LaDue, Nimisila reservoirs are also good for walleye

Mention walleyes to most Youngstown-area anglers and their minds immediately conjure up images of their favorite lakes -- places such as Mosquito, Pymatuning and, of course, Lake Erie.
But walleyes swim in a number of nearby waters that get far less attention from anglers who prefer the toothy-faced member of the perch family. That translates into less fishing pressure, which, when it's all said and done, can be a good thing for those who like to explore new waters.
Two of those special places are LaDue and Nimisila, small reservoirs about one hour from Youngstown. Both provide pretty good walleye fishing for a dedicated corps of anglers who rely on electric motors to maneuver their boats over the channels, humps and points.
Neither lake had a native walleye population. The fish were stocked by the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
Location, location, location
LaDue is located in Geauga County and is bisected by U.S. 422. Two launch ramps are off Ohio 44, one near the dam north of 422 and the other at the south end where the lake narrows. Note that no gasoline engines are permitted on boats, even if they are not used for propulsion.
Nimisila is in Summit County, just south of the Akron city limits off Arlington Road. It drains into the Tuscarawas River watershed. Boaters can use only their electric motors, but the gas engines can remain on their boats.
Such restrictions discourage many boaters from exploring "Nimi" and "Do," thus reducing the number of fishermen. But those who do visit the electric-only lakes find fishing makes up for the inconvenience of reduced mobility.
Nimisila's bottom is composed of sand and gravel and features many humps that rise from the depths and top off anywhere from four to eight feet. In addition, the reservoir has more points than an angler can fish in one day.
Thick beds of vegetation -- coontail, cabbage and lily pads -- grow all over Nimisila, including the flats, humps and points. The weeds are excellent nurseries for young fish, including walleyes, and serve as hunting territories for predator species.
In addition to walleyes, Nimisila is home to largemouth bass, northern pike, channel catfish, crappies and bluegills. Shad are the primary forage species.
LaDue, on the Cuyahoga River system, also has plenty of hard-bottom areas. The cover includes vegetation, though not as much as Nimi, and many stumps and rock piles. The lake supports an abundant crappie population, as well as walleyes, largemouth and smallmouth bass, catfish, bluegills, yellow perch and white bass.
Both lakes' power restrictions add challenge for those who like to troll plugs and spoons for walleyes. Those with plenty of juice and electric motors capable of producing some speed can drag crankbaits, but many trollers chose instead to use nightcrawler harnesses and other live bait-spinner rigs.
Attraction
The humps at Nimisila attract most of the walleye attention, as well as the deep flats in the reservoir's midsection. Anglers work the humps' weedy edges with jigs tipped with minnows and leeches and drift the same jig set-ups and Lindy rigs over the flats.
At LaDue, most of the walleye anglers focus their efforts around the flooded river channel north of U.S. 422, which is the main body of the reservoir. The causeway and dam, as well as the various long sand and rock points also are worth exploring.
A few LaDue fishermen also catch walleyes by vertically jigging Vib-E's, Cicadas and other heavy metal baits.
Anglers won't catch the numbers of walleyes at LaDue and Nimisila that they might at Mosquito. But those who enjoy the looking for and patterning the fish will find the small lakes a worthy challenge.
All you need is your walleye knowledge and plenty of battery power.
jwwollitz@aol.com