Lake Loramie: Crappie fishing has been very good around lily pads and rocks. Use minnows or rubber spiders tipped with waxworms. That combo will also catch bluegills along the banks. Fish in the spillway to catch saugeyes with bass minnows under a bobber or brightly colored twisters. For bass, use spinnerbaits around wood and laydowns just off of the banks. Catfish are hitting nightcrawlers and bass minnows all over the lake. Don't be surprised if you see bald eagles swooping around the lake. They have been numerous in recent days.
Grand Lake St. Marys: Crappies are hitting minnows and jigs around boat lifts and brush in the channels. Use waxworms to catch bluegills along seawalls and around docks. Catfish are hitting nightcrawlers. Walleyes/saugeyes are going after chartreuse, pink or white 3-inch twisters in the spillway.
Cowan Lake: Anglers are going after crappies all over the lake. They're using minnows at varying depths. From boats, they've been around the island and working the north shore coves. From shore, the best action has been around the dam and along the bank next to the marina. Use waxworms for bluegills. Catfish have been hitting nightcrawlers.
Paint Creek Lake: The lake has dropped to summer pool and all ramps are open. Crappies have been biting in the channels on minnows and black/chartreuse tubes. Look for stumps and laydowns and fish 6-10 feet deep. For bass, work around wood on the points with crankbaits or along the banks with green/pumpkin worms. White bass are hitting white twisters and inline spinners in the creeks. Bluegills are around stumps and brush, biting on waxworms. In the spillway, use chartreuse/red twisters or shallow-running crankbaits to catch saugeyes, minnows for crappies and nightcrawlers for catfish.
Rocky Fork Lake: Anglers are catching bass on black/blue jigs with a blue trailer around stumps and laydowns about 5-6 feet deep. Crappies are 8-12 feet deep around laydowns, hitting minnows and Bobby Garland Baby Shad in the monkey-milk color. For saugeyes, slow troll around the south beach with a chartreuse twister tipped with a piece of nightcrawler. Catfish are hitting nightcrawlers and chicken liver on the west end of the lake.
Kiser Lake: Bluegills are hitting waxworms and ice jigs. For crappies, use minnows under bobbers. If you cast out a nightcrawler you might catch a catfish, a largemouth or a hybrid striped bass.
Acton Lake: Good crappie and bluegill fishing has been reported around the dam and pier. Use minnows under a slip bobber for crappies. Bluegills like waxworms presented on an ice jig or tiny rubber spider. Bass have been caught with crankbaits along banks.
C.J. Brown Reservoir: Anglers are catching largemouth and smallmouth bass on the west side around the rocks. They're using spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Crappie fishing around the marina has been sporadic with about one in eight as keepers. Fish the artificial structure near the boat ramp for bluegills, using waxworms.
Clark Lake: Crappie fishing has been good. Use minnows or jigs and fish along the banks. There are still a few rainbow trout left from the spring stocking.
Lake Erie: Walleye fishing has been good for anglers trolling northeast of Maumee Bay, between Catawba and the reef complex, east of "C" can of the Camp Perry firing range, west of South Bass Island, northwest of North Bass Island, and between South Bass Island and Kelleys Island. Anglers jigging have caught fish on and around the reefs and in Maumee Bay.
Maumee River: The walleye run has been outstanding and getting better. Fish around the Jerome Road rapids, Buttonwood, Ft. Meigs and the towpath with lead-head twisters. The hot colors have been: orange head. chartreuse-firetiger tail, green head-Powerbait firetiger tail and green head-pink sparkle tail. For daily info, visit maumeetackle.net.
Sandusky River: Fishing pressure is low with only a few walleye being caught, mostly on Carolina-rigged brightly colored twisters. White bass are being caught on small white twisters and jigs tipped with minnows. For more information, visit wildohio.com.
About the Author