Looking forward to an AEP spring...

[gf319804]

I don't know about you all, but now that deer season has ended, I'm really getting the itch for some spring bass fishing up at the AEP rec. land. I recently landed a job working for a chemical plant, 12 hour shifts, and I get two 3 day breaks, and a week off every month. Planning on doing lots of fishing this year.

Anyway, I was wondering if any of you all do much hiking/fishing along the buckeye trail. I've always wanted to take a couple days and take the hike to fish the ponds across there, but have never had a chance. Just wondering if it would be worth the effort. I enjoy getting of the road and finding new ponds up there that don't get a lot of attention. Does anyone know if these ponds are "fished out", or would it be worth the effort to make the trip?

[shrivl]

every year when I come up to hunt turkey I go with my uncle to fish some of the ponds that you actually have to walk to. We take float tubes and waders. Not sure how hard they get fished the rest of the year but we always have good luck and get a ton of exercise. From the looks of the areas around the ponds I'd say they are lightly fished and mostly from the banks so if you get a float tuve you can get out and around the pond. I love fishing around those beaver huts. You can Pull a ton of fish off them.

[franman78]

If you fish the ponds and lakes away from the roads, haul roads, camping areas, etc. you'll catch plenty. A few years back we hiked back to a pond across St. Rt. 284 (West Side) from Campground G "Maple Grove" and caught a ton of bluegills. There were numerous good sized largemouths hanging around that you could see in the water, but they had no interest in anything that we tried to catch them with (Spinner Bait/Buzz Bait, Mepps, Rapala). The bass in AEP area are well fed thanks to all the smaller bait fish. The lakes near Campground C have black bass in them, something I have yet to catch, but would love to. Watch the posted signs though near certain lakes/ponds. They have some special restrictions on catch limits and size limits. I plan on bringing down the my little 12' boat this spring and slipping back into the back reaches of some accessible lakes where less anglers will venture too. I have always had good luck for the bass there near the sunken timber areas.

[gf319804]

I have fished up there for many years now and have always had the best luck fishing the ponds that you have to put in the time to walk to. I have a hunny hole that is about a mile and a half walk, but for a small pond, it has some of the best fishing a person could ask for. I enjoy hiking and finding the new ponds, I just wonder if the ponds across the Buckeye Trail are fished frequently, of if it would be worth spending a couple days hitting them up. I'm planning on heading up there between the 12th and the 15th of this month to do a little fishing. If the bass aren't biting yet, I'm gonna hit up the crappie and the 'gills. Several of the ponds across the road that goes from campsite A to C have nice crappie in them.