CybrSlydr

For certain you're right - problem was my backpack was behind me with the scissors and I wasn't nearly comfortable enough to turn around and try to get it. It took 17 minutes to paddle the .63 miles from the other side of the dam back to the launch (I know this because I turned on an app on my phone). After I got back to the launch, I just kept my backpack between my legs for easy access.

Just got back - and struck out again. lol Didn't manage to catch anything, but boy did we get out and paddle around. Got her off the Jeep and ready to go - Sea Ghost 110. Brother and I took them over to the water and got in - I got off relatively ok but he got his rod under the pier and in trying to keep it from breaking ended up dumping himself in before we even left. lol We paddled down the NW coast casting into rocky areas and with some trees, but never got any bites. So, after a good time paddling there, we went over to the other side near the building at the dam. I managed to break off on cast, so I returned back to the launch so I could re-tie. I decided to go in the shallow area to the left of the dock. About 5 min in, I see three large surface strikes - I'm like, YES!!! So I toss a crankbait over a few times and nothing. Tossed again and this time a few seconds after I pull the crank out of the water next to the kayak, I see this brown/gold fish come towards where the lure left and then dart away. Looked over a foot long - not sure what it was, be it smallmouth, carp or something else. That was the last I saw of it and didn't get any other bites. So we decided to get strapped on and go to Bdubs for lunch and get the kayaks back to the shop. Despite the skunk, I had a really good time. Wasn't too sure of this kayak thing at first as I was rocking side to side - I'm also terrified of heights and being on water brings that out in me. I feel every inch beneath me that doesn't have solid ground and triggers some anxiety. Will I go buy one? I think yes.

We're finally getting out and fishing on Kayaks! Went and rented them from a local shop, a Vibe SeaGhost 110 and a Wilderness Systems Ride 115. Couldn't be happier with the staff at our local shop, Marietta Adventure Company. They were obscenely helpful in getting the kayaks attached to the top of my Jeep. Really great thing is we're using them tomorrow and they allowed us to come pick it up today so we can leave bright and early tomorrow morning and have them back by 6pm. We are SO STOKED for tomorrow!!!

Sunday was our thought as well. Might have a rental yak for that excursion.

Most likely this is what we are going to do. Some bungees for nose/tail securing as well.

Want to go fish this weekend - Saturday or Sunday - but it's supposed to rain on Friday. Ugh. I know fishing post-weather system isn't typically the best, but it's what I have. Currently the forecast says: Saturday: Cloudy 70°49° 10% SSW 4 mph 66% Sunday: Cloudy 76°58° 20% S 6 mph 64% Friday looks like this: Showers 65°48° 80% S 7 mph 75% So, were it up to you, which day would you think would have the best chance at catching something, Saturday or Sunday?

Correct. The Yak comes with a paddle and we already have a PFD from the pontoon boat. However, I figure we'll get a separate paddle just because the one that comes with it would probably be heavy as heck.

Brother and I are looking at going in on one together. Most likely the 110. What are some good options for transporting it with a Jeep? Anything we should think of getting right off the bat?

Hating this weather. Below freezing for a week, everything ices over. Then Sunday it's 65 - but two days earlier, we got 4 inches of snow! This is ridiculous.

We got a measly 2ish of snow last weekend. Down around 2 on Sunday. Wish we'd get a good 4-6" snow here...

Good luck!

Was looking at weather temp predictions on weather.com Looks like Well below avg. temps in Feb (supposed to be super cold here in Ohio) with March below average and not getting to average/above until April. I really hope I don't have to wait until April for good fishing weather! lol

The thing I worry about when I DS from shore is that the presentation isn't going to be as vertical - and you don't get as much distance into the water because you have to keep tension on the line so the bait is still suspended. You can easily lose 25-30ft of your cast getting the slack out and keeping tension on the line.

I'm thinking I'm going to head back here on Friday. Supposed to be a front moving through with rain in the morning and a high in the low 60s. Figure the rain that'll be coming the night before into the morning should warm up the lake a bit. Winds SSW and S. https://weather.com/weather/hourbyhour/l/15933:21:US Using the Navionics web viewer, I'm thinking of seeing if I can get to a few new spots. It looks like the deepest part of the lake is right here. https://webapp.navionics.com/#boating@15&key=q|rlFdtruN What about trying to get back in that little bay with all the pads? By now I figure they've died off - would I be likely to find anything back in there?

Man, wish I had the money - just saw this one! https://athensohio.craigslist.org/boa/d/new-haven-vibe-sea-ghost-130-angler/6768791537.html This one, too - https://huntington.craigslist.org/spo/d/prestonsburg-feelfree-lure-sale-or-trade/6753194949.html

I looked in the fall and there weren't any in my area. Was hoping for a Feel Free or a Wilderness Systems ATAK to come up, but all I saw were Sun Dolphins that couldn't hold my butt and gear without swimming. lol

I'm pretty sure there just weren't any fish there. If nothing else, it's nice getting out of the house. Don't worry about me getting discouraged folks - I've been doing this for a couple years now. If I was gonna give up, it would have been before I spent $250 on a reel and bought a $260 rod. lol I'm looking to double-down and pick up a kayak this spring. See if anything good comes up on Craigslist.

50 fish in one outing. Unbelievable. I've not caught 50 fish total in my life! Lol

I would have posted it in the Ohio forums, but two things - I was hoping for generic advice on how to fish around dams, not this specific one and secondly, those specific forums hardly get any action, so I posted it here. lol Appreciate your help - tried some of your suggestions but didn't get any bites.

Decided to try a new lake today. Went to Clendening Lake. First surprise was when I got there, the road to the parking lot was closed - bar and everything. There was another vehicle parked off the side of the road, so I parked on the other side, grabbed my gear and walked the rest of the way. I fished the dam area as it had plenty of available shoreline. I started off with a drop shot rig. 10lb InvisX fluoro with a 1/4oz weight and about a foot of line leading to a size 1 wacky/drop shot hook with a Gulp! 3" minnow in Fire Tiger. Tried it for a bit and didn't catch anything on it. I took a look at it in the water close to shore and saw that the Gulp! minnow isn't buoyant enough and wasn't suspending horizontally. So I put on a Catch Co Shimmer Shad in what looks like a brownish color. This one suspended perfectly horizontally and looked great. So I tried that for about an hour. Didn't get any nibbles either. So I pulled out the Deeper and started checking out the area near the... drain?... to see how deep it was and if anything was down there. I got some really, REALLY strange readings the closer to the drain the deeper got. I'm wondering if the noise of the water was throwing off the sonar. Reading got better the farther from the drain I got. https://maps.deepersonar.com/#share-ab3772ce-ea89-4653-b11f-9cc410a20882 Tried the drop shot over there as well with no luck. I then tied on a finesse jig in black/blue with a craw trailer and worked my way up and down the dam - did that for about an hour and a half with no luck. Pulled out a Red Eye Shad and started tossing it around the drain and local area but to no avail. After this, I decided to head home. The route home took me past the spot my brother and I caught our personal bests, so I figured I'd give it a go as well. It was cold enough that about half of the lake had a clear and thin layer of ice on it. So I threw the jig with trailer around the open water and didn't get anything. Spent about 45min-hour there and went home All told, I left around 8:00am and got home just before 4:00pm. Didn't think I'd catch anything, but I got outside and had the whole dam area to myself. This might be the last time I get out this year with what I'm hearing the weather is supposed to be like come February. As much as I love winter, it sucks for fishing!

You folks might enjoy this vid...

Here's the Navionics data - https://webapp.navionics.com/#boating@15&key={gxtFxnaoN Anything there look good for a bank beater?

I think I'm going to drive out to Clendening Lake tomorrow and try some fishing along the dam. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Clendening+Dam+Park,+Milarcik+Rd,+Tippecanoe,+OH+44699/@40.2694481,-81.2777883,735m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m8!1m2!2m1!1sClendening+Lake!3m4!1s0x883658e177352d6f:0x9fe0b699d53ff3bf!8m2!3d40.2680943!4d-81.2782073 My first thought was to drop shot. Go pick up a 1/4oz bag of weights and some drop shot hooks and maybe a bag or two of plastics. Think about 1ft from weight to hook? Maybe more? Weather doesn't look so great - "Partly cloudy skies during the morning hours will give way to occasional showers in the afternoon. High 41F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.". Was thinking of getting there around 8am and give me about 4hrs or so to work the dam before the rain might move in. Any other suggestions on presentations to try?

I was afraid it'd be something like that. Rats.

So here's what I'm envisioning. Something I can toss out or cast out that has a float on the line so I can suspend it at certain depths to look around and see what's there - bonus if it has the ability to rotate the camera lens. The idea is I'm on shore and toss/cast this out so I can spend more time fishing where there actually are fish instead of spending 4 hours doing nothing. lol Appreciate the help! Something like this? https://www.cabelas.com/product/AQUA-VU-AV-C-COLOR-CAMERA/1663107.uts?slotId=1 Preferably in that price range or cheaper?