# Hocking river catfish advice



## MIGHTY (Sep 21, 2013)

Central Ohio guy here, seeking a little advice. Buddy of mine I make a point to visit once a year moved to Athens 2 years ago. He doesn’t fish what so ever but he said he’d like to sit out by the river for a few hours. I was planning on making the 1.5 drive this weekend unless it rains a bunch. I’m going to target flatheads. I don’t want your spot, I’m just curious to know if anyone catches any of size above whites mill or is it better to stay below? How does the river look as of now? I might bump this thread closer to the weekend for updates on river condition because my buddy that I’m meeting doesn’t have a clue. I’ve been following it on google earth and there’s some awesome looking bends down around Athens but I told him to start looking around/asking for parking permission. I did find one public boat launch though that I might check out. Anyone caught any flatheads out of there yet? I’m hopefully the warm weather coming will turn them on. Thanks fellas


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

Hey Mighty - I don't know much about flatheads around there other than the closer you get to the Ohio River the better I would assume. I would stick to below the Mill in general. Honestly there are enough fish swimming around the mill to keep you both busy. If you can get a hold of some live creek chubs or suckers I don't think it would hurt to run some under a float or on a slip sinker around the mill. You will definitely find some channel cats at least. A few members on here you may want to send a PM to on this specific subject would be TheCream and RiverWader - those guys contribute to the SE forum a lot and have helped me out a bunch when I lived down there 12 years ago.


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## MIGHTY (Sep 21, 2013)

Awesome thank you very much! I was planning on taking a couple chubs, shiners, and a bluegill or two. I was assuming staying below the mill would be best. Thanks again


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## RiverWader (Apr 1, 2006)

if you want flatheads go to the mill with chubs or bluegill if you want channel cats pick pretty much any spot best spots ive found are below the hospital, below the convo, below pedan stadium , just up river from cart bridge at golf course, just down river from stimson ave bridge down to where water drain hits the river, the bridge up from super 8 motel. use raw shrimp, or cut up bluegill BODIES , ive caught the occasional flatty in those spots but nothing over 20 lbs. good luck


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## slimdaddy45 (Aug 27, 2007)

25 lbs flattie




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slimdaddy45


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May 17, 2009














There's a good bit of snags at the mill but there is some good fish in there I fish it a good bit my biggest is 56.5# out of there got a lot of 20-30's also big bluegills or green sunfish my favorite is bait of choice cheek chubs are good too if you can keep the gar off of them here is a pic of it been a longtime ago tho early 90's when it was caught 30 has been my best since then it was weighed on certified scales at Seamans grocery store


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## MIGHTY (Sep 21, 2013)

Awesome thank you very much riverwader and slimdaddy. Hopefully this warm weather coming will turn them on!


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## Athens_Smallmouth (Jun 12, 2013)

Man I miss fishing the Hocking! My first fishing heartbreak came from whites mill. I was using the biggest creek chubs I could find and throwing them into the tailwater. I hooked into something BIG, but he quickly broke me off. I was such a beginner at the time that I had no clue how to handle a fish that size on the end of my line. Lesson learned though and it made me a better fisherman. The Hocking river in general is really what got me into fishing when I went to school there. I should have stayed and got my masters degree lol. Good luck out there Mighty!


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## MIGHTY (Sep 21, 2013)

Thanks Athens smallmouth, if it doesn’t rain too much and screw up the river I’m going to give it a shot Saturday. Planning on catching bait around 9-10am and arriving around 1 or so to look around. Find a spot, grab some food, then head out the rest of the day.


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## MIGHTY (Sep 21, 2013)

Bumping this us to check and see if anyone can give me an update on the river condition after these small passing storms? Thanks in advanced


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## Be Like Water (Oct 12, 2014)

I agree with the above posters, I generally trap some chubs and use a combo of live and cut bluegills. Water clarity is good right now, I was there yesterday. But flow is very strong. I'm using 4oz weights and even then, your bait will still drift in the current until the sinker hits something. I'll be out there tomorrow. It's still the best spot to fish in Athens right now, but it gets a lot better when the flow slows down some. They unfortunately have added a huge rock wall which now makes the best part of the river much more difficult to access. But still some good spots. We've missed most of the heavy rain and storms that have been passing through Ohio this week, just spotty rain here and there.


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## fishing_marshall (Jun 12, 2004)

I miss fishing the hocking also. Don’t let high water change fishing plans. I had some awesome days for channel cats fishing calm pockets along the banks during high water. Might have to get back to the mill and take my kids someday


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## MIGHTY (Sep 21, 2013)

Thanks a bunch fellas! I’m not a big fan of fishing in current but I’ll give it a go anyways. I really appreciate all the help you Southeast folks have given me. I’ll update everyone tomorrow and let you know how we did. Thanks again.


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## Fisherman 3234 (Sep 8, 2008)

Lots of good advice for you Mighty. Go get old Mr. Lowjaw!


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## MIGHTY (Sep 21, 2013)

Well, be like water was right. Current was pretty crazy down there but I’m sure most of you are aware lol. We drove around along the river for about a half hour looking for a different spot but didn’t see anything that looked fishy and didn’t know what all was private property or not so we just went back to the dam. Used live chubs and bluegills and after a few hours, cut bluegill. We set up on the large rip rap rocks since there was quite a few people fishing. Sadly the only bite came when my buddy got back from the Larry’s hotdog place with some food and we were helping him scale the cliff. There’s some awesome looking spots I noticed along the side of 33 around the Wayne national park area that id love to fish. I’m going to do more exploring on google earth and go back down in a few weeks if I can find another stretch. Thanks again for the help everyone.


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## Be Like Water (Oct 12, 2014)

I was in the next spot downriver from you guys. Sounds like you guys still had a good time, the area where you were fishing is normally the best spot, but the rocks make it difficult now. It usually gets pretty crowded like that on weekends. I'd give it a shot again over the summer when water levels are down a bit.


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## MIGHTY (Sep 21, 2013)

Nice! Believe it or not I actually checked this website a couple times to see if anyone sent me any messages about being down there. I’m assuming you’re the one that had the channel cat come unbuttoned right at the bank? Those rocks were brutal lol.


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## Be Like Water (Oct 12, 2014)

I was impressed that you guys made it up and down them so easily lol. Those are unfortunately a new addition, right at the best public stretch of the river. And yep that was me.. was using the exact same bait as you it sounds like so it was luck of the draw. 

It seemed like nobody up and down that side of the bank was getting much action.. im going to try on the other side from the island today. The area right in front of the mill itself is a really good spot but has been closed off to the public for a while, so the only other option is to park about 50 yards downstream from that island (there's a gravel pull off on the side of the road) and then walk/wade to the island. In summer that areas really shallow but I've had luck there in late spring.


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## slimdaddy45 (Aug 27, 2007)

I wish they would put a place where you could get a boat in without going over the rocks or steep bank which I did years ago but not able to do that now without some kind of ramp cause I love fishing there. Ive got some big flatheads out of there but its hard for me to get down in there Im disabled with back problems and si9nce I had surgery I have a balance problem also and stepping on those rocks I can fall real easy and that don't feel good because I took a fall one night and broke one of my rods


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## MIGHTY (Sep 21, 2013)

Be like water, that looked like a pretty massive channel cat lol. I’m usually annoyed with those bait thieves but that one looked awfully healthy. Here in a few hours when I climb into bed I’m going to search through Wayne national park and see if there’s any access to the Hocking and maybe do some exploring next time I have a weekend where I’m not super busy. There’s gotta be flatheads all throughout that river.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Sorry, just now seeing this. There's plenty of fish around the Mill, but don't be afraid to explore. I find a lot of really good fishing on the river in places where most people are just too lazy to look. A word of advice on channel cat bait, go to a grocery store and buy beef stew meat. It's usually cut into like 1-1.5" cubes. It is just as effective as liver, in my opinion, and is MUCH harder for fish (and turtles) to steal. A really, really fun time on the river is to float it in a canoe or kayaks for channel cats. Anywhere you find a little deep cut, anchor and drop bait down. You usually know in a minute or two if there's channel cats there. 

And if you go to the Mill, do what practically nobody else does: pack out your garbage. The litter around that spot is pretty shocking. Such a pretty, scenic place that too many people clutter up with beer cans and food wrappers. If you pack it in, pack it out.


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## RiverWader (Apr 1, 2006)

another great channel bait is raw shrimp


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

TheCream said:


> Sorry, just now seeing this. There's plenty of fish around the Mill, but don't be afraid to explore. I find a lot of really good fishing on the river in places where most people are just too lazy to look. A word of advice on channel cat bait, go to a grocery store and buy beef stew meat. It's usually cut into like 1-1.5" cubes. It is just as effective as liver, in my opinion, and is MUCH harder for fish (and turtles) to steal. A really, really fun time on the river is to float it in a canoe or kayaks for channel cats. Anywhere you find a little deep cut, anchor and drop bait down. You usually know in a minute or two if there's channel cats there.
> 
> And if you go to the Mill, do what practically nobody else does: pack out your garbage. The litter around that spot is pretty shocking. Such a pretty, scenic place that too many people clutter up with beer cans and food wrappers. If you pack it in, pack it out.


X2 on the garbage. The amount of garbage that I pick up around there is jaw dropping. It feels like I am the only who cares. Worst part is there is a garbage can on top of the hill.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Flathead76 said:


> X2 on the garbage. The amount of garbage that I pick up around there is jaw dropping. It feels like I am the only who cares. Worst part is there is a garbage can on top of the hill.


I can admit, I don't pick up after other people that much. Honestly, I get pretty conflicted about it. It looks better when the trash is picked up, but it also sends a message to the low-lifes that someone else will pick it up for you. I think you're sort of darned if you do, darned if you don't.


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## MIGHTY (Sep 21, 2013)

I didn’t notice any trash in the rocky area where we were fishing but that was my only time ever being there. I made sure that we carried all of our trash out that my buddy brought back from the hotdog joint. I know what you mean though especially after going to some of the popular areas up here in central Ohio that are open to the public. I went out to hoover reservoir saturday since all the creeks and rivers are flooded and it almost might as well be a land fill.....


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## slimdaddy45 (Aug 27, 2007)

TheCream said:


> Sorry, just now seeing this. There's plenty of fish around the Mill, but don't be afraid to explore. I find a lot of really good fishing on the river in places where most people are just too lazy to look. A word of advice on channel cat bait, go to a grocery store and buy beef stew meat. It's usually cut into like 1-1.5" cubes. It is just as effective as liver, in my opinion, and is MUCH harder for fish (and turtles) to steal. A really, really fun time on the river is to float it in a canoe or kayaks for channel cats. Anywhere you find a little deep cut, anchor and drop bait down. You usually know in a minute or two if there's channel cats there.
> 
> And if you go to the Mill, do what practically nobody else does: pack out your garbage. The litter around that spot is pretty shocking. Such a pretty, scenic place that too many people clutter up with beer cans and food wrappers. If you pack it in, pack it out.


When I fish there I would always clean up around the area I was sitting and piled it up and burnt it pop bottles and liver containers cans I would put in a bag .But the bad thing when I would again it was trashed again cant stand to sit with trash all around me .Ive several little fires down there burning people crap up its sad they cant pick it up. Always gobs of fishing line also I do my part but if everybody else did the area would stay clean but that wont happen


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## slimdaddy45 (Aug 27, 2007)

MIGHTY said:


> I didn’t notice any trash in the rocky area where we were fishing but that was my only time ever being there. I made sure that we carried all of our trash out that my buddy brought back from the hotdog joint. I know what you mean though especially after going to some of the popular areas up here in central Ohio that are open to the public. I went out to hoover reservoir saturday since all the creeks and rivers are flooded and it almost might as well be a land fill.....


I gaurantee there will be when the river gets right and the students and the wannabee fisherman hits the cant go with a 12 pack . I had to leave down there one night hadn2 nguys and 2 women come and set up right beside me drinking throwing over my line and getting angled up hoop n hollaring so I just left guy told me he caught a 75# bluecat there lol when they aint none in there that I know been fishing there 50 yrs and never caught one-


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## Bass Assasin Slaton (May 22, 2011)

Hey 


MIGHTY said:


> Bumping this us to check and see if anyone can give me an update on the river condition after these small passing storms? Thanks in advanced


Hey man I live right on the Hocking River. I fish it a ton and could give you some advice. If you want to check water conditions without physically looking google search hocking river water levels. It brings you to the usgs site that includes the water gauge in Athens.

As for flathead whites mill is great. I catch them on jerkbaits right at the white wash at night. I had to stop fishing at night because of this. I did manage a 40lb flathead on my bass gear one night after about a 20 minute fight. But normally they would either break me off or take my jerkbaits. I would recommend wading out to the island when you can get over without the water passing your knees. Below the mill is probably the best for diversity of species. Once you get past the mill its mostly smallmouth, spotted bass and rockbass. I have even been catching walleye in the hocking stretch along athens.


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## Bass Assasin Slaton (May 22, 2011)

slimdaddy45 said:


> I gaurantee there will be when the river gets right and the students and the wannabee fisherman hits the cant go with a 12 pack . I had to leave down there one night hadn2 nguys and 2 women come and set up right beside me drinking throwing over my line and getting angled up hoop n hollaring so I just left guy told me he caught a 75# bluecat there lol when they aint none in there that I know been fishing there 50 yrs and never caught one-


with the boom in Bluecat populations in the Ohio River its not entirely possible but a 75?! Yea No pics no proof on that one lol Walleye have been migrating upstream and I occasionally get hooked into a nice one as well


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## MIGHTY (Sep 21, 2013)

Thanks for the heads up. Did you guys get hit pretty hard with rain yesterday?


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

MIGHTY said:


> Thanks for the heads up. Did you guys get hit pretty hard with rain yesterday?


Athens got around 4.5" of rain last night so, yea, no bueno.


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