# Help me out with the crappie bite



## TLuckMu3 (Mar 25, 2009)

Can anyone tell me where the good crappie lakes are in southwest ohio? I usually go north to st. marys and indian lake but those spots have been slow the past couple years.


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## imalt (Apr 17, 2008)

cc, cowan, acton, rush run, east fork, I have probaly forgot some. Pick one and go fish


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## LMRsmallmouth (Jan 10, 2006)

add Paint Creek to the list....


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## TheKing (Apr 15, 2004)

I'd say you are near the best Crappie lake in the USA as far as poundage in the pan after a day of fishing. Head to Cowan and stand off from shore in 12- 15 ft as you look for the schools. From the marina boat dock, straight out about 200 yards and then look anywhere you find 12-15 FOW. With KenLake touted as one of the country's best - Cowan is certainly 10 times better.


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## Viper684 (Apr 5, 2009)

Caesar Creek has real good crappie fishing in the spring. Possibly fall, but I haven't been out yet, so when/if the water temperature drops under 65, start fishing close to shore. I caught some real nice slabs in 3-7 fow near wood structures in the spring. Best bet is a large bass minnow under a bobber. Hope this helps!:G


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

TheKing said:


> I'd say you are near the best Crappie lake in the USA as far as poundage in the pan after a day of fishing. Head to Cowan and stand off from shore in 12- 15 ft as you look for the schools. From the marina boat dock, straight out about 200 yards and then look anywhere you find 12-15 FOW. With KenLake touted as one of the country's best - Cowan is certainly 10 times better.


King
The year you went to Kentucky Lake it was a disasterous spring due to a major cold front, I certainly wouldn't compare the 2 lakes. I know how tough it was because I was there also. The problem with Ky Lake is it's not an easy lake to fish and like anywhere is, you have to know where to go. One of the biggest problems with Ky Lake is it's shear size, the coves and bays can be larger than most Ohio lakes. Even which side of the lake you fish on is very different. The west side of the lake has alot more color due to agricultural than the east side which is fairly clear even in times of heavy rain. Last year it was tough also but the year before we culled everything under 11" and it was great. 
I think at Cowan you will catch more fish in a days fishing but at Ky Lake you will definitly catch bigger.



















As good as you are at fishing off shore, you should give it a try again.


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## chaunc (Apr 11, 2004)

I have to agree with CD. I've been traveling down to Ky lake yearly for 22 years straight now. Been hammering the big crappies in the kenlake area for years too. Got my personal best from that area. A 3lb 2oz white crappie that was 17 1/4".
Here's a stringer of 2lber's with the 3 included, from 2007.








The last couple years we decided to go later and fish the shellcracker bite. Here's 2008








and here's 2009


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

I knew we would hear from you on this Chaunc. 
It's a great lake but it's not easy. Use and trust your electronics. The hardest part is most of us only have a few days to fish there each year. It's easier to learn our home waters, we're there all the time.


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## vbullet20 (Apr 17, 2008)

I have fished KY Lake for 20 years and love to go there. The KY Hydrographics maps are a great tool for your electronics , this reduced my search time by 80% and makes those few days there very productive. Locally I use some of the same techniques at Paint Creek that I use at KY. One is Stick to the creek ledges especaily the inside corners. Then Just learn to move on when your on those 6" fish. There are plenty of 10"+ there. Paint Creek has very little boat traffic and is peaceful fishing. Unlimited HP allows me to use my limited time to locate fish sooner. The 10 HP lake are nice but make my actual fishing time alot less.


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## Sanitarian2 (Dec 6, 2007)

We hit Kentucky Lake in the fall, Late October or early Nov., down near the Tenn border. While the regulars fish the drop offs and deep brush piles we hit the boat docks, pitching and skipping our tube jigs up under the huge pontoon boats. Last year we took three over 2 lbs and about all the 1.5lbers. we could handle. The weather was terrible and the locals couldn't catch much, they were stunned at our success. 

It takes practice and it's difficult, you lose quit a few jigs, but it's worth the effort.


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## fished-out (Dec 20, 2005)

Why are you loosing the jigs? Structure under the toons, or just dock cross pieces?


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## Yates (Dec 24, 2007)

TLuckMu3... you ask about s/w ohio lakes, (Paint Creek) my is everyone telling you about KY. Lake???


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## gamefisher (Oct 1, 2009)

i agee with the crappies at cowan down side its like acton lake the fishing pressure is heavy


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

Yates said:


> TLuckMu3... you ask about s/w ohio lakes, (Paint Creek) my is everyone telling you about KY. Lake???


"With KenLake touted as one of the country's best - Cowan is certainly 10 times better."

I wasn't trying to hijack the thread but I didn't want this guy/gal looking for 
these kind of results. It's not going to happen.
Tke King appears to be a very good fisherman and if he would give KyLake a try in more favorable conditions he would probably "see the light"

As for Cowan, it's a fun lake to fish. Lot's and lot's of fish and there are some better than average fish in there. I think The King had one almost 16" this year and I caught some up to 14". I enjoy fishing Cowan for the shear numbers with the occasional bonus nice fish thrown in here and there. 
As mentioned, Paint Creek is a great lake with some good fish but I don't get there as often as I like. I think it's the sleeper in SW Ohio.
One place not mentioned is the Ohio River tributaries, White Oak Creek, Red Oak Creek, Straight Creek just to mention a few. All have really good crappie fishing.


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## Hawksrule (Sep 23, 2009)

Delaware reservoir is one of the best lakes I have fished for crappie. I lived in Marion Ohio for 8 years and fished this lake for crappie all year, the bite never seems to drop off. A friend and I used to wade the back water tributaries right as they dumped into the main lake, the crappie just seemed to hang in those areas all year. We would catch 10" to 14" crappies every time we went always on minnows. I now live in Sidney Ohio and really miss Delaware reservoir, the only place I've had any luck fishing around here is the GMR.


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