# Hoover Crappie



## fishin express (Apr 6, 2009)

Fished sunday evening, north of 2nd bridge, water was a little stained but not bad. fish were scattered but shallow. Never fished deeper than 8ft. Kept 6 over 10", therw back 7. Not to bad for just taking a shot at it. I love that lake but dont know jack about where to fish. 2 fish on jigs, everything else on minnow.


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## Magilla (Apr 15, 2005)

Hoover can be tricky at times. It also takes a while to heat up. Next time try the Lake of the Woods, it is a good area to fish.


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## fish4wall (Apr 14, 2004)

well the turkey wasnt much fun friday morn but in the 2 hrs my brother and i fished in the afternoon we had a BLAST!!!
to make a long story short we were going to the north end of hoover to see if the white bass was starting to stage and catch some crappie!! on the way to the ramp we see the DNR shock boat...thats not good!!!
we get to the ramp and talk to a guy that just came off the water...he said no clean water north plus the DNR did the shock thing...but he said they shocked a ton of white bass..  so its almost time boys and gals!!!
so my brother and i hit LOTW. in the rain in 2 hrs we caught 50 crappie!!!
it was nuts!!!!we only kept 8 but they were from 9 1/2 to 12 1/4in. 
as we got home the tornado sirens sounded off. so we got home just in time!!
the got to my brothers house to have dinner to walk into a surprise birthday party that my wife, brother and sister inlaw did for me!!! 
it was a great b-day!!!just wish the turkey would come my way!!!


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## fishin express (Apr 6, 2009)

Thanks guys, its on the list for the next trip.


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## SwollenGoat (Apr 13, 2005)

I fished from 7am-noon and caught lots of small males in the shallows on the west side. Shaun Frame was also out in his boat fishing the east side and said most of his fish came in deeper water and were of good size. Tells me that the big ones are on their way. This weekend should be good if we don't get any more monsoons.


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## Capital outdoorsman (Mar 27, 2006)

SwollenGoat said:


> I fished from 7am-noon and caught lots of small males in the shallows on the west side. Shaun Frame was also out in his boat fishing the east side and said most of his fish came in deeper water and were of good size. Tells me that the big ones are on their way. This weekend should be good if we don't get any more monsoons.



This is exactly what I found this weekend. Nothing really over 10 in the shallows with most being 7-9.


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## spidey (Mar 19, 2007)

Fished on Saturday 5/2. Couldn't buy a bite south of Sunbury. Went north. Primarily fished 2 downed trees. Caught several dinks and a dozen keepers. The keepers were taken just outside of the trees in 8 to 10 feet of water, either drifting or really working the jig. All were 10 to 12 inches. Mostly female, the first ones this year for me. Hooked into a male that fought like a bass that could have gone 13-14. Shook its head as I reached to scoop, and off he went to continue reproducing. Good for him. 

Carp, gar and catfish were patrolling the trees. Number of fish in those two trees was stunning. Crappie weren't in them yet. Also caught two 19 and 21 inch channel cats on 2 inch white and sparkly tube. Both barely hooked in the whiskers. Great fight on light tackle, even more fun to land them without a net. Thankfully, no cuts, gashes or lacerations. One did drop a gift in my lap as a last act of defiance. Yuck. The 19 inch female fought harder than the 21 inch male. She actually pulled me around a bit before she tired a little and I could safely bring her aboard.

Anyway, white got the most attention, chartruese caught the largest fish. Water temp at 60+. With the females in water this shallow, it's about go-time. Wish I could get out this week. Will be there this weekend.


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## mashunter18 (Jun 23, 2005)

Cant figure hoover out this year, my usual "hole", came up good about 2 weeks ago, brought home 16 crappie, probually released another 16, plus 2 white bass.

Been back since then about 5 times, and nothing at all, just one or two per trip, good size fish though, only kept fish from my first trip out.

Also have always had a good 3-4 day period, where the 5-6 pound channels start hammering the minnows also, usually right around 5/1, got nothing today, not even a crappie.
I have seen carp everytime out, maybe the fish arent around my "good spot" this year.

Tried a few other spots today also, and nothing, a few nibbles here and there.


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## Danshady (Dec 14, 2006)

yea, keep moving, that is what i found to work on tuesday. my holes i have pulled hundreds of slabs from the past two years didnt have a one in them yet. i just kept moving around till i found them, as the sun got warmer and the day went on the fishing got better. started up north water was muddy and a lil bit cooler than water in the middle section. couldnt get any crappies, so i moved into lower middle section of lake and hit 8-9 in or near a bush 3fow and then move to next one for about the same. ended the day with about 30-35 crappies only kept 10, 10inchers, the rest were 7s-8s-9s. seems as the sun got warmer the more that would move in shallow.


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## st.slippy (Oct 3, 2008)

spidey you saw gar in hoover? I'm interested in catching one, just to see it and say I did. Just surprised to see them in there.


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## Fishingislife (May 20, 2004)

> spidey you saw gar in hoover? I'm interested in catching one, just to see it and say I did. Just surprised to see them in there.


Hoover is loaded with GAR!! Wait til the spawn you see a mess load just chillin on top of the water near sunbury rd. bridge


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

hoover is loaded with gar.at this time of year you can find them thick in the northend shallows.


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## Fishingislife (May 20, 2004)

Thanks for the echo Rick.


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## leupy (Feb 12, 2007)

I am surprised to see that gar are in Hoover, the state record bowfishing gar was taken from Hoover. I don't know if it still the record but Carol Lama had the record for manyh years. In the spring just go up almost into Galena and they will be crusing past your boat regularly. Tuff to catch on a line but shooting with a bow can be done more easily. I think the state record is still from Hoover but Mike ? has it.


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## Fishingislife (May 20, 2004)

State record Gar for bowfishing came from the Ohio River. State record Buffalo sucker for bowfishing came from Hoover...


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## symba (May 23, 2008)

I believe an OGF member bagged the recent Ohio bowfishing gar record from the Ohio river. I remember seeing a pic and thread on it last year.


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## Fishingislife (May 20, 2004)

That's right I forgot about that....


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

> Thanks for the echo Rick


that was timing,LOL.


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## st.slippy (Oct 3, 2008)

Thanks for the info. I just like to occasionally target different fish and they sparked my interest, simply because of their unique look. Just to take a picture and show my kids, and say check this out. I heard using circle hooks and live bait at night can produce sometimes. Ive also heard of people catching them in the big walnut in my area


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

big walnut is full of them too.but that's why they are in hoover,since it's fed by big walnut


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## leupy (Feb 12, 2007)

I stand corrected, but there are still a ton of gar in Hoover.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

ron,you're right about the record gar.it has been broken,but carol did hold it.she and johnny were/are some serious first rate bowhunters.i've seen some of their mounts including the two full body cougars.


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## st.slippy (Oct 3, 2008)

Ive actually been reading about catching gar on fishing poles and the most popular way seems to be a 6 inch peace of nylon thread unraveled on a steal leader, some use hooks to hold bait, while the hook is not necessary to catch the fish. Their teeth become entangled in the thread and you're not supposed to "set the hook" just let them run with it for a few and then start with steady pressure. If anyone cares to try to catch them. The meat is supposed to actually be quite tasty, but I haven't tried it, so don't blame me if its not.


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## druw900 (Mar 4, 2009)

Fished Hoover today from 8 till 12. Caught several crappie on minnows in 25 foot of water near LOTW. Biggest suprise came when the boat drifted over my bobber and as I went to retrieve it discovered this fish ohio monster was hooked!


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## BrOnZeBaCk BuTcHeR (Jul 23, 2008)

Nice Crappie, I fished there and caught a few also nothing in that size though thats a good fish. I used minnows and jigs.


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## onwisc (Mar 16, 2007)

Shaun Frame---
I only found the large crappies 2 days in the shallows near shore bushes...and that was over 10 days ago. Only ones I'm picking up now near shore ( I'm a wader) are small ones...where are the slabs and will they be back to shallows anymore?


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

the fish should still be shallow.the weather has kinda messed with them lately,but they should still be there.


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## Capital outdoorsman (Mar 27, 2006)

Yeah, they are still shallow. I had my best day of the year this weekend. Everything in under 3 fow. Practically non stop action.


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## Raybo92255 (Feb 10, 2007)

It may depend on where on Hoover your fishing. I fished Friday afternoon in the middle section coves and while some smaller crappie were in the brush, most crappies I found and the biggers ones I caught were staging in 8 -20 feet of water over deep water near the cove mouths or channels in the coves. Hot spots I caught them shallow last year in some coves showed no signs of any crappie shallow. Water temperature on the middle section was 62 degrees while the coves were 64 degrees. I caught around a dozen that went 9 - 11" and at least twice that many that were 7 - 9".


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