Coastal Angler Magazine | December 2022 | Ohio Edition

UpSwitzerland

A watch that revolutionized timekeeping at a price equally as radical.

In the history of timepieces, few moments are more important than the creation of the world’s first Piezo timepiece. First released to the public in 1969, the watch turned the entire industry on its head, ushering in a new era of timekeeping. It’s this legacy that we’re honoring with the Timemaster Watch, available only through Stauer at a price only we can offer.

Prior to Piezo watches, gravity-driven Swiss watches were the standard bearer of precision timekeeping. But all that changed when the first commercially available Piezo watch came onto the market.

The result of ten years of research and development by some of the world’s top engineers, they discovered that when you squeeze a certain type of crystal, it generates a tiny electric current. And, if you pass electricity through the crystal, it vibrates at a precise frequency–exactly 32,768 times each second. When it came on the market, the Piezo watch was the most dependable timepiece available, accurate to 0.2 seconds per day. Today, it’s still considered a spectacular advance in electrical engineering.

“[Piezo timepieces]...it would shake the Swiss watch industry to its very foundations.”

Foundation For Economic Education

With the Timemaster we’ve set one of the world’s most important mechanical advances inside a decidedly masculine case. A handsome prodigy in rich leather and gold-finished stainless steel. The simplicity of the watch’s case belies an ornately detailed dial, which reflects the prestige of this timepiece.

Call today to secure your own marvel of timekeeping history. Because we work directly with our own craftsman we’re able to offer the Timemaster at a fraction of the price that many Piezo watches cost. But a watch like this doesn’t come along every day. Call today before time runs out and they’re gone.

Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Spend some time with this engineering masterpiece for one month. If you’re not convinced you got excellence for less, simply send it back within 30 days for a refund of the item price. But we’re betting this timekeeping pioneer is a keeper.

Stauer… Afford the Extraordinary ®

EXPERIENCED ANGLERS WANTED!

Dear Angler,

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Our ideal candidate for this unique business opportunity:

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Ask us if we have a franchise territory available near you! We have freshwater and saltwater franchise territories available throughout the US and abroad!

Tight lines, Ben Martin

Editor In Chief

Coastal Angler Magazine

The Angler Magazine

www.CoastalAnglerMag.com

TROUT TIPS FOR Wintertime

By Nick Carter

Trout like cold water, but there’s no denying the slow down that occurs on most wintertime trout fisheries. When water temps fall into the low 40s and below, insect life and other food sources are less prevalent. Trout metabolisms slow and they go into energy-conservation mode. They are content to hover near the bottom out of heavy current and feed only when an easy opportunity arises.

That said, fish still need to eat, and intrepid anglers will find joy in the seclusion of a wintertime trout stream. Here are some tips to raise the odds of a great wintertime trout trip. Dress warmly, wade carefully and savor the taste of the ice you suck from your rod guides.

1) Choose Destinations Wisely: Winter is not the time to explore high-elevation brook trout streams. Instead, float a tailwater, where water temps are consistent year-round, or go to lower elevation streams that are a bit warmer. For a target-rich environment, try out a delayed-harvest fishery. They are stocked heavily through the cooler months.

2) Fish Warm Spells: Two or three days of consistently warmer weather are primetime in terms of winter trout fishing. Everything in the stream, from the trout to the bugs and baitfish they eat, perks up.

By the same logic, the best bite is usually during the warmest part of the day. Sun warms the shallows, bringing out the tiny little midges, black stoneflies and blue-winged olives that are wintertime staples. Even if the action is subsurface, trout will take advantage of easy feeding opportunities.

3) Fish Meticulously: Unless trout are visibly rising, subsurface is the way to go. Turn your attention away from the riffles where rainbows pop dry flies in spring, and look to the deeper, slower runs. Pick them apart with nymph rigs. Keep in mind that most winter food items will be small, but fish a variety of sizes and patterns at the same time and cover every inch of each run vertically and horizontally. The idea is to hit a fish in the nose, and this is best achieved fishing slowly and carefully.

If you want to tempt a giant trout, it’s a good time to dead drift a big streamer with the same meticulous patience. Don’t hesitate to fish a heavy streamer deep under an indicator. Sometimes a big mouthful is enough to convince a lock-jawed bruiser to eat.

4) Fish Safely: Flooding your waders can kill you when it’s frigid. During cold snaps, consider fishing near the truck, where a quick jog can put you in a heated cab if you get wet. If you do go into the backcountry, take a dry-bag with fire-starting equipment, a towel and a change of clothes.

Wherever you fish, wade carefully, avoid stepping on frozen-over rocks, kick any snow off your boots before entering the water and avoid taking chances like wading deep water or heavy flows.

Nick Carter is the author of “Flyfisher’s Guide to North Carolina & Georgia.” Contact him at nsc8957@gmail.com.

Berkeley County, South Carolina

Berkeley County is a wonderland for outdoor enthusiasts, sports buffs, adventure seekers, and water lovers. From exemplary fishing for striped bass, or a trophy largemouth bass, to our hiking trails and water activities, along with scenic outdoors where you can catch a glimpse of white tail deer and gators, Berkeley County has activities to fit all visitors and families. Learn more about Berkeley County at: exploreberkeleycounty.com

Peacock Bass Luxury

Next stop Manaus, Brazil! It all started when my good friend Capt. Johnny Stabile called.

J: I know what you’re going to say before I even ask.

G: What is it?

J: Do you want to go Peacock fishing in Brazil?

G: When?

J: We would leave 13 days after our Alaska trip.

Of course, my response was, “Ok, sounds great!”

That would give me just enough time to get back from Alaska, fulfill orders for my business, and get things ready to head south. We flew out of Miami, and with a layover in Panama City, Panama met up with several other fishermen on the expedition. After a very long night of traveling, we finally landed in Brazil and hopped on a quick seaplane ride to the Rio Matupiri for six and a half days of non-stop fishing!

We stayed aboard the Amazon Legend with a very accommodating crew of 14. We ate like kings and fished hard. Our typical day of fishing consisted of getting up before the sun for a quick breakfast and loading into skiffs to spend the day zipping around to the guide’s best fishing spots. We threw a variety of lures, mostly topwaters like big choppers and walking baits. Johnny’s favorites of the trip were a Rebel Jumping Minnow and a Borboleta Woodstock 10.5 cm. He wore out the peacock bass on that Jumping Minnow. I threw bucktail jigs, and they produced the largest number of fish, but for Johnny it was all about the BIG’UNS!

Johnny loves to fly fish, so one special thing about fishing in Brazil for him was catching several nice fish on the fly rod with easy-to-tie flies that he made myself. These fish are so much more aggressive than the peacock bass you find in south Florida. For a little perspective, we caught more than 350 peacocks and more than 50 piranha along with several other exotic species. The average peacock was 2 to 3 pounds, and Johnny’s biggest weighed more than 8 pounds. One person in our party caught a big peacock that pulled the scales to nearly 14 pounds.

After a long morning of non-stop action, sometimes we would take a quick lunch break and hide in the shade of a tree for a wonderful shore lunch. The guides packed everything for remote meals on land, where they cooked native fare on an open fire. While they cooked, we relaxed in hammocks with

plenty of cold drinks and the opportunity for a quick nap before lunch was served. Many of the fish we caught contributed to these lunches, and there were also steaks and chicken available with all the fixins. Homemade salsa and native seasonings complimented the meals perfectly. After a relaxing lunch, it was back on the skiff and back in the action!

After afternoons of fishing, we indulged in fivestar dining and the most important part of the trip, air conditioning! The crew made up our rooms, did our laundry and prepared dinner every evening. Specialty cocktails were also provided, if that’s your fancy, but Johnny’s favorite was the freshly squeezed juices. He’s already looking forward to the passion fruit juice when we return next year!

Johnny shot some great video of our trip. Check it out in the December edition of The Angler Video Magazine

If you are interested in a Brazilian fishing adventure, e-mail Johnny at captain@ SFLFishingCharters.com or Gary at gary@purgeright.com.

By Capt. Johnny Stabile and Gary Turner

For as long as I can remember, offshore bottom fishing is what we look forward to during the last half of November and the entire month of December. The week of Christmas has always been considered the apex of the bottom-fishing year.

You can see the move of the big snappers marching offshore on the edge of the colder water. This will pile big snapper and other bottomdwelling species up on certain staging areas, along with a clean water temperature line that also stacks up the kings and wahoo. Keep a light line bait out while you’re bottom fishing. There is no telling what you’ll catch and on what baits.

Of course, I love a pinfish, grass grunts or sailors choice for grouper and snapper baits for more than one reason. 1) They get bites from the target species; and 2) they eliminate most of the trash bites from grunts, pinkies and sea bass.

Yes, I love a live bait on a jig, but don’t ever forget that a big grouper also loves a big chunk of cut bait. We have seen a huge uptick in amberjack and almaco jacks in the past few

years for some reason. This is an excellent bait source! I like to keep one of the first, smaller, amberjacks that come up just for this cut-bait option. The big chunks of cut bait do

of my bottom-fishing strategy. This is also the reason I take a couple boxes of squid on every trip. I start every new post-up on a ledge or live bottom area with everyone firing down whole squid every drop. I don’t care what they are catching. It’s usually grunts, pinkies or seabass, but what is really happening on the bottom is the squid are being ripped to shreds and small pieces are swirling around and creating a chum slick. After several volleys of whole squid, I change it up to live pinfish, grass grunts or other live baits on a jig.

Grouper and big snapper see the live bait as a smaller fish that was grabbed by a crab while feeding on small pieces of squid. It’s a winning technique that has been very successful for me and other Decoy Jig users for years now. It is also new to the fish, tackle-wise.

two things. They get bites and they also create a “chum slick” on the bottom right where you are fishing. When the cut bait gets pecked at, all the small pieces of flesh swirl around as it’s being eaten.

This is one of the most important aspects

The beauty of this cold water line moving farther offshore with every cold front creates opportunity for a variety of species. You never know; keep firing down cut bait and setting the hook on “strange feeling bites,” and you might even catch a big deep-water lobster like the one in the video below.

Check out some awesome bottom fishing videos at https://youtu.be/w1YmT6M0ObQ.

Tim Barefoot

December can be a transitional month

December can feature either a full month of mild fall weather or begin the ice-making process. If open water remains, anglers discovered years ago that fall Walleye and Yellow perch fishing can both continue from boats and shoreline piers indefinitely.

During many recent winters, trolling for Walleyes with crank baits has occurred in all 12 months with some anglers opting to jig with ice fishing lures on calmer days.

Only time will tell, but the majority of the weather forecasters are presently calling for La Nino in the Pacific Ocean, which could produce an oldfashioned, “normal winter” in the Great Lakes and Upper Mid-West states.

The last of what we old-timers consider to be a “normal” winter occurred in 2015 when there was 2 months of ice fishing in Lake Erie from east of the Toledo Water Intake in Bono to the North Cove on Kelleys Island.

Under such conditions, ice fishing may begin by the end of the year, barring any big late-season gale winds or ludicrous ice-breaking operations.

However, anglers sometimes must settle for ice fishing in the shallow bays, harbors, and marinas. East Harbor has emerged as the best place to be for abundant catches of Bluegill and Pumpkinseed sunfish, with Yellow perch, crappies, bullheads, bass, and Northern pike through the ice.

Best bait options include Waxworm and Spike larvae and Emerald shiners, tungsten Widow Maker Lures and Larsen’s Quality Jigs. A few Walleye anglers are fans of Northland Fish Tackle Buckshot lures or Acme Tackle Little Cleo spoons, but most rely on Swedish Pimples and Jigging Rapalas.

When I guided ice fishermen at Put-in-Bay, I provided a small tackle box with a selection of Swedish Pimple spoons to my customers because fewer fish that are hooked come off. They also produce bites from fish in a wide range of moods, from aggressive to timid.

During the past 2 ice seasons, I primarily used a #5 Violet/Nickel and Purple Ice/Nickel Swedish Pimple lures. Chartreuse and orange work better in stained water.

My fishing partner rarely strays from his #4 “Cherry Cough drop” (Red)/ Gold lure. In stronger currents, larger sizes up to size #7 are used.

A stinger hook can pay huge dividends when fish are feeding more timidly and short-striking the baits. It can also add bonus yellow perch to the

bucket and help remove pesky bait-stealing White perch. Horizontally-oriented Jigging Rapalas have better long-distance calling power and work especially well when Walleyes are aggressively feeding.

They will often inhale these lures when baited with whole shiners on an upsized, wide-gap treble belly hook and to the end hooks. I mostly use Fire-Tiger, Orange/Gold and Chrome/Blue depending upon water clarity.

Moonshine Shiver Minnows, more popular in Saginaw Bay with the guides who I am in contact with there, also catch Walleyes on Lake Erie.

Article by: John Hageman. John now writes approximately 125 articles per year after retiring from the Ohio Sea Grant/Stone Laboratory - The Ohio State University’s Lake Erie biology station at Put-In-Bay.

Cast and Blast on Lake Eries Western Basin

The weather finally turned and as December sets in, most fisherman are waiting on ice fishing. Don’t let this weather get you down or let cabin fever get the best of you, December can be one of my favorite months of the year. Many fishermen are hunters as well and if you’re interested in waterfowl and walleye, you should think about coming to Lake Erie for a “cast and blast” duck hunting trip. I called my friend and fellow guide Jared, who is the owner of Erie Skies Guide Service. He is a year-round hunting and fishing guide and I asked him about this time of year. He said, “The big water of Lake Erie is unique with marshes and refuges to hold puddle ducks and geese as well as open water for diver ducks, which are fun for novice hunters as well as those with a lot of experience.” The 25ft. heavy duty DuckWater boat he runs, allows for a nice trolling set up to do some fishing when the duck hunting slows down. If the weather cooperates, you could pair your duck hunting trip with a fishing trip in the walleye capital of the world!

Water temps are dipping into the 40’s and the fish are eating for a winter season. The walleye fishing pressure will be slowing down as the yearly derbies are finished up and only the die-hards will still be on the water. But this can be the best chance to catch big walleye by slow trolling bandits in 20-30ft of water off Catawba or near the islands where we will be catching these fish soon under the ice. If the big water isn’t for you, pan fishing in the local marinas and back waters is good this time of year as well. I like to fill a basket of crappies and bluegills around docks with structure. A waxworm or minnow under a bobber on a small jig will get you some action and good eating this time of year.

Article by: Captain Jonny Fickert, He can be reached at Sea Breeze Charters at @ 877-616-7780 or seabreezecharters.com

Summit - Portage - Mogadore area

Indian Lake

On July 25, 2022, I had the privilege of guiding for a very special true friend, by the name of Dr. Eric Dennis. He is in a battle with Stage 4 cancer and wanted to get out on the water when the treatments weren’t slowing him down. This trip was like no other, when I got the call, I dropped everything and made plans for Monday morning to guide for him. He wanted to use his boat too, just to give it a good workout.

The Advantages of Kayak Fishing

There are many advantages when it comes to kayak fishing. Kayaks can be very stealthy and less likely to spook the fish, which definitely helps put more fish in the “boat”. I have floated directly over some nice size bass without them seeming to care that I was there. Kayaks are able to float in very shallow water and narrow areas where larger vessels cannot, which opens up opportunities to fish less pressured areas. Catching fish from a kayak also feels much more rewarding. It can be very exciting to bring in a large fish while sitting in a kayak.

Mr. Dennis is a well-known fly-tying champion and has given many demonstrations and talks about fly tying and fly fishing. One of his flies can be seen at the Fly-Fishing Museum in Vermont. He is planning on doing some fly fishing in Montana with his son and friends soon (who are all dentists), but for now, we were bass fishing, and it was a beautiful morning for it. When we pulled up on our first area, at Turkeyfoot lake, Mr. Dennis landed a huge bass that weighed in at a little over 6 pounds! As I was taking a few pics, we were all smiles and laughs. The fun and friendships we make on the water may be the best part of what fishing has to offer.

Cost is another huge advantage to kayak fishing. For as little as a couple hundred bucks, you could be on the water fishing your favorite spot. There’s also no maintenance costs when it comes to Kayak Fishing. There are no oil changes, no expensive breakdowns, costly tune-ups, andother costs that come along with larger boats.

After about 4 minutes we went across the lake and on his first cast there, he landed another huge bass, a 4 pounder this time. Our excitement was beyond words. It is not often you hook into back-to-back lunkers. This will always be a special day for Dr. Eric, his wife Mary and myself. We will never forget it and I hope that we can

You also don’t need a large vehicle to transport your fishing kayak. Strap it securely on the roof of your car with a quality roof rack setup, slide it in the back of your SUV or truck bed. Or get a lightweight trailer that can conveniently back down to the water and float your kayak off.

Your kayak fishing adventure could be as simple as an Entry level kayak with a PFD or a life jacket and fishing pole or as extreme as a pedal rig, with a fish finder, etc. like the one used by Chuck at Lake Erie Kayak Fishing guided adventures. I have even seen folks put a trolling motor on their kayak. The choice is yours.The best part of kayak fishing is the fun and exercise.

do it again someday. Stage 4 cancer is a terrible thing, my prayers are with them. P.S. I have never had such a touching guide trip as this one. Sometimes we need some sunshine and a great fishing trip to help us put life in perspective.

Indian Lake is located in Logan County, in northwest Ohio between Lima and Bellefontaine.

For anyone looking for a great place to spend a day or two fishing, Indian Lake provides ample access with roughly five boat ramps, three tackle shops, and over three miles of public fishing on the south and west banks.

Ron Slater is a fishing guide on the Portage Lakes in Ohio, he can be reached at 330-780-3652 or email bassfisher273@gmail.com

There are many species of fish found in Indian Lake. Bluegill, pumpkinseed, green spotted sun fish, large and small mouth bass, white bass, saugeye, perch, and crappie. For those seeking the bigger ones, channel cats, bullhead, and flathead catfish are plentiful too. The lake is fed by three feeder creeks where you can find chubs, some of the best bait for catfishing!

The bite in September… with cooler weather coming in, the saugeye bite will slowly pick up. Perch will enter shallower water, and the bite will turn more active. Early morning bass bite topwater, using frogs/ pop-r/ bugs…follow the shad!

The baits and tactics you can use for catching fish around this time of year varies depending on what you are after. For panfish- 1/32-ounce jigs, in 2–3-foot depths, wax worms, pieces of nightcrawler, and minnows. Bass- swimbaits up to 3”, 1/16-ounce jig heads. White, chartreuse, and orange colors work well. Catfish- cut bait, live bait, BIG live baits produce best results.

The areas around the edges of Indian Lake produce some of the best fishing. Those looking for a challenge, stick around the weeds to the southwest. Those looking for traditional, muddier waters of Indian Lake, go to the northeast section, which is clear of weeds but offers very little public shoreline fishing.

The excess weeds are currently a challenge in some parts of the lake, but there are weed harvesters working to clear that up. There is plenty of navigable water by boat or bank that can lead to a successful day of fishing... Do not limit your time on Indian Lake, start before sunup and stay out well after sundown. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. are the slowest biting hours. You may have to move a few times, but hey, it’s all in good fun, anyway! Article contributed by Tosh Collins. Tosh can be seen on YouTube channel: “American Outdoor Adventures” and can be reached on Facebook at “Indian Lake Fishing Reports”

BE

OHIO 2022-23 ICE FISHING FORECAST

Before the bonanza of the much-anticipated fall fishing frenzy even ends, you can be assured that a sizable number of anglers are already prepping for what to many of them is their very favorite angling of the entire year -the hardwater bite.

Make no mistake, an efficient and versatile ice angler can regularly outproduce a whole lot of open-water fishermen, with the added bonus that fish caught under the ice are by acclamation a whole lot more palatable than those hooked out of warmer water. Combine this with the fact that some very successful hardwater angling can be done on the cheap, though ice angling also has an increasingly notable contingent of “technocrats”, seemingly dedicated to making the endeavor as costly as possible. Most big -box stores offer little or no expertise or inventory available to an endeavor they see as too uncertain weather-wise or not lucrative

enough overall to be bothered with. This is where true all-purpose traditional bait shops stand out as even more precious for quality information and appropriate gear than they normally are. This is especially vital concerning ice safety and thickness and other coldwater concerns. Northern Ohio offers arguably two of the very best examples of such services with storied Mogadore Bait, Tackle & Marine Repair at 780 Randolph Rd. in Mogadore. (330-628-9872) and Mark’s Bait & Tackle (330-296-3474) on Rt.14, just northeast of Ravenna. Mark has announced his retirement contingent upon the sale of the store he has built into something truly special. Both stores I’ve recently visited, and both are loaded with ice jigs, ice combos, and other ice angling essentials.

Article by: Jack Kiser. He can be contacted at the Buckeye Angler Facebook site and buckeyeangler.com

TROUT Punderson

YELLOW PERCH

1.Mogadore 2.Lake Erie 3.Milton 4.Pymatuning 5.LaDue 6.Wingfoot 7.West Branch 8.Berlin 9.Portage Lakes 10.Punderson

Here are some of the more popular northern Ohio ice fishing destinations by specie: BLUEGILL 1.Mogadore 2.Mosquito 3.LaDue 4.Punderson 5.Portage Lakes 6.West Branch 7.Wingfoot 8.Walborn 9.Milton 10.Berlin CRAPPIE 1.Mosquito 2.West Branch 3.Berlin 4.Portage Lakes 5.Pymatuning 6.Nimisila 7.Mogadore 8.Deer Creek 9.LaDue 10.Milton

WALLEYE 1.Erie 2.West Branch 3.Mosquito 4.Milton 5.Berlin 6.Pymatuning 7.LaDu

CATFISH Mogadore

Indian Lake Report

Indian Lake Ice Fishing – A great Place for First Timers

North Central Ohio Lakes Report

As winter approaches, Indian Lake will be one of the first lakes in Ohio to freeze over. The shallow lake offers anglers the chance to be the first ones out on the ice. In December at Indian Lake, fishermen are ready and willing for the temperature to drop enough for the ice to form. Key essentials for safety to have before heading out onto any ice on foot are warm clothes, proper footwear with cleats, a spud bar, ice picks, and a PFD for the youth. The single most important ice safety procedure is testing the ice before walking onto it. Using your spud bar, pound fourgood, hard raps straight down, to indicate at least four-inches or more which is equivalent to the general thought of “safe ice.” Also, always be sure to devise a plan, inform family or friends where you will be and what time you plan on being home.

Fishing is fishing, and ice is just one condition. With a little bit of knowhow and safety consideration in mind, you can surely catch an abundance of panfish, or just enjoy the day out on the ice! The North side of Indian Lake is where fishermen love to try their luck at catching bluegills. Using tiny spider jigs in a multitude of colors, pulling them up off the bottom is a tactic that will usually get even the most finicky of fish to bite. There is a multitude of blade style baits for vertical jigging. Everything from rip-nraps to Vibe’s to Rap-V’s, can be used to target a bigger selection of fish. Indian Lake has ample locations prime for ice fishing. Access to the ice can be found at any of the state parks, along any of the public shoreline, or with a little bit of gratitude and a purchase, most lakeside restaurants or businesses will happily allow you to walk off their property onto the ice (just be sure to ask first.) The year-round residents love to see the winter sports. You will see everything from fishermen fishing in shanties or off their golf carts, snowmobiles, dirt bikes, ATV’s, even ice racers. Although our ice doesn’t get thick enough to take out cars, we all try to get out to enjoy the ice as much as possible.

If you are new to ice fishing, don’t worry, so am I, this will only be my third year. In my Facebook group, “Indian Lake Fishing Reports”, I will do live ice checks and ice conditions just as an added safety benefit, so people looking to come to Indian Lake to ice fish can check the conditions of the ice before making the drive. If you are looking to learn and maybe don’t want to go out with the “big boys” yet, come on down to Indian Lake, where the risk is slightly less due to shallow water and the number of “eyes” on the ice. Last year, the first ice didn’t form until January 6th, we saw “safe” ice roughly a week later (we hope it’s sooner this year).

Eastern

Catfish seemed to be the theme at most north central Ohio lakes in August, but September should bring cooler temperatures and the crappie, bass and saugeye bite should heat up some.

Fishermen have been catching drum this year, which is new to Indian Lake (The I. L.) and have seen an increase in pickerel, which should make for more interesting ice fishing catches this year.

Just remember to plan accordingly and always, always, always, have your ice safety gear with you and remain attentive to your surroundings while on the ice. NEVER ASSUME THE ICE IS SAFE! Always test it for yourself to make sure you are confident that it is indeed safe FOR YOU! No fish is worth the risk of going out onto thin ice. The Farmer’s Almanac predictions for “best” fishing dates in December are the 1-7, and 23-31, so we hope to see all you anglers out there fishing for your limits!

Charles Mill anglers are still catching hybrid striped bass near the dam and occasionally bellow the dam. Large flathead catfish are being caught in the northern end of the lake. I just visited the campground there, it looks like a great place to camp, with some sites right on the water’s edge.

“Tight lines and solid hook sets ya’ll”

At Clearfork, anglers are catching muskies near the spillway. Fishing Report by Chris at The Island Trading Post in Mifflin, Ohio, check with them for supplies and bait.

Article by Tosh Collins. Tosh can be seen on YouTube channel: “American Outdoor Adventures” and can be reached on Facebook at “Indian Lake Fishing Reports”

At Pleasant Hill Reservoir, Knox and Kokosing lakes, anglers are mostly chasing catfish and bluegills, but in September the bass and crappie should start hitting again. Steve Philpott

The Island Trading Post

One stop shop and unique store for all your shopping needs, groceries, live bait, frozen shad, fishing poles and tackle, handmade crafts, sodas, DVDs, firewood, ice camping stuff, clothing, automotive, toys, lottery, pull tabs, head shop, Delta 8, 9, 10 products and more. Come in and check out The

60 Maine Street, Mifflin, OH (419) 908-4041

Tiny Flies for Trout in Low, Clear Water

Spring and early summer rains in Ohio generally give way to clearing weather throughout the dog days of summer and into autumn. This reduces flows on the Clear Fork of the Mohican River (and most other rivers in the area) to their lowest levels of the year. What water remains is crystal clear. These conditions force a change in strategy if you want to have good success when fly fishing for browns and rainbows. Unless you are night fishing, you’ll need to downsize your offerings when compared to what you typically throw earlier in the season.

Those low, clear water conditions beg for a more subdued, delicate presentation of your fly. Larger patterns will do more to spook the trout than anything. It just so happens that there is very often a plethora of winged insects around in the fall and early winter that are miniscule and can make up a large portion of the fish’s diet due to their sheer numbers.

The various insects are called by many names, some accurate, some not. You’ll hear of the midge hatch, the tricos, the blue winged olives, gnats, and on and on… It doesn’t seem so important to know exactly what the species of the barely seeable critters are, as it is the size of the thing floating (or skittering) by their field of view during the feed.

When “the hatch” is on, the trout shift to a feeding pattern that causes them to rise continually to the abundant insects in or on the water. There are usually so many of those small critters that they become the predominant biomass, causing the fish to focus solely on them.

Knowing this feeding pattern, it makes sense to throw an offering that resembles what is on the water. The pattern does not need to be exact. What seems important is to get the approximate size, shape, and color correct. Remember that these fish need to feed almost continuously to get the necessary nutrients from such a small individual serving. If a close resemblance is shown to them, they probably will offer at it. They can’t afford to let too many of them pass by. As to the size, we’re talking size 20 and smaller. You usually won’t need to go smaller than #24 (thank goodness!), but to tie on those tiny flies, 6X and 7X tippet is almost a necessity. Fishing hair thin tippet requires a bit of restraint on any hookset and perhaps even a supple fly rod to match. Any sudden, forceful pull by either the fish or the angler can break that fly off before either knows what just happened.

So,

Clendening shoreline fishing 1800 will flathead offers concessions. Piedmont near lake. state perch launch boating Tappan Lake to an bluegill, marina Seneca striped has rental, Leesville and for bluegill, a 10-horsepower Atwood off of water featuring northern saugeye.

Information Conservancy (877)

BOARD BRAG

Rusty Russ and Portage Lakes Lore

What is it about being in, on or near water and the fish that live there that keeps us so entertained?

Sometimes just going to the beach or the lake or just sitting on a deck overlooking some water is all the respite a person needs. There are always great stories associated with the water and not all of them are fish tales. I recently got to meet Rusty Russ from the Portage Lakes area in northeast Ohio. He filled me in on much of the history of the lakes there. He grew up on the shore of Long Lake. His childhood home had a deck overlooking the lake. His mom, Betty Russ was an Olympic level swimmer who set multiple state records. Rusty said, “she used to swim across the lake just to visit the neighbors and get a little exercise.”

The lakes and the fish in them were a big part of Rusty’s life. He and his friends grew up obsessed with fishing. He and his buddy Ray Reiber would fish the Portage Lakes and Dollar Lake near their homes. They were very avid anglers; they would fly-fish for bluegills and catch northern pike and muskies at some of the lakes. Ray Reber still has a wall full of trophy size fish at Gallo Trophies in Akron. Rusty never got away from the water. He ran a pallet sales business for a number of years as a “day job” but took his extra funds to buy a lake. (Why not?) It was an old quarry on State Street in Louisville. He turned it into a fish farm in his “spare time”, fixing the place up and building shelters, etc. He would run fishing camps and even sell fish fillets there. He called it “The Anglers Fish Camp”. The anglers would pay for a rental tent site and some fishing training for younger anglers and an opportunity to catch a lot of fish. He also raised and sold some larger than average hybrid bluegills for pond stocking. The fish farm became his life… That was a few years ago.

He is 72 years young now and has retired from the pallet business, he sold the fish farm a few years back when the death of his son kind of took the wind out of him for a while. He still grieves today over that loss. Both of his parents have passed now, his mother passed away in 2021, she still competed in swimming in the Ohio Senior Olympics well into her late years. Rusty still lives on the shore overlooking Long Lake, just a few doors down from his childhood home. Lately, he will take his small boat out occasionally to chase crappies, but mostly spends his days feeding fish from his back yard. He is working on an elaborate fish feeding system that he can run from his back deck (why not?). That way he doesn’t have to do the stairs down to - and back up from the shore. That is what you do when you are obsessed with fish. I certainly understand it. He uses some store-bought fish food, but says the fish prefer bread (he would know). He gets deals on day old bread from a nearby bakery and takes the time to roll it up into bite sizes. He has baskets for feeding smaller fish safely and has seen some very big catfish patrolling the area when he feeds the small fish. He seems to have the fish trained and they know his schedule. Fish are still a huge part of his life, and he is a bit of a legend around the lake because of it. There are a lot of great stories surrounding the Portage Lakes and Rusty Russ has certainly added to the lore of the area. The lakes have some great fishing for sure, but be careful, being near water and fishing all the time might change your life. At the very least it will bring some calmness and relief from the cares of this world. Rusty would know.

Article by: Steve Philpott steve@theanglermagazine.com

https://www.facebook.com/TheAnglerMagOhio

Rusty

Photos:

Russ in his home with a northern pike caught at one of the Portage Lakes Rusty Russ Feeding the fish from his dock

Some very nice bass caught by Ray Reiber at some of the Portage Lakes

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The question of lure size is o en pondered in the shing world. Di erent circumstance requires a di erent mentality, but one thing is for certain, the sh did not read any articles, attend any seminars or watch that YouTube video. ey eat what they want, when they want, but I have an approach that I nd useful in deciphering the riddle.

As winter approaches, it brings changes to our estuaries: cooler water temps, a change in the type and abundance of forage, less pressure from boaters, and in some areas, much better water clarity. ere are two trains of thought on lure size when it comes to winter shing in the bays. Should I go bigger or smaller? I know anglers who immediately upsize for the entire season, while others downsize for its duration.

Both can be e ective, but here is how I typically tackle early winter shing.

Cooling water temps and increasing frequency of cold fronts put the sh on both spectrums of the feeding attitude. Unlike more stable weather patterns, when sh are less a ected and feed more consistently, these fronts can make them, for a lack of a better term, moody.

Late fall and early winter can be some of the best inshore shing of the year. Schools of

bait ushed from the bays with the dropping tides are followed by hungry specks and reds. In these situations, I like to use a smaller lure. Generally, they feed on shrimp or smaller bait sh, and having a lure of similar size is a good idea. When they are following these schools, I like non-natural colors so the sh have something to key in on when bait is abundant. I like my lure’s color to stand out in the fall feeding frenzy.

Now, for the other end of the mood swing, the inactive period caused by post-frontal conditions. is is another situation when I favor smaller lures in early winter. When the bite is o , smaller o erings entice bites from non-aggressive sh. Using myself as an example, if I am not hungry, the chance of me driving to a restaurant for a steak dinner are slim, but I might grab a few peanuts for a quick bite just because they are on the counter.

e nal reason is clearer water. Some bays I sh will have 1 to 2 feet of clear-green water in the summer, but 6 to 7 feet of air-clear water in winter. ese sh are not accustomed to this transitional clarity. When I can see my lure bouncing in the sand in depths of 7 feet, a much smaller lure will produce more bites.

I hope these tips help you catch more sh this winter, and next month I will explain my transition to larger lures as we press deeper into winter’s grip.

Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Knockin Tail Lures®, Controlled Descent Lures™, and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.

By Capt. Michael Okruhlik

Photo courtesy of Knockin Tail Lures

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On a recent trip to Tucson, we spoke with fourth generation turquoise traders who explained that less than five percent of turquoise mined worldwide can be set into jewelry and only about twenty mines in the Southwest supply gem-quality turquoise. Once a thriving industry, many Southwest mines have run dry and are now closed.

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MONSTER SMALLIE IS GREAT LAKES RECORD

Ohio Angler Gregg Gallagher caught a 10.15-pound smallmouth bass on Nov. 3 that once certi ed should be a new Lake Erie record. e 23 ¾-inch sh is also the largest bronzeback ever caught from the Great Lakes.

Gallagher told In-Fisherman his was the result of his son’s extensive time surveying bait and bottom structure. With sonar, they were able to do what some call video-game shing and target individual sh with drop shot rigs. He was shing 8-pound test.

“With an abundance of bait sh and unique bottom composition located a er long days behind the graphs, we dropped down our forward-facing sonar and we were able to individually target these pelagicesque smallmouth,” he told In-Fisherman. “On what turned out to be the most memorable cast of my life, my bait got hit before it even hit the bottom and my rod quickly doubled over. I honestly thought I had hooked into a sheephead and not a smallmouth. We quickly learned we had just caught the smallmouth of a lifetime.”

e monster smallmouth is the only certi ed 10-plus-pounder ever caught from the Great Lakes. It should beat out the Canadian record of 9.84 pounds, which was set 68 years ago. It is also heavier than the Ohio state record, which weighed 9 pounds, 8 ounces and was caught in 1993.

e world record smallmouth bass weighed 11 pounds, 15 ounces. It was caught from Tennessee’s Dale Hollow Lake in 1955.

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5 WINTERTIME FISHERIES

Instead of spending the next few months holed up inside, get yourself a good parka, nd a window of decent weather and go shing. Believe it or not, for some sheries winter o ers some of the best action of the year. Here are a few ideas to help you combat cabin fever.

By CAM Sta

1) Wintertime Wahoo:

is time of year, wahoo pile up around the Bahamas. Some of the largest sh of the year will show up over the next couple of months.

High-speed trolling is the technique that allows captains to cover lots of water along rocky ledges, color changes, temperature breaks and dropo s. ’Hoos hunt in packs, so multiple hook-ups and double-digit days are possible. is shery requires some forethought and perhaps some exibility. ey bite best around the full and new moons, but you’ll de nitely want to avoid fronts and those wicked north winds.

2) South Florida Sailfsh: From

December

through February

the Atlantic Coast of South Florida becomes one of the best sail sh destinations in the world. Release ags will be ying along the edge of the Gulf Stream from roughly Fort Pierce down through the Keys.

For this bite, you’ll want to sh when the weather’s a little rough. With strong winds from the north, tailing conditions push sail sh high in the water column to feed. ey surf the swells and it’s possible to sight sh for them, which is about as exciting as shing gets.

3) The Outer Banks: In winter, North Carolina’s Outer Banks are the destination for several migrations which bring excellent shing to the island chain from Oregon Inlet down past Ocracoke.

Out of Hatteras, it’s a short ride out to the edge of the Gulf Stream, and this time of year tuna congregate there to feast on a bounty of bait sh. Big blue n tuna 200 pounds and larger are on the prowl, and anglers can also do battle with black n, yellow n and bigeye tunas.

At the same time, big schools of striped bass will be marauding bait sh on the beaches and in the inlets. Surf anglers can encounter them blitzing menhaden by looking for bait and birds. Charter boats do good business this time of year trolling while keeping eyes peeled for stripers herding and crashing bait balls.

4) South Padre Island, Texas: Way down on the Mexican border, South Padre Island is as far south as you can go in Texas. e winters are mild and the shing is good year-round.

When water temps drop, snook pile into the canals and school up. ese schools of sh can be giant, and they are suckers for arti cials. At the same time, the grass ats experience the clearest water of the year. Red sh, big trout and black drum cruise the ats, where anglers can sight sh them in shin-deep water.

5) Delayed Harvest Trout: On the East Coast from Maryland down to Georgia, most states have developed robust delayed harvest trout sheries which keep y shers on the stream through the winter. ese specially regulated sheries are catch-and-release only through the cooler months and most of them have single-hook, arti cial-only regulations.

Most delayed harvest streams are heavily stocked, usually with some largerthan-normal hatchery sh. Since you can’t keep them, they stay in the creeks and rivers all winter long. Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia are some of the states with excellent delayed harvest programs. See the state wildlife agency websites for information.

TROUBLED ATLANTIC STRIPED BASS STOCKS TREND UPWARD

For the rst time in a while, sheries managers are reporting some good news about striped bass populations on the Atlantic Coast. In early November, e Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) accepted an updated 2022 stock assessment that looks good enough that no additional harvest cuts will be needed.

is stock assessment found that rock sh stocks are still over shed but they are not currently experiencing over shing. e female spawning biomass appears to have been on a modest upward trend for at least the last three years, but at an estimated 143 million pounds is still far below the 235-million-pound target for rebuilding.

Total mortality in 2021 from commercial and recreational shing was estimated at 0.14, which is below the mortality threshold of 0.20 as well as below the mortality target of 0.17.

What does this mean for anglers?

Currently, a reduction in catch is not needed, and the rebuilding program is on schedule to declare the striped bass stock rebuilt by 2029.

“ is 2022 assessment was the rst check-in point for progress toward stock rebuilding by 2029,” said Board Chair Marty Gary with the River Fisheries Commission. “It is extremely important shery removals and conduct regular stock assessments to keep evaluating rebuilding progress and stay on track.”

e next stock assessment update is scheduled for 2024, and the Board will review the 2022 removals as soon as the data are available to evaluate whether catch remains at sustainable levels.

The Return of a

For more information, visit www.asmfc.org.

NOAA Photo

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