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Soggy April hurts fishing business, license sales

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By Jim Morris, Contributing Writer 11:58 PM Saturday, April 30, 2011

Each morning, Jean or Leon Cole goes to work early to open their bait shop, Cole’s Bait & Tackle on U.S. 50 in Bainbridge, so early anglers can get some bait or maybe a fishing license or that new lure that just about guarantees one will catch fish.

Lately, they’re probably wondering, “What’s the use?”

With heavy rain almost every day and Paint Creek Lake that sits close to their shop being 41 feet above summer pool earlier this week, nobody is fishing. All the boat ramps are closed and the area is flooded.

“If it weren’t for Rocky Fork Lake, there wouldn’t be any reason for us to be open,” Jean Cole said. “We still get business from people coming from the east to fish at Rocky Fork.”

But their usual customers who come to fish at Paint Creek Lake have had to find another place to fish or stay home.

“This is the worst spring we’ve had,” she said. “We thought it was bad last year, but this year is starting out even worse.”

Paint Creek has flooded three times this spring. It has a huge watershed and the Army Corps of Engineers holds back water to protect areas downstream, such as the city of Chillicothe and on down to the Ohio River.

She said the 41 feet above summer pool is not the highest water mark recorded at Paint Creek. The “pool of record” was 44.5 feet, set in January 2005. Of course, being in the winter, that didn’t hurt their business or disrupt fishing.

Paint Creek is not the only lake affected by high water. Other flood control lakes, such as Caesar Creek and East Fork, are going through similar problems. All ramps are closed at Caesar Creek.

The lousy weather has had a pronounced effect on fishing statewide. While parts of the state such as the southwest corner have been deluged with storms, Lake Erie has been pretty much unfishable. High winds have not only kept boats at the docks, they have muddied the lake, making fishing difficult on the rare occasions when boats have ventured out.

The downturn in fishing this spring is reflected in state fishing license sales. From the beginning of license sales on Feb. 15 through April 27, a total of 252,930 fishing licenses were sold. That total is a whopping 106,977 fewer (29.7 percent) than the same period one year ago. That’s caused a loss of revenue for the Division of Wildlife of $1.8 million.

No license required

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is encouraging Ohioans to take advantage of “Free Fishing Days” on May 7-8.

During these two weekend days, any Ohio resident will be allowed to fish on state public waters without a fishing license.

During the rest of the year, anglers 16 years and older are required to have a valid fishing license to take fish, frogs or turtles from Ohio waters.

Free seminar

The Greene County Parks/Stamper’s Sportsman’s Seminar this month will feature expert crappie angler Charlie Hildreth. The seminar is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Greene County Highway Dept., 615 Dayton-Xenia Road. If you arrive early, the Ohio Division of Watercraft will be putting on a lifejacket demonstration. There also will be a discussion about outboards and E85 gasoline at 6:30.

Outdoors columnist Jim

Morris

can be reached through his

website

at www.examiner.com/outdoor-recreation-in-dayton/ jim-morris or by email at  sports@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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