# ODNR Fish Report 10/11/06



## Big Daddy

WildlifeNews 
Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Division of Wildlife

The Fish Ohio Report

October 11, 2006

CENTRAL OHIO
Blue Limestone Park (Delaware County)  Approximately 500 rainbow trout measuring 10 to 13-inches will be stocked at this park on Thursday, October 12th. These fish can be caught by beginning anglers using a variety of baits including spinners, twister tails, power bait corn, cheese, and even mini-marshmallows.

Kiser Lake (Champaign County)  Hybrid striped bass and largemouth bass fishing improves this month as water temperatures decline. Hybrid stripers can be caught on chicken livers fished on the bottom. Largemouth bass can be caught on a variety of artificial baits fished around brush cover and downed trees. Bluegills can be caught using wax worms around the stone T fishing piers. No motors are allowed including trolling motors.

Knox Lake (Knox County)  The vegetated areas and those with shoreline cover are good places to fish for largemouth bass. Anglers should use small spinners, jigs, soft plastic baits, and live bait for best results. The shoreline cover also produces good catches of bluegills when using larval baits and small worms fished beneath a bobber. Channel catfish up, stocked at about 5,000 every other year, may be taken when fishing along the bottom with traditional baits such as chicken livers, night crawlers, and prepared baits. 10 horsepower limit.

NORTHWEST OHIO
Maumee River (Paulding County)  Anglers are catching flathead catfish on the Maumee River while still fishing at night. Catfish are being caught in four to five feet of water using bluegill as bait. The best area is at Porter Bridge.

Auglaize River (Paulding County)  Crappie are being caught on the Auglaize River. Anglers are using minnows and jigs below a bobber in four to five feet of water. The best area is the Five Span Bridge in the Fort Brown area.

NORTHEAST OHIO
Three locations in northeast Ohio will be stocked with 10 to 13-inch rainbow trout in the next two weeks. Trout fishing provides an exciting fishing experience to any angler and offers great rewards when it is time for dinner (especially freshly caught fish). Anglers 16 and over must possess an Ohio fishing license and a statewide bag limit of five trout per person per day applies. 

October 13th: Petros Lake (Stark County) - Fishing permitted sunrise to sunset. 

Ohio/Erie Canal (Cuyahoga County) - Fishing permitted 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

October 20th: Granger Pond (Lake County) - Fishing permitted sunrise to ½ hour after sunset.

Painesville Recreation Pond will not be stocked this year due to construction. 

For directions to the named locations and for tasty recipe ideas, visit: http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/Fishing/trout/falltrout_04.htm and www.wildohiocookbook.com or call Wildlife District Three at (330) 644-2293.

SOUTHWEST OHIO
East Fork (Clermont County)  Crappies are being caught by anglers using wax worms, tube, jigs, or medium to large sized minnows tipped on white or chartreuse jigs. Fish the bait three to six feet deep, 10 to 14, or 18 to 22 feet deep. Also look for good crappie fishing on the points and back into the cove areas as well as up and into Tunnel Mill, Cabin, Barnes, Poplar, Goldmine, Slab, and Clover creeks. Bluegills are hitting on wax worms or redworms on a #8 sized hook. Keep the bait under a bobber and about two to three feet deep. Cast anywhere around the docks or standing or downed trees. 

Paint Creek (Highland County)  Crappies are being caught by anglers using crappie minnows or black or chartreuse jigs as bait. Fish the bait in 10 to 14 feet of water. As the water cools the fish are moving into the shallows. Fish the bait around any type of woody structure such as downed trees and overhanging brush and around the campgrounds. Channel catfish are being caught along the sandbars and the flats near the creek arms especially near Paint Creek. Fish night crawlers and cut bait where the water is about five to seven feet deep. Largemouth bass are being caught by anglers using crankbaits (shad colored shad-wraps) fished along the main lake points. Bluegills are being caught by anglers using wax worms under a bobber as bait. Fish the bait two to four feet deep. Good fishing spots are back in the coves, near stumps, and around fallen timber. Saugeye are being caught by anglers fishing the spillway waters with chartreuse twister tails. White bass are being caught along the shores. Troll small in-line spinners such as a Rooster Tail or white twister tails between the beach and the island. 

SOUTHEAST OHIO

Fall Trout Stocking continues this week  on October 13 trout will be stocked into Scioto Trail Park and Yoctangee Park, both in Ross County as well as Timber Ridge, located in Lawrence County. For more information visit www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife or call Wildlife District Four at (740) 589-9930.

Tycoon Lake (Gallia County)  Fishing for crappie is starting to pick up as the water starts to cool. Try casting pearl, white or speckled two to three inch twister or grub tails tipped with a minnow into four to eight feet of water. Fish near submerged brush piles, tree stumps and old fence lines. Largemouth bass fishing has been slow, although some anglers are still having success fishing crank baits and top water lures. 

Clear Creek (Fairfield and Hocking counties)  Approximately 3,500 brown trout have been released into Clear Creek. Access the creek at designated fishing areas within Clear Creek Metropark or obtain landowner permission if accessing waters through private property. Most anglers use fly-fishing gear when targeting brown trout. Flies generally match local hatches or nymphs of caddisfly, stonefly, or mayflies. Brown trout can also be caught using a traditional rod and reel with worms, crayfish, minnows, and leeches. Catch rates are usually greatest during cooler weather, early in the day or late evening. Anglers should concentrate on areas with downed logs, root wads, and overhanging banks. There is a minimum 12-inch length limit on brown trout and a limit of two fish on sections of Clear Creek. Refer to the 2006-2007 fishing regulations or visit http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/Fishing/fishregs/main.htm for more information.

LAKE ERIE 
**The walleye daily bag limit is six (6) fish. A 15-inch minimum size limit for walleye remains in effect for the entire season. The Lake Erie daily bag limit for yellow perch is 40 fish. The daily bag limit for black bass on Lake Erie is five (5). The minimum size limit for black bass on Lake Erie is 14-inches. The steelhead trout bag limit two (2). The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12-inches.**

Western Basin - Fishing effort directed towards walleye has greatly decreased as western basin anglers have switched to perch fishing. Some success has been reported three miles west of Rattlesnake Island in 31 feet of water. Drifters are using mayfly rigs or weight forward spinners, while most trollers are using worm harnesses or spoons with jet or dipsy divers, and crankbaits. Yellow perch fishing has produced good numbers of fish in the Western Basin, but on average fish have been under nine inches. Over the past week the best areas have been 25 feet of water on Cone Reef of the Camp Perry range, south of Green Island, south of Rattlesnake Island, E of Kelleys Island Shoal, and E of the Kelleys Island airport. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish. Smallmouth bass should start moving shallower as water temperatures drop heading into fall. Fish rocky drop-offs and reefs around the Bass Islands and Kelleys Island along with near-shore areas from Catawba Island to Sandusky Bay to find active fish. Tube jigs and drop shot rigs with goby imitations are the most popular set-ups for smallmouth. 

Central Basin - Walleye fishing from Huron to Lorain has been good as the fish continue to migrate west. Farther east most fishing effort has been directed at yellow perch. Walleye have been taken on the Huron dumping grounds, between the Vermilion dumping grounds and the sandbar at the 37/24 lines, and around the weather buoy on the north end of the sandbar. Fish have been caught on worm harnesses or spoons trolled with dipsy divers or jet divers, and also on deep diving crankbaits. Yellow perch fishing is excellent in the central basin in 27 feet of water off of the Vermilion breakwall, off of the condos east of Vermilion near Beaver Creek, within one mile of Avon point, three miles north of Cleveland (E. 72nd St. lighthouse) in 42 feet of water, two to three miles north of Euclid in 38 to 42 feet of water, two to three miles north-northwest of Fairport in 40 to 50 feet of water, and two to three miles north of Ashtabula 40 to 50 feet of water. Fish have ranged from seven to 12 inches. Perch rigs with shiners fished near the bottom have produced the most fish. Smallmouth bass fishing has been good along the shoreline from Fairport Harbor to Conneaut in 15 to 25 feet of water. Fish have been caught on goby color tube jigs, goby color drop-shot rigs, jigs tipped with minnows or leeches, or by trolling crankbaits. Steelhead fishing has been good in the Vermilion River, Rocky River, Euclid Creek (Wildwood State Park), Chagrin River, Grand River, Arcola Creek, Geneva State Park, Conneaut Creek and along the Conneaut west breakwall. Shore anglers are using small spinners and spoons, and jigs and maggots rigged with a split shot under a light bobber. 

Lake Erie surface temperatures range from 58 to 62 degrees.

To view the predicted weather forecast for Lake Erie visit: http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/fmtbltn.pl?file=forecasts/marine/great_lakes/le/lez160.txt 

OHIO RIVER
Washington County  Smallmouth anglers have had success in the Marietta area fishing in smaller pools along the river. Smallmouth bass have been hitting crank baits, spinner baits and buzz baits cast up river and into slight current. Sauger and hybrid striped bass are being caught on big creek chubs or any deep-diving bait that resemble minnows. Try fishing along lock walls and rip-rap.


----------

