# Electric Motor At Kiser Lake?



## cemotech (Aug 1, 2004)

Does anybody know if electric trolling motors are permitted on Kiser Lake? ODNR's website says motors are not allowed, but I'm sure I've seen trolling motors there. Thanks in advance for any info.

Mike


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## Orlando (Apr 12, 2004)

Nope no motors of any kind!


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## whitebass (Apr 18, 2004)

I was going to fish there last year,but found out it was no motors at all. I still would like to fish it but not in my bass boat. Might have to borrow my uncles small aluminum with the oars. After a day of rowing :T I better keep the advil handy.


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## catking (Apr 5, 2004)

No motors at all . But personally I think this is getting a bit carried away. I mean , for crying out loud , a trolling motor should be allowed anywhere... Not one god reason I can think of. I would like to hear their thought on this............ THE CATKING !!!


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## bill_gfish (Apr 5, 2004)

> No motors at all . But personally I think this is getting a bit carried away. I mean , for crying out loud , a trolling motor should be allowed anywhere... Not one god reason I can think of. I would like to hear their thought on this............ THE CATKING !!!


That is the same thing I thought too catking. I found the story last year sometime but can't find it now. John W. Kiser and family offered the land to the state to dam up the river and create a lake. They apparently said you can have this land but we don't want it destroyed by man. Keep it clean, leave it undeveloped and no motors to pollute. Maybe they had the right idea? I may not be exactly right but I am pretty sure the kisers called the shots on this one.

bill


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## cemotech (Aug 1, 2004)

Thanks, guys. Anybody been catching any fish there? I haven't been there in probably 10 or 15 years. Seem to remember catching a decent amount of bluegill and crappie.

Mike


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

This lake is WAY underrated for big Channels. I know a guy who is a big time Pay Lake Money Fishermen who catches tons of Channels in the 10 lb + range.


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## Gobi Muncher (May 27, 2004)

I have heard that if the ODNR would even lift the "no motor" rule to allow electric motors, that the lake would revert back to the Kisers.


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## foofoo (May 9, 2005)

I was there last weekend and didn't see any motors, except for the park ranger's boat.
They do have a small marina there where you can rent human-powered boats. The cost for rowboats and canoes is $4/hour up to $20 for the day. I made the mistake of getting a rowboat when what I really needed was a canoe. The rowboats are big aluminum boats (not jon boats) that are capable of use with 25hp motors and probably weigh 600 lbs. Also, they sit pretty high in the water, making rowing tougher. Normally this might not be a big deal, but I was rowing into the 15 mph wind and resulting current. The boat had a small anchor on each end. Using both resulted in the boat just getting loudly smacked by the waves. Using just one resulted in the boat sweeping back and forth in a 90-degree-plus arc, making bobber fishing tough. I will definitely get a canoe if I go again.
On the plus side, I got two nice bluegill, just under 9" - probably the two nicest I've caught in a public lake.


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## eatwhatyoukeep (May 2, 2005)

The no motor ruling was challenged in court because the state felt that Mr Kiser was not refering to electric motors when the initial rules were set up. It was ruled NO MOTORS. But, it does have very good fishing because many people aren't willing to rough it...


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## Gobi Muncher (May 27, 2004)

I have even heard that they won't even allow gas powered ice augers for ice fishing because of the "no motor" rule.


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## Jeff2017 (May 18, 2004)

I kind of like the idea of no motors not even trolling motors. I have fished this lake for about 25 years. It has for the most part remained a quiet little lake that has produced some nice fish for me. Now dont get me wrong when its 98 degrees out and I'm rowing around the lake fishing from spot to spot I think it would be nice to be using a trolling motor. But I think it keeps alot of the fishing pressure off this little lake that in my opinion is highly underrated.


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## Wiper Swiper (May 24, 2005)

Take it from someone who's fished the lake for 30+ years. There is nothing under-rated or under-utilized in Kiser except the wipers. Just stop in at the Grandview ramp this week-end and see if you can find a parking spot. Trolling motors will only increase the pressure and I fail to see the good in that. It's less than 400 acres and there is very little water deeper than 10' fer cripes sake! 

I hate May on Kiser. Folks read about the "wonderful" panfishing, travel across 4 counties to get here, and then keep every 6 inch gill or 8 inch crappie they can snag. After all, they come for panfish and they're darn sure gonna take some home. It's pathetic really, the fishing's THAT good in most of our lakes. Case in point would be the fellow I watched Sunday wading through the spawning beds, fish basket tied tightly to his hip. As he exited the water with his 25 baby gills flopping in the bottom he ask me how I was doing. "Couple," I said, "How you doing?" "Bunch of little ones, but they're edible" he exclaimed, "Don't know where the big ones are." "Maybe they're in your basket and you just haven't let them grow up yet?" I shot back. If looks could kill.

The wipers are another story. At last check, they're putting about 18,000 advanced fingerlings in annually. That's close to 46 per acre. First year survival is excellent. I've heard it's as high as 20%. My stomach content samplings have revealed that gamefish make up to half of their forage base at certain times of the year. Like now. They're really stupid right after stocking and stay together. If you find a school of 8 inchers, you can catch 40. We kill everyone. The state has very little data to support their stocking levels and even less on their impact to the native biomass. Obviously, I'm not a fan of the Division of Wildlife's bio-engineering. Seems like selling more fishing licenses is the first priority.

So...IMHO, look for the "nothing but little ones" trend to continue. Increasing angler pressure, fattening wipers, and a baffling policy of clear cutting the pad fields by the state, will keep the panfishing average (at best.)

For numbers and size, Indian Lake's crappie/gill fishing kicks Kizer's butt. They taste like mud, but the fish there this Spring have been of a better quality.

If you come, please do me a favor...kill the wipers.


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## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

I only fish Kiser around a dozen timea a year, but I find it to be a very productive lake for all species. I do not target the wipers there, but I've found it to be a better than average crappie, gill, & channel cat lake. 

It also has HUGE shad that make great cat bait. I got 3 dozen in 1 toss a couple of weeks ago form 3-14''! Get a lot of shad >12'' @ Kiser.


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## WishinIwasFishin (Apr 5, 2005)

My arms ache thinking about my times rowing on Kiser. I wonder if there is ever a calm day there or if I am just dumb enough to row on the windy ones! I would suggest a canoe.


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## Jeff2017 (May 18, 2004)

Like I said Kiser does have alot of nice size fish still left. I guess you just have to know the spots and techniques. This is the lake that I fish most of the time and have done awesome. 

Nothing like a scum frog on the lily pads. Hey I miss a few on the scum frog but when they hit it my heart starts racing. I personally like when the cut cross patterns in the lily pads. It makes it easy to get the boat up in the lilies to run my lure from all angles. Plus it gives nice little openings that I have had some nice catches in. 

As much as I have fished there I have really never went after Wipers. They have never been my target fish. I have caught several while doing other types of fishing there. I caught several on chicken liver while fishing for channel cats. I have not noticed a great deal of damage done by wipers yet. I know a lot guys go up there just to catch the wipers. 

Went up there for a couple hours after work last week and did alright. I was fishing for crappie and blue gills for the bank. Nothing giant but did catch alot. I think the biggest blue gill was about 8" and the largest crappie was about 10" to 11".
I havent had a chance to get out in the boat but once this year and we got soaked in a nice storm and only caught a few. I usaully have had it out about every night by this time of the year, but been extra busy this year. This work cutting in my fishing time sucks! Hopefully here in the next couple of weeks I will get a chance to get out in the boat.


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## Wiper Swiper (May 24, 2005)

Jeff, if you're out there like you say you are, I'm sure we've crossed paths. I'd be happy to privately share a couple ways to kill a wiper. I've also learned a few butchering "musts" to make the palatable. They're decent tablefare when properly prepared.

I'm not saying there are no good fish in Kiser. They just do not exist in the quantities that some believe they do. The fishery is small, fragile, and experiencing increasing drains on it's ability to sustain mature populations of native gamefish. 

The pad fields on Kiser have always been sanctuary for juvenile panfish. Cutting lanes opens up things for meat hogs and predators alike. Clear cutting of the fields (like I witnessed last year) is insane. As I'm sure you've noticed, over the last 5-6 years proliferation of 2 or 3 species of aquatic weeds have choked shallow bays. They are even growing out into 6-7 foot of water in certain spots. There are spots where the new weeds are taking over the pads. Cutting the pads and leaving the weeds will only exasperate the situation. I do not view the cutting of pads as proper management of the resource, I view it as exploitation of the resource. But, as I said earlier, the state is only concerned with selling fishing licenses.

BTW--Have you noticed how the state ripped up the shore side habitat in Putnam Park? A big, glaring, mud hill at the mouth of a small crick with no silt fence or buffer strip to stop the erosion from entering the lake. Any contactor performing similar work in the private sector would have been fined for such an egregious example of poor soils management. Oh well, I guess since more folks can get their line in the water it's OK?

You wrote--_I think the biggest blue gill was about 8" and the largest crappie was about 10" to 11"._ 

That's exactly what I'm talking about when I say there's better lakes for size and number. We've had at least 3 outings on Indian this Spring where the best 15-20 crappies ran 11-12 in. or last weekend when the 13 gills we cleaned were right at 8 in. (and we were fishing off the pontoon boat!)

Just my ramblings, please don't take it as personal.

As always--Kill the wiper (saugeye on Indian)


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## dcemsmedic2693 (May 20, 2005)

what is a wiper?


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