# whites mill hocking river - sauger



## eyecon (Jul 6, 2013)

Was wantimg to get down to the river this week. Wandering if anyone has ever fished down there this early?


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

eyecon said:


> Was wantimg to get down to the river this week. Wandering if anyone has ever fished down there this early?


I know the water is up a bit, can't tell you what the clarity is like. It's hard for me to tell that when I drive in to work. I know yesterday morning I saw chunks of ice floating down. That's not to say sauger won't bite because they tend to bite all winter, but conditions won't be ideal. I judge the river level at a glance by the mid-river bar formation below the Richland Ave bridge, and last I looked it was completely submerged. It's normally not, so I know it's up.


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## eyecon (Jul 6, 2013)

Thanks the clarity was good when i stopped by saturday. It was still a little bit high. But not by much to where i wouldnt fish. Might give it a shot tonight


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## RiverWader (Apr 1, 2006)

I've never done any good down there this early, Usually 2 week of March is when You start to get into things at the Mill


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## fishing_marshall (Jun 12, 2004)

I caught a few sauger there in January and February when I was going to school down that way. Normally it was a skunk or just one fish.


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## boostedtrex (May 4, 2013)

I was wondering how it was this time of the year my gf lives down there. I got a few late fall but haven't been back

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## RiverWader (Apr 1, 2006)

You might one here and there but mid March is when it starts to get good


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## boostedtrex (May 4, 2013)

Thanks we will hit it up then on the weekends I hope buckeye is open by then. The saugers I got last year at whites mill were small 12-14 range. Is that the normal for size there. 

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## RiverWader (Apr 1, 2006)

Yes, around that range, But I've caught MANY Eyes over 5lb at the Mill and 2 over 9lb. The key is get there early before the crowd gets there


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## boostedtrex (May 4, 2013)

Nice rivers are new to me for eyes I'm used to husky jerks in a lake. We were wanting to put small boat in there and go down stream for small mouth in the spring. 

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## Deazl666 (Mar 30, 2012)

A litte off-topic, but I saw the biggest gar I've ever seen in the wild below the dam the last time I fished there, which was about 20 years ago...


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## eyecon (Jul 6, 2013)

I caught a bunch out on the island last spring. Just have the cabin fever and im wantimg to get down there. Its one of my favorite places to fish now that i know what im doimg down there. Anyone catch any big flatheads down there? Had a 9" sucker on my pole last year and got a hit had the fish on for awhile but it came off


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## RiverWader (Apr 1, 2006)

boostedtrex said:


> Nice rivers are new to me for eyes I'm used to husky jerks in a lake. We were wanting to put small boat in there and go down stream for small mouth in the spring.
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Ohub Campfire mobile app


You don't need a boat if You don't mind wading there isn't to many spots over 4 foot deep from the Mill to Super 8 motel, after that then I would recommend a boat!!


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## boostedtrex (May 4, 2013)

Thanks for the info we normally wade so Thats not bad. Now can you keep the eyes and sauger in there early spring. I was always told not to keep any fish out of the hocking

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## RiverWader (Apr 1, 2006)

boostedtrex said:


> Thanks for the info we normally wade so Thats not bad. Now can you keep the eyes and sauger in there early spring. I was always told not to keep any fish out of the hocking
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Ohub Campfire mobile app


Why???


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## boostedtrex (May 4, 2013)

Idk really Thats what people I worked with said. There from logan area and I do know the water is real bad up that way. Thats why I was asking people from the Athens area if its good to keep them I will if there worth keeping. 

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## WISH IT WAS YOU (Jul 25, 2006)

i go to hocking college and i have done water chem tests on the hocking and the water quailty on the hocking is just fine i mean its not the best but i eat fish from the river and in no way am i worried about the health of the fish now if your worried about fish coming from the ohio river up to whites mill that could change your results a little but i still wouldn't worry to much just dont eat the fish every single day least to say i eat crappies below white all the time


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## boostedtrex (May 4, 2013)

Ok cool I'm not going to keep a lot just if I did I wanted to make sure it was ok. I never kept fish out of buckeye till this year I was told only to keep them from there in the winter early spring months. They taste fine so far think I got 30 eyes 18-22 inch range so far this winter. 

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## RiverWader (Apr 1, 2006)

I have eaten fish out of the Hocking for 20 some years, and I've only grew 1extra arm!!! LOL But seriously I eat fish from there all the time


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## RiverWader (Apr 1, 2006)

boostedtrex said:


> Nice rivers are new to me for eyes I'm used to husky jerks in a lake. We were wanting to put small boat in there and go down stream for small mouth in the spring.
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Ohub Campfire mobile app


Also You said You wanted to try down stream of the Mill for Smallies, Well You might get some small ones with the occasional nice one,, but if You want nice ones with numbers, hit up Nelsonville down to the Mill a lot better Smallies fishing


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## boostedtrex (May 4, 2013)

Sweet thanks we get really nice smallies here in rushcreek and other creeks. The hocking just looks so good 

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## RiverWader (Apr 1, 2006)

boostedtrex said:


> Sweet thanks we get really nice smallies here in rushcreek and other creeks. The hocking just looks so good
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Ohub Campfire mobile app


If Anyone who's not to familiar with the Hocking ever wants to hook up and go fishing just shoot Me a PM, I don't mind sharing My spots or My techniques 



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## boostedtrex (May 4, 2013)

Thanks I will pm u my number 

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## Alex_Combs (Mar 20, 2013)

I was there last Wednesday with three other friends covering the whole bank and not a bite.
Water was up but then we all know what happened to the river in the days after that..
I also go to Hocking College so I'll be there a lot more when things heat up in march!


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## gamblerman (Mar 4, 2014)

Hey, Alex, I'm from MetalTown, too, graduated MHS with a Dave Combs - any relation?
Despite how desolate the Hocking looks in the ditch the Corps of Engineers built, I've always been surprised by the diversity of species that live there. I've caught white bass, stripers, small and large mouth and seen some big suckers - all within sight of the Richland Ave bridge. amazing. m


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## Alex_Combs (Mar 20, 2013)

gamblerman said:


> Hey, Alex, I'm from MetalTown, too, graduated MHS with a Dave Combs - any relation?
> Despite how desolate the Hocking looks in the ditch the Corps of Engineers built, I've always been surprised by the diversity of species that live there. I've caught white bass, stripers, small and large mouth and seen some big suckers - all within sight of the Richland Ave bridge. amazing. m


That's funny because my brothers name is Dave and he did go to MHS, but graduated in California. 
But I agree, I've caught tons of white crappie, spotted and smallmouth bass, a small striper, channels. I'd love to get into some suckers, red horse or carp there too!
Nice place to fish when it wants to be.


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## RiverWader (Apr 1, 2006)

That's what I love about the Hocking, each cast could be a different kind of Fish


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## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

Are there any boat ramps on the Hocking to launch a big jon boat on ?? Fished it back when I had a couple friends at OU (early 80's), but haven't been there since.


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## gamblerman (Mar 4, 2014)

Alex, if your bro is close to 60, might be the same guy, I grad'd in '72 and it seems that one of our class did leave town early.
As far as launching jon boats, you might be able to launch up in Logan by the canoe livery, but the stream is very shallow and is better navigated by canoe. There is a canoe takeout in the West State St. park in Athens, just before the mill dam.

And yes, just across from Peden stadium, I did hook and release a sauger while I was wade fishiing last summer. If I'd had a creel or stringer, he might have gotten an invite to dinner. m


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## RiverWader (Apr 1, 2006)

T-180 said:


> Are there any boat ramps on the Hocking to launch a big jon boat on ?? Fished it back when I had a couple friends at OU (early 80's), but haven't been there since.



There is a boat ramp down in Coolville, nothing close to Athens


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## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

RiverWader said:


> There is a boat ramp down in Coolville, nothing close to Athens
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Thanks RW, I'll check into it. May just have to try getting the kayak out for a float instead, but the jon boat is way easier on my back.


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## bonifas9017 (May 23, 2011)

Anyone have any luck at the mill recently. I plan on going down there this weekend just looking for advice thanks


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

bonifas9017 said:


> Anyone have any luck at the mill recently. I plan on going down there this weekend just looking for advice thanks


Best advice on the mill right now is don't go. Check out the gauge:

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=03159500

We got pounded by rain, the river is up about 5' from when I fished it last week and looks like chocolate YooHoo.


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