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Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Surely you have your 2009 calendar by now.
Put it on the table. Get pen or pencil. And let's start filling in the hot-fishing times you won't want to miss during the first half of the year.
January and February: If the lakes freeze solid, particularly Lake Erie, line up an ice-fishing trip with a guide who can provide a fishing shanty where you'll catch perch or walleyes. Make sure it's a heated shanty.
February: Areas ponds and quarries: If they did freeze over, they should be reopening in late February. Go to the north side of these ponds. This is the area that gets more sunlight and is a little warmer. Here the ice should be receding.
Cast a hook baited with a live night crawler into the water, or use an artificial lure that has good action, even when retrieved slowly. You just may catch your biggest bass of the year, a heavy female full of eggs.
March: The ice is gone or will be soon. Shallow ponds and the shallow areas of larger lakes are where the water temperature is rising faster. It's time for some serious bass fishing.
A couple of choice state lakes at this time are Lake Loramie and Indian Lake, especially the northwest, north and northeast sector of Indian. Boat ramps are open and you can cover more water.
Late March also is the time for your annual trek to the Maumee River where thousands of anglers gather for the big walleye run. The ideal water temperature is mid-40s and you want to be on the water when the flow is brisk, yet safe for wading.
Check the fishing regulations. Only lures with a single hook are allowed in March and April. That probably means you will be fishing with a jig and twister tail. Favorite twister colors are white, pink, chartreuse, yellow or whatever color is being fished by the person pulling in the most walleyes.
April: It's the best month of the year for big bass. Water temperature should be in the high 50s or 60s. It's the pre-spawn period. Crappie fishing also is getting better by the day. Fillets from this pan fish should allow you to have many good fish dinners.
And don't forget hot fishing is still on at the Maumee River. Migrating up Maumee from Lake Erie in late April are white bass. That run will continue for several weeks.
May: This is my favorite month. It drives me crazy. I don't know whether to go fishing or hunting. Wild turkey season is open. I hunt turkey in the early morning and go fishing in the afternoon.
Turkey hunters have to be out of the woods by noon during the spring season, but nothing is wrong with chasing turkeys in the morning and fish in the afternoon. And you thought fishing and hunting was easy. It's hard work, but it sure is fun.
In my next column I intend to review more big fishing events, including the prime time for rigging the fly rod and going after big bluegills. They are swarming over their spawning beds from mid-May to early June.
I can't wait. My wife gave me the perfect Christmas present for this big fishing event, a new fly rod.
Contact Jim Robey at Dayton Daily News, 1611 S. Main St., Dayton, OH 45409.
