Weekly Ohio fishing report

August 30, 2007 at 2:00a.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The weekly fishing report provided by the Division of Wildlife of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

CENTRAL OHIO

Buckeye Lake (Fairfield, Licking, and Perry counties) — As water temperatures start to cool, hybrid striped bass will again feed more actively and therefore can be caught more easily. Try chicken livers fished on the bottom or troll spinners along the north shore from Seller’s point to the north boat ramp at state Route 79. Channel catfish are being taken right now using cut bait fished on the lake bottom.

O’Shaughnessy Reservoir (Delaware County) — This reservoir is a good place to catch largemouth bass and channel catfish. For largemouth bass try plastics, spinners, and crank baits around shoreline cover, targeting drop-offs and points. Channel catfish can be caught on cut baits, night crawlers, and shrimp fished on the bottom. Fish the flats in the south end of the lake and river channel in the north end. Crappie are also being caught in the channel around woody cover using minnows and jigs.

NORTHWEST OHIO

Killdeer Reservoir (Wyandot County) — Channel catfish are being taken after dark by fishing cut bait on the bottom. The west shoreline is producing the best results. Smallmouth bass are also being taken on the reservoir by fishing minnows under a slip bobber just off the bottom. Mornings and evenings are best. The hot spots seems to be the north and east shorelines.

Killdeer Pond No. 33 (Wyandot County) — Largemouth bass are being caught by trolling buzz baits on the surface. Mornings and evenings are best. Try fishing the standing timber in the pond. Bluegill are being taken in the late afternoon by still fishing wax worms or red worms under a slip bobber. The north and west shorelines are producing the best results.

Upper Sandusky Reservoir No. 2 (Wyandot County) — Bluegill are being caught in good numbers late in the afternoon. Fishing wax worms under a slip bobber just off the bottom is the best bet. The best catches have been in the deep water. Largemouth bass are being taken in the mornings and evenings. Trolling buzz baits on the surface has been working well. The shoreline weed beds have been producing great results.

Muddy Creek (Sandusky County) — Catfish are being caught at night by still fishing shrimp on the bottom.

NORTHEAST OHIO

Long Lake (Summit County) — Largemouth bass fishing has proven to be excellent. With shad densities high in the summer, largemouths focus on these prevalent prey items. Anglers should try to imitate a dying shad in distress. Look for largemouth bass feeding on the surface and throw an unweighted, soft, jerk bait where the bass are feeding. The best times are dusk and dawn when bass typically feed. Channel catfishing is excellent too. Please observe the 400 horsepower limit.

Little Beaver Creek (Columbiana County) — A recent electrofishing demonstration in the Beaver Creek State Park yielded a large number of smallmouth bass from nine to 15-inches. Once water levels return to normal, anglers should focus on deeper pools and runs where smallies typically hang out. Traditional baits include soft craws, poppers, and crank baits, but anglers can also try using shad-type baits since there is an abnormally high number of gizzard shad in the creek this year. There are multiple access points throughout the state park. Go to ohiodnr.com and click on State Parks to locate a map.

SOUTHWEST OHIO

Little Miami River (Warren, Clermont, & Hamilton counties) — The water levels are down and now provide great opportunities for anglers to wade the rivers and find holes and structured areas that you can come back to later when the river is up. All fish like the deep holes this time of year because the water is cooler and there are concentrations of bait and better oxygen levels. Fair numbers of smallmouth bass and rock bass are being caught in the early morning and late evening hours, in transition areas where deep and shallow water areas connect. Popular live baits are crayfish and small minnows. Artificial baits include small inline spinners, crawfish colored or shaped crank baits, and small crawfish imitating baits such as green pumpkin colored tube baits or plastic craws. Try night fishing for catfish in the lower Hamilton county portion of the river. Anglers can find the fish lying in deeper holes. Good baits for catfish are chicken liver, shrimp, and worms, as well as shad and goldfish for the larger flatheads.

Rush Run Lake (Preble County) — Bluegill and sunfish are being caught by anglers using earthworms, wax worms, or live crickets as bait. Still fish the bait under a bobber, keep the bait about 7 to 8 feet deep. Best fishing is early in the morning or late in the evening. Cast into areas along the dam and around woody debris or submerged trees and brush. Weight the cricket so that it will be at a greater depth and out of reach of the smaller bluegill.

SOUTHEAST OHIO

Dillon Reservoir (Muskingum County) — Largemouth bass fishing has been slow due to high temperatures. However, the use of top water baits near weed lines has produced bass in the weight range of two to three pounds. Anglers are using plastic worms in dark colors which include purple, motor oil, and black. Most successful times for fishing have been late evening, at night, and in the early morning hours of daybreak. Some bluegill sunfish have been caught using night crawlers fished below a bobber. Waters at this area are exceptionally clear, but watershed events can modify lake conditions. Catfishing opportunities can be excellent in this reservoir and feeder tributary streams during a water rise after an extended low water condition. Chicken livers and night crawlers are the preferred bait, fished tight-line on the bottom near creek channels.

Ross Lake (Ross County) — The water level is slightly below normal in this 143-acre lake. Fishing pressure has been light due to extreme temperatures. Despite the heat, anglers continue to catch channel catfish in the 10 to 17-inch range. Try fishing tight-line from shore using night crawlers or chicken livers.

LAKE ERIE

Western Basin — Walleye fishing has been good in the western basin recently. The best walleye fishing has been from the Gravel Pit to “A” can of the Camp Perry range, and from North Bass Island to “F” can on the Canadian border. Fish have been caught by casting worm harnesses or weight forward spinners, and trollers have had success with spoons on jet divers or dipsys.

The best yellow perch fishing has been around “B” can of the Camp Perry range, Niagara Reef, between Green Island and Rattlesnake Island, and west of Rattlesnake Island. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish that have averaged around 8 inches with a few up to 10 and 11 inches.

Central Basin — Walleye fishing has been very good on the south end of the sandbar between Vermilion and Lorain, north-northeast of Cleveland in 63 to 77 feet, north-northeast of Ashtabula in 70 to 76 feet and north-northeast of Geneva in 64 to 74 feet. Anglers are trolling dipsy divers, down riggers and wire line with spoons and stick baits ranging in black/purple, gold, boy/girl, superman, wonder bread, antifreeze and chartreuse. Trolling worm harnesses (same colors) have also been successful.

Steelhead are being caught from Geneva to Ashtabula in 70 to 74 feet. Anglers are catching steelhead on red/white, black/purple, chartreuse, and silver/blue spoons while trolling for walleye.

Yellow perch fishing has been good in 35 feet of water off of the condos east of Vermilion, 3 to 5 miles northeast and northwest of Eastlake in 55 to 65 feet, 3 to 5 miles north-northwest of Fairport Harbor in 48 to 60 feet, and 5 to 6 miles north-northeast of Conneaut in 58 to 62 feet. Perch spreaders with shiners or worm harnesses fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

Smallmouth bass fishing has been excellent in harbor areas, and in 20 to 25 feet along the shoreline in Conneaut, Ashtabula, Geneva and Fairport Harbor. Fish were caught on goby-colored tube jigs, crank baits, and jigs tipped with minnows, night crawlers, or leeches.

White bass are being caught by anglers trolling for walleye. Shore anglers are catching white bass at the Lorain Ore Dock, Eastlake CEI pier, Fairport Harbor pier, and Conneaut breakwall; early mornings and evenings have been the best. Anglers are using agitators and small yellow or white jigs or small spinners.

The Lake Erie surface temperature is 72 degrees off of Toledo and 74 degrees off of Cleveland.

OHIO RIVER

Fishing has been slow along the Ohio River, but catfish, freshwater drum (sheepshead), and a few hybrid striped bass and white bass have been reeled in. Catfish anglers are catching channel catfish and some flathead catfish on cut bait, chicken liver, and night crawlers fished tight-line on the bottom. Hybrid striped bass have also been caught using cut bait and chicken livers. Sheepshead and white bass have been caught using white and yellow twister tails or grubs. Flathead catfish and channel catfish success is quite variable, but best results are primarily through the night and in the early morning hours before daybreak. Bass fishing continues to be slow.

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On the Net:

View sunrise/sunset table:

http://tinyurl.com/2tztsa

To view the predicted weather forecast for Lake Erie visit:

http://tinyurl.com/2h2z89

Maps and information are available from the Division of Wildlife at: