Not this year.
“It’s been crazy here this year,” said Tom Taylor, owner of South Shore Marina. “Except when there is bad weather, the parking lot here has been full almost every day. It’s been that way all spring.”
The reason? Crappies.
Fishing has been excellent, no question about it. Anglers are catching crappies — some in the 12- to 13-inch range — and when people are catching fish it means more people will come to that lake. Sort of an “If you catch them, they will come” situation.
But it appears to be more than just good fishing that is attracting anglers to Cowan Lake. This year the state started a new regulation that puts a 9-inch minimum size limit and 30-bag limit on crappies at just about every lake in southwest Ohio — except Cowan.
Biologists felt the low growth rate for crappies at Cowan didn’t require the 9-inch limit to boost crappie size at other lakes, such as Caesar Creek and Paint Creek.
Doug Maloney, district fish management supervisor for District Five of the Ohio Division of Wildlife, isn’t convinced that the lack of crappie limits has been the main reason for the large number of fishermen at Cowan.
“It’s probably a combination, but I think it’s more because the fishing is good than because there are no limits there,” Maloney said.
Karen Andrews, owner of the Fishing Pole Bait Shop on Ohio 350, isn’t so sure. “We have sold more than twice as many minnows as we normally would this spring,” Andrews said. “I like having all the extra business. That’s great, but I am more concerned with the future.”
Or as Taylor said, “Are we going to the well too often?”
Maloney said a netting test is scheduled for Cowan Lake next year and maybe a creel survey. But for Andrews that isn’t soon enough.
“I think our lake needs the limits, too. I would like them to do the netting this year so they can make changes before the laws go into effect (March 1) next year,” she said.
“We’ve been here 11 years and we are seeing many people coming in to fish here that we’ve never seen before. They are coming from all over because the fishing is good, but also because the other lakes have the limits and Cowan doesn’t.”
Outdoors columnist Jim Morris can be reached through his website at www.tinyurl.com/ylh2rol or by e-mail at sports@ DaytonDailyNews.com.
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