# ODNR Fishing Report 5/10/06



## Big Daddy

Wildlife News

Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Division of Wildlife

The Fish Ohio Report

May 10, 2006

CENTRAL OHIO

Kokosing Reservoir (Knox County)  This 149-acre Knox County lake has nice populations of largemouth bass, crappie and channel catfish. Largemouth bass are expected to be preparing to spawn, spawning or just finished. Anglers should focus on shallow cover and vegetation in coves and pockets, using green pumpkin tube baits, creature baits, plastic worms, jerk baits, and crankbaits in fire tiger pattern. Areas that have downed trees and submerged brush are the best places to fish for crappies using a minnow beneath a bobber fished at depths of two to eight feet. Catfish can be taken on bottom rigs with chicken livers or minnows. There is a 10 horsepower limit at this lake.

Indian Lake (Logan County) - Saugeye are aggressive on wind swept points and channel openings that have currents at this 5040-acre lake in Logan County. Try casting small rattletraps, suspending crank baits, vibrating baits, and fluorescent orange or chartreuse twister tails. About 600,000 saugeye fingerlings are scheduled to be stocked late this month. Largemouth bass are expected to be concentrated in the many canals located on the lake. Stone riprap banks are usually the best bet this time of year. Many quality bass between 12 to 18 inches in length are present in the lake. Green and black hued tube baits, creature baits, and four-inch Senko® - type worms work well. Crappie can provide good fishing this month. Minnows are the most popular choice for live bait with small hair jigs or plastic baits providing the action for artificial baits. Crappie can be taken around boat docks and brush. Channel catfish fishing should be picking up as the water warms using chicken livers, minnows, or worms fished on the bottom.

NORTHWEST OHIO

Lake LeComte (Hancock County)  Anglers report good catches of saugeye when tolling or drifting with worm harnesses. Occasional channel catfish, white bass and yellow perch are also being taken.

Veterans Memorial (Hancock County)  Largemouth bass are hitting shad-colored lures cast along the shoreline.

Blanchard River (Hancock County)  Crappie are biting well near the Putnam County Line. They are being taken around fallen trees, using minnows and artificial lures.

NORTHEAST OHIO

Berlin Lake (Portage County)  Anglers are catching high numbers of both black and white crappie ranging 8 to 12 inches long. Crappie-sized live minnows serve as the choice bait with a simple hook and bobber setup. A total of 450 unused Christmas trees were placed in Berlin Lake in February by the Division of Wildlife, Portage Lakes Bassmasters, and Boy Scout Troop 127 to create fish habitat. Anglers should concentrate fishing these areas. For exact locations of these underwater structures, contact Wildlife District Three at (330) 644-2293.

West Branch Lake (Portage County)  This 2,616-acre lake is well known for its excellent muskellunge fishing. Last year, anglers reported catching 72 muskies with 14 fish exceeding 42 inches and one fish exceeding 50 inches. A total of 2,616 advanced fingerling muskellunge were stocked in 2005. Gizzard shad makes of most of the diet for muskies, so using shad-imitating crank baits should provide great results. For more information on fishing tips and tricks for these top predators of the water visit http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/fishing/huskie/muskiearticle.htm

Tappan Lake (Harrison County)  Anglers looking to do some nighttime fishing should visit this 2,131-acre lake located on US 250. Excellent numbers of channel catfish up to 24 inches are present with most averaging about 17 inches long. Based on 2005 creel clerk survey results, approximately twelve percent of anglers fishing Tappan Lake were fishing for channel catfish. Stink baits, chicken livers, or night crawlers are the best baits when fished on the bottom. When conditions are murky, still try fishing for catfish since they can tolerate poor conditions when other sport fish cannot. Wheelchair accessible shoreline fishing facilities are available. 

SOUTHWEST OHIO

Grand Lake St. Marys (Auglaize County)  Anglers are catching both black and white crappies. The best time for black crappies is during the late evening hours. White crappies are being caught during the daylight hours. Cast into channels and use a chartreuse and black colored jig tipped with a minnow. Keep the bait about 18 to 24 inches deep or about one to one and a half feet off of the bottom. Channel catfish are being caught by anglers using cut shad as bait on a 2/0 to 3/0 sized bait holding hook. Cast into the bays and tributaries.

East Fork Reservoir (Clermont County)  Crappies are being caught by anglers using large or medium sized minnows on a #4 fine wire hook as bait. Anglers are also using a blue or purple jig tipped with a minnow. Fish the bait under a slip-bobber. Cast into the stump fields and keep the bait about six feet deep or if fishing along the shoreline keep the bait about one foot deep. 

SOUTHEAST OHIO

Dillon Reservoir (Muskingum County)  Crappie fishing is excellent on this 1403-acre lake. Try fishing minnows under a bobber or cast and retrieve small jigs over structure. Bluegill and sunfish catch rates have also been good over submerged structure piles. Largemouth bass fishing is still slow, but some anglers using crankbaits and other plastic baits are reporting some success for smaller bass. Catfish are starting to bite at the reservoir spillway on cut bait, livers, and stink bait. Water level is normal with a surface temperature of 61 degrees. 

Hocking River (Hocking County)  Shore anglers fishing near the State Route 93 bridge reported excellent catches of sunfish and the occasional smallmouth bass bite- on small minnows fished under a bobber.

Lake Rupert (Vinton County) This 325-acre lake in the Wellston Wildlife Area is producing nice catches of white crappies 6 to 10 inches in length. Both shore and boat anglers fishing the shallow weed beds are successful when using black and white PowerBait with bright jig heads. Small channel catfish can be caught during the evening hours from both the shoreline and boat when using night crawlers or chicken livers. Bass 12 to 17 inches in length can be caught by boat anglers during the morning hours on buzz baits and spinners fished along the shallow banks. Shore fishermen will catch bluegills on wax worms around the weed beds. Water conditions are clear and at normal pool. 

LAKE ERIE

**The walleye daily bag limit is 6 fish. A 15 inch minimum size limit for walleye remains in effect for the entire season. The Lake Erie daily bag limit for yellow perch is 40 fish. Lake Erie black bass (smallmouth and largemouth bass) are closed to possession (catch and release only) May 1 through June 23. The daily bag limit for black bass on Lake Erie is 5 after June 23. The minimum size limit for black bass on Lake Erie is 14 inches. The steelhead trout bag limit is 2 through May 15 and increases to 5 on May 16. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches.**

**In the past few weeks many dead freshwater drum have been reported floating on Lake Erie and washing up on the shoreline. Samples have been taken from the drum and all symptoms point toward a viral infection. A lab analysis will be available in 6 to 8 weeks to confirm the cause of the die off. Although a few other species have been found with the drum there is no evidence of the viral symptoms in anything but drum. The other species found dead are common this time of year and can most likely be attributed to normal spawning stress induced mortality. The drum die off will continue to be monitored and results of the lab analysis will be reported when available.**

Walleye fishing continues to be excellent when conditions permit in Maumee Bay, around K can of the Camp Perry firing range, north of North Bass Island, and north of Kelleys Island. Purple hair jigs, chartreuse jigs tipped with minnows, and blade baits have been productive for anglers that are jigging. Large walleye have been caught by trollers that are using worm harnesses, jet divers and spoons, or crankbaits.

The yellow perch spawn is primarily over and fishing has slowed compared to a few weeks ago, but many nice perch are still being caught. The best areas have been NW of Kelleys Island, SE of Kelleys Island, around Gull Island Shoal, and S of Lucis Point (Middle Bass Island). Most perch have been 8 to 10 inches with some up to 13 inches. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most perch.

For Steelhead fishing information visit: http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/Fishing/fairport/steelhead.htm

Lake Erie surface temperatures range from 53 to 58 degrees.

To view the predicted weather forecast for Lake Erie visit: http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/fmtbltn.pl?file=forecasts/marine/great_lakes/le/lez160.txt 

OHIO RIVER

Devola Dam (Washington County)  Saugeye and some walleye have been hitting on lead jigs with white or chartreuse twister-tails. Angler success has been high on both the east and west side of the dam, with fish caught anywhere from 10 to 18 inches.

K.H. Butler (Gallia County)  Hybrid striped bass have been biting on cut baits cast into current and held on the bottoms. Successful anglers have reeled in stripers that are in the range of 14 to 18 inches on average. Anglers have been successful fishing for sauger in the area, try fishing minnows or a minnow-type artificial along the bottom. 

Lawrence County White bass have been biting near the openings of creeks that feed into the Ohio River. Cast jigs or grubs with white or chartreuse tails. For hybrid striped bass, cast cut skipjack and shad into the main stem of the river and jig along the bottom. Several stripers were caught last weekend some weighed in around the eight pound range.

Pike Island Dam (Belmont County)  White bass have been hitting on jigs with white or chartreuse twisters using a cast and slow-retrieve method. Catfishing at the dam is starting to pick-up, tight line cut bait or night crawlers along the bottom. Smallmouth bass anglers are beginning to report good catch rates - the most successful bait seems to be pumpkinseed tube jigs.


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