GETTING STARTED IN ANGLING
LOCAL FISHING RIVERS
(From Five Rivers MetroParks)
Stillwater River – A national and state scenic river and premier smallmouth bass fishery.
Little Miami River – A national and state scenic river and premier smallmouth bass fishery.
Mad River – Excellent trout fishing between Springfield and Bellefontaine. Becomes a smallmouth bass stream south of Springfield.
Twin Creek – Fish including bass, crappie and bluegill.
Great Miami River – Excellent warm water species fishery with smallmouth and largemouth bass, panfish and catfish
MetroParks lakes – Carriage Hill, Eastwood, Possum Creek, Englewood (North Park), Huffman, Germantown
FISH IN THE METROPARKS WITHOUT A LICENSE
Carriage Hill: Cedar Lake and North Woods Pond
Eastwood: Blue Lake and the lagoon
Possum Creek: Ponds near the farm and Argonne Lake
Twin Creek: Dogwood Pond and George Lake
SOUTHWEST OHIO KIDS’ FISHING HOT SPOTS
From the Ohio Department of Natural Resources
(For a complete listing of hot spots, go online to www.ohiodnr.com)
Sycamore State Park, Montgomery County
Caesar Creek Lake, Warren County
Cowan Lake, Clinton County
C. J. Brown Reservoir (Buck Creek State Park), Clark County
Acton Lake (Hueston Woods State Park), Preble County
Sunny spring afternoons on the bank of a peaceful pond, warm summer mornings wading in cool river waters, afternoons spent boating on the lake, casting a line from time to time.
Fishing means something different to everyone. It might bring back memories of that first trip to the pond with grandpa ... fun family fishing trips ... or weekends on the lake and the big haul you brought home for dinner.
“Fishing is something everybody can do, you can make it whatever you want it to be,” said Tom Helbig of Five Rivers MetroParks. “It’s easy to do and not nearly as expensive to get into as many other sports.”
Beginning the journey
Maybe it’s been decades since you last cast a line or, maybe, it’s time to introduce the sport to your children. The key to a good fishing experience is in the planning.
“The first thing to think about is what kind of experience are you looking for,” Helbig said. “Is it a day in the park having fun with the family or quiet time alone? Then, choose your environment based on that.”
There are high-traffic parks and great out-of-the-way places to get your fishing in; it will just take a little research.
Equipment is necessary, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. Helbig does, however, suggest purchasing a rod that has a lifetime guarantee.
“When you are starting out, you want to buy decent enough gear that you aren’t replacing it in six months, but you don’t have to break the bank,” he said.
Local retailers like Fisherman’s Headquarters, Orvis and Gander Mountain are just a few places to check out if you are planning a fishing trip.
REELING THEM IN
If you’ve packed up the car with young fishing enthusiasts, then there is one thing that will be critical to maintaining that enthusiasm — catching fish.
“Blue gill are a great way to get kids excited and keep them excited because they are pretty eager to bite,” Helbig said. “Kids will have a blast when they start catching them.”
Helbig also suggests wrapping a few activities into the family’s outdoor adventure, like a picnic or canoeing. That way if there are few fish biting, the family will still have a day full of fun memories to share.
Learning curve
Getting the hang of fishing might take some time, but there are many online resources available to help get you started. The Five Rivers MetroParks and Ohio Department of Natural Resources websites have a variety of information from local events to state license requirements. There are also helpful hints as far fishing hot spots and, even, bait selection.
But, if all else fails, Helbig has some simple advice.
“All fish eat other, smaller fish, just remember that,” he said.
If you aren’t sure if fishing is going to fly with your family, you might want to bypass the license initially and try it out at one of the MetroParks sites that are free of charge and don’t require a license.
“Give it a try and if you get a little more serious, there are a lot of great places to fish in Ohio,” Helbig said.
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