Oh Pa, fish on!

Fish and the barometer

2012-02-24T06:17:00.002-05:00

Why do fish bite better after a storm? Why does the bite fall off before a storm? Perhaps the activity inside a liquid barometer can give us a hint.

In a glass alcohol barometer, solid particles form in the liquid when rain is coming. With high winds, the liquid becomes cloudy and particles increase especially on the surface. When the rains cease and winds die down, particles settle to the bottom. The liquid is clear.

I wonder if similar action takes place in a lake. After a storm, all is clear. This matters because fish can see.

Heart throb

2012-02-14T00:31:00.001-05:00

There is one gift to give your fisherman or fisherwoman on Valentine's Day that will make their heart throb. Give a brass Colorado spinner blade. The quality is unsurpassed.

A killer bass rig, the thick density and sound carrying properties of a Colorado brass spinner blade will have your honey's heart pounding as the spinner thumps through the water.

It's a sound bass go wild over! No wonder this blade is a top bass bait year after year.

River on

2012-02-08T00:21:00.002-05:00

When other fishing grounds are off season, one place is jumping. The Ohio River holds the best fishing from October thru March. Hannibal pool, one of the prettiest sections of the river, is alive with smallmouth bass.

You don't have to hunt steelhead or cut a hole in the ice on Lake Erie. Go to the river.

No. 1 cause of boat engine failure

2012-02-01T23:55:00.002-05:00

Can you guess the number one cause of boat engine failure? Overheating comes to mind. So does dirty oil. Ethanol, too. These are certainly causes, but there is still one greater.

The primary cause of boat engine failure is dirty filters. A dirty filter lets particles into the engine that grind, pit, wear and tear.

We tend to neglect changing filters. They are an expense we think can be postponed. After all, the air filter looks clean, maybe just a little dusty. But a little dust does a lot of damage in the long term.

Really, we should do more than follow the manufacturer's book, and change filters more frequently than recommended. Your engine will love you for it, and you'll likely find sweet cruisin' ahead.

What's an iced in walleye fisherman to do?

2012-01-24T19:14:00.002-05:00

With most of the western part of Lake Erie frozen over, what's a walleye fisherman to do?

Stay inside and read past issues of the Great Lakes Angler Magazine on your desktop computer. Full archived issues of the print magazine are available.

This will help calm you until the walleye run in 2012!

Is dust draining your boat battery?

2012-01-19T17:59:00.003-05:00

Of all things, dust, yes dust on the battery surface can act as a conductor material and drain the battery. Never mind that you've cleaned and tightened all connections, a nearly unseen film of dust will act like a parasitic drain to ruin your day.

Does this mean you should "dust" your battery? No, no. Regularly cleaning battery surface between the posts with a baking soda and warm water solution cures this mite.

Ethanol eat away

2012-01-15T22:18:00.007-05:00

I never really understood the causes of damage from gasoline with ethanol on small engines until reading these two excellent articles by Popular Mechanics -

Can Boutique Fuel Save Small Engines from the Wear and Tear of E10?

Can E15 Gasoline Really Damage Your Engine?

It seems the big problem is preventing condensation in the tank. Airplanes manage to keep out water in the fuel. Diesel engines have many ways to filter water out. Read the articles for a good understanding of the problem so you can build a solution.

New role for old lead acid battery

2012-01-11T23:47:00.002-05:00

The old lead acid battery has a new role to play in our high-tech lifestyle. With more and more digital gadgets being brought aboard the boat, the lowly battery must be kept in better shape than ever before. It plays a vital role regulating voltage, or electrical pressure, to our sensitive devices.

Save those corks!

2011-12-21T13:01:00.002-05:00

When you pop the cork on a new year, save that cork. It'll bring you the fish of your dreams.

A typical line, leader, sinker and hook combination leaves the bait sitting on bottom. The bait appears lifeless and unattractive to fish.

Tie a heavy sinker about 30 inches up from the leader. Wrap the cork midway. The sinker will rest on bottom while the cork acts as an underwater bobber, allowing the bait to float 6-10 inches off bottom. The bait looks lively and tempting in mild current.

The High Price of Pecans

2011-12-10T08:26:00.012-05:00

If you didn't notice the rise in pecan prices when preparing pies for Thanksgiving, buying nut rolls filled with pecans for Christmas will give the purse pause. Pecan prices rose 57% since 2009 (source: CNN Money). The Texas drought snapped the pecan crop by more than 50%.

Oh, the Texas drought is affecting us here in wild, wet Ohio? I decided to check further. Here is a picture of the problem.

The U.S. Drought Monitor for September 20, 2011 shows nearly the entire state of Texas besieged by exceptional drought!

Let's focus on where South Texas farmers who provide much of our vegetables and fruits get their water. It rolls down through the Highland Lakes chain in central Texas. It is managed by the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). An LCRA water supply status report estimates this chain of lakes to be 1/3 full.

Without a substantial refill, LCRA water flow will be cut off at the damns to downstream agriculture to preserve water for millions of Central Texans.

This really isn't the tale of drought alone, but the side effects of population growth in a state that is traditionally water challenged. Central Texas grew by nearly a half million people in the last decade (source: U.S. Census). The amount of annual rainfall stayed the same and even fell while demand grew at a blistering pace.

Many Ohioans went to Texas for jobs in defense, high tech, and oil. Yes, folks, us Buckeyes (Texas natives call us carpetbaggers), are part of the high price of pecans.

But there is one big difference between this record setting Texas drought and the Dust Bowl of the 30s. The later was caused by public policy, farmland for settlement. Suitcase farmers came, planted, went belly up, and left the ground all tore up. Carpetbaggers came to Texas to stay expecting the land to feed and water each and every one of them.

You can expect pecan prices to stay high. A pecan tree begins bearing fruit in 5 to 6 years after planting. Some orchards have lost 1/3 of their trees. Conditions are worse for livestock owners. Cattlemen, who sold off their herds, are being forced now to sell off their life blood breeding stock.

You'll notice I didn't talk about fish in this post. It's a mute point.

I'll leave you to ponder this situation in your prayers with this last graphic from the Associated Press story North Mexico Wilts Under Worst Drought on Record.

An estimated 2.5 million citizens of Mexico in these northern drought stricken areas are receiving emergency aid.

This drought isn't going away anytime soon. It will challenge all of us.

Watch lake weather on mobile phone

2011-12-07T10:20:00.005-05:00

My new mobile smartphone helps me monitor weather conditions at the lake. I can enter fifteen different lakes. One press of a button and all are updated.

Here are a few of the lakes I like to weather watch:

For Indian Lake, enter Russells Point. It's the nearest town located on the south side. Indian Lake is one of Ohio's earliest natural lakes. It is loaded with small islands to fish around.

For Delaware Lake, I go to Waldo at the headwaters. Alum Creek lovers need to go a little further north for this gem. Nearby Delaware is an historical college town full of architecture to behold.

Clendening Lake is one well-kept bass lake. Picture perfect! The closest town is Deersville south across Tappan Lake dam. Clendening Lake is near if you know the back way to travel between the two.

I can't leave the Ironton folks alone with Lake Vesuvius. It is one of Ohio's best kept secret fishing lakes. It's so far down in "southeasy" Ohio only locals go.

Snowbirds can flock to Umatilla, Florida north of Orlando. It is situated at the south end of Ocala National Forest. In this fishing village, you are surrounded by many many many lakes holding the finest freshwater bass. It should top the list of best places for fishermen and fisherwomen to RETIRE!

That's my list. A smarter phone would just let me enter lake name after lake name til my heart's content. And it would have a built-in compass plus swiss army knife. But smartphones weren't designed by fishers. We'll make do.

Flashlight fish attractor

2011-12-01T18:16:00.003-05:00

In the previous post I kept an old cellphone as a fish attractor when turned on, but flashlights are used just as well. An article in Popular Mechanics "How to Tempt a Fish" says to "lower a tightly capped fruit jar containing a small lighted flashlight into the water, and fish around the light. Use stones to weight the jar so it will sink, and tie a line around the rim of the jar."

Seems this technique has been around for ages. I personally like to keep my flashlight in the boat. Fathoms down ol' cellphone.

Don't throw that old mobile phone away

2011-11-28T08:17:00.004-05:00

I upgraded to a new smartphone this month. The trade-in value of my old phone was less than half the cost of a new fishing lure. This presented a challenge. How could I use this old phone for fishing?

The old cellphone turned on and sealed in a waterproof container with rope and weight made an excellent fish attracting device. Put overboard to desired depth for target fish and suspend. Light from the display draws curious fish. Bait line and fish beside your cellphone attractor.

There are other reasons to keep your old cellphone. You can still call for emergency help, take pictures with the camera, use bluetooth wireless, and store photos.

I think I'll put on a Santa wallpaper and send it overboard. Set a baited hook nearby, I'll wait for the fish to bite! Oh, try to use wallpaper with lure colors like orange, red, or shiny.

ho Ho HO!

Frost on the pumpkin, inbound steelhead

2011-10-30T07:35:00.002-04:00

The frost is really on the pumpkin this morning in Cleveland Metroparks. Fall is snapping cool.

Migratory birds abound. The rut is on. While mammals sock away food for the winter, and fish flesh out with winter fat, steelhead turn inward from the depths of Lake Erie.

Soon steelhead will start running up local tributaries, returning home. This life cycle brings the promise of excellent winter fishing for those fishermen and women who brave the cold, snow and ice.

If you have ever thought about catching this prized fish, now is the time to go about it. Drifting egg spawn sacs is the choice bait. Dress warmly. Know how to prevent hypothermia. Fish safely. Land a steelie!

What are you feeding your largemouth bass?

2011-10-16T18:21:00.001-04:00

We become so involved with artificial baits that we forget the best bait for largemouth bass is a live one. This fish strikes on live bait like small bluegill and frogs.

Winter snowbirds fleeing to Florida find themselves at the start of the state`s bass season. Fishing a live bait will draw largemouths thru the hydrilla faster than you can say "Gone to Florida."

Fish and toppings

2011-09-29T13:38:00.007-04:00

Let's consider a change in the way we think about cooking fish. Consider the meat of the fish as a base. Then add toppings. The fish meat is positioned like ice cream in a sundae and the toppings are piled on high.

You can add sauces, seasonings, herbs, veggies, or whatever else you like on top of the fish. Fry the fish first in a grilled edge frying pan with a little olive oil. This will give it black BBQ markings. Then, heap on the toppings and place under a broiler until done.

Use themed pilings like Greek, Italian, Chinese, or Cherokee. What an adventurous way to eat fish! After all, why should veal be the only crusted meat covered in spaghetti sauce, eh?

Rubs are for steak, er fish, er ...

2011-09-17T22:26:00.002-04:00

I've always thought about experimenting with steak rubs on fish. Now I've found one, recipe and all!

It's from the makers of Chugwater Chili in Wyoming (they have great fishing out there). They call it Chugwater Chili Fish Fillets. Of course it uses their rub on each side of a fish fillet, pan fried or grilled with a little olive oil, and served with lemon or tarter sauce. In this case, I'd prefer the tarter sauce.

Scroll down their website a way. The recipe is here.

Housekeeping

2011-09-17T22:24:00.003-04:00

Like a bear preparing for winter, I am reducing the number of posts to this blog. I will write two, that's 2 posts a month (unless I get carried away, noisy, or otherwise unruly).

It gives me more time to fish!

The All Water Map of Ohio

2011-09-07T10:21:00.002-04:00

I love maps, especially old ones. They tell about us in lines and letters.

An old map of Ohio streams shows the territory difficult to cross. Western bound settlers had one wagon wheel on dry land and the other in the creek.

The map I reference is dated 1925. I first saw it in the map division at the Library of Congress. But now I hold a copy of it in my hands. The Ohio Division of Water reprinted this map in 1999 and will send it to you free for the asking.

It is a one-of-a-kind resource map for the fisherman or fisherwoman, and a reminder to the conservationist that Ohio is drying up too much water area for just another concrete building.

Local Fish

2011-08-27T18:51:00.003-04:00

We generally think of lakes as being managed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. There are other fishing lakes dotted around the state and managed locally.

South Central Park features a 3 acre fishing lake stocked annually with bass. This beautiful, rectangular lake (pond some would call it) is in the heart of North Ridgeville, a community located west of Cleveland. The lake is managed by North Ridgeville Parks Department, and it is open free to the public.

Imagine being able to amble off your front porch a few blocks with pole in hand to find a sporting bass!

The lake offers more than fish. It adds valuable wetlands, and it is the perfect backdrop from the gazebo for a wedding. The city of North Ridgeville hosts a yearly fishing derby, too.

What a community achievement to recognize fishing as necessary for the human soul along with soccer and baseball in a Cleveland Browns faithful town.

Recession Closes Tackle Shops

2011-08-18T05:33:00.005-04:00

One of the big losses in this Great Recession is the tackle store. In the Lake Erie region many fine independently owned shops have closed. Blame chain superstores - no, not in this recession. Even Target stores that once had large sections of fishing equipment have been reduced to about one shelf section. Fishing supplies fell to the new food aisles in Target.

With the shortage of places to purchase quality fishing tackle, what's a fisherman or woman to do? Fortunately, mail order catalogs are still available and the Internet is a new source of tackle supplies. But it's just not the same for those of us who like to roam through the aisles touching lures, bending rods, and clicking reels.

It's all part of the buying experience, whether the rig feels good to you, and only hands on shopping can give that experience. Rise again in the future o' great tackle shops.

Cruze n to the Lake

2011-08-11T04:44:00.003-04:00

Chevy has a popular new car made here in Ohio, the Cruze. I had the pleasure of driving one, and for the first time, I'm recommending a car to go fishing in, the 2011 Cruze.

When I first started my trip, the car rode like a leaf spring truck. Once loaded with stuff, it settled into a comfortable ride. I packed the car full, equivalent to four good-sized passengers and a trunk full of gear. The car did exactly what its name said, it cruised.

Rated at 43 MPG highway, I drove it over 1,000 miles highway and city for a combined MPG of 30 (the gauge drops faster in the city). Last time I got 30 MPG was in a very small Toyota that left a fishing pole dragging four feet out the window.

I bring the Cruze to your attention because it is a mid-size car that will get you to the lake and back, anywhere you want to fish, economically. Leave the truck and boat at home.

Pack your gear, fishing buddies, an inflatable and Cruze across Ohio to fish. Add a rack on the roof with a swing bar for mounting kayak or aluminum boat. Put the motor in the trunk.

You can afford to go to the lake again in the Chevy Cruze ... as many times as you want.

The Trouble at Grand Lake St. Marys

2011-08-04T00:31:00.006-04:00

If you've been following the story of Grand Lake St. Marys, you know it is in serious trouble with harmful algal blooms (HABs). Worse yet, Grand Lake St. Marys' story could be the story of any Ohio lake, river, or stream.

Grand Lake St. Marys HAB Bloom 7/12/2010
(Linda Merchant-Masonbrink, Ohio EPA)

Harmful algal blooms, abbreviated HABs, produce poisons that can cause irritation, illness or death to humans, pets and livestock. HABs toxins can affect the nervous system (neurotoxins), liver (hepatoxins), and skin (dermatotoxins).

HABs are caused by excessive nitrogen and phosphorus entering our lakes, rivers, and streams as runoff from crop lands, pastures, lawns, storm sewers, malfunctioning septic tanks, and waste water treatment plants.

HABs reduce oxygen in the water contributing to fish die offs. HABs reduce sunlight needed for normal aquatic growth (fish food). HABs strangle a lake to death.

Lake Hope HAB Bloom 8/17/2010 (ODNR)

You do not have to be at the lake to be exposed to HABs. If you sprinkle your yard with water contaminated with these bacterial cells, you and your pets could be exposed to HABs toxins (see CDC on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), article 1, article 2).

Don't let your dog drink from or swim in water with algal blooms. They have a smaller body mass and are likely to experience more adverse illness and even death at lower algal toxin levels (see Ohio EPA Information for Veterinarians).

You can also inhale these HABs toxins off the spray from your boat motor.

More information:

Grand Lake St. Marys infected with the cyanobacteria planktothrix. This bloom can produce algal toxins including mycrocystin that harm the liver and brain.

Costly treatment underway at Grand Lake St. Marys against HABs

Alternatives to Commercial Cleaners

2011-07-28T00:27:00.000-04:00

I just love natural cleaning products. This list from an Ohio Sea Grant publication wins the award in my book for cleaning your boat and fishing gear with easy to come by natural products. See page 2 for complete list.

Fuel Saving Tips for Boaters

2011-07-22T00:22:00.000-04:00

Here are 10 fuel saving tips for running your boat from the Ohio Sea Grant program:

1. Shed pounds to increase mileage.
2. Balance weight for proper trim.
3. Travel most direct route.
4. Follow path of least resistance. Fighting waves wastes fuel.
5. Remove wind resisting objects.
6. Run engine in "sweet spot" where it performs best.
7. Tune prop.
8. Scrape hull clean.
9. Watch exhaust: if engine running white, black or blue, it needs a tune-up.
10. Shut off gas engine and use electric trolling motor frequently.

What is Eutrophication?

2011-07-15T23:27:00.003-04:00

Eutrophication comes from the Greek eu + trephein meaning to nourish. In modern language, it refers to over-nourishment.

Merriam Webster says it is the process by which a body of water becomes enriched in dissolved nutrients that stimulate the growth of aquatic plant life usually resulting in the depletion of dissolved oxygen.

These nutrients are phosphorus and nitrogen. They come from point sources like sewage treatment plants, storm drains, feedlots, and from non-point sources like fertilized lawns, crop ground, septic seepage.

It's easy to see if your lake, river, stream, or pond is affected. Bluegill will be in decline or missing. Water may be turbid, mucky, slick with algae. Choking weeds are present (you'll notice them wrapped around your prop). Hydrilla growth may be out of control (it is a pollution loving weed). Fish kills are common.

Your lake is dying. But there is good news. Man-made eutrophication is reversible. You can save your lake and return it to prime fishing water with a lot of community awareness, determination, and cooperation.

Then we can remove such big words from our vocabulary.

(Source: The Free Dictionary, Merriam Webster, Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication 420-538 "Guide to Understanding and Managing Lakes: Part I (Physical Measurements)")

Care for the Lake by Caring for the Lawn

2011-07-08T22:46:00.002-04:00

Fishermen and fisherwomen spend on average a total of two weeks at the lake every year. The other fifty weeks are spent at home dreaming of being at the lake. Never fear, even when home, you are still connected to the lake.

Runoff from your lawn seeps into groundwater which can flow to a lake, river, or stream through an underground aquifer. You can limit damage to the water body from excessive nutrients by managing your yard. Here are a few tips:

-> Look at your yard. Is the grass a deep green? Then it has plenty of nitrogen.

-> Do a soil test. This is the most accurate way to care for your yard. Results will guide you on how much nutrients your yard really requires. Eliminate guesswork.

-> Don't gather up grass clippings. They put a full third of needed nitrogen and potassium back into the soil.

-> Improve sandy soil with compost and mulch to increase nutrient retention.

-> Use a slow release nitrogen if you must apply it. It stays put longer.

-> Tear up nitrogen gobbling grasses St. Augustine, Bermuda, and Zoysia. Replace with nitrogen savers fescue or ryegrass.

-> Plant shade loving ground cover. Requires little maintenance.

Whenever you are at home dreaming about being at the lake, look out in your yard and see champion fishing ground.

(Source: Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication 426-059, "Groundwater Quality and the Use of Lawn and Garden Chemicals by Homeowners")

Five Senses of Fish - Taste

2011-06-24T22:17:00.002-04:00

Stick your tongue out fish. Like the bait? Nope. Spit it out. Well, the spitting part is too common!

A fish can taste the bait. Not with the tongue as we know it. Taste buds are located in different places depending on type of fish. In catfish, barbels carry taste buds. Suckers have buds on their lips. Other fish carry means of taste inside the mouth or on top of the head.

You will find that most fish have a sweet tooth. They love sweets! Something we seldom use as bait (try a Milky Way bar). Fish can also taste bitters. Spit, spit. Try rolling your bait in a little salt (or use a salty, yellow cheese). Uumm, good.

(Source: Ichthyology by Outreach Committee of the Virginia Chapter of the American Fisheries Society)

Five Senses of Fish - Smell

2011-06-17T21:48:00.002-04:00

Odors are everywhere, and fish thrive on them. Scents order the underwater universe.

Baitfish emit a warning signal to scram when approached by a predator. Female fish give off an "I'm available" perfume at mating.

We do not realize how important smells are in the fish kingdom. We make the coarsest, stinkiest dough baits. Probably plugs up their noses!

Fish find their way home using smell ability. Take a sunfish to the other side of the lake and it will return to the original location, sniffing until finding home.

Salmon and sturgeon return to birthing waters by tracking native odor. This is one reason why biologists are unable to relocate fish populations when habitat is changed. The fish are unable to find the way because the smell of home is gone.

(Source: Ichthyology by Outreach Committee of the Virginia Chapter of the American Fisheries Society)

Five Senses of Fish - Touch

2011-06-10T21:15:00.003-04:00

Aahhwwwee! Are fish sensitive to touch? They might not enjoy a massage, but they are very sensitive to a certain type of touch.

A fish feels the touch of waves along its lateral line. More specifically, waves created by pressure. When you run a loud crankbait in muddy water, a fish "hears" the bait by feeling pressure waves generated by the sound along the side of its body.

The lateral line is a dark red line you cut away from the meat. It is bitter tasting.

Before filleting your fish, take a magnifying glass and look closely at the lateral line. On the outside, it is a series of white dots covered by special scales. The white dots are pores connected to the lateral line canal by tubes. A fish feels pressure changes exerted against the pores and transmitted through the tubes along the length of each side canal.

This is a sophisticated system of navigation. Minute adjustments to pressure waves along the lateral line keep fish schooling together, running from danger, and pouncing bait.

(Source: Ichthyology by Outreach Committee of the Virginia Chapter of the American Fisheries Society)

Five Senses of Fish - Hearing

2011-06-03T20:53:00.003-04:00

We know most fish see quite well, but can they hear? Not like humans hear.

Human ears, dog ears, horse ears are specially shaped to gather sound waves and funnel them into the channel forming the inner ear where specialized bones vibrate. But fish don't really have ears at all. Yet they can hear.

A fish picks up sound waves through the head. Sound is transmitted by bone conduction in the head of a fish. This is a primitive hearing method.

Music scholars speculate when deaf composer Beethoven laid his jaw against the piano board, he could hear sound vibrations by way of bone conduction. Actually, history says he set a metal rod against against the piano and held the rod in his teeth. This is like the auto mechanic who places the tip of a long screwdriver against an engine block and the handle near his ear. The mechanic can better tell what's causing your engine to knock!

Rattle traps and other noisy baits probably aren't as much heard by a fish as they are felt, which we will muse on next.

(Source: Ichthyology by Outreach Committee of the Virginia Chapter of the American Fisheries Society)

Five Senses of Fish - Sight

2011-05-27T20:29:00.006-04:00

Can fish see? Hear? Smell? Taste? Feel? Do they have all five senses? Yea, in varying degrees. Catfish can't see the log in front of their face, but they smell chicken livers around the river bend.

Let's start with sight. Trout have keen eyesight. If a trout sees you along the bank, it's gone. Your chance at a catch is over.

Most fish come nearer the surface when it is cloudy and hold deeper down when sunny. They are sensitive to bright light, which is one reason feeding time is before dawn and after dusk.

I'm not sure lure color matters, except orange seems to be the number one color on successful plugs. Whether a fish can see your bait is questionable. Water filters out color. Red is the first color to disappear followed by yellow as the lure dives deeper. Blue or black withstand the depths.

Color is more entertaining to the fisher than to the fish.

(Source: Ichthyology by Outreach Committee of the Virginia Chapter of the American Fisheries Society)

Crappie, Crappie Everywhere in Ohio

2011-05-26T00:18:00.002-04:00

Redear sunfish, largemouth bass, and rock bass are in spawning season and very active across Ohio.

Large muskie are being caught at Piedmont Lake.

Sauger and an occasional hybrid striped bass are being taken from the Ohio River.

Crappie are active everywhere!

White Bass Fishing Best in Many Years

2011-05-26T00:14:00.002-04:00

Anglers report the white bass run best in many years on Sandusky River. White bass are well-dispersed from Brady's Island to Ballville Dam.

Water clarity is low due to heavy rains. Use flashy spinners, minnows or bright twister tails.

A History of Bass Fishing in North America

2011-05-20T20:21:00.001-04:00

While researching the Hooked Up series, I came across a history of bass fishing. It was published by Mustad, the Norwegian hook manufacturer.

Hooked Up: Taking the Bait

2011-05-13T20:01:00.003-04:00

In this final post on hooks, it all comes down to taking the bait. Of course there's a hook hiding in the bait, but will it land the fish? It's really how the fish takes the bait and what kind mouth is on the fish.

Does your target fish swallow the bait whole? Slurp it? Snap at it? Nibble? Grind it? Is the mouth hard and toothy, siphon-shaped, or thinner than paper?

These are qualities that determine what hook should be on the end of your pole. They define the size and shape of the hook.

There is not a global size hook for a type of fish. It's local. The bottom line is know what tackle works for the fish you want where.

Hooked Up: Freshwater Hook Manufacturers

2011-05-05T10:40:00.005-04:00

This is a current list of manufacturers for freshwater bait fishing hooks. Most sites have nice PDF catalogs. A word of caution, don't print the catalog page and measure hook for size. It is usually inaccurate.

Eagle Claw and Laser Trokar
Gamakatsu
Matzuo
Mustad
Owner
VMC

Barlows Tackle provides a well-organized online catalog of most hooks from these manufacturers. The site loads quickly and is easy to understand and navigate.

Hooked Up: Testing Gap Spring

2011-04-30T01:10:00.002-04:00

If you recall, gap is that clearance between the shank and the point. It's width gives the hook holding power.

Many a fisherman or fisherwoman has lost a prized catch when the hook bends out of shape. Oh, how frustrating!

A quality hook should spring back when slightly bent. You can pull the gap to a maximum of 30 degrees, and the wire should return to normal shape.

To test the hook gap, anchor shank in a vise. Pull the tip with pliers about 30 degrees out of bend and release quickly. The gap should jump back to original condition. If it doesn't, throw the cheap hook away. It can ruin your fishing trip.

Hooked Up: Shank as Lever

2011-04-30T00:54:00.002-04:00

The shank on a hook acts in a levering mechanism. This levering causes the hook to penetrate into the mouth of a fish.

The longer the shank, the shallower the penetration. A long shanked hook sets into the lip. A short shanked hook sets deep into the throat.

Hooked Up: XS and XL

2011-04-30T00:37:00.002-04:00

For the past 100 years or so, hooks came in three lengths: standard, longer than standard, and shorter than standard.

When you saw a hook described as a 2XL, it meant the shank length of a hook two sizes larger than itself. A 2XS was two sizes shorter than itself. It's kinda like clothing labels, 2X, 3X, etc.

But, but but but ... in the Mustad catalog, X is attached to a number indicating strength of the hook or thinness in wire diameter.

You must find a manufacturer you like, learn their line of hooks, and buy them. X_ and X_ may not indicate length!

Hooked Up: What Size Hook?

2011-04-30T00:24:00.003-04:00

Hook sizes are not standardized. They differ dramatically from manufacturer to manufacturer. Pick a supplier you like and keep buying their line of hooks.

Most companies make hooks in the range of 32 (smallest) to 20/0 (largest). Generally, a greater hook number means a smaller size hook. Size 8 is smaller than size 6. A greater hook number with a 0 (said "aught") is larger. A 3/0 (said "three aught") hook is bigger than a 2/0 hook.

Jann's Netcraft, a well-known rod building parts supplier, solves the hook sizing problem with a chart similar to a map with a 1" legend for all hooks. You have to measure the hook in inches to get the actual size, then order according to their range number. This is better than many companies that give a separate scale for each style of hook.

Remember, length is shank minus eye in inches.

Hooked Up: Speak Hook

2011-04-17T15:57:00.006-04:00

An arrowhead aficionado talks in terms related to the parts of an arrowhead: stem, shoulder, tip, bevel. Then the talk is about how the edge is set: a serration, or a flaked pattern that is either percussed or pressured. In the world of arrowheads, specific language is used to communicate with others. Speak arrowhead.

Similarly, in the world of fishing hooks, a specific language is used. It describes the general parts of a hook. You must know the basic parts of a hook to determine what type is best used for your target fish.

Let's start from the bottom, at the bend or curved portion of the hook. The shank extends straight up from the bend and ends with an eye. The point and barb punch into the lip of a fish.

The bite is that part of the hook defined from the bottom of the bend to the point. It's the part that goes through the lip of the fish.

The gap is that clearance between the shank and the point. It's width gives the hook holding power. Generally, it should be equal to half the shank length. Together, a hook of correct size in bite and gap for your target fish will make a nice catch. An incorrectly sized bite and gap will make for a lost fishing trip.

You measure a hook from the bottom of the bend to the top of the shank, leaving off the eye. This measure will correspond to the many differing hook numbers put out by manufacturers. A number 10 hook may be of varying length among manufacturers.

To get the hook you want, you must speak hook.

Hooked Up: Arrowhead and Arrow Point

2011-04-09T12:23:00.003-04:00

Ohio is famous for arrowheads still sharp enough to slice your palm. Blessed by the occupation of ancient peoples and mound builders, arrowheads are found in spring-fed fields, on shorelines, and often near silted river inlets. You might find one on a fishing trip, if you look carefully around.

Arrowhead hunting requires focus. When you do find one, you examine every point.

If only we give our fishing gear the same crucial examination! Becoming a master of the tools of the trade means catching greater fish. Fly fishers know this, but bait casters overlook the nitty gritty. Where fly fishers try to match the natural hatch, bait casters fasten on yet another plug when one fails to attract a fish.

Let's start at the very tip of the fishing equipment, the hook. We curse it when it fails to pierce the lip or bends letting a fish escape. The arrow point hook looks fierce, but it lacks punch-thru-the-lip power. It is in design shaped like an arrowhead, but in utility a poor substitute.

There are thousands of hook shapes and sizes made by many manufacturers. You would think the industry is oversupplied. I guess we ruin hooks as fast as they can make'em. Selecting the right one for the target fish is like identifying points on an arrowhead.

This begins a series on hooks, called Hooked Up. It's a multi-part series of how many posts I don't know. At some point I'll just stop (pardon the point).

Stocking up on free fishing days

2011-04-01T09:30:00.005-04:00

Free fishing days are coming, a yearly chance to stock your freezer full of fish for the remainder of the year.

If you catch 20 fish, a reasonable number, then you can put wild-caught fish on the dinner table once a week for five months. Hopefully, you'll plan ahead for these free fishing days and catch far more.

The Dates

In Ohio, free fishing days are May 7 and 8 of 2011. In Pennsylvania, free fishing days are May 30 and and September 5, that's Memorial Day and Labor Day in 2011. Free fishing days in Ohio are for Ohio residents only, but Pennsylvania welcomes non-residents.

The state of Pennsylvania says, "Fish for Free Days allow anyone (resident or non-resident) to legally fish for Pennsylvania’s most popular fish without a fishing license. Each year the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's Executive Director designates 2 Fish for Free Days. No fishing license is required to fish on Pennsylvania's waterways on these days. All other fishing regulations still apply."

Getting Ready

To be successful, careful advanced planning is necessary. You're not going out for a few hours, you're on a fishing trip for 24 hours. So you need to take enough bait, a little food, sunscreen, and a large cooler full of ice to temporarily store your catch until you get it home. Oh, don't forget the bug repellent.

First, check online for eating recommendations by state EPA (Ohio Fish Consumption Advisory, Pennsylvania Fish Consumption Advisory). While you might like to have a freezer full of bass, you might not catch all bass or EPA recommendations suggest you eat bass less frequently. You will land bluegill, perch, catfish, and crappie more than other fish. Add them to your cooler. They are great tasting fish usually unrestricted for eating. Remember, where there are bluegill, the water is good!

Second, plan where to fish. Choose a lake or river that you think will give up a quantity of fish. If you are not familiar with the water, call ahead to local bait shops and ask where the fish are being caught and on what bait. Get a map of the lake and plan to fish features like points and weed beds.

Third, keeping your catch iced down is critical. I like to use dry ice, but follow the directions because it can cause severe injury. Plan to clean your fish often during the day and away, way away, from the lake. It's illegal to clean fish near shore or on the water. Place the fillets in zip lock freezer bags, and layer the freezer bags in the cooler. When you get home, all you have to do is transfer them to the freezer.

Getting ready for free fishing days is all a part of the fun! You will need to be at the lake at 12:01 a.m., and you can stay until 11:59 p.m.

Fishing Cycles

Start with a good catfish lake, since your first fishing attempt begins in darkness. Catfish bite through the night, at least up to 2 a.m.

Be ready at 5 a.m. and thru the morning as fish take breakfast. This is really the very best time to fish! Noon is a lesser time, but you still should get some bites. Then evening from 5 p.m. until just after dark is another very good chance to catch fish.

Sleep between fishing cycles. I can't stress it more! You do have to sleep some for safety's sake. Besides, if you are tired, catching fish won't be fun, and this is all about fun, free fun at the lake and on the plate.

How old is that fish?

2011-03-25T21:25:00.003-04:00

Most fish are covered in scales. The edges of these scales grow fast in the summer and slow in the winter. Winter growth leaves dark rings called winter rings that tell how many winters a fish has lived.

It takes a microscope to see the annuli (Latin plural word meaning rings), and an experienced eye. Biologists often sample a few scales per fish to determine age.

Here are resources for more information (with great pictures):

Fish Scales Tell a Story (PDF)
Delaware Fish & Wildlife shows age rings on scales of largemouth and striped bass

King Salmon Fish Scales (video)

It's spring trout fishing time!

2011-03-17T01:35:00.004-04:00

ODNR began stocking 10-13 inch rainbow trout on March 11. This fun fishing time continues into the first week of May.

Here is a convenient schedule that you can view in any web browser on your desktop or on your mobile cellphone with Internet service. Stocking is listed by date or by county.

This schedule is unofficial, of course, so always check ODNR's official schedule for information correctness and changes.

Homemade sinkers

2011-03-11T23:34:00.003-05:00

We've been modifying or making our own fishing tackle for a very long time! Bending the lip on a plug, tying a fly, wrapping the rod handle ...

Sinkers are terminal tackle we think about at the last minute, usually resulting in our bait failing to run at a depth for best fishing.

This video shows how one man casts his own lead sinkers.

If you decide to try this at home, keep children away from the lead! keep children away from the lead! keep children away from the lead!

And don't lick your fingers.

One minute release

2011-03-03T12:53:00.003-05:00

If you are a catch-and-release fisherman or fisherwoman, releasing your catch within one minute may increase fish survival by as much as fifty percent or better!

-> Try to keep your fish in the water while unhooking.
-> For picture taking, limit holding time out of water to no more than one minute.
-> Gently flow water across gills to revive fish before letting it go.

Folks don't know that over half of all catch-and-release fish die anyway, and the cause is poor handling.

Adhering to the one minute limit for releasing your fish may go far in keeping it alive for someone else to land another day.

Ohio's Best Bass Lakes

2011-02-25T05:42:00.004-05:00

Do you know where to fish for largemouth bass in Ohio? Here are Ohio's top largemouth bass lakes!

In northwestern Ohio, Beaver Creek Reservoir holds plenty of largemouth bass. Van Wert Reservoir is second in quantity, but you may find larger bass.

In the northeast, few lakes are more satisfying than Turkeyfoot.

For central Ohio anglers, Griggs Reservoir and Knox Lake should out perform O'Shaughnessy Reservoir for near instant gratification, but overall size is similar at all three fishing sites.

Southwest Ohio largemouth action is in Acton Lake. Expect both frequent bites and sizable fish.

Southeast Ohio is a weathly largemouth bass area that is under fished. While Tycoon Lake should be your top choice, I happen to know that Lake Vesuvius is favored by locals.

If you are curious to find out which area of Ohio offers the very best largemouth bass fishing, it would be northeast Ohio with lakes Turkeyfoot and Long, and reservoirs Mogadore and Highlandtown(just in case you want to move).

(Source: ODNR largemouth bass 2010 sampling survey)

Fishing fever

2011-02-18T09:16:00.002-05:00

It's FRIDAY ... what are you waiting for? Do I need to say more?

Don't forget to purchase the Ohio Sport Fish Spawning Chart located in left column. It gives ranges for times when different species of sport fish are most active in Ohio. Hint, spring is hot! Buy it now.

Clawin' down bass

2011-02-10T12:01:00.005-05:00

There is one overlooked bait that can be a real producer of bass. It is the crayfish, native to Ohio's lakes and rivers (especially Piedmont Lake).

"Cray" is the phonetic spelling for the old English word "crevice." And sure enough, crayfish hide under rocks and burrow into soft bottom mud along the bank during the day, shielding from sun and heat.

The crayfish rests at the entrance of its burrow or peeks from behind a rock patiently waiting for insects, snails, tadpoles, fry, frogs, and even rats to go by. Faster than a lightning strike, it reaches out with powerful claws, seizing prey and choking life out of it.

Where one crayfish is discovered, there may be thousands more. Any swimmer near the shoreline of a lake with crayfish knows the agony of pincers.

You can acquire crayfish to use as bait with a little care. Wholesale bait supplier, Crayfishman, recommends crayfish 2 inches long for bass, walleye, and flathead catfish, 1 to 1-1/2 inches long for freshwater drum and large panfish.

Crayfish are best captured at night. Dip nets baited with meat into the edge of the water. Set a bright light on shore. Crayfish, attracted to the light, will crawl into the nets. Burns the Bass Bum offers even better ideas on capturing crayfish to use as bait.

Harvest crayfish and place into an inch or two of cool, unchlorinated water. Any deeper water and they will not get enough oxygen. Do not let the gills dry out if you want live crays. Cover with fine netting material. Smallmouth bass love'em live!

For the bass fisherman who wounds a bluegill for bait, don't expect the crayfish to "bleed red." Blood in a crayfish is a near clear fluid and dries quickly.

If fishing the whole crayfish, you'll want to remove the pincers or you will not get a single bite. Even bass avoid the claw. If you fish the tail meat, save the rest and grind it up for your garden. The hard exoskeleton is loaded with carbonate of lime.

Source: "The Crayfish" by T.H. Huxley

3 Types of Bass in Ohio

2011-02-04T08:50:00.010-05:00

Three kinds of bass delight the fisherman and fisherwoman in Ohio: spotted, largemouth, and smallmouth. Comparing them helps you know where to fish.

South of Columbus, spotted or Kentucky bass out number other bass populations. If you seek the jumping, water-breaking smallmouth bass, or smallie, you'll need to fish fast streams, rocky rivers, and tailwaters below damns. Largemouth are teased out of calm, slow, weedy water.

Here are comparisons between the three types of Ohio bass:

SPOTTED BASS

Territory:
-> native to Ohio River and tribs, not Lake Erie, most numerous in southern Ohio

Water:
-> found in long deep pools of medium to large streams and rivers

Spawn:
-> spawn mid-April thru mid-June in deeper water up to 40 feet
-> juvies have orange color in center of tail

Features:
-> upper jaw of mouth extends to rear edge of eye when closed
-> patch of rough small teeth in center of tongue
-> black stripe extends laterally down side of body
-> rows of spots on lower sides below lateral stripe
-> lighter in color, background green or silvery

Size:
-> 10-15 inches, up to 21 inches
-> 1 pound or less, up to over 5 pounds

Diet:
-> crayfish, large aquatic invertebrates, small fish, fallen insects on top of water

LARGEMOUTH BASS

Territory:
-> native to Ohio and found in every county

Water:
-> found in shallow, heavily vegetated, still water

Spawn:
-> spawn between mid-April and mid-June, nests in 1-6 feet of water
-> juvies lack orange in center of tail

Features:
-> upper jaw of mouth extends past rear of eye when closed
-> no teeth on tongue
-> black stripe extends laterally down side of body
-> no spot rows on lower sides below lateral stripe
-> lighter in color, background green or silvery

Size:
-> 15-18 inches, up to 26 inches
-> 1-5 pounds, up to 13 pounds

Diet:
-> crayfish, frogs, large insects, other fish especially small bluegill

SMALLMOUTH BASS

Territory:
-> native to Ohio and found in every county

Water:
-> found in swift-flowing, rocky water

Spawn:
-> spawn in May and early June, nests in 2-20 feet of water
-> juvies have orange color in center of tail

Features:
-> upper jaw of mouth extends to rear edge of eye when closed
-> no teeth on tongue
-> dark vertical bars extend laterally down side of body
-> darker in color, bronze or brown background

Size:
-> 12-15 inches, up to 24 inches
-> 1 to 2 pounds, up to 10 pounds

Diet:
-> crayfish, large aquatic invertebrates, small fish, fallen insects on top of water

Data source: Ohio Deparment of Natural Resources Fish Species Guide

How to predict a lunker year

2011-01-27T08:58:00.005-05:00

Can you predict a lunker fishing year? There is a primary indicator. It's the water level during a certain time of year.

Observe the water level during spring spawns. If it is high, baitfish numbers will be reduced. Big game fish, lacking sufficient minnows in their diet, will seek other food sources and chase artificial lures with gusto.

Top rigs to use include crankbait, spoon, or jig tipped with a chunk of smelly cheese. Remember, high spring flow equals low fry survival. Lack of minnows, better crankin'. Hi, lo, go crankin'.

Empty plates?

2011-01-22T08:49:00.005-05:00

It is my opinion that 2011 will find fewer foods on our plates. Wheat production is stressed around the world, corn competes as a fuel, and Florida citrus production is suffering a bout of disease. Our casual fishing excursions may become an important source of food. That's not so bad, a plate of bluegill is right tasty!

Here, then are suggestions for fending off an empty plate:

1. Follow fish consumption guidelines for your area. Some fish can be eaten every day, while others should be eaten once a month.

2. Know local waters and carry baits that work.

3. Freeze fish fast in a non-defrosting freezer. They taste better later.

4. Accompany fish with vegetables harvested from your garden. That's right, plant, plant, plant in spring, summer, and fall!

5. Stock commercially canned goods when on sale. Wash contents before cooking to remove excess salt.

You will be surprised by the weight you will shed, ailments you will cure, and attitudes that will brighten when you eat good foods. Plan to add inland fish to your diet at least once a week after checking consumption guidelines.

Can fishermen tackle global warming?

2011-01-15T09:38:00.015-05:00

There is a correlation between trees on the water's edge and water temperature. Trees provide shade, keeping water temperature lower. Wind picks up moisture from surface water and carries it skyward affecting air temperature.

What does this have to do with fishing? Water temperature is vital to fish activity, and overhanging trees at water's edge give shade where fish hide. Large, wise game fish wait beneath the canopy for hapless insects that fall from the leaves. Scores of prey fish dash into root balls for protection.

Photos in "The Streamside Sentinel" published by The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Division of Water Quality show what a bad shoreline looks like and what a good shoreline looks like.

Bad shoreline

Good shoreline

(Source of pictures: Natural Resource Conservation Service)

Tree-lined banks promote better fishing, and maybe even resist global warming. Fishermen and fisherwomen can enjoy catching lunkers and leave a legacy for the next generation of fishers by restoring trees to the water's edge.

But how do we go about it? Isn't this for state officials to worry about? First, improving fishing is everyone's goal. Second, change really comes from within a community, and government is supposed to be responsive to these desires and aid facilitation. Third, everyone needs a fifty year outlook. The Vermont Soil Conservation Service gives a successful example to follow on the Winooski River.

June 1938 - Winooski River bank badly eroded, no trees, poor vegetation

September 1938 - Bank of Winooski River re-constructed by earthwork

1941 - Winooski River bank 3 years after planting trees and vegetation

June 1993 - Winooski River a healthy fishing paradise 55 years later

(Source of pictures: Natural Resource Conservation Service)
(Article source: "The Streamside Sentinel" published by The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Division of Water Quality)

You can see how difficult it is to restore a damaged area! We must nurture what we have now as a top priority while installing future, tree-lined riparian areas. Does this mean we can't access great fishing spots? No. We just take care of them. As a young girl, I climbed a large oak tree and shinnied out on a limb overhanging a tailwater where I landed my first really big fish. That oak tree is still there, well-cared for, and healthy, harboring more lunkers.

If in our quest for great sport fishing we carve a chunk out of global warming, reel on.

Are saugeye a waste of money?

2011-01-13T09:56:00.002-05:00

A article in the winter issue 2010-2011 of Wild Ohio magazine gave numbers and types of fish raised and stocked by ODNR. Ohio's fish hatcheries raised 3.6 million saugeye fingerlings, but a scant 205,000 walleye fingerlings.

Our fishing licenses bring in 14 million dollars, most of which seems applied to fish management. Is Ohio destined to become known as the saugeye capital of the nation?

Why can't we put more emphasis on establishing a really great walleye reputation? One of the reasons is that saugeye tolerate polluted waters better than do walleye.

Let's face it, saugeye are not considered a traditional sport fish. It's walleye we want! Looks like we've got a lot of public education work to do.

List of 10 Totally Free Gifts for the Outdoor Person

2011-01-07T07:55:00.002-05:00

For your cellphone:
ID A Fish gives short, differential comparisons of closely related fish
Wildlife ringtones from Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife

For your health:
Printable, one-page PDF chart comparing cholesterol in fish versus other foods
Recipe for all-natural roasting of garlic
Carbon monoxide warning label

To hang on your wall:
One-page, printable bobcat calendar for 2011

For your reading pleasure:
E-book, Tales of Fishes, by Zane Grey
E-book on bass
One-page PDF guide to regulated materials used in fishing flies published by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory for game wardens
Twenty-page PDF publication comparing Ohio's bobcat to a lynx - fur, hind quarters, paw tracks, diet

Totally Free Gifts # 1

2011-01-02T22:37:00.004-05:00

Ever hear a bat echolocation call? An elk bugle? A wildcat growl? You can with these ringtones from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Read the instructions. Ringtones are free, but data charges may apply to get them. I have a work around for my cellphone. I use the recording feature to record them as a 30 second mp3, then set one as a ringtone.

Best ones: wood thrush, cardinal, bullfrog, geese, elk bugle, mallard duck, Cope's gray treefrog, and Carolina wren.

Really, though, the bat is awesome!

An unusual book on Ohio fishing

2010-12-29T10:12:00.000-05:00

Seldom do we think about commercial river fishing in Ohio. Here's a book for your bookshelf that takes a look at the industry. Who knows ... maybe it'll become your profession, too!

Lake Milton Trivia

2010-12-22T11:15:00.003-05:00

Way back in the early 1930's, Lake Milton launched the career of one of America's most famous singer-entertainers, Dean Martin.

Legend holds Deano was challenged by a friend to sing at the Craig Beach Amusement Park. He did. He sang with the dance band, and it launched his career.

For those of you not familiar with Ohio's favorite son, Dean Martin was important because one of his songs knocked the Beetle's out of first place on the music charts. Do you know the song?

Lake Milton is a recreational lake located between Ravenna and Youngstown.

Windshield survey of eastern Ohio lakes

2010-12-15T10:00:00.001-05:00

I recently took a driving trip in eastern and southeastern Ohio that visited two river systems and six lakes.

With boats hauled out of the water for storage, it was easy to see how each lake was doing. All I had to do was look at the bottom of the boats or pontoons. If all were mostly clean, the lake was doing well. If plant material and other stuff was stuck on boat bottoms or pontoons, the lake might not be as healthy as it should be.

I visited the Ohio River up route 7 from Marietta to Wheeling. There are several really beautiful pools for largemouth bass and catfish. Sections of the Muskingum River were OK, but not as beautiful as the Ohio River.

Atwood Lake is more a sailing water than a fishing lake. Wind clips the sails along near the dam very briskly. Folks who live in the Atwood region keep two and three sails to the wind.

I found things clean at Leesville Lake, and fishing activity still quite high at Clendening Lake, a beautiful, restricted horsepower water.

The ramps at Tappan Lake were clogged with bass boats, but boat bottoms and pontoons need much cleaning. They were "tarred" with heavy, weedy gunk. No algae blooms were visible, but with unlimited horsepower the water is stirred often.

No boats at Jefferson Lake or Stroud's Run, so no opinion. These quiet, mirror-like lakes reflected peace in the Appalachian foothills.

Florida fishing tournament schedule for 2011

2010-12-08T10:00:00.001-05:00

Once a year I write an article for Ohio winter snowbirds who want to fish in Florida. This year, I found a schedule published on the magazine website of Fly Fishing in Salt Water. It lists 2011 Florida Keys fishing tournament dates.

I don't know how these tournaments are run or what you can see if you attend. I don't know if they are exciting like bass tournaments. But the list gives telephone numbers to call for more information.

There's one or more tournaments a week beginning in January and running thru May. Even if you don't fish, you'll be among kindred spirits that do. Go, make friends!

Totally Free Gifts # 2

2010-12-06T11:02:00.002-05:00

The fish cholesterol ratings and fish versus other foods cholesterol comparison posts have been made into handy, printable, 1 page PDF charts.

Plan on eating healthy in 2011. Eat more fish!

Totally Free Gifts # 3

2010-12-03T08:36:00.001-05:00

Tales of Fishes, by Zane Grey.

Zane Grey was born in Zanesville, Ohio in 1872. He is best known for his western novels that were turned into movies. He is least known for his descriptive, non-fiction fishing writings. Tales of Fishes is a real treat!

Totally Free Gifts # 4

2010-12-03T08:10:00.003-05:00

Project Gutenberg provides public domain writings online in the form of ebooks. This one by Charles Barker Bradford, Black Bass, dates back to 1888.

The insight Bradford gives on ways of the black bass are timeless. The book is brief and easy to read. While set in New York and New Jersey, you will find yourself nodding along with the author as you recognize similar experiences.

Rig Your Pontoon for Fishing

2010-12-01T10:00:00.002-05:00

This article from Boating Magazine tells how to turn your pontoon into an efficient fishing machine.

Ultimate Fishing 'Toon: How to rig a pontoon for the easiest angling experience ever, by Craig Lamb

Totally Free Gifts # 5

2010-12-01T09:45:00.006-05:00

Download this carbon monoxide warning label for your boat. Laminate and mount it inside the cabin, on the outside near ski platform, on inner sides of pontoons, any area around outside of boat.

Source: Nebraska Game and Parks Commission 2011 Boating Guide

Totally Free Gifts # 6

2010-12-01T08:33:00.002-05:00

One-page PDF guide to regulated materials used in fishing flies. This is a publication from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory for game wardens.

Totally Free Gifts # 7

2010-11-30T10:29:00.004-05:00

ID A Fish is available at twiceamused.com exclusively for the fisherman or fisherwoman on the go.

ID A Fish gives short, differential comparisons of closely related fish.

ID A Fish can be viewed in most Internet-enabled cellphone web browsers. This guide opens rapidly with full-color pictures and brief descriptions taken from the Indiana Department of Fish and Wildlife.

A totally free gift to keep with you at the lake year round!

Totally Free Gifts - # 8, a bobcat calendar

2010-11-29T06:51:00.003-05:00

OK, I've gotten carried away here, but I found a pen and ink drawing of a bobcat that was spectacular. So I added a few notes about the bobkitty critter and a 2011 calendar below the drawing.

You can download the 1 page bobcat calendar as a PDF file, totally free!

Totally Free Gifts - # 9

2010-11-27T18:31:00.007-05:00

Can you tell the difference between a bobcat and a lynx? This academic sounding publication "How to Avoid Incidental Take of Lynx" by the Vermont Department of Wildlife is very entertaining and informative reading.

It gives more information about Ohio's bobcat than other publications I've viewed, and it has full color photos. It shows fur coloration differences and describes hind quarters, paw tracks, culinary preferences.

The lynx is an endangered species. It is unlikely you will find one in Ohio, but then, it's hard to spot a bobkitty. Actually, I think I did see one in southeast Ohio. After reading this publication I'm certain it was.

Download this free, 20 page publication in PDF format to learn a little more about Ohio's bobcat even if you may never see one in real life.

Totally Free Gifts - # 10

2010-11-26T11:37:00.005-05:00

There are many free gifts available to download from the Internet. Here is # 10:

Yankee Classic Recipes (PDF file).

Found on the Vermont State Fisheries website, it contains an all-natural method of roasting garlic and making a delicious roasted garlic spread.

Use this roasted garlic spread with toast, to make garlic bread, or as a dip for the holidays that will leave lips flapping with pleasure.

Fish cholesterol ratings

2010-11-19T10:10:00.001-05:00

(Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference)

Cholesterol per 100 grams:

unsalted, light tuna in water 30 mg
northern pike 50 mg
alaska king crab 53 mg
tilapia 57 mg
flounder 68 mg
rainbow trout 69 mg
channel catfish 72 mg
haddock 74 mg
fried, breaded clams 76 mg
fried, breaded oysters 81 mg
freshwater drum 82 mg
pumpkin seed sunfish 86 mg
spiny lobster 90 mg
striped bass 103 mg
walleye 110 mg
perch 115 mg
shrimp 195 mg

In comparison, ham contains 54 mg, roasted light turkey breast 69 mg, ninety-five percent lean ground beef patty 76 mg, and fried chicken breast 91 mg.

Cholesterol ratings, fish v other foods

2010-11-19T10:00:00.002-05:00

Duck, domesticated, meat only, cooked, roasted 1/2 duck 197mg
Fish, salmon, sockeye, cooked, dry heat 1/2 fillet 135mg
Fast foods, hamburger; double, large patty; with condiments and vegetables 1 sandwich 122mg
Fish, sardine, Atlantic, canned in oil, drained solids with bone 3oz 121mg
Crustaceans, crab, blue, canned 1 cup 120mg
Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat and skin, cooked, fried, batter 1/2 breast 119mg
Fish, haddock, cooked, dry heat 1 fillet 111mg
Turkey, all classes, meat only, cooked, roasted 1 cup 106mg
Fast foods, cheeseburger; single, large patty; with condiments and bacon 1 sandwich 98mg
Pork, fresh, shoulder, arm picnic, separable lean and fat, cooked, braised 3oz 93mg
Crustaceans, crab, blue, crab cakes 1 cake 90mg
Beef, chuck, blade roast, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8" fat, choice, cooked, braised 3oz 88mg
Fast foods, clams, breaded and fried 3/4 cup 87mg
Fast foods, taco 1 large 87mg
Fish, pollock, walleye, cooked, dry heat 3oz 82mg
Crustaceans, shrimp, mixed species, cooked, breaded and fried 6 large 80mg
Shake, fast food, vanilla 16 fl oz 77mg
Fish, catfish, channel, cooked, breaded and fried 3oz 69mg
Fish, halibut, Atlantic and Pacific, cooked, dry heat 1/2 fillet 65mg
Crustaceans, lobster, northern, cooked, moist heat 3oz 61mg
Fast foods, pancakes with butter and syrup 2 pancakes 58mg
Fish, trout, rainbow, farmed, cooked, dry heat 3oz 58mg
Pork, cured, ham, whole, separable lean and fat, roasted 3oz 53mg
Fast foods, hotdog, with chili 1 sandwich 51mg
Fast foods, submarine sandwich, with tuna salad 1 sandwich, 6" roll 49mg
Turkey patties, breaded, battered, fried 1 patty 48mg
Fish, ocean perch, Atlantic, cooked, dry heat 3oz 46mg
Fast foods, enchilada, with cheese 1 enchilada 44mg
Sweet rolls, cinnamon, commercially prepared with raisins 1 roll 40mg
Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, drained solids 3oz 36mg
Fast foods, burrito, with beans and meat 1 burrito 24mg
Pork sausage, fresh, cooked 2 links 22mg
Fish, salmon, chinook, smoked 3oz 20mg
Fish, fish portions and sticks, frozen, preheated 1 portion (4" x 2" x 1/2") 18mg
Frybread, made with lard (Navajo) 10-1/2" bread 11mg

(Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 21)

Winter snowbirds rompin' thru Florida

2010-11-18T02:59:00.002-05:00

I didn't post a winter snowbird fishing excursion this year. Instead, you can if you want, visit some of Florida's loveliest countryside dotted with but a few grape growing farms.

The muscadine grape rules in the South, and it is rich in resveratrol and other antioxidants. Take home a jar of jelly made from this grape.

I've put the names and telephone numbers of Florida's grape farms in a format that you can view in a regular desktop web browser, or your mobile phone's web browser if you have Internet access. You'll want to call the grape farm before you go to check hours and driving directions. Florida is a longer state than Ohio, and driving distances can be great.

Please don't use your mobile phone while driving! You could run off the road and end up as alligator soup.

The Bloomin' Truth About Algae

2010-11-12T10:00:00.002-05:00

Let's clear up any confusion. When you see green stain on the water's surface, it is an algae bloom. Algae blooms are caused by raw sewage (that's human waste, folks) entering the water.

Sewage dumped into the water adversely affects the fish food chain. Here's how it goes:

1. Nutrients, namely high levels of nitrogen, fertilize algae in the water.

2. Algae grows out of control reducing the amount of light reaching underwater plants, which die off unable to photosynthesize. Algae also settles on underwater grasses, smothering them.

3. Underwater plants and grasses provide oxygen to the water. They are a nursery habitat for fish, and they prevent soil erosion and silt accumulation. Without the action of normal functioning underwater plants and grasses, areas of the lake become zones with no fish.

4. Organic matter in the raw sewage accelerates dead zone areas. Bacteria breakdown the raw sewage and use excessive amounts of oxygen in the process. This means less and less oxygen for fish to survive.

There's one more thing to know about algae blooms. Microorganisms from the human digestive tract are found in raw sewage. Once in the water, these microorganisms can survive and pass diseases like hepatitis to folks swimming in an affected lake (read page 19 in "Ohio Boat Operators Guide").

Top 3 causes of boating fatalities

2010-11-04T10:45:00.001-04:00

1. 90% of boating fatalities are from drowning

2. Overloading leading to swamping or capsizing

3. Falling overboard, especially from bowriding

PFD, there's only one to choose

2010-11-04T10:00:00.002-04:00

Choosing a lifejacket can be a confusing experience. Type ranges are from Type I to Type V, and a knowledgeable seller can show you the differences. But there's really only one kind I like because it does the all important thing, turns you face up.

A lifejacket should:

- keep you afloat in the water
- turn your face up out of the water

What good is a lifejacket (PFD) that keeps you afloat face down in the water? You may float, but you'll still drown if you are unconscious!

A good life preserver will automatically roll you face up to the sky and support you this way until help arrives.

Fishing the bridge zone

2010-10-28T10:10:00.001-04:00

We all love to fish around bridges! We cast our lines over the rails, we cram along the side banks, and we anchor our boats beneath them. Our love affair fishing the bridge zone never ends. Why? Why you ask! Because that's where the fish are.

But the Department of Homeland Security doesn't like it. In fact, the rules say boats are not to stop or anchor under any bridge. If you do, expect to be boarded by law enforcement officers.

I don't think very many fishermen or fisherwomen are aware of this little Homeland Security kink in our lines. Read page 21 "Ohio Boat Operators Guide."

Putting the boat away for winter

2010-10-21T10:06:00.001-04:00

Here are a few tips in no order:

- Don't drain engine fluids into the lake. Drain them into a safe container and dispose of them in an environmentally friendly way.

- Run a good engine cleaner through the motor.

- If using an anti-freeze try a propylene glycol antifreeze. Ethylene is yesteryear's fluid.

- Give your boat, motor, trailer, and fishing gear a good scrubbing to remove aquatic plant and animal residue.

- Drain and flush live well.

- Disconnect marine batteries and clean connections.

- Wrap in weatherproof plastic all electrical trailering connections.

- Grease trailer wheel bearings.

- Air up tires to listed pressure. Keeping them from going flat while sitting avoids sidewall cracking.

- Cover boat with a wrap all the way around, top to bottom.

Winterizing your boat is preparing to go fishing at the drop of the hat come spring!

Smell gasoline?

2010-10-16T09:36:00.006-04:00

We've all seen it, streaks of gasoline and oil mixture tainting the water alongside the sides and rear of the boat.

I was reading the map and guide publication to "Ohio Boating Areas Public Facilities and Launch Ramps" and I learned something new about the dangers in these gasoline and oil streaks. The publication reads, "gasoline vapors are heavier than air." This means these vapors raise stink just on top of the water around the boat. But there's more than just gas-oil vapors at work in this mix.

The "Ohio Boating Laws" publication says more, "carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas produced by gasoline engines. It collects within and around a boat." Never thought of that! It's why the fish you trail on a stringer behind the boat are dead before you get them home.

The area around a swim platform receives carbon monoxide. So does the area underneath and between floats on a pontoon boat, a favorite place to swim into and hangout.

The best thing you can do is keep your motor tuned so it does not run rich. Leave space at the top of the fuel tank, don't overfill. Never hang around under a pontoon boat. Limit time spent at the swim platform, or rear and side areas of the boat.

See what you can learn reading stuffy publications! Pardon the pun.

No more mushy fish

2010-10-07T06:57:00.002-04:00

Brining, or pre-soaking fish meat in a salt solution before cooking, helps give fish a firmer texture.

Soak for 10 minutes, or a little less, a fish fillet in one part water to ten parts sea salt. Refrigerate while brining. Take out and cook fillet by any method observing proper food handling safety temperatures.

Avoid seasoning the brine. Add spices in the cooking process.

New 2011 Ohio Sport Fish Spawning Chart available

2010-10-01T06:45:00.007-04:00

Want to know what fish are most active in what month? Normally, fish activity levels are higher preceding and after the spawn. The 2011 Ohio Sport Fish Spawning Chart shows fish movements by month and water temperature.

The new 2011 Ohio Sport Fish Spawning Chart is available for purchase. Completely revised in black and white table format, it can be printed on almost any computer printer. Download the one-page publication in Adobe PDF format after purchasing through PayPal for $11.

You are ordering through PayPal Merchant Service the 2011 Ohio Sport Fish Spawning Chart in a one-page PDF file download.

Thank you!

Satiety

2010-09-29T06:17:00.004-04:00

That's a fancy word for feeling full after eating. Getting and keeping that full feeling is easier with rainbow trout. An entry in "ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine" explains.

Rainbow trout contains long fats that are 12-22 carbon molecules in length. Long fats release the CCK hormone in the small intestine that gives a feeling of full satisfaction. Short-chain solid fats like saturated fats and trans fats stimulate the NPY hormone in the brain causing you to feel hungry.

Ohio and Pennsylvania fresh trout stocking programs are worth attending for fishing fun. See past posts for delicious recipes on how to cook your catch.

Just for reference sake, the book lists a few other long chain fats: wild salmon (not farm raised salmon), mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies. Non-fish long chainers are walnuts (especially black walnuts), almonds, and hazelnuts. Also flax, olives, and olive oil.

Teaching of the water

2010-09-23T23:04:00.003-04:00

I recently read a book on making sails called "The Sailmaker's Apprentice." It's the written authority on hand-sewing ship sails.

In the opening, author Emiliano Marino describes his childhood experiences in a wooden sailboat. He remembered crawling under the deck next to the bilge pump and looking up at the sails. He could hear waves splashing against the wooden hull, shoreline grasses brushing underside, wind slicing through the sails, creaking of the rudder straining around a turn. Those are vivid memories!

We have similar memories from our fishing adventures: a purring trolling motor, plunk of bait hitting the water, click of the reel. Even away from the lake we can still feel the wind against our face, spray of water on our hands. We remember the sound of croaking bullfrogs, high-pitched whine of mosquitos.

Some of us remember the ceaseless cranking of the motor that wouldn't start, dipping of oars. Well, no fishing trip is perfect!

We have in common with every sailor, waterman, fisherman the sound of water lapping against the hull. It lulls us to greatness. Emiliano Marino became one of America's noted sailmakers. Some of us will become rod builders, bait designers, river guides.

We know when we've been bitten by the water bug. I read an obituary of a man who knew from his early childhood that he would draw ships. That's what he did his entire life. He was an architect of racing hulls. There's something pure in that. It's the teaching of the water.

Lemon caper butter sauce

2010-09-16T20:27:00.000-04:00

Video shows how to make lemon caper butter sauce to use with trout.

Best trout recipes

2010-09-16T20:22:00.002-04:00

Pan-fried trout
Salt and pepper trout with caramelized red onion polenta
Grilled rosemary trout with lemon butter
Campfire trout
Trout chowder
Rainbow trout with yogurt sauce
Pan fried whole trout with cayenne pepper
Garlic and jalapeno pepper trout
Blackened trout
Microwaved trout
Smoked trout pate
Poached brown trout
Cedar plank smoked steelhead trout

Basic handling, cleaning, frying trout

2010-09-16T20:12:00.006-04:00

Fall trout stocking extends fishing season with delicious table fare. Here are a few links to help you enjoy your catch:

Trout handling tips

Filleting a large trout

Basics of cleaning and pan frying trout

This is a really easy way to fix trout! Trout is suspended inside a kettle, the bottom lined with oak shavings. Video shows kettle smoking technique. Don't eat nettles! Stock pot smoked trout

How to grow really big fish!

2010-09-09T08:02:00.004-04:00

Visiting the Cherry Valley Lodge in Newark, Ohio, I spent time in their Arboretum and Botanical Garden. This place has goldfish ... yes, I said goldfish ... bigger than most walleye! How do they do it?

Their secret is the big O, oxygen. If you want to grow big fish you need plenty of free flowing oxygen. The Gazebo Garden and Cascade Garden support over 2,000 plantings of 400 vegetation species.

The respiration processes driven by this biosphere keep the water clean, free of nitrates and absent of siltation. Here, any fish can grow and grow and grow.

You can adopt a section of your nearby fishery and grow big fish by:
1. Planting vegetation, especially bottom grasses (creates biospheres)
2. Finding ways to circulate stagnant water (provides oxygen and slows siltation)
3. Reducing runoff from farm fertilizers (decreases algae formation)
4. Adding baitfish

Best success will be along banks, inlets, coves, streams. Go visit Cherry Valley Lodge and take a walk in their water gardens. Study their plan and try to reproduce what they've done.

picture of Cherry Valley Lodge pond
plant species in Cherry Valley Lodge Arboretum and Botanical Garden

Adjust your plantings to fit native surroundings in your adopted fishery.

Top technologies for fishery management

2010-09-01T22:39:00.002-04:00

Here's a list of top technologies used by pros and hobbyists in fisheries management:

Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
Microsoft Excel
R Programming Language
Side Scan Sonar
Acoustic Telemetry

Becoming a fisheries biologist

2010-09-01T22:17:00.006-04:00

Fall trout stocking season is nearly here. At this time I want to reflect on the people behind the fish, the biologists. What does it take to become a fisheries biologist?

American Fisheries Society certification requires 30 credit hours biological sciences, 15 hours physical sciences, 6 hours math and statistics, 9 hours communications, 6 hours human dimensions.

A survey published in the September 2010 issue of Fisheries magazine recognized these skills in high demand for the future: fisheries management, fisheries field techniques, technical writing, oral communications, ichthyology, statistical and analytical principles, population and community ecology, population dynamics, research methods, survey design, ecology, limnology, fish health, fish culture, fish nutrition.

Fisheries biologists perform about 24 functions. Sport fisheries management, fish production, fish distribution, and research occupied 75 percent of time.

It isn't easy becoming a fisheries biologist. The education curve is steep and the job pay is low. The BP Gulf oil spill increased demand for biologists with tilted interests toward conservation, ecology, and restoration.

(Source: "Needs and Proficiencies of Fisheries Hires by State Agencies" by Donald William Gabelhouse, Jr. in Fisheries, Vol 35 No 9, September 2010).

Fall fishing is time to get the real rods out

2010-08-12T20:50:00.000-04:00

It's back to school, put up the harvest, go deer hunting. Most fishermen and fisherwomen hang their rods up. Few know that fall is when fishing really begins. It can be the time to snag true trophy fish!

Three important changes take place to make the fall fish bite a great experience:

1. Temperatures cool.
2. Thermocline turns over.
3. Fish eat to put on winter fat.

It's back to skools of fish, casting baits, looking for a lunker on the line.

Fish generally go from deep to shallow. Top water lures are excellent this time of year. If you have an old Heddon Basser 8500, you will drive largemouth bass mad plucking this lure. Floating spinners are effective, too.

Things change fast. You will need to toss a variety of baits. Large game fish are aggressively after smaller fish in the fall. Concentrate your efforts with live minnows or lures that appear like the real flesh of a fish. For a real change of pace use terrestrials like frogs and mice. A crayfish wouldn't hurt to try in a pinch.

Don't neglect fall fishing with your children! Fall foliages and quiet waters offer time unequaled for father and son, mother and daughter to make precious memories.

Attend annual rainbow trout stockings in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Rainbow trout are fun to catch and delicious to eat.

Fishing photography is more than pictures of fish

2010-08-04T21:11:00.001-04:00

The best picture I have of a loved one on a fishing trip doesn't have a fish in the photo! Just a rod in the hand and a hat on the head. Caught off guard, this fisher didn't even smile. It is a most natural picture.

Tired of fish in the picture? Take photos of where you are (oh how we forget to do this). You are truly in God's great creation when you are on a lake. Take pictures of the water, trees, flowers, dragon flies, lily pads, frogs, docks, shores. Shoot in day, night, during a storm. Your favorite fishing hole transforms itself minute-by-minute, day-by-day, ever changing, yet still the same ole fishing place. See it anew through a lens.

Why always stand to take pictures? Kneel, look up, look down, sideways. Turn the camera vertically. Take pictures looking up into a tree at the underside of leaves. Get close and take a picture of the faded paint on a boat. Move far and view a full landscape.

A landscape picture on the lake should be 2 parts water, 1 part sky. Use a polarizing lens to eliminate glare off the water. And finally, one more secret!

How do professional photographers get those beautiful waterfall pictures? They use a tripod-mounted camera at a slow shutter speed (1-20 seconds).

Creative fishing photography

2010-08-04T21:10:00.000-04:00

Most fishing pictures show the catch held horizontally in front of the angler or vertically alongside the angler. This gives instant size of the fish compared to the person's height and well, girth. Stringers full of fish proudly show amount caught. Yes, these are typical fishing pictures.

You can add creativity to your fishing pictures by thinking differently. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Why do you have to take a picture of the whole fish? Try abstracting a part of it. Take a close-up picture of just the eye of a walleye, or maybe a half of the eye appearing on the left side of the viewfinder.
2. Try close up pictures of the head or fins or tail. How about taking a picture of a mouthful of pike teeth?
3. Sprinkle a few water droplets on the lens before taking a picture. It will give a weather look.
4. Use light from the side to add shadow and depth to the picture.
5. Pay attention to foreground and background relationships. A large fish will look small lying in the bottom of a big boat!

Bend traditions of fish photography. Come up with unusual angles, lighting, shadows, views.

Using a cellphone camera to take pictures of trophy fish

2010-08-04T21:09:00.000-04:00

A cellphone is something we usually have with us these days, and newer cellphones have good digital cameras built-in (video, too). Point the cellphone camera at the catch-of-the-day for a decent picture. You can even email it to family and friends so they can see it before you get home. Now that's creating braggin' rights!

Here are a few tips for taking pictures with your cellphone (feel free to add more tips to this blog):
1. Despite technology the picture still tells the story. The picture you are taking should tell the whole story or show something that is better conveyed in an image rather than words. I can look at pictures from decades ago that tell the whole story of the fish caught on a family fishing trip.
2. Add a title to the picture and keep it short, three words max.
3. Your cellphone takes abuse just by putting it in and out of your pocket. Do everything possible to protect the lens and view screen. Keep both clean, ready for the prize fish shot. Remember, you have little time to take a picture before releasing the fish!
4. Engage the flash even outdoors in daytime. It will aid light balance.
5. Do not take wide shots. Makes the fish look small. Move as close to the fish as you can.
6. Do your best to take a stable shot (that's hard in a boat rockin' on the waves).
7. Quickly check the picture to see if you've taken a good shot. Folks still forget digital cameras let you see the picture instantly!
8. SAVE THE PICTURE. SAVE THE PICTURE. SAVE THE PICTURE.
9. Tie a floation device to your cellphone in case it falls in the water (this happens more frequently than you will admit).

Email some fishing pictures to this blog. I'll post them for others to see what you've caught!

Falls of the Ohio

2010-07-28T10:31:00.000-04:00

In this final article of the series, My Grandfather's River, we leave Ohio to visit the Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville, Indiana. It is here we can see, touch, and experience all that was in the past, and all that is now, and consider all that is to come in the future. The park's Interpretive Center looks out on one of the world's largest exposed fossil beds dating back 390 million years.

The Falls of the Ohio are the rocky rapids Lewis and Clark portaged around. Stretched out for two and a half miles, the "Falls" drop the Ohio River some 26 feet. Today, the McAlpine dam floods the area easily passing laden barges on their way to the Mississippi River.

My grandfather's river has changed so much. In the shadow of the dam, ancient history, in the form of trilobites, crinoids, and brachiopods, reminds us of our duty to care for the Ohio River in the centuries, even millions of years to come.

My Grandfather's River, Part Five: Popular Tailraces

2010-07-22T10:29:00.000-04:00

Dam tailraces provide oxygenated water that fish love! All they have to do is wait at the edge of current for food. It'll flow right past 'em. Here are a few of the most popular dam tailraces and the fish held:

Pike Island (in Wheeling) - walleye
New Cumberland (in Stratton) - sauger, walleye
Hannibal - hybrid striped bass, walleye
Belleville (in Reedsville) - hybrid striped bass, flatheads
RC Byrd (in Gallipolis) - channel catfish, freshwater drum

Gallipolis is about the only place to catch a lot of freshwater drum or "sheepshead" as locals call them.

Next week - Part Six: Falls of the Ohio

My Grandfather's River, Part Four: The Fishery

2010-07-15T10:22:00.000-04:00

By way of careful planning, West Virginia and Ohio hatchery programs enrich habitats and stock fish in each of the Ohio River pools. You can think of the pools as individual lakes since the dams and locks occlude fish travel. Each pool is a somewhat unique fishery.

Largemouth bass are routinely stocked at Willow Island Pool and Belleville Pool. Smallmouth bass are stocked at Hannibal Pool and Bellville Pool. Hybrid striped bass are added to Willow Island Pool. Paddlefish are entered into Greenup Pool and R.C. Byrd Pool.

The recreational fishing outlook for 2010 into 2011 by Ohio Department of Natural Resources shows some species strong and others poor. Let's review them pool by pool. Observe fish consumption advisories. Always, always wear a life jacket when near or on a river and pay close attention to the weather.

New Cumberland Pool (Jefferson, Columbiana Counties)
This pool is 13 miles long covering 1,970 acres. Fish the upper part of this pool for smallmouth bass. Expect to catch them near rocky shorelines on small minnow-tipped jigs. Fish near warm water discharges with twister tails for sauger.

Pike Island Pool (Jefferson, Belmont Counties)
This pool is 30 miles long covering 4,604 acres. This is an excellent, overall smallmouth bass fishery. Target rocky shorelines especially around islands with minnow-tipped jigs or nightcrawlers. Fish warm water discharges for sauger.
White bass are found well-below the New Cumberland tailwaters with small jigs, spinners, and minnows. Channel catfish up to 25 inches bite on chicken livers at stream confluences.

Hannibal Pool (Belmont, Monroe Counties)
This pool is 42 miles long covering 5,844 acres. It is a favorite among fishers. A well-rounded fishery, smallmouth bass, white bass, and sauger are easily caught. Hybrid striped bass, largemouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, flathead catfish, crappie, and sunfish round out the offerings.

Willow Island Pool (Monroe, Washington Counties)
This pool is 36 miles long covering 5,453 acres. It is known for excellent sauger fishing.

Belleville Pool (Washington, Meigs, Athens Counties)
This pool is 41 miles long covering 7,153 acres. It is also known primarily for excellent sauger fishing.

RC Byrd Pool (Meigs, Gallia Counties)
This pool is 42 miles long covering 6,400 acres. Focus on the upper half of the pool for hybrid striped bass. Use live minnows.

Greenup Pool (Gallia, Lawrence, Scioto Counties)
This pool is 62 miles long covering 11,200 acres. Hybrid striped bass, sauger, channel catfish, and freshwater drum dominate this extensive fishery.

I usually end here and do not cover the last pools along Ohio's southern boundary because they are highly agricultural and seldom fished until you near Cincinnati.

What most folks don't realize is that smallmouth bass fishing on the upper Ohio River is one of the great bass fishing areas of any river system. Sauger on the lower Ohio River are consistent. Channel catfishing is steady to the winds everywhere.

Next week - Part Five: Popular Tailraces

My Grandfather's River, Part Three: Life Histories of Ohio River Fish

2010-07-08T10:19:00.000-04:00

Of the aquatic species found in the Ohio River basin, American scientists have complete life histories. It is the only systematic, biological, evolutionary profile of its kind in all North America. Here is a remarkable list of bait and prey fish found at the end of the 1970s:

American eel, banded sculpin, bigeye shiner, bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, blue catfish, bluegill, bluntnose minnow, brown bullhead, carp, central stoneroller, channel catfish, chestnut lamprey, coho salmon, common shiner, creek chub, eastern banded killifish, emerald shiner, fantail darter, fathead minnow, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, gizzard shad, golden redhorse, golden shiner, goldeye, goldfish, grass pickerel, green sunfish, highfin carpsucker, largemouth bass, logperch, longear sunfish, longnose gar, madtom, mimic shiner, mooneye, muskellunge, northern hog sucker, northern pike, paddlefish, pumpkinseed, quillback, rainbow smelt, rainbow trout, redear sunfish, river carpsucker, river darter, river redhorse, river shiner, rock bass, rosyface shiner, sand shiner, sauger, shorthead redhorse, silver chub, silver lamprey, silver redhorse, silverjaw minnow, skipjack herring, smallmouth bass, smallmouth buffalo, spotfin shiner, spotted bass, spotted sucker, stonecat, striped bass, threadfin shad, troutperch, walleye, warmouth, white bass, white catfish, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bullhead, and yellow perch.

Although this list is old and needs updating, it is an amazingly diverse list. It shows ability to evolve or adapt to change. And those changes are not just damming of the river. Fish face serious industrial waste pollution and wastewater discharge. Millions get sucked thru power plant intakes yearly. The Ohio River is a harsh, man-made environment.

Paradoxically, one of the best recreational fisheries is still the Ohio River. It thrills fishermen and fisherwomen with the cast of every line.

Next week - Part Four: The Fishery

My Grandfather's River, Part Two: Damming the River

2010-07-01T10:12:00.001-04:00

For most of its life the Ohio River flowed wild and free, an ecosystem untouched by man. Long, shallow riffles over clean, gravelly bottom with grassy, shallow island back channels stretched southwest for 981 miles. It began where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers met at Pittsburgh and ended at the Mississippi River in Cairo, Illinois. It was, essentially, one long wetland stretching across the entire southern boundary of Ohio.

Ohio River back channels, sand bars, and cobblestones formed an incredible natural hatchery for fish and birds. Nearly 160 species of fish, some with evolutionary life cycle histories not found anywhere else in the world, called the "O - hee - O" home. Song birds, waterfowl, wading birds, geese and bald eagles used the river. It was a resting stopover area for migrating birds all the way from South America.

In 1929, man began changing the character of the Ohio River, building a series of dams with locks. In 1955 the system was complete. It divided the Ohio River into 20 pools of water, each a confined ecosystem. Fish could no longer migrate up or down the river bed. Passing boats laden with cargo was now the focus of a consistently navigable river system.

The wetlands were flooded. Islands disappeared. It became deep water. Silt layered over gravel bottom. Fish populations that deposited eggs in gravel decreased, while fish populations that deposited eggs above the silt or whose eggs floated in the water increased. The fishery was permanently changed.

A study completed at the turn of this century by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimated a loss of over one-half of all Ohio River wetlands since 1937. The floodplains amounted to 1,840,803 acres during the Great Depression. In 1978 approximately 846,700 acres were still available.

The free flowing Ohio River was now a string of controlled lakes. The physical structures, nutrient cycles, and temperature dynamics of the wild river were forever altered to that of a series of slumbering pools. It's a wonder anything survived such drastic change, but the Ohio River fishery remains abundant, strong, one of the best in the world.

Next week - Part Three Life Histories of Ohio River Fish