# Kokosing River report 6-1



## River Walker (Apr 7, 2004)

I fished a section of the Kokosing River near Mt.Vernon today,the smallies were in a cooperative mood.I landed 7 bass between 13"-16",and one dandy that went 18".I caught quite a few small bass,and the ever present rock bass wouldn't leave my jig alone.I was using a New-Do jig by Venom,on a black 1/8oz. jig head,the New-Do was purple/w red metalflakes.The river was flowing at the normal level,and the water was clear.I thought I would see a lot of bass on beds,but I only noticed one right where I started.


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## Rocknfish (Oct 7, 2004)

Riverwalker,we need to hook up sometime!(No pun intended)I almost made a trip down to the Koko this evening but my buddy that lives in Millersburg wanted to stay local so we fished the Doughty Creek that flows through Clark instead.So-so night nothing to really report,although we have done really well in some of the holes in the Doughty.Last fall I caught an 18.75" smallie on a nightcrawler in a tiny hole when the temp was about 45 degrees.Was thinking about getting out early somewhere on Friday since it's my B-Day,and I always fish on my B-day! Wether it be river fishing or possibly taking the boat out to Clear Fork(Never fished it).Let me know if you'd like to hook-up sometime.I live in Wooster and am always looking for a fishin buddy.Later,Aaron


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## River Walker (Apr 7, 2004)

Sounds like a plan.I fished Doughty Creek a few weeks back,I parked near the school in Clark,and hit a few pools.I used to fish Apple Creek around Wooster quite a bit,there used to be some huge smallies in there.I fish the Kokosing a lot,especially the tributaries.Once in awhile,I'll head a few miles downstream from Mt.Vernon and fish the big water too.I live within 10 minutes from Clear Fork Lake,and it is a super good bass lake(if you can keep the muskies away).Drop me a PM sometime and we can set something up,I'm pretty occopied the rest of this week,but I'm free any day next week so far.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

I always like hearing reports on the Kokosing River as that is the place the I have probably spent more fishing hours than anywhere else. I grew up about five miles from the river and have been on every foot of it from Mt. Vernon to the Walhonding and on to the Mohawk Dam. I almost always catch great numbers of fish even though they many times are all small. It sounds like you hit a pretty decent day though. I probably don't fish it more than a half dozen times a year any more. I go there when the boys want good action. All of my bigger fish have almost always come from Howard and on down.


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## River Walker (Apr 7, 2004)

I also like the lower river below Millwood to Walhonding.I have to admit,I like the upper reaches better though.I fish the N.Fork all the way up past Chesterville,and the mainstream all the way up past Kokosing Lake.A couple of the tributaries have good bass fishing also namely Schenck's Creek,and Jelloway Creek(although Jelloway Creek is no where near as good as it once was).If you get up past Rt.95 on the N.Fork,going upstream towards C-Ville,there's some real deep pools,and a lot of nice fish,not fished much in that area either really.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Now you are bringing back some real memories! Schenck Creek ran right below our house when I was growing up. I lived right off Rt 36 where Schenck Creek passes under. As a little youngster I spent many a day down at the creek fishing. We used to catch a lot of rock bass, suckers, and chubs. We would get a few smallmouth and even largemouth but they were always on the small side. I have fished it occasionally where it feeds in to the Kokosing as well and have done well there.


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## River Walker (Apr 7, 2004)

There were a few holes on Schenck Creek upstream from Rt.36 that always held a few nice smallies.Back in the 70's,Jelloway Creek had some monster smallies in it between Howard and Danville.It even had a few northerns and crappies in it.Before they constructed Apple Valley Lake,the Little Jelloway Creek was good fishing too.A lot of guys just don't realize the potential of some of the small creeks.Have you ever fished Wakatomika Creek down below Bladensburg? That's a pretty decent little stream,or a couple of the little tribs along Rt.661 south of Mt.Vernon.One is Lake Fork,another is Sycamore Creek and the other is the N.Fk.of the Licking River near Homer.All are fine little streams that in places offer good bass fishing.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

I have fished Wakatomika and like you said it has some pretty darn good fish. I have fished the North Fork of the Licking River many moons ago as well. The others you mentioned I have never tried. I am somewhat in that category of guys who forget what these small streams will produce. I guess one of the main reasons I have never tried the other small streams is that I was always drawn to the Kokosing since I almost always could do better there.


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## NewbreedFishing (Apr 15, 2004)

The Licking is a very underated river. We floated from Gambier to Millwood 1 month ago and took a dozen bass btwn 12-16". Never have gotten a big boy in the Kokosing and I use to fish it quiet thoroughly and frequently. 
Interested in checking out those other tribs you fellas menitoned.
More interested in finding a spot that could give up a northern or 2 :B


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## River Walker (Apr 7, 2004)

Newbreed,that is the Kokosing that flows between Gambier and Millwood.The N.Fk.of the Licking River starts up above Homer,and flows down through Newark,and eventually into Dillon Lake.A real good tributary of the Licking River is Raccoon Creek,try that one in the Pataskala area,there's some very nice bass in that creek.If you're interested in a few northerns in the general vicinity of where we've been discussing,I would try below six-mile dam on the Walhonding River near Warsaw,they catch quite a few below there,along with some huge smallies,and saugeye's as well.One other spot you may want to look at is Killbuck Creek in Coshocton County between Blissfield and Layland along Rt.60.Look for where small feeder streams enter Killbuck Creek,and concentrate your efforts there for pike.The Mohican River also has a good population of northerns,smallies and saugeye's.You can find good fishing along most of it's length,however,for pike and smallies,I would fish from Brinkhaven to Walhonding.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

NewBreed,
I think the biggest smallie I ever got in the Kokosing was about right at 19". I have caught several in the 17"-19" range over the many years of fishing it. However, a fish over 16" is pretty rare in there.

As far as the tribs go I can't really give you much info on that one. The Schenck Creek section that we fished was owned by a farmer and he was always pretty particular about letting people in there. Fortunately being his neighbor gave us a bit of opportunity. Those small tribs tend to be more difficult to fish for that reason. The farmers view it more as trespassing which it really is if you don't get permission.

As far as pike I don't think I ever caught or saw more than a handful of pike in the upper reaches around Mount Vernon. Once you get down towrd the Walhonding (below Millwood) is where that is more likely to happen. The better chance is either the Mohican or the Walhonding on down to the Mohawk Dam.


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## NewbreedFishing (Apr 15, 2004)

thanks fella's

sounds like a lot of footwork but ...no pain, no gain!!!
My sis lives in front of Watkins HS and I have caught some suprisingly big fish in there. Is Raccoon Ck by the Pataskala Pool?

cheers
NewbreedMitch


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## River Walker (Apr 7, 2004)

Yeah,it's down the hill from the pool,by the water treatment plant.I'm trying to think of the name of the road that I used to park on when I fished that creek.It's not far from Pataskala,but not all that close to the pool.It was between Pataskala and Kirkersville.


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## Action (Apr 8, 2004)

River Walker If you're interested in a few northerns in the general vicinity of where we've been discussing said:


> I camp at 6 mile dam a few times a year and it gets hit pretty hard.
> I was there one day last year when we were catching 5-6 wipers almost every cast. You could of caught them on a cigarette butt, it was unreal.
> The next day we coudn't get a bite.


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## River Walker (Apr 7, 2004)

I like 6-mile dam,I fish it a lot in early spring,and again late in the fall into the winter.At those times of year,it doesn't receive as much pressure.I've taken a few wipers there,usually I'm there for saugeye's.You can catch just about anything out of there,in addition to saugeye's,there's pike,both smallies and largemouth's,a few walleye here and there,an occasional muskie,some jumbo cats,and even a trout or two at times.I prefer the first hole below the spillway,that's a pretty long,deep pool,and it can get filled up with fish at times.I used to camp there years ago(before it was Whispering Falls),we used to float from there down to Lake Park.That river still does have some really good fishing left in her.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Riverwalker,

By the 6 mile-dam, are you referring to the low head dam that is right at the one campgrounds? I know there are two campgrounds there and we have camped at the second one a few times in the fall/winter for bowhunting. I am not sure of which one it was by name but it had a low head dam there. I fished it only one time when I took my waders and tackle along. I did not have much luck but it looked pretty good there. If that is the one that you are referring to I will have to make sure to take my tackle with me again this November and give it another try. I used to fish on down at the next bridge on 36 quite a bit and do rather well on saugeyes. I think we used to refer to that one as Mowery Bridge. That has been a lot of years ago and I believe they now have campsites down along there which limits the access.


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## Action (Apr 8, 2004)

You were at Whispering Falls, thats the only one with the spillover in that area. Cheap camping and decent fishing.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Thanks for the info Action!


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## River Walker (Apr 7, 2004)

If you go there,fish the first deep pool below the riffles.The fishing right up close to the spillway is alright,but a lot of snags.You should have no problem hooking up with some eyes',and smallies in there.I know some guys that can't catch a thing there,and I know a couple guys from Mansfield that swear by the place.The one guy caught 3 saugeye's over 8lbs.from there back in April.He uses HJ-10's and the new X-Raps there,and he catches quite a few pike as well.The old lady and I were down there the second week of May to combine some shroomin' and fishing,and didn't do squat on the morels,but hammered the saugeye's,and a couple real nice smallies.We were catching fish on 1/8oz.Fireball jigs tipped with minnows.


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## Action (Apr 8, 2004)

Do you pay to fish and then walk down river or how do you work that area ?


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## River Walker (Apr 7, 2004)

I stop at the house where you pay to camp,and pay $5.00 for each fisherman.I then drive down to the dam and park.Sometimes I'll wade the riffles right below the dam and cast along the walls,and the current breaks in midstream.That's a good area,but you'll snag up a lot too.Right below the riffles,the river drops off into a nice deep hole that runs for about 75 yards or so.I take a lot of fish out of that hole,mainly smallies and saugeye's.Right up against the wall of the dam,one of the residents that live there usually has a fish basket tied to the wall.Most times when I'm there,he'll usually have 2 or 3 nice pike in there,with a few saugeye's as well.The best time to fish there is after there's been high water and it's receded back to normal,fish are usually stacked in there then.For eyes',the best time for me is from 3:00AM until shortly after daybreak,but,that's when I'm camped there.A nice little float trip from Mohawk Dam down to 6-mile puts you into some nice fishing also.There's one hole about 1/4 mile downstream from the Rt.36 bridge that you can burn up saugeye's and bass on jigs/minnows,best of all,a boat is the only way that hole can be accessed.


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