Outdoors: Jim Morris’ fishing report

Grand Lake St. Marys: With the Crappie USA tournament going on this weekend, the lake should be a busy, interesting place. Participants will likely find crappies are scattered. Many have moved into brush or are hiding under docks and pontoons. Fishing around metal boat lifts is usually productive. Minnows and small tubes have been working. Bass have also moved close to the banks for spawning. Use spinnerbaits, jigs or jig-n-pig. Fish around docks for bluegills, using waxworms.

Lake Loramie: Plenty of crappies are being caught from the brush and between lily pads. Use minnows or a jig tipped with a minnow or waxworm. The best action has been early or late. Bluegills are also in the brush, biting on rubber spiders tipped with waxworms. Bass have moved into the banks, biting on jig-n-pig and spinnerbaits.

Acton Lake: Anglers have been crowding into the sugar camp to fish for crappies. Minnows have been the top bait; many 12 and 13-inch fish have been caught. Crappies are being caught all around the lake in shallow water around brush. Bass are close to the banks, biting on spinnerbaits and bass minnows. Occasional saugeyes are also being caught by crappie fishermen.

Rocky Fork: Bass fishing has been great. Use a red square-bill and fish around wood in water that's 8 feet deep or less. Also try a spinnerbait, but keep it close to wood. Some nice size crappies have been caught in the brush on minnows or black-chartreuse jigs. For saugeyes, try trolling off of the south beach with a chartreuse/red flake twister, tipped with a nightcrawler piece. Bluegills are plentiful around docks.

Paint Creek: Crappie fishing has been hot. Look for any kind of wood and fish in shallow water, 4 feet or less. Minnows or salt-and-pepper Bobby Garlands have been the top baits. Bass have been caught from shallow water, around wood. Some are on the bluff walls, also close to wood. Spinnerbaits or black jigs with blue pork have been good baits. Bluegills are in brush, hitting mealworms or waxworms. In the spillway, they're catching crappies and saugeyes.

Cowan Lake: Crappie fishing has been excellent. Fish close to the banks, around brush and sunken trees and other wood. The cove on the north shore, the island and along the south shore have been good spots. Use minnows or a jig tipped with a waxworm or minnow. Bass fishing has been good around wood along the banks. Use jigs or spinnerbaits.

Indian Lake: Saugeye fishing has been excellent in shallow water. Some of the good spots have been the Lakeview humps, O'Connor's, Black Hawk, south bank and Moundwood. Use Vib-Es, Vibra-max, bass minnows or crawler harnesses. Crappies have been hitting minnows and jigs around lily pads and brush all over the lake. Bluegills are also in the brush, hitting waxworms and redworms.

Caesar Creek Lake: Crappies are in close to brush, hitting minnows, 5-6 feet deep. Work the coves and woody areas. Bass are also in close to the banks for spawning. Use a spinnerbait or slow moving worm. Try the flats for saugeyes with nightcrawlers, bass minnows or Rat-L-Traps. Muskies have been caught under the Ohio 73 bridge.

C.J. Brown Reservoir: Crappies have moved in to spawn. Fish around any kind of wood or other structure in shallow water. Minnows or jigs tipped with waxworms have been the best baits. Walleyes have been caught off of the rocks along the dam. Use bass minnows under a bobber or Vib-Es. The best bass fishing has been along the banks, mostly with spinnerbaits or shallow-diving crankbaits. Use nightcrawlers to catch catfish on the north end of the lake.

Lake Erie: Walleye fishing with jigs has been productive on the reefs north of the Camp Perry firing range and nearshore from Turtle Creek to "K" can of the Camp Perry firing range. Walleyes have been caught by trolling near the eastern buoys of the Camp Perry firing range and west of North Bass Island near West Reef. For Lake Erie information, visit wildohio.com.

Maumee River: This is the peak of the walleye run with the best fishing from Buttonwood up to Jerome Road. Bluegrass Island has been hot when the water level allows. Anglers are using brightly colored twisters, usually Carolina rigging. White bass action has started. For information, visit maumeetackle.net.

Sandusky River: The walleye run is peaking. The State Street to Hays Street bridge area will be the best area over the next few days. Look for the white bass to take over. For information, visit wildohio.gov.

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