# Oak Openings?



## Fishing4the Lamb (Feb 11, 2013)

Has anyone been out there lately, and if so is anything biting? I'm looking to take my daughter out bluegill fishing, and jug for catfish as well. 


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## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

I've never really caught much out there, other than one fingerling perch and a dink gill. That perch had me going back for a little while, but never caught another one. Haven't been out there this year though.

How do you jug for cats from the bank? You can't put a boat in there can you?


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## fisherboy (Sep 17, 2012)

A couple of years ago I caught around 10 crappies there the beginning of May while fishing for gills with a surface fly. Next day tried minnows. Caught about the same # of crappies. Last year I only caught a few on the fly in the same time span.

& I do see rowboats there every once in a while.

The pond I am refering to is Evergreen Lake.


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## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

fisherboy said:


> A couple of years ago I caught around 10 crappies there the beginning of May while fishing for gills with a surface fly. Next day tried minnows. Caught about the same # of crappies. Last year I only caught a few on the fly in the same time span.
> 
> & I do see rowboats there every once in a while.
> 
> The pond I am refering to is Evergreen Lake.


I was also referring to evergreen lake. Is May early enough to beat the duck weed? I might have to try it with my kayak some time, but it's almost always covered with duck weed when I'm there. I just can't figure out how to fish in that stuff, I usually turn around and find someplace else to fish. The only time it wasn't covered in it was when I caught those perch, I think it was mid spring then.


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## Fishing4the Lamb (Feb 11, 2013)

Jmsteele187 said:


> I've never really caught much out there, other than one fingerling perch and a dink gill. That perch had me going back for a little while, but never caught another one. Haven't been out there this year though.
> 
> How do you jug for cats from the bank? You can't put a boat in there can you?
> 
> ...


I tie the jug off on the bucket I throw the gills in. 


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## Fishing4the Lamb (Feb 11, 2013)

Jmsteele187 said:


> I was also referring to evergreen lake. Is May early enough to beat the duck weed? I might have to try it with my kayak some time, but it's almost always covered with duck weed when I'm there. I just can't figure out how to fish in that stuff, I usually turn around and find someplace else to fish. The only time it wasn't covered in it was when I caught those perch, I think it was mid spring then.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Try Mallard lake. There are some decent sized cats and bass. And carp too if you just want a fight. 


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## LatinoHeat (Sep 2, 2010)

Fishing4the Lamb said:


> I tie the jug off on the bucket I throw the gills in.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Jug? Please explain. I do not follow


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## Fishing4the Lamb (Feb 11, 2013)

LatinoHeat said:


> Jug? Please explain. I do not follow


The way I do it is I tie about 18 inches of line to a two liter bottle. I then tie a weight and a baited hook to it. And after I tether it to a tree or bucket I throw it out there and wait til a cat bites. Easiest way to get cats. 


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## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

Fishing4the Lamb said:


> Try Mallard lake. There are some decent sized cats and bass. And carp too if you just want a fight.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Someone told me there were blue cats in mallard, is that true?


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## Fishing4the Lamb (Feb 11, 2013)

Jmsteele187 said:


> Someone told me there were blue cats in mallard, is that true?
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Not that I am aware of. There are black carp though. 


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## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

Fishing4the Lamb said:


> Not that I am aware of. There are black carp though.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Yeah, he told me that they had stocked it with blues at one point. I wasn't really sure how accurate he was.


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## LatinoHeat (Sep 2, 2010)

Fishing4the Lamb said:


> The way I do it is I tie about 18 inches of line to a two liter bottle. I then tie a weight and a baited hook to it. And after I tether it to a tree or bucket I throw it out there and wait til a cat bites. Easiest way to get cats.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


That sounds pretty interesting. I'm going to have to YouTube a video of it so I can see how it is setup and see it in action. I love catching cats. Pound for pound some of the best fights. I like to fry them up with a cornmeal batter :B


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## fisherboy (Sep 17, 2012)

Jmsteele187 said:


> I was also referring to evergreen lake. Is May early enough to beat the duck weed? I might have to try it with my kayak some time, but it's almost always covered with duck weed when I'm there. I just can't figure out how to fish in that stuff, I usually turn around and find someplace else to fish. The only time it wasn't covered in it was when I caught those perch, I think it was mid spring then.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Yes early May should be ok. Sometimes after heavy winds the duck weed will open up & give you a large area to fish.


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

Those ponds are hardly worth the time. I have taken the kids o a couple fishing derbies there. If they manage to catch around a pound of fish total they are gaurenteed a trophy.


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## Fishing4the Lamb (Feb 11, 2013)

I've gotten lucky there a few times. Then other times I was unlucky enough to follow a boy scout troop that couldn't figure out how to put chicken livers on a hook, so the basically dumped five pounds of liver in the water. Nothing was biting because they were full


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## Fishing4the Lamb (Feb 11, 2013)

Scrapping the Oak Openings trip, I'm gonna hit WW Knight wildlife preserve. 


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## JimmyZ (May 18, 2004)

That's a good place. Nice gills in there. Some big bass to. I like the fact that you have to be fishing with a kid to fish there. No using minnows though.


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## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

I don't remember seeing anywhere that you had to be fishing with a kid to fish there. I've fished a few times, with rangers nearby, and have never been stopped.

Or were you not talking about oak openings?


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## HONKEREXTREME (Apr 3, 2013)

a lot of small gills there


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## Mortifero (May 29, 2011)

http://www.woodcountyparkdistrict.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=74&Itemid=114

Says adults may only fish with youth.


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## JimmyZ (May 18, 2004)

I think there are signs around the pond that say adults with kids only. Don't know how much they enforce it.

There are some nice gills in there, especially during spawn.


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## Fishing4the Lamb (Feb 11, 2013)

Yeah, my kids love that stone house. 


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## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

I didn't realize we were talking about WW Knight, I was still on oak openings. Which is why I asked, "Or were you not talking about oak openings?"


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## JimmyZ (May 18, 2004)

We are talking about WWknight is kids only.


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## Fishing4the Lamb (Feb 11, 2013)

Didn't catch anything, and I'm pretty sure because it is because I forgot to bring hot dogs. I had some nibbles though on my night crawlers. 


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## fisherboy (Sep 17, 2012)

All the talk about Oak Openings made me try it yesterday- Evergreen Lake off 295. 8 bluegills, 8 crappies. Crappies were all 8" to 8 3/4". Nice break from the Maumee.


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## Bucket Mouth (Aug 13, 2007)

fisherboy said:


> All the talk about Oak Openings made me try it yesterday- Evergreen Lake off 295. 8 bluegills, 8 crappies. Crappies were all 8" to 8 3/4". Nice break from the Maumee.


Wow, the dinks are growing into almost-not-dinks. That place is hit. I think the tannic water and the ridiculous amount of duckweed has those fish forever stunted.

I fished there alot when I was younger and I never caught a bass bigger than 14". There are some mondo grass carp in there but other than that it's just a nice nature walk while practice casting.


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## fishdad (Apr 10, 2013)

How is the bluegill fishing on Mallard Lake? I've been there a few times for walking and picnicing, but have never fished it. I was thinking about taking the kids there sometime.


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## Fishing4the Lamb (Feb 11, 2013)

It's slim pickings. I'm thinking Swanton Reservoir looks better nowadays


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## rockinmichigan (Apr 13, 2004)

I've fished Mallard Lake a few times recently. Last Thursday I caught a six pound channel cat that was 24" and another was 20.5" and both bit on cut bluegills. Hoping to go back again soon


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