Area fishing report

Caesar Creek Lake: Bass fishermen have been working the banks early and late with topwater lures, crankbaits and some plastics. A few smallmouth have been caught in recent days. Crappies are still around structure, about 25 feet deep. Use jigs tipped with bass minnows. Bluegills are about 8-10 feet deep around stickups. For saugeyes, try tightlining a nightcrawler or bass minnow on the flats.

Grand Lake St. Marys: Catfish and bluegills are biting, but that's about it. For catfish, try working the channels around stumps and rocks, using cut shad, nightcrawlers or chubs. Bluegills are around rocks and docks and seawalls. Use small rubber spiders tipped with waxworms.

Lake Loramie: Fishing has slowed with a few crappies and bluegills caught here and there and a bunch of catfish caught all over the lake. Catfish are biting on nightcrawlers and cut shad. Bluegills are 18-20 inches deep in grassy, brushy areas. Use an ice jig tipped with a waxworm. The best crappie fishing has been around the Luthman Road bridge. Bass fishing has been good early and late, using crawdad-looking crankbaits and plastics and green/pumpkin jigs.

Cowan Lake: The only good bass fishing has been early and late, using deep-diving crankbaits or jigs around stumps and topwater when it's still. A few crappies have been in the north shore coves about 12 feet deep and off of the first point near the spillway. Use minnows or white/chartreuse tubes and fish around underwater structure. For saugeyes, try trolling crankbaits or brightly colored twisters tipped with a piece of nightcrawler or bass minnow.

C.J. Brown Reservoir: Most fishing has slowed. You can still catch bluegills on rubber spiders tipped with waxworms around the pilings near the ramp. You can catch crappies by using in minnow under a bobber fished from the bank, but most will be undersize. For walleyes, try trolling over the humps with a crawler harness or a Vib-E. Catfish are biting on chicken liver, cut shad and nightcrawlers in the north end of the lake.

Paint Creek Lake: Crappie fishing has slowed. Try to work the wood along channel banks and bluff walls, 8-12 feet deep. Use minnows or small chartreuse/red fleck twisters. Bass fishing has been good early and late with 6-inch grape worms or green/pumpkin crankbaits. Work the points and bluff walls. For catfish, use chubs or cut shad on the flats. Bluegills are around stumps and rocks, hitting waxworms and redworms. For white bass, fish early or late and look for the jump, tossing inline spinners.

Rocky Fork Lake: Bass fishing has been good, especially along the edges of weedbeds with crankbaits. Saugeyes are striking worm harnesses trolled in front of both beaches. Crappies are 8-12 feet deep, hitting minnows. Catfish are biting on cut shad and chubs in the wharf area. Bluegills are around brush and docks. White bass fishing has been good early and late with Mepps or Roostertail inline spinners.

Indian Lake: Plenty of catfish are being caught all over the lake on chubs, goldfish and cut shad. The annual catfish tournament drew over 800 participants last weekend with Don Collins of Cridersville winning with a 24.29-pounder. There were many fish over 15 pounds caught. Crappies, mostly undersize are being caught around wood, but in deeper spots. Fish with minnows or small twisters. A few saugeyes have been caught under bridges, mostly with bass minnows.

Acton Lake: The action has slowed for crappies and bass. For crappies, fish off of the pier or banks with minnows under bobbers. Most have been small. Bluegills have been hitting waxworms around rocks and brush. For saugeyes, try trolling the tree line across from the marina with crankbaits or brightly colored twisters tipped with a piece of nightcrawler. Catfish have been hitting nightcrawlers and chicken liver.

Lake Erie: Walleyes have been caught around the Toledo water intake, along the west edge of the Camp Perry firing range from "A" can to "K" can, 3 miles west of West Sister Island and near the Canadian border east of Gull Island Shoal.

Yellow perch have been caught near the Toledo harbor light, north of “C” can of the Camp Perry firing range, northwest of Rattlesnake Island, near Ballast Island, off the Marblehead Lighthouse, southwest of Kelleys Island and east of Kelleys Island.

Smallmouth bass have been caught along the shorelines of the Bass Islands and on some of the reefs of the Camp Perry firing range. Largemouth bass have been caught on the main lake shoreline around Catawba and Marblehead, and in harbors in the same area.

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