# 7/7 Scioto River... BooYah!



## TexasPete (Apr 26, 2005)

BuckiFan and I went to Dick's right after work... We had a good feeling about the trip. Waded for about 3 hours tonight until sundown. Started slow with Brandon joining us, but he left in time for supper. Orrin and I waded down towards a cold well and worked ripples and eddies. Started with a few smallish smallies and a couple rockbass. Then the bite started to heat up. I landed one that was approaching 3 pounds which jumped a few times and kept spooling me downstream, all the while my drag was screamin'. Got Orrin all riled up and my heart racing. I was able to walk towards him as he tried to wrap the line around my fishing partner. Finally lipped him out of the water after a helluva fight. Orrin snapped a couple pictures real quick as the fish broke my lure off the line. Wait, it gets better. Ask BuckiFan about it. Good thing we had the digital cam at the ready tonight. This one is for the non-believers! There are nice smallmouth in this river! As we waded back in the dark, Orrin hooked and landed his PB on the last cast of the night. What a great night to be out with a good buddy. I'll let him tell you about the lure on his pants. Check out the picture with his PB smallie. Notice his right pant leg. Not only did we catch nice fish today, it turned out to be quite humorous. The fun on the scioto never ends! Total count: I got 6 SM, 2 Rockbass. Orrin got 3 Smallies, and a few rock bass, with one of the smallies being his personal best over 2 pounds.
One of Orrin's first of the day...









My nice one...at least 2.5-3 pounds. It fought like Ali with fins.









Orrin is lovin' it.









Stupid look on my face...but a nice fish.









A fishin' folley. So that's where the lure went!









Orrin's PB Smallmouth! Check out his right pants leg. Neither one of us noticed it until we got back to the truck. It took a few minutes with a leatherman since all 6 hooks were lodged in the shorts. Hehe!


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## RiverRat (Apr 5, 2004)

I fish that stretch with Jake(buckeyefishingnut)...its a great area for other species, but for my taste the smallies dont run very big, im more used to 17" avg. on other streams.

Good fun though,

Scott


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## BottomBouncer (Jan 20, 2005)

I hope where you are fishing is hard to get to. Otherwise, enjoy it while you can. I've seen another fairly accessible stretch of the Scioto fished out by those looking for pictures and a fish fry. Used to catch smallies and rockies one after the other........I've caught one rocky in the last couple years....I don't even bother anymore.

Anyways.....good job on the fish  I've been getting :S lately at my favorite LM pond.


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## TexasPete (Apr 26, 2005)

Which it makes it all the better when you get a 20 incher down there. I've seen them caught. It's a matter of time!


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## TexasPete (Apr 26, 2005)

Bottombouncer, please don't tell me that negligent people fry up our beloved bronzebacks. I don't like to hear that. I feel bad when a hook draws blood. Eat catfish, crappie, and rockbass. Please leave the smallies to fight another day.


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## BottomBouncer (Jan 20, 2005)

Not sure what they did with them. Kept all they caught. Same people everytime. I have little faith in the Poacher hotline or our ODNR doing anything about it. It's aggravating.......it's why I cringe when I see people giving out locations. Seems like it gets harder and harder every year to find a great place to fish.

I'm glad to see nice fish coming out of the river!!! Keep it up :F


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## oufisherman (Apr 10, 2004)

Man, those are some nice smallies! You are having one heck of a week I have to say. I hope to have a trip like your's this weekend, going to hit the Hocking. You have to love those big stream smallies. Congrats on the nice bass!


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## BuckeyeAngler (May 16, 2005)

Great job guys! Wish I could of been out there with you.


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## RiverRat (Apr 5, 2004)

Hey Pete, Bottombouncers right...i know way too many stretch that have been fished out by meathunters...just watch on how much you speak out in the open forum about LOCATION and never show any good back ground pics. on here....word to the wise.

good luck, see ya up that way real soon.

Scott


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## twistertail (Apr 10, 2004)

Great job on those smallies! Maybe I need to try Darby in the evening instead of the morning time. You can not beat a good wade fishing trip when its hot out, what a great way to spend an evening.


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## TexasPete (Apr 26, 2005)

It seems that the last 20 minutes before the sun sets completely hold a lot of fish. It always heats up right before sundown. Though I would not advise wading the distances that we've waded in the darkness without a buddy fishing alongside you. You never know what can happen in the perils of the night.

I am willing to wade miles to find good fish. Most people who won't want to work for their fish usually end up skunked. 90% of the difficulty is locating the fish, and 10% is presentation, lure choice, and technique. I guess if you can't cast within a hula hoop sized diameter from 15-20 yards away, even if you know where the fish are, you won't do as well.


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## twistertail (Apr 10, 2004)

Heck I fall down in the creek all the time during daylight hours! 

If you ever want to head down and give the Big Darby a try let me know, there really are fish in there some place!


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## brandonjh00 (Nov 2, 2004)

I should have skipped dinner last night! figures....

Orrin, that is the last place in the world I would want 6 hooks near my body.

Nice job on the smallies!


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## ski (May 13, 2004)

I'd have to agree on where you say you are fishing. I started fishing the Scioto in 93 and the fishing continually see it get worse and worse. It was nothing to fish downstream of griggs and catch 60+ smallmouth and rockbass in 3 hours of wading. Now, that number is way down for me. I once saw a guy using softcraws around the 270 bridge area and he had a basket full of small rockbass and smallies. What was he going to do? Put them in a blender and make a shake with them? 
True, I have caught sme very sizeable smallies the last two-three years, but the numbers are not there like they once were. yes, people most definately keep EVERYTHING they catch. If you notice, people tend to keep hush hush about the Darby and it continues to flourish, and yes, I do realize the water quality and food are better there to sustain larger fish. 

All I'm saying is tell everybody about your great fishing- but don't tell exactly where. If you do, people will fish it out in no time.
I've seen it first hand.
ski


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## Banker (Jun 7, 2005)

Pete,

I forgot to congratulate you. That is ONE_AWESOME looking smallie! Looks to be a solid 3 lbs. Prolly closer to 3.5 (what do other people think?...I know its hard to guestimate weight by looking at pictures).

I do understand what people have been saying regarding giving out location. I started fishing the Scioto bc of a tip from Capt Crown (thanks Capt Crown!)regarding canoeing in central ohio. That first day was absolutely SICK! Thought I had found a definate honey hole but since has produced just dinks and lotsa chubs. (Especially) because I learned from him, I would like to share w/ others. However it blows my mind that people are keeping dink smallies(or smallies period...but hey people can do what they're gonna and as long as its not illegal, while I may not agree, I respect that). I have had so much fun with smallies this year I would never keep one. I myself am 99% C&R (I did cook up one meal this year and will prolly cook up another 1 or 2 or so before the seasons up). Anyways....congrats. Based on you post of lures and when to use what, and your pics, you definately know your sh**! Keep it up bro....


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

Well I can see from all the comments here that I can expect to recieve NO help on where I can wade the Scioto. I guess I will just have to get out this weekend and hunt for areas to wade myself. Personnally I don't get the whole keep it to yourself thing when it comes to rivers and creek. I mean whatever I took today would be replaced tomorrow by fish from upsteam. But hey whatever floats your boat.


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## buckifan21 (Jun 1, 2005)

Pete, thanks so much for taking me out and showing me the ropes! that was one of the best times i have had fishing in a LONG time!

for anyone who is interested, i posted my side of the story under the heading 7/7 scioto... continuance from Pete's post!!

Orrin


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

I would just be happy with some help as to where some wadable area are in the Scioto. Don't want anybodys "spot", just don't know where to wade. I am capable of catching my own fish so no exact spot location is required. I just don't know where to wade that river. From what I have seen of it, I aint seen one place I could wade. It was all way to deep to wade.


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## fishingredhawk (Apr 14, 2004)

Nice job Pete


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## EE (Apr 13, 2004)

pete,
great looking small mouth.
eek


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## ski (May 13, 2004)

to Rod and Reel,
Get out of your car and get your feet wet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We all have found the spots the hard way. Find an access spot and take a walk. You would be surprised at how shallow the river is, most of it being 1-4 ft, with some holes intermixed. One area that I do know is deep is under the 161 bridge. Other than that, the river is shallow.
Even if you don't find a deep hole, You will still catch fish in the weeds. Also, I have seen many large bucks and other wildlife that make it worthwhile.
Enjoy the river and do some exploring!!!
ski


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

ski said:


> to Rod and Reel,
> Get out of your car and get your feet wet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We all have found the spots the hard way. Find an access spot and take a walk. You would be surprised at how shallow the river is, most of it being 1-4 ft, with some holes intermixed. One area that I do know is deep is under the 161 bridge. Other than that, the river is shallow.
> Even if you don't find a deep hole, You will still catch fish in the weeds. Also, I have seen many large bucks and other wildlife that make it worthwhile.
> Enjoy the river and do some exploring!!!
> ski


Dude are you nuts???? I aint going to just walk into that water so I can fall in. And I hate to break it to you, but it is deep. Me and my brother swam in it and I swam in it as a kid (before I knew about all the polution in it) and everywhere we swam was way over our heads. The area me and my brother swam in was so deep we couldn't even push each other to the bottom. So yes it is deep. I think you should explore it somemore yourself before you start making statements like that. I know there is no way that those boats are going to be flying up and down the river in 1-4' of water. Not unless they like taking serious chances with screwing their boats up. If you do not wish to help me with where it is swallow enough to wade, then please don't even respond to my post.


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## TexasPete (Apr 26, 2005)

Just explore! That's half the fun of stream smallie fishing. The other half is getting a few nice ones. You can go at your own pace and really slow down and soak up the experience...the beauty of wading a river. Just being out there after a long day is therapeutic for me. Even if I just catch a few sub 12" fish. Smallmouth are the gamest fish we have, so please try to conserve them. Handle them with as much care as you can and please return them to the river to fight again. Rock bass and other species are plentiful for eating if you have a taste for seafood. Rockies are fun too, but they only get to be about 10-11" max, and they compete for food sources with smallmouth. If you're looking for a fish dinner, you'll catch rockbass along the way while fishing for smallies. There's plenty of other fish for eating in our waters that we don't need to be depleting our populations of gamefish.


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## Banker (Jun 7, 2005)

Rod & Reel,

Sounds like you and ski are thinking of completely difn't stretches of the Scioto. There are wadable areas starting below OShaugnessy Dam(I know, there goes the neighborhood).....I would say it probably averages 1-4 feet for a while(probably more than you would wade in a day)...but do be careful you will encounter some deeper spots and some"not so ideal to wade for whatever reason" spots. Have fun....and let us know when you land your :B .


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## BottomBouncer (Jan 20, 2005)

R&R, there are plenty of areas to wade on the Scioto. Obviously the areas above the dams are not one of them!!! However, further up stream you will be in business.....clear up to prospect.

Unless someone on here personally knows you, or whomever is asking.......you won't get a straight "go here" answer. I've fished sections of stream that literally are not much wider than the length of a couch.....and pulled fish out of them. Just get a map...see where a road crosses a creek/river that interests you and try it out.


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## Banker (Jun 7, 2005)

"Rock bass and other species are plentiful for eating if you have a taste for seafood. "

do carp qualify as seafood


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## RiverRat (Apr 5, 2004)

R&R...if you think that the fish you take today is replaced very quickly...then thats the reason i certainly would not give up where the best places are to wade in Columbus. Maybe in a LARGE body of water like some of the lakes, but in these local streams and rivers...it takes a SM bas atleast 7-9 years to get big enough to call "quality" in my book. Hey 12'ers are a blast on UL tackle and what not....but aint nothing like catch 17-19'ers on 6 lb. line with NO other anglers around!!!
If you want to find spots...START WADING!

Ive cut my teeth as a young boy wading for smallies...while other boys were fishing with bobbers and nightcrawlers for bluegills and LM bass LEARING TO FISH. I have over 20 yrs. knowlege of a few stream for smallies and have landed 8 Fish Ohio SM from them. I have also seen first hand how word spreads and how fast the fishing turns sour....i also used to hit the stretch below griggs years ago and it held an awsome amount of big smallies....i would not even waste my time wading that stretch now!!...SAD! 

My 11yr old son's PB SM bass is 18.6" 3 1/2 lbs...that was caught 2 yrs ago from a stream, my 2 boys learned like i did and they dislike lake fishing for pan fish(too boring)....give them an UL and a stretch of stream and they out catch most anglers twice there age thats for sure!

Scott


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## RiverRat (Apr 5, 2004)

Seafood =..fish taken from the SEA...HAHAHAHAH!

Scott


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## BottomBouncer (Jan 20, 2005)

As little as 5-6 years ago the griggs area was awesome, but I agree.....I wouldn't bother now. Fished it a couple weeks back simply because I was in the area for some reason or another. One rockbass......I remember days, when say you're livebait fishing and can barely sit your rod down.....rain, shine.....any time. 

I've found several creek spots just by taking a different way home from work. Nice, deep clear pools with fallen trees.......picture perfect :F


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## buckeye79 (May 8, 2004)

i consistently catch big smallmouth in the stretch from below oshay dam south to 161...they are still plenty of huge bass in that stretch..i catch them at all times of day


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## fishingredhawk (Apr 14, 2004)

> If you want to find spots...START WADING!


I agree. I think everyone should stop posting specifics. Just my opinion.


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## RiverRat (Apr 5, 2004)

FRH...thats the ONLY draw back to the internet and fishing getting more "popular"....those hidden away spots get killed to fast...which sucks for those of us who take our fishing to heart.

Scott


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

BottomBouncer said:


> R&R, there are plenty of areas to wade on the Scioto. Obviously the areas above the dams are not one of them!!! However, further up stream you will be in business.....clear up to prospect.
> 
> Unless someone on here personally knows you, or whomever is asking.......you won't get a straight "go here" answer. I've fished sections of stream that literally are not much wider than the length of a couch.....and pulled fish out of them. Just get a map...see where a road crosses a creek/river that interests you and try it out.


Well I wasn't talking nowhere near that far up the river, but if thats where I have to go so be it. Oh and I have to disagree with your theory about if they don't know me they won't tell you where to go. I just got a PM from somebody that gave me help and they don't know me. I aint never fished around "the secret area", but will try it out now that I know where to enter the water instead of somebody being no help and just telling me to wade it and find the swallow areas by myself. That may be why we have drownings there all the time. From somebody telling somebody to "just wade it and hunt on your own". Thanks but no thanks. I would rather wait on help as to where to go seeing as I value my life enough not to "just wade it". And to the person that helped (I aint naming names) with the PM, thanks. And just for the record, the area that I was talking about the boat flying up and down the river is above Griggs dam. I haven't never really gotten a chance to look around in the area that the person that helped me told me about.


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## TexasPete (Apr 26, 2005)

anybody gonna try for river smallies this weekend?


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## ski (May 13, 2004)

Riverrat,
I agree completely about the area below griggs going downhill. We used to fish it and catch so many fish, your thumb would get chewed up from grabbing fish.

As far as the wading goes, obviously you shouldn't wade from the griggs dam to the 161 bridge, but below griggs and north from 270 to the O shaw dam you certainly can wade it. 
ski


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## brandonjh00 (Nov 2, 2004)

was gone for the weekend! what happened in this post! Sounds like some hard feelings (I won't name names). I've waded countless times in the scioto, and usually in new spots, and have yet to fall and drown into any dark mysterious holes! The only thing I worry about in the river are cats and carp brushing up against me cause it scares the s#% out of me when I'm concentrating on fishing. I've walked into deep holes and haven't been sucked in yet! But seriously, the river is safe, just be careful and don't wade into major current, which we only have after MAJOR downpours, even then, just bring a float tube and float to your spots!


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

RiverRat said:


> R&Ri also used to hit the stretch below griggs years ago and it held an awsome amount of big smallies....i would not even waste my time wading that stretch now!!...SAD!


I personally believe the lack of success below Griggs is primarily due to the drastic changes that took place after the mid-90's when the dam was re-surfaced and both of the main channels of the river where dredged and re-filled....While over-pressure (was) an issue I think most of the problems lie with the eradication of gamefish habitat by mother nature herself. 

Im not exactly sure how many construction projects there have been below Griggs on the scale of the 95' project...But I think it had been a LONG TIME (prior to 95) since there was any major work done on the dam. The river likely had 30,40,50 years to work out any "kinks" caused by previous construction projects. Then "we" came in and screwed everything up again...big time...And in essence the river screwed us back. I've been paying close attention to the changes that have taken place below Griggs...And one day...maybe 10 years from now,granted there isn't any new construction, the holes will be back, along with the fish.


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

FYI....go to google and type in "below griggs" under the "exact phrase" section....If our posts could just be read/found by the members, posting specifics might not be a problem...But with the internet you might as well put ballons and signs pointing to your favorite hole...A downside to the information super highway I guess


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