# best public place for cats?



## spfldbassguy (Mar 23, 2009)

I was just wondering,what public lake would get the vote as the best all around catfish lake in ohio?I usually stick to someplace close to springfield(for cats anyways) & was wondering where I could go for numbers & size?


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## fishnohio (Jan 7, 2008)

cj brown res


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## big red (Feb 4, 2010)

i fish indian lake alt.has alot of good channels and now there is some flatheads in there.the channels will run from 12-18'' average with some going bigger.the flatheads are still alttle on the small size around 2-5lbs.may want to check out deercreek,paintcreek.both of these have have alot of cats in them.


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## squid_1 (Jun 2, 2005)

St. Mary's is loaded with them.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Just remmber that Numbers and size, never go together, places like the ohio River is a "Quality" fishery with many large cats, but not many cats. while a place like CJ Brown is a "Quantity" fishery loaded with smaller guys with a few large fish mixed in. I would think since you live in Springfield, that weeding through all the dinks for a few good channels at CJ Brown would be the best spot around. 

Good luck!
Salmonid


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## catmanbennie (Jan 15, 2010)

spfldbassguy said:


> I was just wondering,what public lake would get the vote as the best all around catfish lake in ohio?I usually stick to someplace close to springfield(for cats anyways) & was wondering where I could go for numbers & size?


C.J.Brown is great for fishing for channels.Have you tried Old Reid ParkI?It also have alot of catfish in it as well..


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## spfldbassguy (Mar 23, 2009)

fishnohio said:


> cj brown res


I fish there a ton & am lookin to try out some new places.Cj is a very good lake for cats i must agree.


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## spfldbassguy (Mar 23, 2009)

catmanbennie said:


> C.J.Brown is great for fishing for channels.Have you tried Old Reid ParkI?It also have alot of catfish in it as well..


Yeah I fish at Old Reid Park but not for cats.It's usually for bass or bluegills.I do like CJ but i'm always interested to get get other peoples' opinions on things.Thanks for the info so far guys.


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## ur_averagejoe4 (Aug 18, 2009)

Reid Park has too many dead beats and too much geese crap on the ground, too much moss on the water, too many people taking basket fulls of bass of all sizes and cast netting and keeping anything they get just to go pay lake. I'm done with Reid, CJ is my home water now. With what we have been pulling out of there has been amazing, and now I have my boat it's going to get better.


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## spfldbassguy (Mar 23, 2009)

ur_averagejoe4 said:


> Reid Park has too many dead beats and too much geese crap on the ground, too much moss on the water, too many people taking basket fulls of bass of all sizes and cast netting and keeping anything they get just to go pay lake. I'm done with Reid, CJ is my home water now. With what we have been pulling out of there has been amazing, and now I have my boat it's going to get better.


I totally agree with you Joe.Old Reid suffers from everything that you mentioned.The only thing I don't mind is the moss,helps with using my spro or snag proof frogs.I wonder is the people that cast net there doing it illegally?Reason I say that is because they're netting gills.I thought that you could only cast net forage fish?Did the regs change this year?The regs state that you could only get freshwater drum(lake erie fishin district only),carp,quillback,suckers,bowfin,gar,buffalo,gizzard shad,& goldfish.Does Old Reid fall into a different category or something cause it's ran by national trails & parks people?I think those that cast net there should get into trouble but that's my opinion.I mean all you need is a tiny,tiny hook & some waxworms & you'll get all the lil fish you need to go to beaver lake.Some people apparently don't wanna take the time to do that.


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## ur_averagejoe4 (Aug 18, 2009)

No, we were there one night last year fishing for cats and this white van pulls up, Chester type of van, and like 3 guys get out with a couple girls and just start cast netting all up and down the place, didn't care if there was people there or not. So I yell at them telling them I had one line out to my right and one out in front of me and they started bitching saying there was a whole park to fish, I said we were here first and then they went down where a woman and some kids were light bobber fishing and we saw all their bobbers just moving all around from where the water was being disrupted from these guys. Put everything they got in buckets and took off, didn't see them throw anything back. I hate Springfield White Trash.


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## spfldbassguy (Mar 23, 2009)

ur_averagejoe4 said:


> No, we were there one night last year fishing for cats and this white van pulls up, Chester type of van, and like 3 guys get out with a couple girls and just start cast netting all up and down the place, didn't care if there was people there or not. So I yell at them telling them I had one line out to my right and one out in front of me and they started bitching saying there was a whole park to fish, I said we were here first and then they went down where a woman and some kids were light bobber fishing and we saw all their bobbers just moving all around from where the water was being disrupted from these guys. Put everything they got in buckets and took off, didn't see them throw anything back. I hate Springfield White Trash.


So far I've been lucky to avoid most of the cast netters that behave like that(except for the not throwing anything back.Seen them take everything as well).However I have ran into some folks I woulda liked to treble hook in their heads for intruding upon "my space" while fishing there.Some ignorant people don't understand the concept of "paylaking" someone that was there first.


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## ur_averagejoe4 (Aug 18, 2009)

We were out there last year bass fishing and two guys in a canoe came from the other side right over to where we were. So I started tossing into their canoe until they got the message.


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## spfldbassguy (Mar 23, 2009)

ur_averagejoe4 said:


> We were out there last year bass fishing and two guys in a canoe came from the other side right over to where we were. So I started tossing into their canoe until they got the message.


Your the man Joe,I woulda done the same thing. I was up at Kiser(i think it was last year) & had some buttholes came around to where I was at & actually cast their lures right in the exact same spot that i'd just caught a bass from.I mean I was fishin' a flooded bush & I know damn well if it'll hold 1 bass it'll probably hold another as well.They got offended when I let rip alot of choice cuss words.Heck I even told 'em right where I was parked & invited them to meet me there & we'd settle it on dry land.Needless to say they didn't accept my invitation even thought I was alone & there was 2 of 'em.Just goes to show it happens everywhere you go.


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