# best catfishing place in northeast ohio



## BIgbassin07 (Jul 12, 2007)

so where is it??? also has to be good for other fishing as well


----------



## Bluefinn (Jan 26, 2007)

Size or numbers ? Hinckley was always good for channels . I think they stock them every so often . Ladue has the state record . I would like to get back into catfishing for a change . Great question , I hope it gets a lot of replies . There should be many good cat lakes around . Mosquito , spencer , rivers & the list goes on .


----------



## BIgbassin07 (Jul 12, 2007)

haha how about size and numbers


----------



## treefrog (Sep 15, 2005)

Lake Erie and tribs..Also New Lyme game lands lake is stocked by the state with channels.

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/pdf/pub44.pdf


----------



## papaperch (Apr 12, 2004)

Off the breakwall ( west ) at Conneaut is the best channel catting I have done both in numbers and size. Using slip bobbers and fathead minnows , small worms and crayfish for bait. Prime months were July , August and September. All late evening and night fishing. Other species that were caught were , crappie . white bass , smallmouth , perch and an occasional walleye or steelhead. Biggest crappie I ever caught in Lake Erie was here also.

Used to park boat and climb on wall to fish. Had to fish at least fifty yards from boat as the boat seemed to spook everything due to the clear water. Channels came from the lakeside . mostly crappie on the harbor side. On a real good night two of us used to land somewhere between 50 -100 channels. 12- 15 lbs were the norm although the size could range from 12" t0 24 lbs.


----------



## Flathead King 06 (Feb 26, 2006)

not from around the area, but always hearing something about charles mills reservoir, buckeye lake, mosquito lake, and the muskingum river area...all these places have both channels and flatheads in them...dont know about blue cats but im sure one of them is bound to have some in it...hope this helps


----------



## neocats1 (Oct 14, 2006)

Chanel Catfish are available just about everywhere. ODNR stocks lakes on a routine basis when those lakes do not support breeding. Almost every body of water around deeper than your bath tub can substain channel catfish. Getting into an area where there are catfish of considerable size is a different question. During our tournaments this year, I have seen several in the 10 pound range come from Wellington, Charles Mill, Rohr's Lake, and the largest to date, a 20# 11 oz. flathead from Shreve Lake. At our Mosquito Lake touney the big fish was less than 8# but I know there are bigger fish in there. Our overall best tournament weigh-in came from Mosquito Lake, but based on the fact that the Rohr's Lake tourney was a daytime event, I would have to recommend Rohr's if you wanted a better trip. Rohr's is a paylake, but it is not like the usual paylakes. Rohr's is a 75 acre farm pond . They have a campground there and it is designed for anglers to have a good time fishing. There are no regular tournaments or contests there.
I have also seen some large channells caught at Spencer Lake, with my wife catching a 12 1/4 pounder last year which was released.
Chippewa Lake is supposed to be open to the public sometime in 2008. It is, in my opinion, the best catfish spot I have ever fished. With it being a private lake before being bought by Medina County, it was used mostly for recreational purposed. It was a common night of fishing for me to land 2-3 channels over 10 pounds, the largest being 15# 3 oz in 2006.
So my advice, "Keep trying new spots until you find one that produces."


----------



## Alter (Apr 8, 2004)

I'd vote for the lower grand river near the lake but I'd be willing to bet any of the the lake erie tribs hold good cats near the lake. Lots of good over-looked cats in lake erie, I don't think it would suprise many if the next record channel came from lake erie or a lower trib.

If the cats aren't biting the sheep should keep you occupied.

steve


----------



## leadcorebean (Jul 17, 2006)

i would have to say berlin.. i would go for eyes with worn and would end up getting more cats than anything. the fish look great too nice and clean.


----------



## homeworker (Oct 3, 2005)

How can you possibly leave out Edison Reservoir on the Cuyahoga!?70+ feet deep and loaded with channels of legendary size, along with a few blues and shovelheads,too.They're already getting some off the Gorge Pier;mostly on shiners or minnows.August is usually best.


----------



## Steel Cranium (Aug 22, 2005)

BIgbassin07 said:


> haha how about size and numbers


A lot depends on where you live and what's close, since much has to do with the "when" as well as the "where". 

If you have a boat, the size has to be ladue (last two state record channels came from there) or Erie/tribs. Erie/trubs can be accessible from shore as well.

As mentioned earlier, most waters hold channels. Most won't divulge their actual spots in a public forum list this, but you can figure some out by looking for nighttime/rainfall feeding areas. Find a body of water close to home where channels are stocked. This doesn't have to be a state water -- could be a local park/metropark that routinely stocks cats for kids derbies. Locate places where water runs off into the lake during rains and try it during/after a rain -- especially a good rain after a long dry period (like presently in the Cleveland area). Go there when it rains and see if the feed takes place there. I have a few spots which I hit in these conditions using hot dogs for bait and can consistently catch fish near and exceeding 10lbs, from shore.


----------



## Agent47 (Jun 27, 2006)

Gotta say the Ohio River near town...


----------



## BASSINaDL (Aug 24, 2010)

goin catfishing in a couple days, either berlin or the gorge. more suggestions would help.


----------



## Fishnhunt (Oct 13, 2008)

I vote for Mogadore. I have been out ten+ times this year and every time between 2 of us we land 2 or three fish over 12 pounds. the biggest this year was an 18 pound monster.


----------



## homeworker (Oct 3, 2005)

You can always tell if someone hasn't fished at Edison Reservoir(the Gorge).Otherwise, it's no contest...


----------



## mgshehorn (Jun 21, 2008)

West Branch is still one of my favorites after dark. East boat ramp by the dam has always kept me busy. The mud flat along the shoreline is also a nice area for Muskies. Use to watch them chase bait fish right out of the water late at night. One rig with chicken livers and one with large shiner and strong leader oughta do the trick if ya wanna kill two birds with one stone.


----------



## jackal_727 (Feb 16, 2010)

Ok first let me say, berlin is going to be more of a numbers spot than a size spot. I have never fished berlin for ANYTHING without pulling in some channels. But i have never caught anything in there over 6-7lbs. Im not saying their not in there, just not in good numbers. You would be better off trying another spot. Dont over look portage lakes either. Both turkeyfoot and long lake have good numbers and big sized fish. I have caught many over 10lbs in both of these lakes. My personal best is 15lbs and my buddy whom i fish with caught a 22lbs monster out of turkeyfoot last year. Any of the lakes mentioned on this thread will be great spots just some will produce numbers and others size. Just gotta figure out what you want more. Good luck.


----------



## KSUFLASH (Apr 14, 2004)

Springfield Lake in Summit County has been stocked with cats for several years. I hear they catch alot of them out there, but I am unsure of the sizes they are getting.


----------



## BASSINaDL (Aug 24, 2010)

what would you use for channal catfish bait iv always use worms or this chicken liver dough.


----------



## davish (Jun 2, 2009)

This cat gave me one of the best fights, did not expect it...

Ladue, island southwest of 422 bridge, was workin the light cover for some white perch, used minnows and caught a few white perch that wouldn't be worth a fish stick so switched to crawlers. Tossed a chicken liver for fun to see what would happen, almost tipped my little 12 foot sea nymph with this cat, he got the liver and we released him safely and quickly, he was beautiful. Measured at 23.5 inches...made the whole day worth it!


----------



## wunderwolf (Apr 2, 2010)

hands down the most productive place i've ever fished was the CEI discharge in eastlake. scouts honor (actually i was in indian guides) i could not get two rods in the water because the action was nonstop. in two hours of fishing(just after dark) i would catch 30 or more catfish. average weight 3-4 lbs. largest 14lbs always caught a few about 8lbs. this wasn't one time- it was everytime!!! unfortunately, since 9/11 you are no longer allowed into the discharge canal. had to take a boat all the way in. white bass(small) were so thick in there they would actually land in my dingy as i drove in. best catfish bait: buy a few shrimp and place them in a tupperware container with cut pieces of 5 star hotdogs- they have tough skin, leave in sun for awhile, works real well cause they never come off the hook and smaller fish will not steal your bait


----------



## wunderwolf (Apr 2, 2010)

i forgot this forum was for inland lakes and not lake erie-sorry


----------



## WiseEyes (Apr 7, 2010)

I think the real question in NorthEast Ohio is where is a bad place to catfish everywhere I fish I struggle to keep those POS fish off my line


----------



## KSUFLASH (Apr 14, 2004)

HA! WiseEyes now that was a good one!!


----------

