Alright, after a month of living in Athens I'm settled in. I decided today was the day to catch my first Ohio bass. 

I fished Dow Lake in Strouds Run State Park from dawn to about 1:00. I caught a dozen fish, all LMB except for a single anomaly SMB. All of the fish were dinks. I fished a paddle tail, ned rig, and wacky rig. The water temp was 74 when I left in the afternoon--lots of dying weed along the shores. I wasn't able to spot any off shore structure in my kayak.

 

I'm going to try somewhere different next week. I've heard there aren't a lot of big fish in Dow, but it was still good to get out. So next week I'm going to try Logan, Tycoon, Ross, or Burr Oak. Can anyone make a recommendation on which spot might have  the best fishing right now?

I hope to see some reports from other Ohio people here soon. Happy fishing!

I fished Tycoon Lake this morning. It's the perfect size for a kayak. I lost quite a few plastics to stumps early on so I eventually wised up and switched over to a weedless rig. The Fat Ika was the money today. I caught five or six LMB, mostly dinks with two keepers. The last bass I caught felt like a mack truck hitting because I've been catching so many little bass over the last two weeks. That last one weighed in a little over two lbs. It was a nice healthy fish, full of fight.
 

I had the place to myself for the two hours after dawn. By the time I left around 1:00 there were three bass boats on the water. When I was packing up, one of the boaters swung by and asked how I did. I guess they weren't catching anything, which made me feel pretty good. 

 

I think I'm going to fish this same spot next week since I now have the lay of the land.

Glad to see you settling in down there.  I fished the Quabbin open to close the other day and came up empty for just the third time this year.  

 

Long story short, I went everywhere we caught fish, where Tom and I caught fish, where Tom & John caught fish Friday, and deep spots I marked fish on my Lowrance.  Tossed the kitchen sink at them and just couldn't get a bite, not even trout or salmon....

 

If you come back next Summer, we'll have to take a trip out there so I can get revenge because I'm not likely getting back there before 15 October.

 

Fishing a new spot in Plymouth tomorrow and Sawdy with Tom Friday.  Have high expectations for Friday.  I did pretty well the last couple times out there.

 

Best of luck down there and enjoy your extended fishing season!

 

Mike

Thanks @DogBone_384!

I fished Tycoon again today and struck out. I only had two hits. One was pretty light and the the other came unbuttoned when I switched angles. So you're not the only one with the skunk! Water temps were right around 70. I expected better fishing since we're supposed to get rain tomorrow.

It must be the change to Fall patterns. I spent 6 hours @ Big South Pond and could’t find anything bigger than a dink, regardless of depth, bait, or retrieve.  

 

To beat all, there was another guy fishing there I’d talked to a few days ago.  Again he was CRUSHING them within a couple hundred yards of me.  Ken came over and we compared notes.  He even offered to give me the red DT16 he was using.

 

I didn’t accept but had a couple DT-16’s in other flavors. None panned out from 15 - 40’.

 

Best of luck figuring out the fish down there, I might go back for another try, dunno yet.

Man, I think I'm packing it in for the year. 

Last two times out = one bite, one fish. And it's starting to get down to the freezing temp at night. 

Anyone fishing the area now that it's warming up?

 

I might try Logan this week...

Anyone been out on the water yet?