OhioFisherman

Room and board for a little labor isn`t a bad deal. Did they get to sample the bait?

I don`t think Babe Winkleman was at fault, I grew up in Cleveland 3 miles from the lake and used to see them as a kid. Really a lot of causes for it, people build fish ponds in flood prone area, and the first flood gives them a chance to wander. In this area everything drains into Lake Erie, but people releasing pet gold fish into rivers and streams also. My brother also used them as bait in the 70`s? he said smallies thought they were candy. A bit pricey as a bait supply unless you raise them yourself? Ohio`s fishing regs could be deemed as confusing? "Fish caught by legal angling methods (such as bluegills caught by hook and line) may be used for bait." which may be misleading? other species are not excluded? such as goldfish or gobies? could you argue an undersized walleye or bass caught by legal angling means? "It is unlawful to use fish species that are not already established in Ohio waters." There is clear evidence that gobies and goldfish are presently established? and what penalties did the perpetrators of that face? Actually one of my first experiences fish was in the old Ohio barge canal for goldfish, like in the later 50`s? and it emptied into Lake Erie.

I used to see them in Lake Erie, but never that size 3-5 pounds? and never any small ones, they stick out like a sore thumb and get eaten quickly. In ponds that I have seen them in that also had bass? They almost never ventured out of very shallow water.

used a round tooth pick for years with the lead slip sinkers, jam it in and break it off. Seems the holes might be bigger on the tungsten ones? Didn`t use the tungsten ones much, sort of a life time supply of lead ones. you can also use a hitch hiker? need a different style of hook though, mustad 91768?

actually this fish came on an inflated worm, early spring cold water, from a farm pond. The fish weren`t taking lures, my brother had brought along some crawlers and was fishing for the huge bluegill in the pond. I put on a slip bobber set so the weight would drag the bottom, tied on about an 18 mono leader and a #6 eagle claw hook. Hooked the crawler once through the nose, shot some air into it to keep it off the bottom. A cold breezy day, I didn`t see a hit, the bobber just stopped drifting, it was enough for me to decide on a hook set. as I recall 19 inch 4# 15 ounces, actually had it weighed at the corner store by mom`s house. 30 years ago? they still looked big then. It went into mom`s goldfish pond, lasted all year but the winter freeze was too much for it. One of the last fish I had mounted. Lindy made the worm blowers, maybe some other outfits too? It does help keep the bait out of junk and visible.

Early morning I like to run a surface lure near shore, buzzbait, jitterbug, pop r, torpedo, frog. If they are missing it or I am fairly confident fish are in the area? a texas rigged worm, lizard, tube, usually Junebug for a color choice to start. In an area with little or no weeds or other junk I will fish them on a jig head with the hook exposed. Boat docks, wood in the water, even parked pontoon boats that don`t look they have been moved in a while get a few extra tosses. I will mix the weights up, a slow fall or a faster fall, just to see if it makes a difference. I also may pitch a jig and pig to the same spots, talk to me fishy? today`s choice from the menu is? Not much I wouldn`t throw at them, crank baits, blade baits, spinner baits, all sorts and sizes of soft plastics, in all different water depths until I found some thing that worked. A minnow style bait like a Rapala on a flat with a pause and twitch, a heavy jig and worm, jig and pig punched through the weeds. A lot of choices, just figure out quickly the best one for the day. A cold front and I down size and slow down, more pitches to the same spots, they may not be as eager to strike or chase, accuracy, get it close to cover.

More of a budget issue than anything else, a 2500 series reel will be more versatile. Just a little larger reel that gives you more options for use than a mini reel.

I got home from Providence Rhode Island around 6:15 this morning. I had to help my 2nd oldest daughter move back home. Figures, the rain started there just as I was backing the trailer we rented up to her front door! Close to a 700 mile drive back to Ohio with rain all the way at night through the construction zones. The trip there by a different route was dry at least. It rained until I got about 15 miles from home. No place on any coast that I would care to live. It is pretty out there, the drive going there on I-80 thru PA was scenic, and coming home on I-90 was also. Got there around 4 am Friday morning and on the way back at 4 pm Friday afternoon. Road trips suck when you can`t spend at least a couple weeks recovering!

Any bass tackle, and yes it may have the out come Roy mentioned.

It`s really just another learning process, once you get comfortable with a bait caster there really aren`t any earth shattering differences. A decent reel and a decent rod matched to the lure used and casting 50 yards isn`t much of a problem. LOL if you need to cast farther? trolling is an option! Sort of rare for me to cast anything over 5/8 an ounce, for the most part I prefer to use a bait caster over a spinning reel.

I never liked losing fish, especially if I lose them and the lure at the same time. Stuff happens though, I have seen pike struggling on the surface and after taking a look? They got the fish they were after headed down the wrong way, tail first so the spines on the fins opened and wouldn`t go down. Easier to throw or pull out than a face full of hooks I guess.

The hottest summer I remember! but maybe just because I suffer from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uhthoff%27s_phenomenon 93f here today in the forecast! and 66f for Saturday? maybe you will get snow up there! That big of a change in temps usually involves some wind and bad weather! Be careful on the water! Sounds like a cold front to me! It doesn`t make sense to me to burn through a billion years or so of fossil fuel in 150 years and not expect some adverse effects. If you are sitting under a tree you have shade? if you cut the tree down you have firewood? but not for long?

You are a young man, like fishing with experience you will learn.

It is hard to beat designated snow tires for winter use, everything else like all season tires are just a compromise. Here in Ohio studded snows were legal, if there is also ice roads involved they help. Severe conditions, where legal? chains on the tires.

The number of ball bearings for the most part is a sales gimmick, modern society, more is better? Like mentioned the quality of the bearings is a lot more important, and the location of them also. I used old Abu reels back in the day that had no ball bearings, and yet cast very well. The C series Abu`s that had a ball bearing or two also worked well. They do make for a smoother feel? and the one way bearing is nice, just a question of how much change you are willing to blow on a reel? LOL unless you have a sponsor that supplies them for free?

Nip, Roy nailed it. Bass fishing is better here than in the 50`s - 80`s for one reason alone, catch and release. You don`t give out spots here, every one can see when you catch fish! 150 bass boats on a lake 1500-3000 acres, plus the week end anglers doesn`t leave much room to hide. Most of the guys here that know what they are doing know if you fished one area of a lake? they can find your spot. Lake Erie? just massive, but there are certain areas that produce smallies and walleye more often than not. On this side the state buying out the commercial walleye fishermen and an improvement in water quality turned the fishery around. A longer growing season, and more bait fish than you can shake a stick at helps. Just my view that here some changes to the regs could help? I don`t see a need for people to keep a limit of 8-10 pound walleye in the fall, or a limit of 20+ inch smallies for a mount.

* 1957 - 16,610,000 * 1958 - 17,080,000 * 1959 - 17,483,000 1960s * 1960 - 17,870,000 * 1961 - 18,239,000 * 1962 - 18,583,000 * 1963 - 18,931,000 * 1964 - 19,291,000 * 1965 - 19,644,000 * 1966 - 19,967,000 * 1967 - 20,500,000 * 1968 - 20,701,000 * 1969 - 21,001,000 1970s * 1970 - 21,297,000 * 1971 - 21,963,000 * 1972 - 22,219,000 * 1973 - 22,494,000 * 1974 - 22,809,000 * 1975 - 23,143,000 * 1976 - 23,449,000 * 1977 - 23,727,000 * 1978 - 23,964,000 * 1979 - 24,203,000 1980s * 1980 - 24,517,000 * 1981 - 24,821,000 * 1982 - 25,118,000 * 1983 - 25,367,000 * 1984 - 25,608,000 * 1985 - 25,843,000 * 1986 - 26,101,000 * 1987 - 26,449,000 * 1988 - 26,798,000 * 1989 - 27,056,000 1990s * 1990 - 27,512,000 * 1991 - 27,945,000 * 1992 - 28,377,000 * 1993 - 28,682,000 * 1994 - 28,997,000 * 1995 - 29,303,000 * 1996 - 29,611,000 * 1997 - 29,965,000 * 1998 - 30,158,000 * 1999 - 30,404,000 2000s * 2000 - 30,689,000 * 2001 - 31,021,000 * 2002 - 31,373,000 * 2003 - 31,676,000 * 2004 - 32,048,000 * 2005 - 32,359,000 * 2006 - 32,723,000 * 2007 - 33,115,000 * 2008 - 33,506,000 * 2009 - 33,894,000 2010s * 2010 - 34,160,000 - (July Just observations, the population has doubled since my first trip north, and a lot of it is centered in the accessible areas. When we first went to Beaver Lake in 1957 it was an adventure, the highway system was spotty at best. Same with Pointe Au Baril in 1964, they were working on the highway, roads off of it in some cases weren`t much more than rock and sand. Nip was an adventure, the modern highway system has made it easy to get to, same with most of southern Ontario. Sure netting has had it`s adverse affects, but so has the growth of cottage country. You mix in people in areas that had little fishing pressure, today`s technology, and it isn`t hard to figure why fish populations go down. Every camp I ever stayed at had a weekly fish fry for the guests, x all season? x every camp in the area? mix in shore lunches? then mix in the lake shore cottage owners and residents that eat fish every time they go there? Is it a wonder the best fishing for certain species now involves a fly in trip? Limited access and facilities?

14 bucks a pound for walleye? LOL give me two steaks! Heck that is 6 cans of spam! Buying fish? uncivilized!

Like mentioned light lures, light line? spinning gear. Heavy lures, heavy line? casting gear. There is some cross over, but it would depend on your skill level? and today`s super lines have probably had some impact. Comfort and confidence in your tackle also helps, nice to reach down and grab a rod and reel and it feels comfortable in your hand and you have confidence it is the right tool for the job. The learning curve might be a little longer for some with a bait caster, but it is well worth putting the time in to learn.

Fished with both of my ex`s, their hearts weren`t into it and they cast like girls! One hated cabins by a lake, she didn`t last long, the other caught some decent fish and provided some laughs doing it! My 3 daughters showed more interest than my son, he would rather catch critters. Never had problems finding people to fish with, here or a road trip though, some could focus on the mission at hand better than others though. Water and a beach and for the most part they stayed out of my way!

McFish! and not too often.

Never wrap loose wire around the nut, put a ring terminal on it. Napa should carry them, you can also get a product called liquid electrical tape. It comes in a small bottle with brush on applicator.

Some electrical supply stores sell them, in my case Midland Electric in Solon Ohio. I believe there are places to by them on line also. I used 50 amp ones, smaller than a zippo lighter, they make 3 sizes or more? a common connector on electric pallet jacks and fork lifts. A fork lift parts supplier may carry them also? Just an easy way to make a connection, even in the dark, they only fit together one way. More secure than some of the marine plug ins for electric motors, constant spring pressure on the contacts. http://www.andersonpower.com/products/multipole-sb.html

Murky water? Like most of Ohio`s inland lakes? The lures mentioned can work, so can noisy surface lures. I still went with the idea that the fish will be the best judge of what will work. They can find a lure like a plastic work or lizard in murky water, a jig and pig bouncing along the bottom. I had no issues using lures like that in murky water, day or night. I usually had 5-6 rods rigged with a mix of lures, just ones that had worked in the past and allowed me to fish the water column from top to bottom. Some lures, depending on how you decide to retrieve them can cover a few different depths, burn a spinnerbait or slow roll it, fast retrieve on a crank bait and have it bouncing along the bottom or a slow steady retrieve, stop and go. Some times a surface lure like a jitterbug was the way to go, some times a devils horse or torpedo with a prop worked much better.

When I bought my boat it had the trolling motor battery positioned under the front deck, the live well was also up front. A package boat and as such under powered with a 35HP motor on a boat rated for 60HP. With the live well full it had trouble reaching a plane. I moved the battery to the back of the boat, used 6 ga wire that I got from a customer, unusual wire the insulation was double thick, no idea what it is called. Anywhere it made contact with the hull I cut a piece of garden hose and slid it over the wire. For ease of connecting I used Anderson quick connects front and rear. Just a plug in connection that made it simple to switch batteries, or jump the starting motor battery if ever needed.