CENTRAL OHIO
Buckeye Lake (Fairfield, Licking, and Perry counties) As water temperatures cool, hybrid striped bass will again feed more actively. Try chicken livers fished on the bottom or troll spinners along the north shore from Sellers point to the north boat ramp at St. Rt. 79. Channel catfish are being taken right now using cut bait on the bottom. Crappies from 10 to 13 inches are active; use minnows and jigs around points especially in the east half of the lake.
Delaware Lake (Delaware County) Crappies are active again in this lake north of Columbus. Minnows fished under a bobber around woody cover can put these active fish in the boat. Crappie must be nine inches or longer to keep. Largemouth bass are also around woody cover and points. Use creature baits and spinner baits to catch these fish. A large population channel catfish can be caught on shrimp, prepared baits, and chicken livers.
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NORTHWEST OHIO
Charles Mill (Richland Co.) Excellent catches of channel catfish has been reported at Charles Mill. Some of these channel cats have weighed in excess of 6 pounds. Fishing shrimp or chicken livers off of the bottom is the best method. The hot spot is the SR 430 Bridge. Excellent catches of largemouth bass in the 1214 inch range have also been taken in Charles Mill. Casting spinner baits that are white or chartreuse is the best bet. Hybrid strip bass are being caught as well in excellent numbers. Chicken livers fished on the bottom are working great. Krider Road seems to be the hot spot.
Pleasant Hill (Richland County) Good numbers of crappie in the 6-8 inch range are being taken by fishing minnows and jigs under a bobber. Fair numbers of Saugeye have been reported as well.
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NORTHEAST OHIO
The 2008 Fall trout stockings in northeast Ohio begin this weekend. The trout stocking program targets small inland waters, including state and community park lakes, as well as other easy-access lakes throughout the state. A bag limit of five trout per person per day and anglers 16 and older must posses an Ohio fishing license. For more information about the stocking program, or to obtain directions to specific trout lakes, visit www.wildohio.com
October 10 - Ohio/Erie Canal (Cuyahoga County)
October 17 - PetrosLake (Stark County)
October 17 - Granger Pond (Lake County)
October 17 - PainesvilleRecPark(Lake County) **Open to youth fishing only 10/17 through 10/19
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SOUTHWEST OHIO
Four 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 10 - Tawawa Lake(Shelby County) Lake is located in Sidney.
October 17 - Rush Run Lake (Preble County) Lake is located in Rush Run Wildlife Area.
October 18- Grand Lake St. Marys (Auglaize County) Stocking will occur in a canal in the northeast corner of the lake.
October 19 - Stonelick Lake(Clermont County) - Lake is located in Stonelick State Park.
October 31 - Sycamore State Park pond (Montgomery County) Sycamore State Park is located northwest of Dayton.
C.J. Brown Reservoir (Clark County) Walleye are being caught along the submerged humps by anglers. Try trolling with Hot-N-Tots, Rat-L-Traps or worm harnesses. Fish the bait in six to 10 feet of water. Good crappie fishing spots are in the marina and in the no-wake zones, using minnows. Redworms and wax worms are producing bluegill around the docks and submerged structure. White bass are also being reported; try around the ramp with spinners and shiny spoons.
Grand Lake St. Marys (Auglaize and Mercer counties) Channel catfish are being caught by anglers using night crawlers, cut shad, or chicken liver as bait. Fish the bait along the bottom of the lake. Anglers are having great success with #2/0 and #4/0 sized circle hooks. Keep the bait along the sides of underwater structure such as stumps. Keep the bait right around two to three feet deep. Bluegills are being a caught by anglers using wax worms as bait. Keep the bait under a bobber and near the bottom. Fish the bait along the shore, near any type of structure including the rocky areas and seawalls, and into the channels. Yellow perch are being caught on tip a jig with night crawlers, minnows, or wax worms. Fish the bait in three to five feet of water and about six-inches off of the bottom. Good spots include state beaches and fishing piers with the wind blowing into you. Anglers fishing from the Auglaize shoreline are having good success. Largemouth bass are being caught by anglers using slow baits such as jig, jig and pig, Carolina rigs, or rubber worms fished back in the bays. Shad color variations, pink, purple with green head, or a black or white head colored lures are working well. Fish the main lake points.
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SOUTHEAST OHIO
Flagdale, St. Josephs and Twin Churches (Perry County Water Conservation District Lakes) - Although these lakes are currently difficult to access due to low water levels, anglers using canoes have had excellent success fishing for bluegill using worms fished under a bobber.
New Lexington Reservoir A and B (Perry County) Night fishing for largemouth bass has been productive using top-water poppers, frogs, buzz baits, and jitterbugs. Boat launch has been difficult due to low water levels.
Wills Creek (Coshocton County) Anglers are having good success fishing for largemouth bass using chartreuse colored spinner baits cast over fallen trees and woody debris and other submerged structure. Nice catches in size and number - of crappie have also been caught on spinner baits.
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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, N of West Sister Island near the canadian border, around Green and Rattlesnake Islands, E of Kelleys Island, Kelleys Island Shoal, SW of Kelleys Island, N of the Marblehead lighthouse, near the Cedar Point bell buoy, 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 on the southern shoreline of Kelleys 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. A few fish have also been caught N of Cranberry Creek at the 28/28 lines. Fishing slowed down this past week from Cleveland to Conneaut. The best spots to try are 8-11 miles N of Geneva in 68 to 74 of water, and 6-11 miles N of Ashtabula in 68 to 74 of water. Trollers are using worm harnesses, spoons or stickbaits off jet divers, dipsy divers, planer boards and downriggers. Worm harnesses and spoons continue to be the top baits. The best colors have been chartreuse, watermelon, and blue/black.
Yellow perch fishing is improving from Huron to Avon. The most consistent action has been on the sandbar at the 35/25 lines, and also off of Lorain near the lighthouse. Fishing has been good all along ports from Cleveland east to Conneaut. The best spots include NW of Gordon Park in 48 to 56 feet of water, NW of Chagrin River in 48 to 51 feet of water, NW of Fairport in 40 to 50 of water (the hump), and NNE of Conneaut in 60 to 70 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.
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 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 58 off of Toledo and 63 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.txtTo view Lake Erie boating information, safety tips, and launch ramps visit:
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/default/tabid/2062/Default.aspx -----------------------------
OHIO RIVER
Meldahl Dam (Clermont County)- Anglers are report catching hybrids from 1-4 pounds in the morning hours around the upper ends of the Twin Islands. Try buzzbaits or jerkbaits (soft or hard bait).
Report by ODNR