OhioFisherman

Anti freeze will kill them, also anything else that may happen to drink it, dogs, birds, kidney or liver damage I think, not a good plan. I thought there was a spray for it have to check.

A heavy sinker is only needed if you have current to deal with, and rigging has a lot to do with the area you decide to fish. For just about any type of cat fishing keeping you bait near the bottom is going to improve your luck, they are primarily bottom feeders. More or less traditional rig is a egg style sinker with a swivel below it and a leader with a hook tied to it, 12 to 18 inches long. The weight can vary depending on current to keep it on the bottom, leader allows some movement and a free spool reel with a clicker can be useful. Clinker and free spool on lets you know when they are taking line if your not alert. They can be big and powerful, secure your rod or you may have to swim to find it. Slip bobber and live bait is another way, works best if the bottom in the area is pretty much the same depth, set the float to run with in 2 feet of the bottom. Although I am not usually fishing for cats when using this method a 6 to 8 in chub works well. 3/0 or 4/0 heavy hook like a Mustad 3407 hooked under the dorsal fin of the chub with care taken not to hit the spine. Trend now is towards octopus hooks but never had injury to the fish issues with the mustads. Big chub can swim around pretty well, I usually use a 1/4 ounce weight about 18 inches above it to keep it down. Just gives you other options, species other than cats will take the chub. Always made most of my own slip floats out of smooth surface styrofoam eggs, up to about goose egg in size, a big chub can bob it but not keep it under, cat or other decent size fish can.

Hard to beat Jann`s prices on quality tubes. That was our first stop on our tour, but we came from a different direction.

Also caught them on the back bays of the Georgian, on minnows, their primary food supply, my wife lasso`ed one, no hook in it`s mouth, just the line wrapped are it`s bill. LOL freshwater billfish?

Mine`s in my avatar, white and seal Boston Terrier, Bandit. Big for a Boston 28.5 pounds, fat, dumb and happy! Like me!

LOL still use my Shimano 251 black magnums and a lot of other older reels, it isn`t so much what you have it`s what you do with them? The reel is only part of the deal.

Keep up the good work! Nothing like a healthy rant! Steelhead? Kind of like artificial insemination. Real men chase pickeral?

I know Wayne seems like a short cut a lot of the trailer mfgs use. My boat trailer and utility trailer both came from the factory with the ground wire from the trailer wiring harness attached to the trailer(cut from the plug).

Like Roy says not enough info for a good opinion, just my take on it? False and misleading info? Bait were brought in from another area and not caught locally? and tried to hide the fact? No clue if it is what happened. I have bought bait fish, minnows in Ontario and had to pass on the game fish, some bait store employee`s just didn`t seem real knowledgeable about what was a minnow.

Can`t really tell you much about spring steelhead in the area, they are confined to the tributaries of Lake Erie here none close to Columbus. Rocky River just west of Cleveland in a metro park so good shore line access and you can wade. Vermilion river about 30 mile west of Cleveland, not much shore line access, except maybe farther upstream than I have been. Grand and Chagrin rivers east of Cleveland, haven`t fished either of those in many years. My Steelhead fishing has been limited to late fall out of a boat off of and in the Vermilion river and around the break walls of the Black River in Lorain not a good wading river, way to deep with sudden drop offs to like 30 feet. The best tackle shop in the close Cleveland area is the Rodmakers Shop in Strongsville Ohio just south of Cleveland of I-71, besides that the box stores, Gander Mountain, Dicks. Akron-Canton area Kames sporting goods(North Canton) and Land Big Fish(Akron) none really close to I-71 but no clue on your route down to Columbus. Regulations are probably a lot different here, no closed season on Muskies for example, getting one from shore? Good luck with that! It happens but not often. Salt Fork is a nice lake, a bit of a drive from me and Columbus, especially after a day of work. Rocky Fork and Knox Lake are also sort of in the Columbus area, been a long time since I hit either.

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/719/Default.aspx http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/719/Default.aspx http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/785/Default.aspx http://recparks.columbus.gov/Parks/Parks_321.asp http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/730/Default.aspx http://www.stateparks.com/index.html

Pretty rural where I am at, small towns scattered roughly 8 to 10 miles apart, must go back to the horse and buggy days where that was a good trip. Sirens are noisy but all in all a good idea, lots of flat open land and we get them in the area more than the city folks. No reports of damage anywhere around me, hope it went that well for everyone.

Great info Raf. All those reels look right to me.

They also sell stainless steel hitch balls, another option. I don`t grease the ball but the locking mechanism on the tongue of the trailer, it also will rust up preventing a good ground. White lithium spray on grease.

I fished Alum Creek a couple of times, nice lake has some good smallmouth and largemouth, just north of Columbus. http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/711/default.aspx No clue on shore fishing access or boat rental, always took my own. Never did well for numbers, but never fished it often. Small coves north of rte36 bridge west side of the lake, spinner baits, jigs and pigs get some, coves north of the state park same side as the park, edges get some smallie action small deep running crankbaits, tubes dropped down the edges. Columbus is the capitol, like 2nd or 3 largest city here and just about all the lakes here get a lot of fishing pressure and boating traffic in season. No clue on tackle shops in Columbus, Fins, Fur, Feathers is right off of interstate 71 a good bit north of it. Let me know if you need more info, don`t know if Phil (Whopper) has fished it, its near the same distance from him.

Ya transducer placement for proper operation is important. I use stainless screws and bolts on everything on a boat, also stainless nylock nuts, keeps vibration for loosening them. If you change depth finders or remove them remember to fill in the old holes!

Nice cats! Bad here last night too.

Lots of warnings here last night, tornado sirens went off for like 1/2 hour straight, lots of lighting, thunder and a train like sound that turned out to be a train. A lot cooler here today thru Tuesday then it warms back up. Storms make it north?

I don`t shell out a lot of cash on lures any more, used too, best bet is to buy one or two and see if they work for what your doing or intend them for, then load up. Like the Sheriff hook change on some is the first step after opening the package.

Turning more than one way is a bit complicated for the neckkar dudes. Yes speed can kill.

.and I thought you were gonna say she keeps warning you the price is gonna go up Joe! LOL Wayne, might have to run for governor to afford either?

Rainbows? meaning steelhead? Seen them rolling, jumping in schools of bait fish here on Lake Erie, just don`t think they can stop as quick as they seem to start. Minnows on the surface and no air brakes.

Charles, actually Crestliner used to or maybe still makes one. I think the model was CMV or something like that, had a 54 inch livewell and was sort of designed for muskie fishermen. It was the model I was interested in before illness caused me to change plans. Seen some guys with them on the Muskie lakes around here, and at boat displays, 18'3" rated for like 150HP. LOL stick a lot of bass in that livewell! http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2006-CRE...V-1850-91926907

I use a snap too most of the time, size 2 or 3 duolock. R-bend spinnerbaits tied directly or a piece of rubber- vinyl or o ring over the r and a snap.

Another one bites the dust? Frontier Airlines filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy, cites high fuel costs.