Grand Lake St. Marys: Some 157 participants took an estimated 14,729 pounds of carp and other rough fish out of Grand Lake over the weekend in the third annual Get the Carp Outta Here tournament. The "body count" was 2,266. Doug Moran of St. Marys had the largest at 20.3 pounds. The youth division big fish was 11.6 pounds, caught by Josh Fuerst of St. Marys. He caught a total of 69 fish. Crappies are still biting on minnows and jigs tipped with waxworms. They are spawning, so work the banks and rocks. Catfish are biting all over the lake on cut shad and nightcrawlers. Bass are hitting spinnerbaits in the channels. Bluegills are around rocks and docks.
Paint Creek Lake: Bass fishing has been very good off of points in water 5-8 feet deep. Use green/pumpkin worms, black/blue jigs are shad-colored crankbaits. Most of the larger crappies have moved to 5-10 feet of water. Use minnows or tubes and tails. Bluegills are hitting waxworms around rocks and brush. Channel cats are going after nightcrawlers and cut shad. In the spillway, anglers are getting plenty of small crappies and saugeyes. Catfish like nightcrawlers and chicken liver.
Rocky Fork Lake: Look for weed beds and fish the edges for bass. Also work the points with spinnerbaits, plastics and jigs. Saugeye fishing has been hot off of the north and south beaches and around the island. Twisters tipped with a piece of nightcrawlers have worked best. Some anglers are trolling with Shad-Raps and twisters.
Cowan Lake: Crappie fishing continues to be strong. Anglers are working the north side and around Austin Island with minnows and jigs tipped with waxworms. Most are shallow, about 2 feet deep. Bass are close to the banks, hitting plastics and spinnerbaits. Channel catfish have been biting on chicken liver and nightcrawlers.
Lake Loramie: Crappie fishing has been outstanding. Use minnows or jigs and fish around the Minster Branch, Ohio 119 bridge, Luthman Bridge, and the pads around Earl's Island. Look for brush and lay-downs. Bass are hitting plastic lizards, Brush Hogs and jigs close to the banks. Use long casts to stumps and other structure. Two anglers recently limited out on saugeyes, wading off of Earl's Island and using 3-inch Power Baits. Catfish are hitting nightcrawlers, chicken liver and minnows all over the lake.
Indian Lake: Saugeye fishing is a bit slower, but boaters are still getting some by trolling crawler harnesses. Anglers have been working the humps, Pew Island and around the spillway. Crappies are hitting all over the lake in the channels, around lily pads. Use minnows or jigs. Bluegills are hitting ice jigs tipped with waxworms or red worms around docks and rocks. Catfish are biting on chicken liver, nightcrawlers and shrimp. A few perch have been caught off of Oldfield.
Acton Lake: Crappie fishing is still very good off of the pier, around the dame and to the right of the beach. Larger crappies are hitting minnows; smaller ones are likely to hit a jig tipped with a waxworm. Saugeyes have been caught on bass minnows fished 6-12 inches off of the bottom. Bass are tight to the banks around wood. Crankbaits and artificial worms are working during the day. Try a top-water bait early and late. Catfish are hitting nightcrawlers and cut shad.
Lake Erie: Walleye fishing was good over the past week with the best areas being from the turnaround buoy of the Toledo shipping channel to West Sister Island, Niagara Reef, west of Rattlesnake Island and Green Island, and north of Kelleys Island. Trollers have been catching fish on crankbaits and worm harnesses. Drifters are using worm harnesses with bottom bouncers or are casting mayfly rigs. Yellow perch have been caught north of Kelleys Island.
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