[ad_1]
One of the perks of writing about fishing every week is the network of great anglers ready to share their knowledge.
I feel particularly fortunate to have met so many exceptional anglers over the years. They walk and talk in encyclopedias of fishing knowledge accumulated during their life on the water.
A quick round-up of my network of expert angling buddies revealed that fishing is exceptional for a variety of species in the lakes near me.
Chris DePaola of Austintown is a strong supporter of the state’s muskellunge program. He catches muskellunge every week and says the lakes in northeastern Ohio have been hot.
“We are fortunate to have three of the best musk lakes in the state nearby,” he said. “All of them have produced numbers and big fish this season. Pymatuning and West Branch have been hot early and Milton has been productive all summer. My fishing buddy, John Landis, caught his biggest muskie with me one July morning.
DePaola said the fall bite has improved. “Pymatuning has been one of your best options lately.”
Muskellunge aren’t the only bright spot. John Breedlove captures spectacular rainbow trout from the breaking waters of Lake Erie and river mouths. Rick Henninger and Steve Zarbaugh hit some big shit. Sammy Cappelli reports that the walleye bite in the reservoir is heating up and Tom Rolland enjoyed some excellent surface water action with the Ohio River smallmouth bass.
Henninger, who is the editor of Fish & Field Report, loves Shenango for the fall fishing.
“We catch shit late in the afternoon and after dark around the Highway 846 bridge and the Clark boat launch,” he said. He reported that other local hot spots include the Berlin Railroad Bridge, the Pymatuning Causeway and Bridge after dark, and the Interstate 76 Bridge crossing Lake Milton in 10 to 12 feet of water on small hair stencils.
“The fall bite will be good at the boat docks now at the Mosquito State Park Marina, now that anglers can access it,” Henninger said.
Zarbaugh, from Poland, caught some poop while searching for bass around the flooded treetops in Shenango. He said his crankbait was good for hunting poop birds.
“When I miss a fish I think it was some shit that couldn’t get all the plug, so I take a little jig and I catch them” he said. “Some treetops are laden with shit.”
Pro gold Cappelli says the points and bridges from Mosquito and Pymatuning produced good catches. He recommends Vibes, Jigging Rapalas and Shiver Minnows vertical jigging and casting.
“In Berlin, check for points, bumps and around bridges six to 20 feet deep,” he said. “Milton is good around bridges and the Sunken Island.”
Rolland, from Austintown, said the bite from the surface waters of the Ohio River is strong. “For 90% of my bites, I used a Strike King popper in the shade of Tennessee between the barges and the shore. The other bites occur in two to eight feet of water near the barges, but overlook large patches of underwater grass.
Breedlove said the cooler weather has warmed the migration of rainbow trout from Lake Erie as it follows giant schools of baitfish to waters near shore.
He’s already covered many miles on Ohio 11 this fall as he tows his boat to drag the walls around Conneaut Harbor for rainbow trout. He reports that spoons trailed at around 2 mph work well on Erie’s “Silver bullets”.
Jack Wollitz’s new book, The Common Angler: A Celebration of Fishing, features the stories of several Youngstown area anglers on the familiar waters of their hometown. He loves emails from readers. Send a note to [email protected].
[ad_2]
Source link