CENTRAL OHIO
Kokosing Lake (Knox County) - This lake of 149 acres in Knox County is limited to outboard motors of 10 horsepower or less. Largemouth bass are being caught around shoreline cover and along the dam using spinner baits and tubes. Bluegills are in shallow areas; try wax worms or night crawlers under a bobber. As water temperatures decrease, crappies will move to shallower water. Use minnows or crappie jigs fished under a slip bobber around cover or the old creek channel for best results. Channel catfish can be caught on chicken livers, shrimp, or night crawlers fished on the bottom.
Madison Lake (Madison County) Crappies are the target fish in this 104-acre lake west of Columbus. Use minnows and a bobber around woody cover especially in the northern half of the lake to catch fish over nine inches and up to 13-inches long. Largemouth bass are being caught around shoreline cover and in concentrations of shad. Catfish can be caught using shrimp and chicken livers. Lake is restricted to use of electric motors only.
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NORTHWEST OHIO
Killdeer Reservoir (Wyandot County) The water temperature is 68 degrees and the water level is low. Some walleye have been taken during the late mornings and early evenings. Drifting night crawlers and leeches along the south shoreline are producing the best results. Channel catfish are being caught by night fishing. Still fishing a live bluegill on the bottom for these catfish is working great. Try the south and east shorelines.
Killdeer Pond #30 (Wyandot County) The water temperature is 71 degrees and the water level is high. Largemouth bass are being taken on the surface by using spinner baits and buzzbaits. Cast along the shoreline and into the standing timber in the mornings and evenings. Sunfish are being taken during overcast afternoons. Try fishing a wax worm on the bottom under a bobber in the deeper water west of the pier.
Pleasant Hill (Richland County) The water temperature is 69 degrees and the water level is normal. Largemouth bass and white bass are being taken in the late evening by casting artificial baits and crankbaits. Fishing along the shoreline is working great. Watch for baitfish being chased to the surface
this can provide some fast action.
McKarns Pond (Williams County) The water temperature is 67 degrees and the water level is normal. Bluegills are being caught in the early morning hours by still fishing a wax worm at a depth of 10 feet. Try the southeast corner. One veteran fisherman had some bluegills in the 8.5-inch plus range.
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NORTHEAST OHIO
Thousands of 10 to 13-inch rainbow trout will be stocked statewide in the coming weeks. In northeast Ohio, the following locations will be stocked: Ohio-Erie Canal, Cuyahoga County, October 10th (fishing closed until October 11th); Granger and Painesville Recreational ponds, Lake County, October 17th (youth-only fishing at Painesville until Oct 19th); Petros Lake, Stark County, October 17th. Rainbow trout can be caught on variety of simple setups and baits. Casting jigs tipped with maggots while using a stopping and retrieving approach produces great results. The daily limit is five fish per day. These trout are delicious to eat and just the right size. Go to www.wildohiocookbook.com for recipe ideas!
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SOUTHWEST OHIO
Five locations in southwest Ohio will be stocked with 10 to 13-inch rainbow trout in October. Trout fishing provides an exciting fishing experience to anglers. Anglers 16 and over must possess an Ohio fishing license. A statewide bag limit of five trout per person per day applies.
October 8th: Tawawa Lake (Shelby County) Lake is located in Sidney.
October 15th: Rush Run Lake (Preble County) Lake is located in Rush Run Wildlife Area.
October 16th: Grand Lake St. Marys (Auglaize County) Stocking will occur in a canal in the northeast corner of the lake.
October 22nd: Stonelick Lake (Clermont County) - Lake is located in Stonelick State Park.
October 31st: Sycamore State Park pond (Montgomery County) Sycamore State Park is located northwest of Dayton.
Caesar Creek Lake (Warren County) Muskie anglers continue to be successful. Anglers report catching 30 to 40-inch muskie with numerous follows. Try casting large bucktail spinners, jerk baits, or crankbaits around standing or fallen timber in coves or along main lake shorelines. Anglers are beginning to catch crappie fishing minnows under a bobber and casting jigs. Remember, all crappie less than nine inches long must be immediately released back into the lake. Bluegills are being caught by anglers fishing wax worms and redworms around fallen or standing timber in two to five feet of water. Saugeye anglers are starting to catch a few fish from six to 15 feet of water, but most fish are small. Troll medium or deep diving crankbaits along submerged points or underwater humps in the North pool. Cast or drift with live night crawlers on a bottom bouncing harness rig, or use a lead head jig tipped with a piece of worm. Fish in the early morning and early evening hours. Schools of shad working and jumping on the surface have given anglers opportunities to catch a few white bass. Cast jigs into the schools of shad. Due to the lack of rain, the lake is currently down about two feet.
Acton Lake (Preble County) A few saugeye are being caught by anglers. Troll medium or deep diving crankbaits, cast or drift with live night crawlers on a bottom bouncing harness rig or use jigs tipped with a piece of worm or a minnow. Fish in the early morning or early evening hours along the sandy bottom areas near the dam and cabins. Bluegills are being caught by anglers fishing along the boat docks and along the east shore between the lodge and the dam. Fish redworms or wax worms under a slip bobber between three to four feet deep.
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SOUTHEAST OHIO
Tuscarawas and Muskingum Rivers (Coshocton County) River levels are normal to slightly low in most areas, saugeye ranging 20 to 21 inches are being caught. Most saugeye are hitting live bait. Use jigs and twister tails tipped with minnows or try crank baits of shad-raps in silver or black. Fish the pools below the riffles.
Muskingum River (Morgan County) Carp and catfish are the species that anglers are having the most success with this week. For carp, try casting dough balls or corn. Catfish prefer night crawlers, chicken liver, or cut bait fished on the bottom in the current. Use a heavy sinker to hold the bait on bottom. Saugeye fishing should be picking up. Use a variety of jigs and fish below the McConnelsville Dam.
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LAKE ERIE
**The daily bag limit for Lake Erie yellow perch dropped from 30 to 25 fish per angler effective July 1, 2008 in waters west of the Huron pier. The daily bag limit will remain at 30 fish per angler in Ohio waters from Huron eastward. Any boats landing west of Huron, Ohio will be subject to the 25 fish daily bag limit, while boats landing at Huron or points east will be subject to a 30 fish daily bag limit. Shore-based anglers west of the Huron pier will be subject to a 25 fish daily bag limit, while those on the pier and eastward will remain at 30 fish daily.**
**From September 1 through May 15 the steelhead trout daily bag limit is 2 fish. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches.**
**The walleye bag limit is 6 fish per day. The minimum size limit for walleye is 15.**
**The black bass (largemouth and smallmouth) daily bag limit is 5 fish with a 14 minimum size limit.**
Western Basin
Walleye fishing has remained slow over the past week. The best fishing was N of Kelleys Island, including Gull Island Shoal and Kelleys Island Shoal. Fish have been caught by both trolling and casting. Trollers have been catching fish on spoons with divers, or worm harnesses fished with inline weights, snap weights, bottom bouncers, or divers.
Yellow Perch fishing has been good in the western basin. The best spots have been the turnaround buoy of the Toledo shipping channel, around Green and Rattlesnake Islands, E of Kelleys Island, Kelleys Island Shoal, SW of Kelleys Island, N of the Marblehead lighthouse, around the Catawba Island green buoy, and Gull Island shoal. Perch spreaders or crappie rigs with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.
Smallmouth Bass have been caught around Middle Bass Island and South Bass Island, and also along the E side of Mouse Island. Some of the fish have been up to 19.
Central Basin
Walleye fishing remained slow west of Cleveland with the best area being the sandbar between Vermilion and Lorain. Fishing continues to be slow in the Cleveland area this past week so there are no locations to report. Walleye fishing continues to be very good 9-11 miles NNE of Geneva in 70 to 72 of water, and 7-10 miles N of Ashtabula in 68 to 74 of water. Trollers are using worm harnesses, spoons or stick baits off jet divers, dipsy divers, planer boards and downriggers. Worm harnesses and spoons continue to be the top baits. The best action has been about 25-50 feet down, and the best colors have been chartreuse, watermelon, purple, orange, green, and gold/black or red/silver.
Yellow perch fishing is improving from Huron to Avon. The most consistent action has been on the S end of the sandbar and off of Lorain. Fishing has been fantastic all along ports from Cleveland east to Conneaut. The best spots include NW of Gordon Park in 46 to 53 feet of water, NW of Wildwood State Park in 44 to 50 feet of water, NW of Fairport in 40 to 50 of water (the hump), and NE of Conneaut in 60 to 65 of water. Perch spreaders or crappie rigs with shiners fished near the bottom usually produces the most fish. Fish have ranged from 7 to 12 inches.
White bass fishing has been spotty off Eastlake CEI power plant in 15-30 feet of water. Anglers are using agitators with blue/silver spoons and jigs tipped with twister tails.
Smallmouth bass fishing has been very good in 20 of water around Cleveland, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula and Conneaut harbors. Fish are being caught on watermelon, pumpkinseed and green tube jigs, drop-shot goby imitations and crayfish.
Steelhead are being caught off Geneva and Ashtabula while fishing for walleye. Anglers are catching steelhead on blue or green with silver spoons while trolling using downriggers, dipsy divers, or jet divers off planer boards.
Steelhead fishing is picking up as fish begin to move up into the rivers and anglers are catching fish at the mouth and downstream locations in the Chagrin River, Grand River, Geneva State Park, Euclid Creek (Wildwood State Park), Conneaut Creek and along the Conneaut west breakwall. Best times have been early in the morning. Shore anglers are using small spoons and jigs and maggots rigged with a split shot under a light bobber.
Based on the nearshore forecast the water temperature is 66 off of Toledo and 68 off of Cleveland.
Anglers are encouraged to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device while boating.
To view the predicted weather forecast for Lake Erie visit:
http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/fmtbltn.pl...kcle.glf.le.txt To view Lake Erie boating information, safety tips, and launch ramps visit:
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/default/tabid/2062/Default.aspx -----------------------------
OHIO RIVER
Meladhl Dam (ClermontCounty) Anlglers are having success on largemouth using buzzbaits. Fish are remaining shallow until about noon.
Downtown Cincinnati to Riverbend - (HamiltonCounty) Anglers are catching channel catfish and blue catfish. Try using thawed cut skipjack and hotdogs coated in steak seasoning.
Report by ODNR.