Indian Lake: Saugeyes have moved to deeper water. Try trolling with deep-diving crankbaits, crawler harnesses or Vib-E’s. Also try fishing around bridges. There are plenty of white bass around the lake, hitting minnows or shiny inline spinners. Catfish have been biting on cut shad, nightcrawlers, chicken livers and shrimp.
Grand Lake St. Marys: Spillway fishing has been hot lately. Anglers are using 3-inch twisters to catch walleyes, crappies and largemouth bass. Chartreuse with black fleck has been a good color. Crappies are still being caught in the channels and off of the rocks in the main lake. Small jigs and minnows have been the best baits. Bluegills are being caught around docks and rocks. Bass have been hitting plastics fished around wood. Use cut shad or nightcrawlers to catch catfish all over the lake.
Rocky Fork Lake: Bluegills have been hitting like crazy. Use waxworms or redworms tipped on an ice jig and fish in the coves. Or for some real fun, try fly fishing for them. Crappies are deep, 10-14 feet. Fish around deep structure or the deep end of laydowns. Minnows or black/chartreuse jigs have worked best. Bass fishing is good in the evening or early morning on topwater. During the day, fish tight to wood and shady areas.
Paint Creek Lake: Crappies are hitting close to the banks in brush and around stumps and fallen trees. The depths can vary from 4-12 feet. Use minnows or small smoke-colored jigs. The best bass bite has been early and late using topwater. During daylight, use plastics or jig-n-pig around rocky points. White bass are all over the lake. Watch for jumps and toss a shiny inline spinner. Anglers are hitting saugeyes, crappies and catfish in the spillway. Some large shovelheads have been caught on bluegills or nightcrawlers.
Lake Loramie: Catfish have been hitting all over. Use shrimp, nightcrawlers or cut shad. Bluegills are still hitting jigs tipped with waxworms or redworms along rocky shorelines. For bass, work the main lake points with plastics or jig-n-pig. Most are lying in the shade, tight to cover. For crappies, fish around bridges and brush with minnows or jigs tipped with waxworms.
Lake Erie: Walleye fishing remained slow over the past week. The best reports came from West Sister Island, Niagara Reef and west of Gull Island Shoal. Yellow perch fishing was good around the Toledo water intake, “B” can of the Camp Perry firing range, Rattlesnake Island, Starve Island, Ballast Island, Lakeside and east of the Kelleys Island airport. There have been good catches of largemouth bass reported from the harbors and nearshore areas from Catawba to Marblehead. Smallmouth bass have been caught around South Bass Island and Middle Bass Island.
For Lake Erie information, visit wildohio.com or call (888) HOOK-FISH.
Outdoors columnist Jim Morris can be reached through his Website at www.examiner.com/outdoor-recreation-in-dayton/jim-morris or by email at sports@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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