WEEKLY OHIO FISHING REPORT

WEEKLY OHIO FISHING REPORT
COLUMBUS (AP) -- The weekly fishing report provided by the Division of Wildlife of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
NORTHEAST OHIO
Rocky, Grand, and Chagrin rivers (Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, and Lake counties) -- Steelhead anglers experienced decent success toward the end of this past weekend. Saturday rains raised the rivers allowing fish to become more active. Anglers are using spawn sacks, jigs and maggots and minnows. For details on stream access, contact Wildlife District Three at (330) 644-2293 and request 2006 Fishing Prospects. Free maps of steelhead streams are also available online at the Ohio DNR Web site.
Pymatuning Lake (Ashtabula County) -- Walleye and crappie are biting at this nearly 15,000-acre reservoir that Ohio shares with Pennsylvania. Walleye can be caught from the Ohio causeway bridge while jigging with a plain jig and a minnow or jigging spoons. Both black and white crappies are found in the shallows or near fish concentration devices. A simple hook and bobber setup tipped with a minnow or maggots has anglers reeling in these paper mouths. To find the fish concentration devices, contact Wildlife District Three for maps depicting these locations.
Mosquito Lake (Trumbull County) -- Black crappie are hitting on minnows from the marina side of the breakwall. Anglers fishing from boats out further in the lake are not doing as well as shoreline anglers. Walleye fishing is also warming up at this 7,241-acre lake but unlike the current crappie fishing, anglers in boats are having the best luck in 12 feet to 15 feet of water. Walleye are expected to move closer to shore after spawning in about two to three weeks.
CENTRAL OHIO
Buckeye Lake (Fairfield, Licking and Perry counties) -- Crappie fishing is heating up; try small minnows or jigs with plastic crappie-grubs around docks as early season bait. Use a jig and minnow combination in the area near the dam and around any point drop-offs for saugeye. Fingerlings saugeye (1-and-one-half inches) are stocked annually, including 370,000 stocked last May. Buckeye Lake is a prime spot for early season bass fishing. The lake's shallow water warms faster than most central Ohio areas, creating an early season bite. Bass anglers should target shoreline areas that have chunk-size rock and use dark-colored jig and craws, dark-colored tube baits, creature baits, shallow running crankbaits in chartreuse colors or slow-rolled Colorado blade spinner baits. Fish along the lake bottom on the windward side of the lake with cut baits and prepared baits to take channel catfish.
NORTHWEST OHIO
Maumee River (Lucas and Wood Counties) -- Anglers are taking good numbers of mostly male walleye, measuring between 16 inches and 23 inches, along with an occasional female. Numerous limits are being taken. The best areas have been Fort Meigs, Buttonwood and Bluegrass Island areas. Anglers seem to be having the best success in the deeper holes and the faster waters. The best method has been using Carolina rigs with brightly colored orange and chartreuse floating jigs fished below weights with 2-foot to 3-foot leaders. Outlook will improve as temperatures increase. A word of warning: If we get heavy rain as forecast toward the end of this week, then the river could rise above flood stage next week.
Sandusky River (Sandusky County) -- Anglers are taking numerous walleye, mostly males from 18 inches to 24 inches, along with a few females, using lead head jigs with fluorescent-colored twister tails. The best area is between the Hayes Street Bridge and the Railroad Bridge. Outlook will improve as water temperatures increase and the water level rises.
SOUTHEAST OHIO
AEP ReCreation Ponds (Noble County) -- Sunfish are starting to hit on night crawlers fished under a bobber. Shoreline anglers reported excellent catch rates of bluegill averaging 6 inches to 8 inches long.
Hocking River (Athens County) -- Anglers are reporting crappie, averaging 6 inches to 8 inches long, being caught at White's Mill. Jigs with chartreuse twisters have had the best success. White's Mill is located at the intersection of state Route 682 and state Route 56. Parking is available on Union Avenue.
SOUTHWEST OHIO
Great Miami River (Miami County) -- Access the Great Miami River from state Route 41 where the bridge crosses the Great Miami River. This is Miami Conservancy District property and individuals may access the river by foot only; no vehicles are permitted. Another access point is the overpasses of state Route 25A in Piqua; ask for permission to access the river or drive into city limits and access the river there. Saugeye are being caught below the low head dams and along concentrated stretches gravel. Use minnows on the bottom, white twister tails on a one-eighth-ounce jig or small minnow-colored Rapalas. Bounce minnows and jigs off the bottom and concentrate in areas where the water is turbulent and the river bottom is rocky. Cast and steadily retrieve minnow-colored Rapalas. If using a minnow or a jig, keep the bait along the bottom. When using a crankbait, keep it just off of the bottom. Use a No. 4 baitholding hook for live bait.
LAKE ERIE
The walleye daily bag limit is four fish through April 30. A 15-inch minimum size limit for walleye remains in effect for the entire season. The Lake Erie daily bag limit for yellow perch is 40 fish. Lake Erie black bass (smallmouth and largemouth bass) are closed to possession (catch and release only) May 1 through June 23. The daily bag limit for black bass on Lake Erie is five before May 1 and after June 23. The minimum size limit for black bass on Lake Erie is 14 inches. See the 2006 regulations brochure for specific hook restrictions and closed areas pertaining to tributary and bay fishing during the walleye runs in March and April.
Main lake walleye spawning is under way. Males are being caught on most of the Camp Perry firing range reefs and from Turtle Creek to K can of the Camp Perry firing range. Both pre- and post-spawn females are being caught around the eastern cans of the Camp Perry firing range and around the islands. Yellow perch have been caught around Marblehead.
Lake Erie surface temperatures range from 39 degrees to 44 degrees.
OHIO RIVER
Gallia, Lawrence, Meigs, and Scioto counties -- Sauger fishing at the Greenup Dam is fair to good, with many fish averaging 2 pounds. Successful anglers have been fishing chartreuse or white jigs tipped with minnows from the shoreline 4 feet to 5 feet off the bottom. Anglers fishing the Greenup area have also had good catches of crappie and many anglers have been coming close to their limits on hybrid-striped bass. Sauger are also biting below the tailwaters of the Racine Dam on live bait/minnows. Hybrid-striped bass fishing has been great in warm water discharge areas along the River.