# ODNR Fishing Report 4/13/05



## Big Daddy

#2 of the year....

Ohio Department of Natural Resources 
Division of Wildlife 

The Fish Ohio Report 
April 13, 2005 

Tip of the Week - Supply your own worms by attracting them to the bait boudoir. Turn the soil making it loose and cover with several inches of old straw. Keep area moist. Whenever you need some worms head out to your bait boudoir and gently dig some up. Place the worms in a container with some of your bait boudoir bedding. To keep worms nice and cool, place a few ice cubes in a resealable plastic bag and bury it under the bedding. For more information on fishing, check us out on the web at www.ohiodnr.com. Enjoy.



CENTRAL OHIO

Alum Creek Lake (Delaware County) - Saugeyes are an early favorite. To find active fish, fish minnow-imitating crankbaits along the edge of windswept muddy points. 659,000 fingerlings (one and one-half inches) were stocked in 2004. You can expect catches to range from 16 to 18 inches. During the day, use fluorescent colored jigs and grubs tipped with a large minnow dragged vertically under the boat on the bottom in 10 to 25 feet of water near the beach or any large bar. For crappies, fish with small minnows beneath a bobber at depths of two to six feet in areas with woody cover, in the upper lake. Fish along steep drops into water 10 to 25 feet deep in the lower lake where old stumps are present using jigs tipped with small minnow or plastic tails. There is a nine inch minimum size for crappies in Alum Creek Lake. Large channel catfish congregate at the mouth of Big Run Cove and above Howard Rd. Use cut gizzard shad for bait. The upper end of the lake near Howard Road is the best area to locate white bass at this time of the year. Slowly troll three to six inch shad imitating crankbaits at depths of four to nine feet in shallow bays and coves with clearer water for muskellunge. 

Deer Creek Lake (Fayette and Pickaway counties) - This 1290-acre lake south of Mt. Sterling is an excellent place to fish for saugeye. The first saugeye stocking ever in Ohio occurred here in 1978. 326,000 fingerlings were stocked in 2004. The tailwater area below the dam is particularly good especially after a water release. Use jigs and minnows or twister tails fished along the bottom for best results. Deer Creek above the main lake north of Cooks -Yankeetown Road is a good place to fish for white bass. Use small spinners in areas just below the riffles to catch these eight to 12 inch fish. Wading is recommended in some areas when conditions are safe. Shoreline areas with woody cover can be a good place for crappie using minnows suspended by a bobber. Keeper crappies must be nine inches or longer.



NORTHWEST OHIO

Maumee River (Lucas and Wood Counties) - The water temp is 50 degrees and the river is below normal level. Anglers are taking walleye (mostly males) using Carolina rigs (floating jig tipped with a twister tail about 18-24 inches below a weight) with bright colored twister tails. The best locations are Blue Grass Island, Buttonwood & Schroeders Campground. The outlook is good. White bass are also in the river.

Sandusky River (Sandusky County) - The water temp is 56 degrees and the river level is low, clarity is about five inches. Anglers are catching walleye using a 3/8 or 1/2 ounce weight above floating jigs tipped with chartreuse or white twister tails. The best location is above Miles Newton Bridge up to Roger Young Park. The outlook is good. White bass are also in the river.

Reminder: 15 inch minimum size limit for walleye for entire season.

Bucyrus Reservoir #1 (Crawford County)  The water temperature is 60 degrees and the water is cloudy. Largemouth bass are being caught on crank baits on the north side of the reservoir. Channel cats are being taken of the bottom using night crawlers. The north east bank is the best bet.





NORTHEAST OHIO

Tuscarawas River (Stark and Tuscarawas counties)- Northern pike ranging 14 to 24 inches are biting on chubs or jigs tipped with large minnows under bobbers between the South Dover dam and Newcomerstown. Smallmouth bass are also biting, but on white spinner baits. One angler recently caught a 2½ pound smallmouth bass in this river which is much larger than average. 

Beach City Reservoir (Tuscarawas County) - Bullhead catfish, seven to 12 inches in size, are hitting on worms and night crawlers near the bottom of this 190 acre lake. This is a great time of year to catch dinner. Recipes are available on the Division of Wildlifes website at http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/Fishing/recipes/frecipe.htm. 

Pymatuning Lake (Ashtabula County) - This large 14,650 acre lake is providing decent walleye fishing with many fish averaging 20 inches. Try catching these fish from the State Route 85 causeway bridge on chartreuse jig heads or twister tails tipped with worms. 



SOUTHWEST OHIO

Great Miami River (Miami County)  Gain access to the river from SR 36, Arang Park in Troy, Ohio, or SR 571. Smallmouth bass are being caught by anglers using small dark colored 1/8 to 1/4 ounce jigs fished off of the bottom near structures such as rocks, logs, and eddies. Ask for permission before entering private property.

Stillwater River (Miami County)  Access this river area from Fredrick Garland Road, Fenner Road, or SR55. Channel catfish are being taking by anglers using night crawlers or chicken liver on a baitholding hook as bait. Fish the bait slowing along the bottom in the slower moving current. Use just enough weight to keep the line from moving.

Grand Lake St Marys (Auglaize and Mercer counties)  Access the West Bank area from US RT 127 just south of Celina, the Windy Point area off of SR 219 just north of Montezuma, or the Montezuma Park area on the south side of the lake off of SR 703 just before the traffic light in Montezuma. Anglers are catching catfish by using night crawlers, cut bait (shad), or shrimp as bait. Place the bait on a #2 baitholding hook and fish it along the bottom near the shoreline.



SOUTHEAST OHIO

AEP Ponds at Conesville (Coshocton County)  Water conditions are at normal level and clear at this time. Anglers are catching crappies and bass on spinner baits moved slowly through the water so that the blade flashes intermittently. Anglers are also using bass minnows and small crappie minnows fished under a bobber.

Tuscarawas & Walhonding Rivers (Coshocton County)  Water conditions are beginning to clear and the level is receding. Anglers are catching two to five-pound saugeyes on twister tails and rapalas when fishing the deep holes and just below the ripples.

Tycoon Lake (Gallia County)  Water conditions are clear and normal. Crappies are being caught in four to eight feet of water on minnows and chartreuse or pearl twister tails. Fish around submerged brush piles and structure for crappies. Although bass fishing is slow, some activity is occurring using crank baits and rubber worms.

Turkey Creek Lake (Scioto County)  Water is clear and at normal pool with water temperature around 61 degrees. Bass in the 12-inch range are being caught on purple Bitsy Bug jigs with a green trailer pork rind. Bass can also be caught on five-inch purple lizards.





OHIO RIVER

River conditions in the Brown, Clermont, Hamilton, Gallia, and Scioto counties continue to be high and muddy. Water temperature averages 51 degrees. No fishing activity has been noted due to conditions. Use caution when participating in any activity around the river and always wear a life jacket whether on-shore or in a boat.



LAKE ERIE 

** The 15-inch walleye minimum size limit remains in effect for the entire season. From March 1 through April 30 the walleye limit on Lake Erie and its tributaries is three fish per day. Anglers are reminded that the daily bag limit for trout and salmon on Lake Erie and its tributaries is two fish through May 15. The trout and salmon minimum size limit is 12 inches.**



Western Basin: Over the past weekend (4/9, 4/10) walleye and yellow perch fishing were excellent in the western basin. Limits of walleye were caught by jigging on the Camp Perry firing range reef complex, near shore from Davis Besse to Crane Creek, and Maumee Bay. Popular jigging lures include jig heads tipped with shiners, hair jigs tipped with shiners, and vibrating blade baits. Trollers caught walleye on the flats north and also east of the reef complex. Shallow minnow-imitating stick baits in the top half of the water column pulled behind planer boards will produce occasional trophy walleye during the spring. Large yellow perch were caught east of Kelleys Island, near the Marblehead lighthouse and around the Sandusky Bay foghorn. Spreaders or crappie rigs tipped with shiners are the best technique to catch yellow perch.



NE winds during the week of 4/11 have muddied the waters of the western basin. When the lake calms down the fishing should improve again. Surface temperatures range from the upper 30s to the mid 40s.



Recent NE winds slowed walleye fishing in the Maumee and Sandusky Rivers after great fishing last weekend (4/9, 4/10). When conditions stabilize fishing should improve. Most fish being caught in both rivers are 18 to 22 males with occasional trophy females up to and over 10 pounds. The most popular technique is to Carolina rig a floating jig head tipped with a soft plastic curly tail.



To view the most recent Maumee River and Sandusky River fishing reports visit: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/fishing/freport/walleyerunreport.htm



To view recent updates regarding the tributary steelhead fishery visit: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/Fishing/fairport/steelhead.htm



To view the predicted weather forecast for Lake Erie visit: http://seaboard.ndbc.noaa.gov/data/Forecasts/FZUS61.KCLE.html


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