Wolf Run Lake, Ohio

[CybrSlydr]

It's about a 40min drive from home so my brother and I are going to check it out either tomorrow or Sunday.

http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/Portals/wildlife/Maps/Lake Maps/PDFs/wolfrunlake2.pdf

Google Maps link - https://www.google.com/maps/place/Wolf+Run+State+Park/@39.7934575,-81.5416044,494m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x8837d31fabd4962b:0x4f4675d81acb2751!8m2!3d39.7934534!4d-81.5394157

What I'd ask of you folks is some suggestion on where to fish - we will be shore fishing only.

Here's the weather report for Sunday:

https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/USOH0069:1:US

What time do you think we should get there?  Any other tips/hints would be appreciated. 

[blckshirt98]

I'm horrible about fishing in the rain (i.e. I never go) but for shore fishing in general I try to get to any lake as early as possible, before first light where you can just barely make out where you're walking and need a light to tie knots.  If you don't mind getting there when it's dark, even better.  Once the sun comes out the bite seems to slow down near the shore, so by 11am I'm usually back in the car and heading home.

Looking at the map and knowing nothing about the place or current water levels, I'd probably try the south side, east working west as the sun comes up.  Park in the circle, start casting into that little cove at point A and walk along the shoreline towards the dam to point B -

 

 

[CybrSlydr]

So, you think sometime around 4am or so?

Just curious what your reasoning is for picking those areas?  Is it the cover, location, etc?  Trying to learn why successful folks pick the spots they do so I can start picking them. 

[blckshirt98]

4am too early for my blood but when it got light at 5am late spring/early summer I'd get to one of the local lakes at aroudn 445-5am.  Nowadays I'd probably shoot for around 530am just because although they say night fishing can be great I'm not a fan because I don't like having things with hooks swinging around in the dark especially if I need to pull a snag free (I once took a 1/2oz dropshot weight right between the eyes, thought I shattered my nose and glasses...one more inch to the left or right and it would have been bad news).

I picked the south shore because I think it gives you access to fish both shallow early and then deeper as the sun comes up.  If you go to the far far right of Wolf Run you'll probably just be fishing shallow the entire time especially if the water is down (although that actually might be one of the better areas in the Spring when the bass are spawning).  The dam on the left is probably going to be the deepest part but it also looks like it's grassy with a dock and easiest to access so it's probably the most fished/heaviest pressured spot on the entire lake.  I'd avoid the east shore because that's the first place the sun is gonna hit as it rises in the east and it's gonna be on your face and the water the entire time with no shade.  The north bank looks like it has some good coves/points to fish but I noticed it's an airport so there's probably no public access.  If you do have access to the north bank I'd put that as my second option.

The south bank has that one big cove by the first star marked "A" and a few smaller coves that will provide some shade as you work your way west towards the dam.  Also the south bank gives you access to a couple of main and secondary points on the lake.  You'll be able to fish the shallower water in the coves but at the same time be near some of the points to check deeper water.  As you go west you'll be closer to deeper water as you get to the main part of the lake by the dam.  Also any fish that's been hanging out in north and east arms of the lake that wants to spend the hot part of the day in the deeper water by the dam will HAVE to swim through that choke point in the middle.  As you walk east to west you're gonna have to see what's in the water and what kind of structure/cover is along the shoreline.  Look for crawfish/crawfish carcasses, baitfish running along the shore or dead fish on the shoreline, fish jumping for insects - anything indicating things bass eat are active in the area.  Look for tulies or lilypads along the shore or submerged grass/vegetation a few yards out.  If you cast out and you bring back vegetation on your lures like grass or milfoil(but not moss) that's a really good thing because it provides cover and oxygen and you can guarantee there's bass chilling in or nearby that stuff.

I'm still pretty new at this (bass fishing for just over 3.5 years) but i'm 100% shore and I've figured out what works for me and what I'm confident using from shore - dropshotting 3.5"-5" plastics, and squarebill crankbaits in the KVD 1.0-2.5 size range.  I can't emphasize fishing a dropshot enough - I started out using a Carolina Rig and Texas Rig with very little success but as soon as I started to dropshot my catches went way way up.

[CybrSlydr]

Big thanks for the rationale!  Appreciate it!

Sounds like 5-530ish then - that's nice, give a little more time to sleep.