally by purchasing farm raised fish. There are no fish farms raising and selling big flatheads and blues...period! Where do these fish come from then you ask? From our public waters, that you and I and millions of other anglers pay to have properly managed for us! It would be a staggering number to know exactly how many of "our" fish are taken from public waters and purchased and then used to make more money off of! It is a hard thing to enforce, sure, you could provide all the pictures and hearsay that you like. It may spur an investigation but, not likely to come up with much in many cases. There are too many poachers involved in bringing fish to these places and the wording they use keeps them in a loophole! I had the guy over at catfish island tell me that he was interested in buying flatheads from me "if I catch them from private waters". So basically, I can catch whatever flathead from wherever and tell him it was taken from a private body of water and no questions asked! Unless the DNR catches every angler supplying these guys at the public locations where these fish are removed...the pay lake remains not liable! The other option would be to shut em' all down unless they can provide documentation of fish origin in a hatchery, that would get my vote! The whole thing sickens me, really! BTW, my post was not an attack on Terry, I just think he should consider other good options, don't take it in a negative way. I have no ill will against anyone here.


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## tapeworm

I love pay lakes. Actually I was thinking of starting one up myself. TClark you would be welcome here anytime. Don't pay any attention to what other people think about pay lakes...if it's good for you because of health issues then go for it!!


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## monsterKAT11

Tclark, i'm glad you found a place to fish where you feel confident and safe. Do what you feel like you need to do! to the other guys, your right it sucks that people illegally take fish out of waters and sell them to pay lakes. but the fact of the matter is some people just don't care like you. it's better to leave well enough alone. Tclark has some legit reasons why he fishes a paylake and paylakes can have their place.


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## Salmonid

I also agre that payponds do have there place, but as a responsible angler who cares for our envirnment and the future of our wild fisheries, you should be making the decision to fish "only" places with "farm raised" channel cats, these places are typically more family oriented and offer a much safer opportunity for you to enjoy. Any place advertising big flatties and blues is part of the ever growing problem of hurting our ( taxpayers) wild fisheries. I do suppose you may have grandchildren and am sure you would like them to be able to go to the Ohio River someday and actually catch a flathead, that is getting harder and harder to do these days, was in a catfish tourny yesterday, 20 boats, almost 100 catfish weighed in, only 1 small flathead.....
Good luck, 
Salmonid


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## dinkbuster1

i used to like fishing paylakes years ago, fished the river too but paylakes offered a place to go when the river was blown out, had little time to prepare to go catfishing, or somewhere to load up on eater size farm cats, trout, bullheads, canadian panfish, burbot, etc. fished for flatheads and blues at times too but back then they werent stocked so often and not many people fish for them. 

today a "big fish/gambling" culture has taken over the paylake industry and has created a mass raping of our waterways. once they started the whole tournament/gambling thing i quit going. gambling and the lust for money, trophy's, fame, and the like bring out the animal in most i have seen in tournaments. take away the money and i bet most tournament people would abandon the paylake scene and take up something else. 

personally i think the state should step in and regulate these places as gambling sites no matter how small the payout. 

paylakes have their place in the fishing world and have no problem with those who fish them for recreation, but their success shouldnt come at the expense of ruining our waterways.


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## AbuGarciaFan

To be honest, im a pay lake fishermen when im going after catfish. i dont go after the big flatties though. i go for the channels. reason i go to pay lakes is because i dont know any access spots on the river to go to. if i did then i would be fishing the river in a hearbeat. i would love to fish the river if i knew where to fish. and alot of the times i fish pay lakes because its almost guaranteed ill catch something. makes it fun for my sister who likes to go fishing with me. The kicker is, i dont even eat fish. if my grandmother wants me to bring home catfish, than i will keep what i catch. if not, then i will release what i catch even at a paylake.i know its dumb to pay to fish when i dont even keep the fish but i fish for fun. i love fishing with a passion. if im not bass fishing, im catfishing. paying to get into a paylake to catch a few fish and throwing them back is a small price to pay for enjoyment.


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## TClark

> today a "big fish/gambling" culture has taken over the paylake industry and has created a mass raping of our waterways. once they started the whole tournament/gambling thing i quit going. gambling and the lust for money, trophy's, fame, and the like bring out the animal in most i have seen in tournaments. take away the money and i bet most tournament people would abandon the paylake scene and take up something else.


I agree!! They should outlaw ALL fishing tournaments, Bass included as well as pool tournaments, golf and poker just to name a few.
NO, not really  I don't enter the tournaments, just enjoy being near the water and feeling a tug on my line.
(You are entitled to my opinion) <<saw that on a guys shirt.


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## pendog66

*"but there are a k-zillion fish in the Ohio river*"

Thats the only part of your post that i have a opinion on. It is a very dangerous way of thinking that leads to over fishing. Blue Cats were just taken off of the endangered species list a couple years ago and it takes a LONG time for them to get big. Flatheads take just as long to get up to trophy size. History has shown that the "Theres always more fish" way of thinking causes over fishing and sometimes worse.....


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## rustyfish

I agree that thinking that there are an unlimited number of fish that can't be affected by poachers and commercial fishermen is a dangerous point of view. But i would not put blues on the table to prove that point. There are not many blues in Ohio because they are not really that native to this area. Sure it is part of there natural habitat, but just on the edge. Nothing ever happened to the blues in Ohio, there were just never that many here. This idea is fed by the fact that so many people call any channel over 10th lbs a 20 lb blue.


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## TClark

> single white male -looking for wild healthy mature flathead. No smaller than 15 pounds but the bigger the better. Do not need to cook or clean, just needs enjoy munching on creek chubs and long fights on the beach. Please meet me tonight at the old scioto mill dam in piketon. Ill be waiting


 love it!!!


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## sbreech

JimmyMac said:


> ... Anyone catch a sturgeon lately?


Are there sturgeon paylakes?


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## sbreech

I know it is illegal to transport a fish from one public body of water to another public body of water, but I never knew it was illegal to move a fish from a public body of water to a private body of water.

I remember fishing with my dad when I was a kid - putting bait on a hook, throwing it out...and waiting. Hooking that fish was a total blast, but I very soon realized that angling was much more fun - trying to fool the fish into biting, not feeding it. I think that's why it's so much more of a hoot to catch a cat (or any other fish for that matter) on a fly or artificial than feeding them. I could sit on my haunches waiting for a fish, or I could flip that fake twister like my dad was doing and catch fish (without being bored.) I think I was 5, hyper, and ADHD at the time, so moving around was a much better option. I still find it hard to sit and feed the fish.
[/COLOR] 
I've been to a paylake twice now - both times were somewhat enjoyable (for what it was), but nothing phenomenal. I didn't like the "closeness" of all the fishermen - When I'm fishing, I like to get away from people - and for the most part, these were the types I don't want to be around; smoking, cussing, loud, obnoxious, hethenistic, and rude. I think it cost me $15 to fish and $10 to enter a "big fish" pool, walked out with $100.00 (minus said fees above), saw the allure ($$$) and have only been back one other time. Why I went back I don't know...I'll probably never go again. It's just not my thing.


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## fritobandav

the last time i was at a pay lake musta been bout 20 years ago or more...its not that i dont like em for now its the cost ...what 10 or 20 bucks when ya go is kinda expensive


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## pendog66

rustyfish said:


> I agree that thinking that there are an unlimited number of fish that can't be affected by poachers and commercial fishermen is a dangerous point of view. But i would not put blues on the table to prove that point. There are not many blues in Ohio because they are not really that native to this area. Sure it is part of there natural habitat, but just on the edge. Nothing ever happened to the blues in Ohio, there were just never that many here. This idea is fed by the fact that so many people call any channel over 10th lbs a 20 lb blue.


ok so you want other examples? Sturgeon, Blue Fin/Yellow Fin Tuna, Sharks, multiple types of Salmon, Blue Walleye and so on. The Just take take take eventually catches up to the fish population and it collapses.


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## AbuGarciaFan

to add to my post above, the only reason i go to pay lakes is because i dont know any better. growing up my uncles taught me how to catfish in pay lakes. if i knew how to fish for cats on the river and knew access spots on the river, i would definitely rather do that. anyone want to PM me some info on access spots around the dayton area and how to fish rivers? id gladly pay for information. and promise not to trash the spots if anyone would be so kind to give me the info.


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## JimmyMac

sbreech said:


> Are there sturgeon paylakes?


Surely you can't think thats what I meant. I was referring to the commercial fishing.


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## Fisherman 3234

sbreech said:


> I know it is illegal to transport a fish from one public body of water to another public body of water, but I never knew it was illegal to move a fish from a public body of water to a private body of water.
> 
> I remember fishing with my dad when I was a kid - putting bait on a hook, throwing it out...and waiting. Hooking that fish was a total blast, but I very soon realized that angling was much more fun - trying to fool the fish into biting, not feeding it. I think that's why it's so much more of a hoot to catch a cat (or any other fish for that matter) on a fly or artificial than feeding them. I could sit on my haunches waiting for a fish, or I could flip that fake twister like my dad was doing and catch fish (without being bored.) I think I was 5, hyper, and ADHD at the time, so moving around was a much better option. I still find it hard to sit and feed the fish.
> [/COLOR]
> I've been to a paylake twice now - both times were somewhat enjoyable (for what it was), but nothing phenomenal. I didn't like the "closeness" of all the fishermen - When I'm fishing, I like to get away from people - and for the most part, these were the types I don't want to be around; smoking, cussing, loud, obnoxious, hethenistic, and rude. I think it cost me $15 to fish and $10 to enter a "big fish" pool, walked out with $100.00 (minus said fees above), saw the allure ($$$) and have only been back one other time. Why I went back I don't know...I'll probably never go again. It's just not my thing.




It's illegal to transport fish from one body of water to another because the chance of spreading diseases (VHS), parasites, fungi and any other pathogen. Wild fish carry *ALOT* of little nasties on and inside of them that could completely wipe out a private pond if introduced.


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## sbreech

JimmyMac said:


> Surely you can't think thats what I meant. I was referring to the commercial fishing.


I know man...just joking around.


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## driftfish101

paylakes are abhorrent. They remove large females that lay the most eggs that replenish the populations. A disability is in no way a reason to support a paylake. Almost every public lake in Ohio has disabled person access piers. Catfish are very plentiful in almost all Ohio lakes. I have seen cats caught from shore a hell of a lot from areas where there is easy access (42 lbs flattie at Piedmont marina). Paylakes are just another reason to make a buck at the expense of others. When will people stop making excuses to do or support things that are harmful to things we love and cherish? I look forward to the time that I can take my 3 month old son fishing for big flatties. I hope that he can take his son one day.............we should all want this and do what it takes to ensure future generations HAVE IT BETTER THAN WE DO.


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## marinescco

AbuGarciaFan said:


> to add to my post above, the only reason i go to pay lakes is because i dont know any better. growing up my uncles taught me how to catfish in pay lakes. if i knew how to fish for cats on the river and knew access spots on the river, i would definitely rather do that. anyone want to PM me some info on access spots around the dayton area and how to fish rivers? id gladly pay for information. and promise not to trash the spots if anyone would be so kind to give me the info.


You don't know any better? That's a load of bs. You have been on here since '10, and you still don't know how to use the search button? You could find a ton of info on where to fish around Dayton, what type of gear to use, and so on if you just took 5 minutes to search. We have this debate year after year guys, it's getting a little old.


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## mo65

Good grief, I'm looking at all these posts with guys griping about putting cats in pay lakes. That's not the "kiss of death" for these fish. They STAY in that pay lake to be caught again and again. They won't LET you take out the fish! And as far as hurting the spawn, catfish DON'T spawn naturally in lakes. That's why the state stocks them every 2 years. If you catch a big flathead in a lake, it got there the same way they get in pay lakes, someone put it there! Catfish populations continue to thrive, even the blues are back. They didn't disappear because of stocking pay lakes, all the crap being dumped in the rivers was the problem. Personally, I've never done that good at pay lakes, the fish can be tougher to catch there than at public lakes or rivers! They do serve a purpose though, providing a place for people to get easy access to fish.:Banane37:


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## Joey209

mo65 said:


> Good grief, I'm looking at all these posts with guys griping about putting cats in pay lakes. That's not the "kiss of death" for these fish. They STAY in that pay lake to be caught again and again. They won't LET you take out the fish! And as far as hurting the spawn, catfish DON'T spawn naturally in lakes. That's why the state stocks them every 2 years. If you catch a big flathead in a lake, it got there the same way they get in pay lakes, someone put it there! Catfish populations continue to thrive, even the blues are back. They didn't disappear because of stocking pay lakes, all the crap being dumped in the rivers was the problem. Personally, I've never done that good at pay lakes, the fish can be tougher to catch there than at public lakes or rivers! They do serve a purpose though, providing a place for people to get easy access to fish.:Banane37:


Alot of this is very incorrect


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## mo65

Joey209 said:


> Alot of this is very incorrect


How do you figure it's incorrect? How do you know my personal success rate at pay lakes? Most of that info I got from magazines or on line.


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## Fisherman 3234

mo65 said:


> Good grief, I'm looking at all these posts with guys griping about putting cats in pay lakes. That's not the "kiss of death" for these fish. They STAY in that pay lake to be caught again and again. They won't LET you take out the fish! And as far as hurting the spawn, catfish DON'T spawn naturally in lakes. That's why the state stocks them every 2 years. If you catch a big flathead in a lake, it got there the same way they get in pay lakes, someone put it there! Catfish populations continue to thrive, even the blues are back. They didn't disappear because of stocking pay lakes, all the crap being dumped in the rivers was the problem. Personally, I've never done that good at pay lakes, the fish can be tougher to catch there than at public lakes or rivers! They do serve a purpose though, providing a place for people to get easy access to fish.:Banane37:


The majority of the time when BIG Flattys and Blues are thrown into paylakes they generally only last a couple of months before they die usually due to stress, lack of food, and because in general the people who are in charge of ALOT of these places (not all) DON'T know how to take care of these bigger fish, the only thing they are interested in is making money. Catfish will spawn if there is suitable habitat to do so, and the state stocks channels in certain lakes because the rate of which they reproduce is usually slower then the rate at which people are taking them out. With a lot of the bodies of water here in Ohio including all the major rivers that hold a lot of these big cats I have seen a dramatic decrease in the frequency of 30+lb fish over the last several years. NO FISHERY IS IMMUNE FROM OVERHARVEST, REMEMBER THAT.


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## Joey209

mo65 said:


> How do you figure it's incorrect? How do you know my personal success rate at pay lakes? Most of that info I got from magazines or on line.


Im not talkin bout your paylake success. Im talkin about 
1. They STAY in that pay lake to be caught again and again=Until it dies in a couple months
2.And as far as hurting the spawn, catfish DON'T spawn naturally in lakes=this is incorrect
3.That's why the state stocks them every 2 years. Depends on where you are talkin about
4. If you catch a big flathead in a lake, it got there the same way they get in pay lakes, someone put it there! = incorrect. Flatheads and channels are native to most ohio lakes/resevoires
5.Even the blues are back. They didn't disappear because of stocking pay lakes, all the crap being dumped in the rivers was the problem. =Blues were never really native to Ohio. The reason they are showing up a lot more is because WV has been stocking the in the Ohio river for about 10+ years now and recently Ohio has jumped on board too


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## mo65

Fisherman 3234 said:


> The majority of the time when BIG Flattys and Blues are thrown into paylakes they generally only last a couple of months before they die usually due to stress, lack of food, and because in general the people who are in charge of ALOT of these places (not all) DON'T know how to take care of these bigger fish, the only thing they are interested in is making money. Catfish will spawn if there is suitable habitat to do so, and the state stocks channels in certain lakes because the rate of which they reproduce is usually slower then the rate at which people are taking them out. With a lot of the bodies of water here in Ohio including all the major rivers that hold a lot of these big cats I have seen a dramatic decrease in the frequency of 30+lb fish over the last several years. NO FISHERY IS IMMUNE FROM OVERHARVEST, REMEMBER THAT.


No worries of overharvest from me this year, I haven't been doing that good.


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## mo65

Joey209 said:


> Im not talkin bout your paylake success. Im talkin about
> 1. They STAY in that pay lake to be caught again and again=Until it dies in a couple months
> 2.And as far as hurting the spawn, catfish DON'T spawn naturally in lakes=this is incorrect
> 3.That's why the state stocks them every 2 years. Depends on where you are talkin about
> 4. If you catch a big flathead in a lake, it got there the same way they get in pay lakes, someone put it there! = incorrect. Flatheads and channels are native to most ohio lakes/resevoires
> 5.Even the blues are back. They didn't disappear because of stocking pay lakes, all the crap being dumped in the rivers was the problem. =Blues were never really native to Ohio. The reason they are showing up a lot more is because WV has been stocking the in the Ohio river for about 10+ years now and recently Ohio has jumped on board too


Blues have been in the ohio river since day one, flatheads are NOT native to lakes, and catfish do NOT spawn well in lakes. It's because of the lack of current! I normally don't even fish paylakes, but the ones I have been to take great care of their fish. That's how they make money! One in lancaster doesn't let you lift the fish off the ground. Another in hillsboro has guys that come runnin' to make sure the fish is handled correctly.


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## AbuGarciaFan

marinescco said:


> You don't know any better? That's a load of bs. You have been on here since '10, and you still don't know how to use the search button? You could find a ton of info on where to fish around Dayton, what type of gear to use, and so on if you just took 5 minutes to search. We have this debate year after year guys, it's getting a little old.



im sure i can figure out how to rig my poles to fish rivers. my only problem is i do not know places to fish on the rivers around dayton. people on the boards arent keen on giving up info on where to fish. and i dont blame them.


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## Joey209

mo65 said:


> Blues have been in the ohio river since day one, flatheads are NOT native to lakes, and catfish do NOT spawn well in lakes. It's because of the lack of current! I normally don't even fish paylakes, but the ones I have been to take great care of their fish. That's how they make money! One in lancaster doesn't let you lift the fish off the ground. Another in hillsboro has guys that come runnin' to make sure the fish is handled correctly.


 they come running to help you handle the fish cuz they dont want you hurting or killing there cash cow. And if you go to a mwcd lake and catch a flattie over 15 lbs Ill bet u crispy hundreds that most will have fresh spawn marks on there back because I know for a fact they have recently come off the spawn. and im pretty sure that blues have not been in the upper ohio since day on, maybe the lower ohio. So dont come on here acting rude and thinking that you know everything 
Because you obviously DONT. And im pretty sure you aint gonna make many friends comin into ogf acting like you are right off the bat


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## mo65

Joey209 said:


> they come running to help you handle the fish cuz they dont want you hurting or killing there cash cow. And if you go to a mwcd lake and catch a flattie over 15 lbs Ill bet u crispy hundreds that most will have fresh spawn marks on there back because I know for a fact they have recently come off the spawn. and im pretty sure that blues have not been in the upper ohio since day on, maybe the lower ohio. So dont come on here acting rude and thinking that you know everything
> Because you obviously DONT. And im pretty sure you aint gonna make many friends comin into ogf acting like you are right off the bat


I don't know what your problem is pal, but I'm not lookin' for friends. I'm stating facts, not opinions. Do some research.


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## Joey209

mo65 said:


> I don't know what your problem is pal, but I'm not lookin' for friends. I'm stating facts, not opinions. Do some research.


 I apologize. Im wrong and your right . Absolutely every fact that you stated is completely accurate and I am truly sorry. I am out of the conversation/debate


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## mo65

Joey209 said:


> I apologize. Im wrong and your right . Absolutely every fact that you stated is completely accurate and I am truly sorry. I am out of the conversation/debate


You know this whole mess started with an elderly disabled guy saying he liked fishing paylakes. What's wrong with that? Like you, I don't fish them either, I was just commenting on some of the things that have been said in this thread. My grandfather caught blues out of the Ohio river down in Gallipolis many years ago. They've always been there. They're just making a comeback now. I don't need an apology, just forget the whole thing.


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## Fisherman 3234

mo65 said:


> Blues have been in the ohio river since day one, flatheads are NOT native to lakes, and catfish do NOT spawn well in lakes. It's because of the lack of current! I normally don't even fish paylakes, but the ones I have been to take great care of their fish. That's how they make money! One in lancaster doesn't let you lift the fish off the ground. Another in hillsboro has guys that come runnin' to make sure the fish is handled correctly.


Depending on which reservoir your talking about, the majority of Flatheads (MWCD) can and will be native due to the reservoir is man-made from an existing creek or river, where the fishes native range is. Also, catfish are one of the hardiest species swimming in our waters, and to say that it was pollution affecting Blue catfish to the point of putting them on the species of concern list is wrong. We are to thank for the low Blue numbers in the river. Notice how fishing was suspended for a relatively short period of time they began to bounce back.


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## mo65

Fisherman 3234 said:


> Depending on which reservoir your talking about, the majority of Flatheads (MWCD) can and will be native due to the reservoir is man-made from an existing creek or river, where the fishes native range is. Also, catfish are one of the hardiest species swimming in our waters, and to say that it was pollution affecting Blue catfish to the point of putting them on the species of concern list is wrong. We are to thank for the low Blue numbers in the river. Notice how fishing was suspended for a relatively short period of time they began to bounce back.


Decline in Blue cat numbers came from many things. Polluted water, locks and dams, overfishing, the list goes on. I'm not even going to get into another one of these discussions, I just had one guy try to tell me blues have only been in the Ohio river 10 years, and he got mad when I said they've been there forever. UNCLE!


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## Fisherman 3234

So are you saying I was wrong with any of my information???


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## Fisherman 3234

AbuGarciaFan said:


> im sure i can figure out how to rig my poles to fish rivers. my only problem is i do not know places to fish on the rivers around dayton. people on the boards arent keen on giving up info on where to fish. and i dont blame them.


Just about anywhere on the Great Miami River around Dayton will have the potential to hold fish. The only thing you gotta do is to get out and fish!!!


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## Rod Hawg

I don't care about people fishing pay-lakes. If I got invited to tell you the truth I'd probably do it. My only problem is the big fish taken from public waters and put in these lakes. But I prefer fishing lakes that aren't stocked and Such as Westbranch, Mosquito, Milton, Erie, etc. Just me.


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## willyb021

weighed in a 23lb flathead at a tappan tournament, at the weigh in 4 different guys came up to me and said " im headin back to the lake to release my fish , want me to release yours for you" i told them noway. figured theyd either A. drive right down the road to zambones and sell it, or B . eat it . Theres noway i'd ever sell a big flathead to a pay lake, but found myself really curious what a place like zambones would pay for a big flatty. and i agree with you catfish hunter (assuming u were talking about zambones) .i bet you 80% or more of those fish were taken from tappan.zambones brags about having 10,000 lbs of catfish in their lake, well thats 10,000 lbs of fish we could be catching in our public lakes that they now charge people to catch. 


but that isnt what this thread was started for, mo65 is right , this thread was started because an elderly disabled man said he liked to fish paylakes, pay lakes are awesome in the sense that he can get out and catch/watch ppl catch fish and feel safe and have a good time. but they still piss me off!


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## jfan

AbuGarciaFan said:


> im sure i can figure out how to rig my poles to fish rivers. my only problem is i do not know places to fish on the rivers around dayton. people on the boards arent keen on giving up info on where to fish. and i dont blame them.


WTF? Part of fishing is finding the fish. Just about everyone that has favorite places to fish has put forth the effort to find them on their own. Take the few hours you'd spend on one paylake session and I'll bet you find several good places to fish. Start with the public access areas and work from there. You might even have to knock on some doors and ask for permission if you bank fish. I can't think of a single reason to fish a paylake for catfish unless you physically need the easy access or you're just plain lazy.


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## Burks

Don't be afraid to try spots that don't look good or seem like a certain type of fish won't be there. Trust me on this one. People are astounded we catch the fish we do, where we fish. It's more suited to "trash fish", as some call them, than muskie. Cats are the same way in my experience.


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## lark101_1999

tclark 1st off i hate paylakes 2nd if you want to go fishing and willing to learn ill take ya put some gas in the boat is all i ask


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## mastercatman

Just wanted to clear up something here that I saw in an earlier post. Catfish do not need current to spawn...period! The link to catfish spawning success in lakes is whether or not good spawning cover is available. Some lakes have more spawning cover than others and therefore produce more naturally spawned fish. I don't care how well a paylake claims or appears to take care of their fish, it's just a show, a chance to make sure that fish will bite again before it dies! Depending on the fishes size and species it takes 3-6lbs of feed to gain or maintain one pound of body weight! If a pond has 10,000lbs of catfish, do you really think that person is stocking 30,000lbs of food to maintain healthy fish? Not a chance! Takes too much of the profit when it is cheaper to pay the scumbag poachers to bring in new healthy fish throughout the season.

As far as any newbies to catfishing....Myself and many others have posted an entire library of VERY useful information on the how to and where on catching catfish...ANYWHERE! Why would you need spot specifics when the habitat specifics have been outlined in many posts. Take those habitat specifics and go find your fish! It's not rocket science but, it does require patience!


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## Fisherman 3234

mastercatman said:


> Just wanted to clear up something here that I saw in an earlier post. Catfish do not need current to spawn...period! The link to catfish spawning success in lakes is whether or not good spawning cover is available. Some lakes have more spawning cover than others and therefore produce more naturally spawned fish. I don't care how well a paylake claims or appears to take care of their fish, it's just a show, a chance to make sure that fish will bite again before it dies! Depending on the fishes size and species it takes 3-6lbs of feed to gain or maintain one pound of body weight! If a pond has 10,000lbs of catfish, do you really think that person is stocking 30,000lbs of food to maintain healthy fish? Not a chance! Takes too much of the profit when it is cheaper to pay the scumbag poachers to bring in new healthy fish throughout the season.
> 
> As far as any newbies to catfishing....Myself and many others have posted an entire library of VERY useful information on the how to and where on catching catfish...ANYWHERE! Why would you need spot specifics when the habitat specifics have been outlined in many posts. Take those habitat specifics and go find your fish! It's not rocket science but, it does require patience!


You are absolutely 100% correct.


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## mo65

mastercatman said:


> Just wanted to clear up something here that I saw in an earlier post. Catfish do not need current to spawn...period! The link to catfish spawning success in lakes is whether or not good spawning cover is available. Some lakes have more spawning cover than others and therefore produce more naturally spawned fish. I don't care how well a paylake claims or appears to take care of their fish, it's just a show, a chance to make sure that fish will bite again before it dies! Depending on the fishes size and species it takes 3-6lbs of feed to gain or maintain one pound of body weight! If a pond has 10,000lbs of catfish, do you really think that person is stocking 30,000lbs of food to maintain healthy fish? Not a chance! Takes too much of the profit when it is cheaper to pay the scumbag poachers to bring in new healthy fish throughout the season.
> 
> As far as any newbies to catfishing....Myself and many others have posted an entire library of VERY useful information on the how to and where on catching catfish...ANYWHERE! Why would you need spot specifics when the habitat specifics have been outlined in many posts. Take those habitat specifics and go find your fish! It's not rocket science but, it does require patience!


Jeez, why is it everything you say on this site someone jumps on you about it? Never constructive criticism, just hey dummy, you're wrong! Maybe I should have worded it different, maybe I should have said current HELPS spawning. That's why cats fan the eggs, to aerate them. The lakes I fish don't have enough aeration or cover for successful spawning, sounds like yours do. You could have said something like "Hey mo65, don't know where you're fishin' but they spawn here just fine." Then I could respond and we could have a conversation. But with you guys it's "You're wrong...PERIOD."


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## mastercatman

mo65 said:


> Jeez, why is it everything you say on this site someone jumps on you about it? Never constructive criticism, just hey dummy, you're wrong! Maybe I should have worded it different, maybe I should have said current HELPS spawning. That's why cats fan the eggs, to aerate them. The lakes I fish don't have enough aeration or cover for successful spawning, sounds like yours do. You could have said something like "Hey mo65, don't know where you're fishin' but they spawn here just fine." Then I could respond and we could have a conversation. But with you guys it's "You're wrong...PERIOD."


Mo, don't take it too personally or as an attack. I did not directly quote you as I have done here. You have to admit, you've jumped right in here with both fists up and ready to do battle. You're obviously not an illiterate man and seem quite intelligent. Really, I am tired of this thread staying active and tired of the misinformation that gets spread around by folks who do not take the time to learn the facts(Not directly implying you Mo!). When I am not fishing, hunting, going to school, studying, and working, I am researching extensively, many many topics. Sorry if I come off a little rough about things but, there are things that come up from time to time that should be addressed. I have been catfishing for 20 years now, I have gone to school to study fisheries management/ aquaculture, I have worked with spawning catfish as well as many other species, I am far from knowing it all but, I know what I know and I keep my mind fresh, working, and in the loop. We're all just fishermen here and should not be arguing anything, instead we should be learning, teaching, bragging, and helping others....knowledgeably and honestly. No hard feelings man, let's just let the topic rest! Good fishin' all!


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## TClark

*lark101_1999,* bless your heart and thank you!!!
However I cannot get into a boat. Reason being, as long as I have this heart pump I'm shore bound.
If something would happen (I get dizzy sometimes) and my unit gets wet/soaked/dunked. I'm more than likely a gonner if it shorts out.
But thanks again ever so much for offering.
After my transplant, I'll get with ya on here and wet a line together.


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## lark101_1999

thought id offer ,good luck


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## TClark

Two guys decided to go on a catfishing trip for a couple of days .They called and reserved a cabin by the lake, rented a car ,bought groceries and arrived at the lake. Then they rented a boat and motor .Seen what locals were fishing with and ended up buying more tackle.
First day out they caught nothing .so they decided that they would use live bait so they went to tackle shop the man suggested they try some different live baits. 
The next day they caught 1 fish . 
As they were driving back they were pretty depressed ,finally one guy spoke ,Do you know that 1 fish cost us $1600.00 ? The second fishermen looked at him and said "It's a good thing we only caught one then".
just sayin......lol


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