# Meldahl update



## catcrazed (Jan 15, 2008)

Fished Meldahl today...... Only one other boat there today and he was catfishing..... I checked my pictures from last year..... This same week last year on Monday there were around 20 boats at Meldahl....... I swear I think with pt pleasant bait shop closing and Meldahl not letting ppl fish the lock approach anymore ppl have just said hell with it........... I've driven past Meldahl several times in the past few weeks and to my surprise I've not seen one boat or fisherman........ Anyways I fished my ass off around the end of the long lock wall deep and shallow with one little sauger to be caught...... Moved down to bear creek and caught about a 2lb sauger.... All that in about 4 hours of fishing...... H20 temp 58-59 still..... Lakes I've been fishing for crappie are around 51-52 degrees...... Anyways, just giving everyone a report.... This time last year I was killing them but we were all getting them in the lock approach..... They run you out of there as soon as you pass the long lock wall now....... Another boat said they ran him out today....... It is what it is.............. My side is pretty much unfishable by boat..... Barges and equipment all over the place out in the river.


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## whodeynati (Mar 12, 2012)

I was out catfishing last week and decided to run up to the dam. Saw 1 boat fishing the wall, then 1 boat at bear creek. Neither of which I saw catch a fish while I was motoring around.


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## Mike cameron (May 14, 2014)

Wife and I fished the Ohio side Monday night . Left boat at home fished from shore caught 2 twelve inch sauger a rock bass and a small mouth.. Where is bear creek I have a boat any sauger info I could get would help greatly . Do u guys fish the mouth of bear creek


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## whodeynati (Mar 12, 2012)

Bear creek is like half a mile below the dam.. it's not much of a creek. It's on the Ohio side can't miss it!


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## zack2345 (Dec 22, 2010)

So how deep is it around the dam ? Like let's say right at the end of the wall... And also is it possible to vertically jig without using an anchor? I mean like can I use my trolar motor to keep me on a spot ?


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## catcrazed (Jan 15, 2008)

zack2345 said:


> So how deep is it around the dam ? Like let's say right at the end of the wall... And also is it possible to vertically jig without using an anchor? I mean like can I use my trolar motor to keep me on a spot ?


Oh yeah you can vertical jig...... Trolling motor can be used.. End of lock wall 40ft... I normally fish around the 200-400ft mark on the Signs on the Ohio side in 20-35 ft of water..... Didn't do worth a crap the other day though........... It does suck pt pleasant is closed now...... I have no idea where you can get minnows near the damn now.....


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## whodeynati (Mar 12, 2012)

There is a bait shop i belive in New Richmond, or was. I remember seeing signs for it.


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## zack2345 (Dec 22, 2010)

catcrazed said:


> Oh yeah you can vertical jig...... Trolling motor can be used.. End of lock wall 40ft... I normally fish around the 200-400ft mark on the Signs on the Ohio side in 20-35 ft of water..... Didn't do worth a crap the other day though........... It does suck pt pleasant is closed now...... I have no idea where you can get minnows near the damn now.....


Are the markers on the bank ? And I come from the west side so I can hit up wormies on the way.... Maybe I'll try to talk him into putting one of them trailers like they have at tanners down at the dam that would be awesome


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## zack2345 (Dec 22, 2010)

Yea I've seen that one in new Richmond it's like in some ones garage


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## blackxpress (Nov 20, 2009)

whodeynati said:


> There is a bait shop i belive in New Richmond, or was. I remember seeing signs for it.


If you're talking about Front Street Bait they went out of business. I put in at New Richmond last week and screwed myself up because I couldn't find anywhere to buy minnows. The only places I know of are way out of my way.


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## catcrazed (Jan 15, 2008)

zack2345 said:


> Are the markers on the bank ? And I come from the west side so I can hit up wormies on the way.... Maybe I'll try to talk him into putting one of them trailers like they have at tanners down at the dam that would be awesome


Yes way up the hill on the bank.......... And yes the place in new Richmond is closed...... The one that was run out of a garage anyways...... If there is another I have no idea where it is......... On a good note I never get minnows to catch sauger unless h20 temp gets below 40...... Boy lastyear was tough down there for me.... Well I shouldn't say that..... This time last year we were allowed in the lock approach and we were killing them this time last year... Yes you fish the creek mouth of bear creek but its soooooo Snaggy I hate fishing it.


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## kycreek (May 31, 2006)

I know it's on the Ky. side but Augusta has a baitshop that keeps minnows year round.


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## swat (Aug 27, 2010)

I bought minnows at a drive through on 125 In Amelia .It is about 5 miles from New Richmond


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## lark101_1999 (Apr 12, 2004)

game warden was checking lic today at the dam . plane cloths and boat just badges around there necks . sauger fishing was slow 5 boats maybe 4 fish total


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

swat said:


> I bought minnows at a drive through on 125 In Amelia .It is about 5 miles from New Richmond


Yes it's the drive through just east of SR 132. I was by there today and his hours are 8:00am-11:00pm but the kid working there said the may not open on time so maybe don't get count on it before 9:00am


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## Gottagofishn (Nov 18, 2009)

Couple things on bait... Invest in a cast net, a little practice and you won't need a bait shop this time of year. 
If I am going to use flatheads I buy the the night before and keep them in the livewell overnight. I put a little declorinator in the water before putting the bait in. I picked some up at a pet store, works great.


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## swat (Aug 27, 2010)

lark101_1999 said:


> game warden was checking lic today at the dam . plane cloths and boat just badges around there necks . sauger fishing was slow 5 boats maybe 4 fish total


I talked to a fellow Saturday that fished the wall for a while. I was wondering where the boats where fishing today:G


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## XUbassfishing (Feb 18, 2014)

Saw this in the Cincinnati area Monday. Was wishing I had some cut bait to chuck down there. Caught a WB up by the dam. Way too much wind to fish effectively, probably wasn't even smart to be out there. Had to use the trolling motor on 8 to just hold steady, and that was going with the current. Mostly cruised around and sought out some winter spots with the nice air temperature.


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## lark101_1999 (Apr 12, 2004)

when the game warden was there he didn't seem to care about the lock wall. he checked us and while he was doing that we where waitng on a barge to go threw. one other boat drifted up the out side of the lock wall a good ways up way past the steps. they went up and told him to get out no ticket that I could see


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

XU, those screen shots look a lot like the Asian carp screens we starting to see, we catfish guys hate it because we think we've found the mother lode but can never catch any thing there, the three fish high with the marks is the giveaway from what all the further south catfish guys have told us as they been dealing with them for years. I still keep trying those spots though, lol, usually these spots are places that in the past years have been banner catfish spots but not anymore, there is a place near Andersons Ferry that is loaded with Asians
Not saying for sure they are but its very possible...
Salmonid


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## XUbassfishing (Feb 18, 2014)

Salmonid said:


> XU, those screen shots look a lot like the Asian carp screens we starting to see, we catfish guys hate it because we think we've found the mother lode but can never catch any thing there, the three fish high with the marks is the giveaway from what all the further south catfish guys have told us as they been dealing with them for years. I still keep trying those spots though, lol, usually these spots are places that in the past years have been banner catfish spots but not anymore, there is a place near Andersons Ferry that is loaded with Asians
> 
> Not saying for sure they are but its very possible...
> 
> Salmonid



Interesting, I was thinking it was crazy how many marks showed up. I like to think those were catfish but now that you mention the Asian carp probably not.


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## DAVELEE (Apr 19, 2004)

hit meldahl this afternoon from 2 til dark ... didn't set the world on fire but did manage 10 keepers.....barges locked thru nonstop the whole time we were there kept the current very strong


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## OutdoorLife (Sep 28, 2012)

Glad to hear someone did decent. We went above the damn and hit some creek mouths and got absolutely skunked except for one stupid little drum. Didn't see another boat all day except for all the barges you mentioned. 


Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire


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## Mike cameron (May 14, 2014)

We're you on a boat or on the shore


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## catcrazed (Jan 15, 2008)

DAVELEE said:


> hit meldahl this afternoon from 2 til dark ... didn't set the world on fire but did manage 10 keepers.....barges locked thru nonstop the whole time we were there kept the current very strong


Davelee, I see your location is lake Waynoka........ I live 2 minutes from there on ashridge arnheim...... Maybe I've seen you on the lake.... I'm there all the time... Always have my 2 dogs with me nice to see someone so close to home..... I fish Meldahl quite a bit.... Haven't been in a few weeks because sauger didn't seem to be in there yet...... I've been on the water the past 5 days at different waters lol....


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## DAVELEE (Apr 19, 2004)

we were on shore sunday... catcrazed good to here from you... I live in the lake near the back gate my wife and I built a house there about 8 years ago but I have been fishing Waynoka since about 1980... the lake sure has changed a lot in that time from what was the best bass lake in ohio to now really just a numbers lake for bass but a pretty good crappie lake... hope to get back down to damn this week after the weather settles back down I usually hit meldahl only in the evening


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## catcrazed (Jan 15, 2008)

DAVELEE said:


> we were on shore sunday... catcrazed good to here from you... I live in the lake near the back gate my wife and I built a house there about 8 years ago but I have been fishing Waynoka since about 1980... the lake sure has changed a lot in that time from what was the best bass lake in ohio to now really just a numbers lake for bass but a pretty good crappie lake... hope to get back down to damn this week after the weather settles back down I usually hit meldahl only in the evening


That is what I fish for 90% of the time that im on the water is crappie.. Not a bass fisherman but Ive heard the same thing about that lake. Heard it was a crazy good bass fishing lake. To be honest the crappie fishing is that way there to. I have to weed out 8-9" crappie like crazy before I get decent fish........... Its weird, The crappie aren't the quality that I see at a lot of other lakes that have plenty of shad. I fish EF most of the time If I want good crappie. Keep us posted on whats going on down at the dam, PM me your phone number if your ever interested in fishing sometime. To let you know where I live, If you are on ashridge arnheim road and you are passing the st marys catholic church in arnheim (it will be on your left) and you pass Purdy road I am the next place on your right (at the intersection of fite-hauk and ashridge arnheim road. I have a new garage addition in progress.
Good luck on your next trip!!!!


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