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08-05-2005, 09:20 PM
FOLLOW THE FISH
Game fish abound in region's upgrounds
If you want to get yourself into hot water — fishingwise, not troublewise, that is — check out some of northwest Ohio’s upground municipal water-supply reservoirs.
Depending on the reservoir, opportunities abound right now for yellow perch, walleye, crappie, white bass, channel catfish, bluegill, and largemouth bass, to name some of the most frequently sought species.
On a recent weekend, noted state biologist Larry Goedde, "cars were lined up at Findlay No. 2 waiting to launch in the morning. You don’t see that very often on inland lakes. Anglers are catching a lot of two- and three-year-old walleye, crappie, yellow perch, and white bass."
Goedde, supervisor of fish management for Ohio Wildlife District 2, said that good action also has been reported at Lima Lake and Ferguson Reservoir in Allen County near Lima, Willard Reservoir near Willard in Huron County, and Wauseon Reservoirs No. 1 and No. 2 in Fulton County.
Others on the angler hit-list have been Beaver Creek Reservoir southeast of Green Springs in northern Seneca County, Veterans Memorial Reservoir on the southwest corner of Fostoria in Hancock County, and Archbold Reservoir No. 2 in Fulton County.
Small boats and electric trolling motors are the ticket for these impoundments, a few of which also allow small outboards. But bank fishermen also can find plenty of opportunities in most cases.
Following is a rundown of the most active impoundments and the signature species at each:
•Findlay No. 2 — Yellow perch, walleye, crappie, white bass, channel catfish; Findlay No. 1, perch and catfish. A total of 827 acres, located three miles southeast of Findlay off State Rt. 37 at Hancock County Roads 204 and 234.
•Veterans Memorial — Crappie, catfish, fair numbers of largemouth bass. A total of 165 acres, located two miles southwest of Fostoria off State Rt. 12 on Township Road 218 in Hancock County.
•Beaver Creek — Nice-size bluegill, fair numbers of largemouth bass; yellow perch and some walleye. A total of 11 acres, located five miles southwest of Clyde or twio mikes southeast of Green Springs on Seneca County Road 34.
•Lima Lake — Excellent fishing for saugeye, a sauger-walleye hybrid, plus some carryover rainbow trout from spring stocking, plus perch and catrfish. Acreage is 85, located three miles east of Lima on State Rt. 81 in Allen County.
•Ferguson — Very good walleye numbers and perch as well, plus catfish. A total of 304 acres, located two miles east of Lima on High Street Road.
•Willard — Perch, walleye, catfish. A toal of 285 acres, located two miles east of Willard on State Rt. 61 in Huron County.
•Wauseon—Perch, walleye, decent bluegill numbers. Two reservoirs totaling 65 acres, two miles south of Wauseon, a mile west of State Rt. 108 in Fulton County.
•Archbold No. 2—Perch and saugeye. A total of 65 acres, a half mile east of State Rt. 66 on Water Street at Archbold in Fulton County.
As for the catching, Goedde offers some of the preferred tactics for each species:
•Yellow perch — "You fish the reservoirs a whole lot like Lake Erie. The big thing in these upgrounds is to keep moving until you find where the fish are."
Use shiner minnows on a stacked crappie rig or a Erie-style side-by-side wire spreader, fished on the bottom. The best tactic is to hunt for schools of fish in a small boat, but bank fishermen can do well, too, by moving around until locating fish and then tightlining minnows on the bottom.
•Walleye — Drifting or trolling in a small boat, using a nightcrawler harness weighted to get down near the bottom, is preferred. Anglers also effectively troll with deep-lipped plastic crankbaits, or cast such crankbaits while walking the shoreline.
•Largemouth bass — A variety of tactics can work well. Spinnerbaits rarely are a mistake when starting to cast about for what may produce best results in a given area or day. Some anglers prefer casting crankbaits. Other veteran anglers favor "finesse" tactics with soft plastic baits, worms or grubs. Favorite plastics include the four-inch Slider worm and jighead, a Carolina-rigged grub, and Texas-rigged plastic work, plus the newer dropshot-rigged Berkley Power Worm.
Goedde advises anglers, however, that bass angling in even the better bass upgrounds such as Beaver Creek and Veterans Memorial "is still a challenge" when compared to action in many farm ponds.
•Bluegill — A favorite tactic is to bait a hook with a waxworm and fish it under a slip bobber, adjusting depth till a school of ‘gills is located. Keep moving locations as well to find the fish. Other sunfish, such as redear and the many hybrids, may be found in the mix.
•Crappie — Fishing for these is like the three most important things in real estate — location, location, and location. Keep moving and working around structure, from submerged stumps and boulders to brush, downed trees or logs, and docks. Shiners fished under bobbers are most effective this time of year.
•Channel catfish — Nothing beats tightlining on the bottom, baiting the hook with a nightcrawler, chicken liver, or prepared catfish bait.
For more details on locations of upground reservoirs throughout the state, with directions, size, and other details, obtain a free copy of Publication 77, "Public Hunting, Fishing, and Wildlife Viewing Areas," by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE, or Ohio Wildlife District 2, 419-424-5000.
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050617/SPORTS08/50616014
Game fish abound in region's upgrounds
If you want to get yourself into hot water — fishingwise, not troublewise, that is — check out some of northwest Ohio’s upground municipal water-supply reservoirs.
Depending on the reservoir, opportunities abound right now for yellow perch, walleye, crappie, white bass, channel catfish, bluegill, and largemouth bass, to name some of the most frequently sought species.
On a recent weekend, noted state biologist Larry Goedde, "cars were lined up at Findlay No. 2 waiting to launch in the morning. You don’t see that very often on inland lakes. Anglers are catching a lot of two- and three-year-old walleye, crappie, yellow perch, and white bass."
Goedde, supervisor of fish management for Ohio Wildlife District 2, said that good action also has been reported at Lima Lake and Ferguson Reservoir in Allen County near Lima, Willard Reservoir near Willard in Huron County, and Wauseon Reservoirs No. 1 and No. 2 in Fulton County.
Others on the angler hit-list have been Beaver Creek Reservoir southeast of Green Springs in northern Seneca County, Veterans Memorial Reservoir on the southwest corner of Fostoria in Hancock County, and Archbold Reservoir No. 2 in Fulton County.
Small boats and electric trolling motors are the ticket for these impoundments, a few of which also allow small outboards. But bank fishermen also can find plenty of opportunities in most cases.
Following is a rundown of the most active impoundments and the signature species at each:
•Findlay No. 2 — Yellow perch, walleye, crappie, white bass, channel catfish; Findlay No. 1, perch and catfish. A total of 827 acres, located three miles southeast of Findlay off State Rt. 37 at Hancock County Roads 204 and 234.
•Veterans Memorial — Crappie, catfish, fair numbers of largemouth bass. A total of 165 acres, located two miles southwest of Fostoria off State Rt. 12 on Township Road 218 in Hancock County.
•Beaver Creek — Nice-size bluegill, fair numbers of largemouth bass; yellow perch and some walleye. A total of 11 acres, located five miles southwest of Clyde or twio mikes southeast of Green Springs on Seneca County Road 34.
•Lima Lake — Excellent fishing for saugeye, a sauger-walleye hybrid, plus some carryover rainbow trout from spring stocking, plus perch and catrfish. Acreage is 85, located three miles east of Lima on State Rt. 81 in Allen County.
•Ferguson — Very good walleye numbers and perch as well, plus catfish. A total of 304 acres, located two miles east of Lima on High Street Road.
•Willard — Perch, walleye, catfish. A toal of 285 acres, located two miles east of Willard on State Rt. 61 in Huron County.
•Wauseon—Perch, walleye, decent bluegill numbers. Two reservoirs totaling 65 acres, two miles south of Wauseon, a mile west of State Rt. 108 in Fulton County.
•Archbold No. 2—Perch and saugeye. A total of 65 acres, a half mile east of State Rt. 66 on Water Street at Archbold in Fulton County.
As for the catching, Goedde offers some of the preferred tactics for each species:
•Yellow perch — "You fish the reservoirs a whole lot like Lake Erie. The big thing in these upgrounds is to keep moving until you find where the fish are."
Use shiner minnows on a stacked crappie rig or a Erie-style side-by-side wire spreader, fished on the bottom. The best tactic is to hunt for schools of fish in a small boat, but bank fishermen can do well, too, by moving around until locating fish and then tightlining minnows on the bottom.
•Walleye — Drifting or trolling in a small boat, using a nightcrawler harness weighted to get down near the bottom, is preferred. Anglers also effectively troll with deep-lipped plastic crankbaits, or cast such crankbaits while walking the shoreline.
•Largemouth bass — A variety of tactics can work well. Spinnerbaits rarely are a mistake when starting to cast about for what may produce best results in a given area or day. Some anglers prefer casting crankbaits. Other veteran anglers favor "finesse" tactics with soft plastic baits, worms or grubs. Favorite plastics include the four-inch Slider worm and jighead, a Carolina-rigged grub, and Texas-rigged plastic work, plus the newer dropshot-rigged Berkley Power Worm.
Goedde advises anglers, however, that bass angling in even the better bass upgrounds such as Beaver Creek and Veterans Memorial "is still a challenge" when compared to action in many farm ponds.
•Bluegill — A favorite tactic is to bait a hook with a waxworm and fish it under a slip bobber, adjusting depth till a school of ‘gills is located. Keep moving locations as well to find the fish. Other sunfish, such as redear and the many hybrids, may be found in the mix.
•Crappie — Fishing for these is like the three most important things in real estate — location, location, and location. Keep moving and working around structure, from submerged stumps and boulders to brush, downed trees or logs, and docks. Shiners fished under bobbers are most effective this time of year.
•Channel catfish — Nothing beats tightlining on the bottom, baiting the hook with a nightcrawler, chicken liver, or prepared catfish bait.
For more details on locations of upground reservoirs throughout the state, with directions, size, and other details, obtain a free copy of Publication 77, "Public Hunting, Fishing, and Wildlife Viewing Areas," by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE, or Ohio Wildlife District 2, 419-424-5000.
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050617/SPORTS08/50616014