# ODNR Report 8/3/05



## Big Daddy (Apr 6, 2004)

Here you go...

Wildlife News 
Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Division of Wildlife

The Fish Ohio Report

August 3, 2005


Tip of the Week  Take your kids fishing at the Ohio State Fair. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife has kiddie fishing, archery, and BB gun range to try your skills. The Natural Resources Park is located in the southeastern corner of the fairgrounds. For more information on fishing, check us out on the web at www.ohiodnr.com. 


CENTRAL OHIO
Alum Creek Lake (Delaware County) - August is the best month for night fishing. The reduced boat traffic and lower air temperatures make night fishing a relaxed fishing experience. Fish the deeper waters near the thermocline. This is generally about 18 feet deep near the dam and 12 feet deep above Cheshire Rd. Channel catfish will roam the shallower waters in the evening and night hours in search of an easy meal. Cut baits, chicken liver and prepared baits are good live bait choices. If you are looking for some daytime action, try trolling for muskellunge or saugeye. Muskie can be found near the dam at depths of about 14 to 15 feet and look for saugeye at depths of 10 to 12 feet.

Kiser Lake (Champaign County)  Hybrid striped bass can be caught using chicken livers on the bottom or jigs fished from an anchored boat. These fish were first introduced into this 380-acre Champaign County lake in 1992 and now measure up to 26 inches and 13 pounds. No motors including trolling motors are allowed on Kiser Lake. Largemouth bass can be caught using a variety of artificial baits, like six-inch plastic worms, top-water lures, and small spinners, fished near brush cover or downed trees. Some anglers here also enjoy using a fly rod with small surface poppers to take bluegills.


NORTHWEST OHIO
Willard Reservoir (Huron County)  Channel catfish in the 15 to 20 inch range have been caught this week. Night crawlers on a worm harness being trolled is working the best. Morning is the best time and the best spot seems to be east of the launch ramp.
Van Wert Reservoir (Van Wert County)  Good numbers of crappie are being taken on minnows fished beneath slip bobbers. Evening is the best time and the best spot seems to be the northwest corner. Channel cats are also being taken in good numbers. Still fishing with night crawlers after dark is the best bet. The East dike is the best spot.

Ottawa Reservoir (Putnam County)  Bluegill are being caught during the morning hours by fishing wax worms under a slip bobber. Try the South dike.

Bressler Reservoir (Allen County)  Nice sized channel cats are being taken here. Crayfish fished three feet under a bobber is great for catching these cats. Any of the shore line is good. Dusk through dawn is the best time.

NORTHEAST OHIO
Berlin Reservoir (Portage, Stark, and Mahoning counties) - Bluegills (five to seven inches) are hitting on wax worms or maggots along the shorelines in three to six feet of water or along the shallow humps between the Army Corps ramp and the railroad tracks. Anglers are catching nice channel catfish along the bridges and shoreline at night with night crawlers and chicken livers. Walleyes are slow right now, but a few are being caught by anglers trolling with crankbaits and crawler harnesses in 16 to 20 feet of water. Anglers are also picking up crappie, channel catfish, and perch with this method. Unlimited horsepower. 

Cuyahoga River (Cuyahoga County) - Near LeFevers Restaurant and Waterworks Park, smallmouth bass and northern pike are hitting on artificial lures such as crayfish crankbaits, small jigs, small spinners, and top-water baits. Early mornings and late evenings are best since the heat of the day forces fish into a very lethargic state. 

Beach City Reservoir and Tailwater (Tuscarawas County) - Bluegills, channel catfish, and brown bullhead catfish are giving anglers some success below and near the dam. Reel in bluegills while fishing with earthworms or red worms in three to four feet of water. Channel and brown bullhead cats can be caught on stink baits or chicken livers on or near the bottom of this 190-acre lake. The outlook for bullhead catfish is excellent, so expect to catch a high number of these bottom feeders in the eight to 14 inch range. 10 horsepower limit. 

SOUTHWEST OHIO
C. J. Brown Reservoir (Clark County)  Walleye are being caught by anglers using crankbaits, jigs with plastic bodies or curly tails, small spinners, or live minnows, leaches, or night crawlers on a #6 long shanked hook as bait. Good curly tail color choices are white, orange, pink, or chartreuse. Fish by slowly jigging, trolling or drifting baits in 10 to 15 foot depths. Anglers report walleye are being caught in the main lake river channel, around structure, and over humps. Fish in the early morning and early evening hours. Remember all walleye less than 15 inches long must be immediately released back into the lake. Channel catfish are being caught by anglers using shad, shrimp, night crawlers, and chicken livers in the upper end of the lake. Fish the bait tight line or slowly drift the bait along the bottom at three to six foot depths.
Great Miami River (Miami, Montgomery, and Warren counties)  Remember to ask permission before entering private property. In Miami County, fair numbers of smallmouth bass and rock bass are being caught in the early morning and late evening hours, in transition areas where deep and shallow water areas connect. Popular baits are soft crayfish and salted tube jigs. Catfish are consistently hitting in many of the deep holes throughout the Montgomery County portion of the river. The popular spots on the river are the deeper water areas below the low head dams. Try shad and goldfish for the larger flathead catfish. Wade the river and fish the banks and holes for largemouth and smallmouth bass using crayfish imitations, tube baits, spinner baits, minnow imitations and in-line spinners. Anglers are catching channel and flathead catfish in Warren County by using chicken livers, cut bait, night crawlers, or live goldfish. 

Rocky Fork Lake (Highland County)  Bluegill are being taken at four to eight feet using redworms and wax worms. Look for shoreline areas with woody debris or submerged trees and brush to be most productive. Fish the bait using a slip bobber and use a #2 or 1/0 long shanked hook for best results. A variety of catfish are being caught by anglers using night crawlers, shrimp, stink bait, cut bait, and chicken livers. Fish the bait tight line along the bottom in five to 10 foot depths. Anglers have been catching a few saugeye by trolling crankbaits in eight to 15 feet or water.

SOUTHEAST OHIO

Clouse Lake (Perry County)  Late night fishing for largemouth bass has been the technique at this Perry County lake. Anglers are using top-water baits such as weedless frog imitations and un-weighted rubber worms skipped across floating mats of vegetation. Bluegill and other sunfish are being taken along the dam using small worms fished below a bobber.

Little Muskingum River (Monroe County) A few muskellunge are being caught in the deeper pools of this river. Water levels are below normal, clear, and are around 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Successful anglers are using crankbaits and various top-water lures for these prized gamefish. The Little Muskingum River is one of very few small streams in southeastern Ohio that support muskellunge. Muskellunge in large lakes can reach lengths of up to 50 inches, however stream muskellunge are often smaller in size.

Turkey Run (Perry County)  Anglers have had success fishing in the evening (7:00-9:00 pm) for bluegill. Small worms, wax worms, and meal worms fished below a bobber with a small split-shot are the preferred baits.

Piedmont Lake (Belmont County)  Saugeye have been active after cool fronts move through the area. Successful saugeye anglers have been throwing crankbaits and spinner baits along the outside weed beds in eight feet of water. Piedmont Lake may be the best saugeye lake in southeastern Ohio. Saugeye have adapted well here and many large fish are available.

LAKE ERIE 
Western Basin

Walleye - Walleye fishing has been slow. Expect fishing to improve as the large 2003 year class begins to surpass the 15 inch minimum size limit. The best walleye fishing has been around the Toledo water intake in 21 feet of water, south of F can on the Canadian border, and along the northern border of the Camp Perry firing range from A can to C can. Drifting or trolling worm harnesses and trolling spoons produce the most fish.

Yellow Perch - Perch fishing has remained slow, but occasional decent catches have come from west and northwest of Kelleys Island and around West Reef near North Bass Island. A perch spreader tipped with shiners is the most popular set-up.

Smallmouth Bass - The best smallmouth bass fishing has been around the Bass Islands, Kelleys Island and Sandusky Bay. Largemouth bass have been caught in Sandusky Bay, East Harbor and West Harbor.

Central Basin

Walleye - The best walleye fishing has been around Ruggles Reef west of Vermilion, 10 to 16 miles north from Fairport Harbor to Geneva in 70 to 72 feet of water, and 10 to 20 miles north of Ashtabula in 70 to 72 feet of water. Trolling 30 to 50 feet down with spoons or crawler harnesses using planer boards, dipsy divers or jet divers, have produced the best catches. The best spoon colors have been confusion, watermelon and black/silver. Fish have ranged from 15 to 28 inches.

Yellow Perch - Yellow perch fishing has been best three miles north of Eastlake in 37 to 44 feet of water, two to four miles north-northeast of Ashtabula in 45 to 56 feet of water, and two to four miles north-northeast of Conneaut in 44 to 55 feet of water. A perch spreader tipped with shiners is the most popular set-up. Fish have ranged from seven to 11 inches.

Smallmouth Bass - Smallmouth bass fishing has been good around breakwalls and rocky drop-offs from Lorain to Avon point. Tube jigs and drop-shot rigs with goby imitations have been the most productive lures.

Steelhead - Steelhead have been caught by walleye anglers in the same areas mentioned in the walleye report. Fish have ranged from 22 to 30 inches.

White Bass - The best white bass fishing has been from shore at the Eastlake CEI wall and in Cleveland on the E 72nd and E 55th street piers. Anglers are using agitators with small spinners and twister tails. Fish have ranged from eight to 14 inches.

Lake Erie surface temperatures are between 76 and 80 degrees.

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

OHIO RIVER
Belmont County  Fishing has been slow in the Ohio River for species other than catfish. Channel catfish are being caught using chicken liver and night crawlers fished tight on the bottom. Fishing during the night seems to be the best time to fish for channel catfish and flathead catfish. Flathead catfish are generally caught using live bait such as shad and skipjack herring. Water temperatures are in the mid-80 degree range.

Monroe County  Catfish anglers are catching channel catfish on cut bait (shad and skipjack herring) as well as chicken liver and night crawlers fished tight on the bottom. Some larger fish have been caught. Anglers have also been catching freshwater drum and gar. Bass fishing has been somewhat slow. Overall, fishing pressure has been light.

Lawrence County  Water temperatures are running around 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Channel catfish are being caught using night crawlers, shad, and minnows. Freshwater drum have also been hitting. Night angling has been the most popular time period for catfish anglers due to the high daytime temperatures.


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