JIM MORRIS’ FISHING REPORT

Grand Lake St. Marys: Crappies have been scattered, but most are in brushy areas, about 1 ½ feet deep. Use minnows and/or pink, purple or chartreuse split-tails. Bluegills are hitting waxworms and redworms around docks. Fish in the spillway for walleyes and saugeyes, using 3-inch chartreuse twisters.

Lake Loramie: Catfish are hitting minnows and nightcrawlers all over the lake. Fishing for crappies, bluegills and bass has been slow, but a few saugeyes have been caught on chartreuse twisters in the spillway.

Caesar Creek Lake: Saugeye fishing has been spotty. The best reports have been around the dam, using spinnerbaits, nightcrawlers and twisters in 4-10 feet of water. Crappies are deep and around structure. Use large minnows on jigs and fish 20-25 feet deep. Bass have been hitting spinnerbaits away from the banks. A few muskies have been caught on large spinnerbaits near the Ohio 73 bridge.

Rocky Fork: As usual, the best bass fishing in southwest Ohio is taking place here. Anglers are tossing crankbaits and spinnerbaits around points and wood 3-6 feet deep. The rainbow trout stocked last week are still biting in the channel at the campground marina. Use waxworms, prepared trout bait, tiny inline spinners or corn. Saugeyes have been hitting 3-inch chartreuse twisters, some tipped with nightcrawlers slow-trolled or casted near the south and north beaches about 6 feet deep. White bass have been caught in clear creek on inline spinners.

Paint Creek Lake: The lake is at summer pool, so all ramps are open. Crappies have been caught from the north end of the lake about 5 feet deep. Use minnows and fish around wood. Some have been caught on black/blue tube jigs. Bass are hitting black/blue jigs around laydowns 4-5 feet deep. Use ice jigs tipped with waxworms to catch bluegills around docks and other structure. In the spillway, anglers are catching saugeyes on chartreuse/red fleck twisters, crappies on minnows and silver Baby Shads and catfish on nightcrawlers.

Indian Lake: Cold, blustery weather has limited fishing. A few saugeyes have been caught night fishing at Moundwood. Anglers are using Vib-Es and bass minnows. Catfish are hitting all over the lake on nightcrawlers, cut shad, minnows, chicken liver and Powerbaits. Fishing has been good in the river for saugeyes and crappies.

Lake Erie: When conditions have allowed, walleyes have been caught by trolling along the east buoys of the Camp Perry firing range. Anglers jigging have caught fish on and around the reefs, nearshore west of the firing range, and in Maumee Bay. Try trolling with deep-diving crankbaits or shallow-diving crankbaits with snap weights to catch walleyes in the top half of the water column. Anglers jigging have been using hair jigs and emerald shiners.

Maumee River: The water level has dropped to normal, so most areas are accessible. Try White Street, the towpath and around the old bridge columns at Ft Meigs. Anglers are using brightly colored twisters, including a green head with Berkley fire tiger tail or green head and black or purple tail. Jacks up to 7 pounds have been caught.

Sandusky River: Fishing pressure for walleyes has been light, even though plenty of fish are present. The best bait has been a Carolina-rigged twister tail with an 18 - 24 inch leader with between1/4 - 5/8 oz of weight, depending on water flow. Brightly colored twister tails usually work the best.

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