# SCIOTO RIVER: Anything and Everything.



## MadHatter Angling (Feb 13, 2017)

Due to the popularity of my other thread LITTLE MIAMI RIVER: Anything and Everything, I have decided to take another go at making a forum about one of MY favorite places to fish n Central Ohio. Water flows, fishing pictures, fishing reports, conditions, complaints about certain things are all welcome here. I want this to be something useful to newcomers of the website. A streamlined approach to all the good information you guys have for fishing the Scioto. Thanks.


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## OnTheFly (Jul 30, 2010)

I will throw in an observation about the northern part of the Scioto (above all reservoirs) from this past year. I found that even during low-flows the river was often cloudy/muddy and there seemed to be a drop in amphibian/reptile numbers from past years. 

Wondering if anyone else noticed this? I know there is a ton of farming that way but this seemed worse than normal.


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

I've seen some reports saying the biggest impairment to water quality in the upper Scioto is agriculture. That's mainly sediment but also chemicals and nutrients like Atrazine, nitrogen and phosphorous. Cruise the country roads up there, especially in late winter/early spring and you can see how fields are washing out in gullies.


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## MadHatter Angling (Feb 13, 2017)

unfortunately, there is always a factor of runoff with close farm land, buuuut the crawfish in the scoot have remained pretty stable i would say. Ive always had my most luck fishing craw imitations and small baitfish imitations. Any thoughts?


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## MasterAngler33 (Sep 7, 2016)

I fish the Scioto river in Hardin County. And it is smallmouth action at its best . Top water torpedo,storm wiggle wart,creature baits and floating woms.and jerkbaits is all u need here depending on water temps.I know the stretches and holes u can catch 25 to 50 from a pound to 3and a half pounds nice ones here!


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## n-strut (Apr 14, 2010)

OnTheFly said:


> I will throw in an observation about the northern part of the Scioto (above all reservoirs) from this past year. I found that even during low-flows the river was often cloudy/muddy and there seemed to be a drop in amphibian/reptile numbers from past years.
> 
> Wondering if anyone else noticed this? I know there is a ton of farming that way but this seemed worse than normal.


I noticed this as well, seemed like all fall it was a little off color. Did see a lot of atv activity around the 37 bridge in the river.


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

wow… You don't give up do you


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## MadHatter Angling (Feb 13, 2017)

nope


9Left said:


> wow… You don't give up do you


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## supercanoe (Jun 12, 2006)

OnTheFly said:


> I will throw in an observation about the northern part of the Scioto (above all reservoirs) from this past year. I found that even during low-flows the river was often cloudy/muddy and there seemed to be a drop in amphibian/reptile numbers from past years.
> 
> Wondering if anyone else noticed this? I know there is a ton of farming that way but this seemed worse than normal.


Yes. It has a strange color to it. Nutrient loading of some sort. Maybe from egg farms.


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## OnTheFly (Jul 30, 2010)

MasterAngler33 said:


> I fish the Scioto river in Hardin County. And it is smallmouth action at its best . Top water torpedo,storm wiggle wart,creature baits and floating woms.and jerkbaits is all u need here depending on water temps.I know the stretches and holes u can catch 25 to 50 from a pound to 3and a half pounds nice ones here!


Never fished that far north, about how wide and deep is the river on average up that way?


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## MadHatter Angling (Feb 13, 2017)

there is actually a quality stretch of water right below the damn. Its about 50 yards long of nothing but rocky bottom river... its about 5 ft deep too which is prime once the weather starts warming up


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

MadHatter Angling said:


> there is actually a quality stretch of water right below the damn. Its about 50 yards long of nothing but rocky bottom river... its about 5 ft deep too which is prime once the weather starts warming up


I'm really, really glad I don't fish there.


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## MasterAngler33 (Sep 7, 2016)

Up here 20 miles south of where the Scioto starts is where the smallmouth start to appear in numbers and Size!


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## blackbeatty (Apr 3, 2012)

I've been having some luck.


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## blackbeatty (Apr 3, 2012)

Tried again today and caught another nice one. Orange bottom with a green top has been producing with the flicker shad so I found some 4 1/2 Berkley swim baits with the same colors and tried some jigging. Throwing into the start of a pool I was keeping a steady retrieve bumping the rocks when I felt the thump, I set the hook and the fight was on. Landed this nice 17in Smallie. Another great day on the Scioto


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## MadHatter Angling (Feb 13, 2017)

nice fish!


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

blackbeatty said:


> Orange bottom with a green top has been producing with the flicker shad so I found some 4 1/2 Berkley swim baits with the same colors and tried some jigging.


Are you describing Tennessee Shad or fire tiger?


http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MzU3WDUwMA==/z/OacAAMXQVERSsSgp/$_3.JPG?set_id=2


http://www.ruralking.com/media/cata...eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/0/0/009416035.jpg


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## tedtami (Apr 14, 2014)

Anything happening near chillicothe on scioto yet!


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

tedtami said:


> Anything happening near chillicothe on scioto yet!


The place is infested with Winter Mosquiotoes. Their piercing mouthparts penetrate radiator hoses of parked vehicles, which allows them to take a glycol meal as an appetizer before attacking the blood of fishermen.


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

blackbeatty said:


> I've been having some luck.
> View attachment 230374
> View attachment 230375


Great Fish, way to keep at it even in the mud.


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

tedtami said:


> Anything happening near chillicothe on scioto yet!


There is always plenty happening on the banks of the Scioto in Chillicothe. Not sure about the fishing though.


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## Chris Martin (Jan 9, 2017)

Anyone having any luck out there? Was thinking of heading out between Henderson and fishinger off of riverside was just courious as to what to throw. I was going to throw a 7 inch soft body shad swim bait. Good idea? I will be bankfishing if that changes anything. Thank for any advice!


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## WestCentralOhio (Mar 18, 2012)

Chris Martin said:


> Anyone having any luck out there? Was thinking of heading out between Henderson and fishinger off of riverside was just courious as to what to throw. I was going to throw a 7 inch soft body shad swim bait. Good idea? I will be bankfishing if that changes anything. Thank for any advice!


The river is flooded


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## Chris Martin (Jan 9, 2017)

So does that mean no fishing? Will they not bite?


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## WestCentralOhio (Mar 18, 2012)

Chris Martin said:


> So does that mean no fishing? Will they not bite?


If you can catch fish in the scioto in these types of conditions that's some jedi like ****. I'm not bothering.


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## WestCentralOhio (Mar 18, 2012)

Chris Martin said:


> So does that mean no fishing? Will they not bite?


I dont think so but I'd love to hear and see otherwise


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

Nothing beats raging-high water for Cats. Probably a little to early for them though.

Saugeye can be caught when the waters up like this, but not very readily.


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## Chris Martin (Jan 9, 2017)

So I went out yesterday morning for about 2 hours and threw a swim bait, chatterbait, football jig and a spook. Saw 5 fish bust on top, that's the only reason I put a spook on. Skunked nothing. Not even a nibble. I knew it was going to be a challenge especially from the shore. Can wait to get out and try it again. I have never caught anything in the Scioto.


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## nope (May 19, 2017)

Me neither 'cept for common 5+lb. channel cats and several 5-40lb. class flatheads and those pesky baitfish. Horrible fishin'!


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## Baloogala (Jul 29, 2016)

I have only fished a small section of the Scioto in south Columbus, all of it last year. I'm not sure how many fish I lost because I wasn't sensitive to an actual bite in the current. I've caught a little bit of everything--saugeye, sauger, smallmouth, gar, white bass, and hybrid--but it's always when targeting something else. When the water gets high, I have zero luck. I'm going to try a few different places this year, we'll see.


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