# Little Miami River Float (Fish Ohio's and such)



## Matulemj (May 29, 2012)

Hey now.

I have finally been able to get a couple days off to get out and get on the river. 

I got out for a quick wade on Monday and ended up with a handful of fish. While walking back to my truck I continued to cast a roadrunner jighead with a curly tailed grub into the river and got slammed. I could tell immediately that it was a catfish. I finally got it to shore and tape measured it out of curiosity and to my surprise it ended up being 26", good enough for a Fish Ohio certificate. On 6lbs mono line, I couldn't complain. 










The next morning HOUSE and I prepared ourselves for a kayak float. As many of you know, this has been a rarity these days with the river being so high for so long. 

The water levels were about perfect. The clarity was so-so. Still a little murky, but we made due.

My first cast I threw out a bitsy-tube and got an instant bite. I could tell it was a big fish but didn't get excited until this thing went airborne, then the fight was on. I got it to shore and it measured out to 19". 










This is the first time in my life I have been disappointed in catching an 19" smallmouth. This was the first cast of a 6 mile kayak trip. We all know if you catch a fish on your first cast, the fishing gods cut you off. Luckily this was not the case. I quickly ended up with a 16" drum a few casts later.

I switched up to a minnow imitation with a roadrunner at the next riffle where I know some striper giants have been known to show themselves. I felt a tap and set the hook then held on tight. My reel was absolutely screaming and wouldn't let loose. I thought I was going to get spooled. I could tell that this was NOT a catfish and was confident that it had stripes. Finally the fish tired out and I battled it to shore carefully hoping the skinny monofilament line wouldn't snap before I could at least see what it was. It finally broke surface and I was able to see that it was indeed bearing stripes.










I was able to kind of pretty much squeeze 20" out of it. I'll take it. 

We continued on our float and ended up with some other drag-pulling fish like this channel cat, which is always fun to catch while jigging. 










The drum were out in full force as well. They will kindly take your lure and run making you think you have a nice smallie/stiper until they surface showing their ugly frowning faces. Jerks. 










On top of catching an abundance of fish, we also so some river otters. This is the first time I have ever seen wild otters. When HOUSE pointed them out I was quick to doubt him claiming that they were beavers, but when we got closer there was no doubt that they were otters. We tried to chase them down and snap a picture but they were probably mad that I called them beavers and did not allow it.

Most of the fish caught were at the end of a riffle where it is nice and shaken, but not stirred. 

It was a beautiful day to be out kayaking in shorts and soaking the sun. Hopefully I will be able to get more days in like it before I bust out the winter fuzzy hat and start freezing my buns off while risking death on the water in my kayak.


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

Wow, that is a tremendous fishery!


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## Nubes (Dec 3, 2012)

Nice small mouth! Nice try on trying to hide your locale....I know the spot just by the size of the riffles and distance between each one...Im heading there after work! 


Im kidding


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## ghurlag (Apr 27, 2013)

Nice trip, and great write up!


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## HOUSE (Apr 29, 2010)

I really wanted to catch a FishOhio otter...damn. I'll post some pictures once I get my camera out, I think I caught one of them on film. Elusive little devils...


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## deltaoscar (Apr 4, 2009)

That's a very nice mixed bag o' fish you got. Nice report too.

What kind of rod and reel is that?


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

great fish fellas...that first cat you caught is a dandy matulemj


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## cityslicker79 (Apr 5, 2013)

Looks like you had a GRRRREAT day !!


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## Cat Mangler (Mar 25, 2012)

Nice bag man. Them otters are kinda wild aren't they? Never seen one in Ohio till this year. Was at east wood walking towards the harshman bridge and had a young one run for about 20 yards right at me the darted sideways into the grass 2 feet in front of me. Didn't even act like it saw me walking right towards me.

Then last week, while late night catting on the gmr, had a biggun spook at waters egde and splash me. Then the darn thing played around in front of me all night in the water about five feet from me. These things seem to not fear much from what I can tell.

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## Dandrews (Oct 10, 2010)

Those are some nice fish!!
I don't think I've seen any otters in Ohio, lots of beavers lately though.


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## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

That's awesome, nice fish!Glad to see you fishing again.


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## Matulemj (May 29, 2012)

Apparently, quoted from HOUSE, they make good pets. HOUSE is slightly mental though.

I'm using an Okuma Trio reel with a Shimano Sojourn rod.


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## gibson330usa (May 15, 2012)

Nice job on the LMR. I haven't seen or heard of any river otters on the LMR before, thanks for the report.


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## Cat Mangler (Mar 25, 2012)

Matulemj said:


> Apparently, quoted from HOUSE, they make good pets. HOUSE is slightly mental though.
> 
> I'm using an Okuma Trio reel with a Shimano Sojourn rod.
> 
> ...


I got one of those okuma's. Got it from Dicks and on sale too. Nice reels.

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## TIC (Sep 9, 2009)

I see river otters in Stoner Creek down in Central Kentucky every time I go there. I Believe Stoner dumps into the Licking which goes into the Ohio River. Local fishermen there say the otters have obliterated the bass population. However, I did a bit of reading and most of the data I found says that they do not impact the game fish population.


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## HOUSE (Apr 29, 2010)

Matulemj said:


> Apparently, quoted from HOUSE, they make good pets. HOUSE is slightly mental though.


Who wouldn't want a pet otter!?! They are so much easier to maintain than pet beavers:
[ame="http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=bea_1374375000"]http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=bea_1374375000[/ame]

-I'm still working on the pics from my camera btw.


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## ghurlag (Apr 27, 2013)

I'd blame the fishermen over the otters...

We should be too big to take offense and too noble to give it. -Abraham Lincoln


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

Sweet float!! The 18"er is a dandy!!! 


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## co-angler (Jan 3, 2010)

Otter, the other yellow meat. 


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## deltaoscar (Apr 4, 2009)

co-angler said:


> Otter, the other yellow meat.


I actually prefer the canned weasel meat, but I only get it when it's on sale.


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## co-angler (Jan 3, 2010)

Matulemj, I had no idea you fished.
Not bad for a rookie. That HOUSE guy is a lucky charm. Have you heard the story about the time we went out and I caught that 30 inch 26 lb smallie?
It was pretty much an all world record but he made me return it making it unofficial but I'm not tryin to hijack your thread.
Well done pal. Someday I'll remember how to fish again and I can post some more reports.


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## bgrapala (Nov 1, 2008)

TIC said:


> I see river otters in Stoner Creek down in Central Kentucky every time I go there. I Believe Stoner dumps into the Licking which goes into the Ohio River. Local fishermen there say the otters have obliterated the bass population. However, I did a bit of reading and most of the data I found says that they do not impact the game fish population.


A buddy of mine used to trap otters in northern Illinois. He said there would be just stacks and stacks of dead Smallmouth in their dens.


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## BassAddict83 (Sep 21, 2010)

TIC said:


> I see river otters in Stoner Creek down in Central Kentucky every time I go there. I Believe Stoner dumps into the Licking which goes into the Ohio River. Local fishermen there say the otters have obliterated the bass population. However, I did a bit of reading and most of the data I found says that they do not impact the game fish population.


Yeah the state stocked them for trapping. Made a LOT of fisherman MAD! I constantly hear stories about how back in the good ol days they caught 4 lb smallies all the time....

BTW nice fish guys!


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