So to start off if anyone is familiar with Central Ohio you probably know or heard of Buckeye Lake that is east of Columbus, if you haven't fished it before you're one lucky dog, for me it is the closest lake within a hour and half from where I live. With the average depth of ONLY 4ft this is a very challenging lake to fish. The main cover for this lake is made up of lilly pads, boat docks and my favorite, rocky shores. I find myself constantly hitting the rocky shores with spinnerbaits and flipping creature baits or craws. Main forage is gizzard shad and crawfish. With such a low average depth it is very very hard to have a productive day esp when it is 85+. I've only been on the lake via boat for one summer and fall and I constantly question my fishing tactics. I have caught fish in the pads but there is so many it's hard to find a productive spot without wasting the whole day on a section of the lake. I need someone else's input and various opinions on what you would do when, where and how. Thanks

I'm not from Ohio, but I fish a pond that averages about 6' deep that sounds like Buckeye, but without the rocky shores. Yes, there are so many pad beds that look good, it's tough to pick a spot. This pond is only about 125 acres so I can cover a lot of territory in a couple of hours. That's what I'd try at your lake. If it's too large, then I'd pick a manageable chunk of the lake and cover as much water as you can until and if you discover something.

i fish some smaller shallow lakes in upstate ny. i find that crankbaits, spinnerbaits, poppers, and frogs are most successful. just focus on areas near and around cover. make sure you spend most of your time in the mornings and evenings. just keep moving and watch for movement and baitfish. the bass arent usually far behind their food sources. 

OH Ya, Buckey lake baby...lol I am from ohio hit me up through email and I'll help you out with some info. never forget about the floating Island.

See the thing is the water is so murky I'm talking 1-2ft clarity if that and it's really hard to see baitfish. I'm also running into another problem, since spring is coming up I've never fished this like during the spawn, I know bass spawn in like 1-3 feet of water but that's like the whole lake. And I seriously can't read my graph to see the bottom comp to save my life lol

yep!!! that is the story for every major lake in Ohio; Indian, St. Mary's, Buckey, ect. They are all just dammed up old swamps/wetlands. Early when the ice first comes in the morning till around 12 focus on mud banks with trees stumps and large wood. The wood holds heat through the night where the rocks cool faster. You look for mud banks because the grass is still dead and although it releases heat it depletes the Oxygen. Around 12 till 5-6 focus first on small rock, it heats faster, then chunk rock. The rock arears should have mud bank wood nearby. for the spawn I will look at my map and give you some areas to check out. most of them are actually little cutbacks along a bank that you have to flip through brush and around trees to get too. Hopefully this gives you a start. Oh ya fish slow, slow, slow. I use a green pumpkin berkley chigger craw, a Zoom speed craw, ar really any green pumpkin craw out there. I will also use a venom 5" Flippn tube in road kill later in the day when it starts to heat up. usually flip with 20lb Floro or 30lb braid. Hope thats a good start. let me know if you have other questions, i fish alot of Ohio water.

yep!!! that is the story for every major lake in Ohio; Indian, St. Mary's, Buckey, ect. They are all just dammed up old swamps/wetlands. Early when the ice first comes in the morning till around 12 focus on mud banks with trees stumps and large wood. The wood holds heat through the night where the rocks cool faster. You look for mud banks because the grass is still dead and although it releases heat it depletes the Oxygen. Around 12 till 5-6 focus first on small rock, it heats faster, then chunk rock. The rock arears should have mud bank wood nearby. for the spawn I will look at my map and give you some areas to check out. most of them are actually little cutbacks along a bank that you have to flip through brush and around trees to get too. Hopefully this gives you a start. Oh ya fish slow, slow, slow. I use a green pumpkin berkley chigger craw, a Zoom speed craw, ar really any green pumpkin craw out there. I will also use a venom 5" Flippn tube in road kill later in the day when it starts to heat up. usually flip with 20lb Floro or 30lb braid. Hope thats a good start. let me know if you have other questions, i fish alot of Ohio water.

Thanks for the help I can't wait for the ice to thaw and hit the water

Here is an example of an area that serves multiple staging times. They will set up on the outside of the points from ice-off till around 55-60 degrees then they will move up into the channel from 55-65 degrees. and then they will set up beds in the back of the cove and then move back to the channel. If the temperature drops they will recede to the previous area. If the water level changes the fish will push towards the bank for high water, and pullout further from the bank for low water. I have emailed you pictures like these to help you out.