Fish cover planted in Lake Milton

Show me a stump in 4 feet of water, and I’ll show you a bass hideout. Find me a brush pile on a sandy bottom, and I’ll show you a place capable of holding a school of crappie.

Stumps, brush piles, weeds, dock posts and other vertical objects rising from a lake or river bottom are natural fish attractors. They are called “cover” in fishing vernacular.

But cover can be scarce, especially in aging reservoirs. Natural decay and erosion wash away the places where fish can hide and hunt. When cover is on the decline, our lakes are less habitable for our favorite game species.

Ohio’s Division of Wildlife fish management crews, in partnership with First Energy Corp., are in the process of restoring the amount of cover that formerly existed in our lakes. The most recent project has involved planting fish cover in Lake Milton.

All fish rely on cover to some extent during their lifetimes.

Bass and crappies spend a good portion of their years in cover. Catfish are cover creatures, as well, often sliding into log jams and other hiding holes to await prey. Walleyes rely on cover during their first year of life to hide from predators. Bait-fish species such as shad use cover to feed and spawn, as well as to gain protection.

Our local reservoirs are getting up in years, so the cover for which they formerly were known has disintegrated. Lake Milton was dammed before World War I. Berlin and Mosquito were built during WWII. West Branch and Shenango are offsprings of the 1960s, so although relatively young, they are approaching middle age.

To combat the natural deterioration of the habitat in our reservoirs, agencies such as Ohio’s Division of Wildlife have come up with programs to plant fresh cover.

“We’ve identified Milton as a good candidate for this type of placement since the panfish population is good,” said Matt Wolfe, fisheries biologist for Ohio Division of Wildlife. He oversees the project. “The idea is that the fish will associate with these structures, helping to ensure anglers will have a successful day of fishing.”

Ohio is placing 70 wooden spools, weighted with stone, along the western edge of Milton to serve as fish cover. All of the spools have been sunk in 8 to 10 feet of water.

Those with GPS (set at NAD 83) can locate the structures at the following waypoints:

UTwenty are at North 41 degrees, 4 minutes, 42.9 seconds and West 80 degrees, 59 minutes, 28.0 seconds.

UTwenty more at North 41, 5, 1.0 and West 80, 59, 29.4.

UTwenty at North 41, 4, 46.3 and West 80, 59, 32.8.

UAnd 10 at North 41, 4, 54.7 and West 80, 59, 31.2.

A news release from the Division of Wildlife reports the goal of the cover-planting project is to place 500 structures in Northeast Ohio waters annually.

Funding is limited, so the division partnered with First Energy Corp. to pay for the work.

It won’t take long for the new cover to attract fish. As algae grows, baitfish will be attracted, and popular species such as bass, crappies and other panfish will move in to use the cover for feeding and shelter.

Such cover is a natural fish magnet. All the angler has to do is find the cover and drag a lure or bait over and around the objects and get ready for plenty of good sport.

jack@innismaggiore.com