AEP ReCreation Lands 24 MAR 2017

[CybrSlydr]

Found out by talking with their rep on Facebook that even though the campgrounds are closed during winter, you can still go and fish the water!  I figured that if the campgrounds are closed, then everything is closed.

 

So, my brother and I went out around 11:00a to do some fishing.

 

Stopped off at our standard ponds - Sand Hollow, Bicentennial and another un-named pond.  Water was back up to normal depth at the un-named one after they had done some... excavation and the like during the fall.

 

Started off with a jerkbait and didn't hit anything.  Switched over to a shallow crank and still nothing.  This was about 45min in and my brother and I both noticed that there weren't even any ******* fish following the lures in - this makes me think that water was still too cold and they were all out deep or something - or it suffered a die-off when they excavated.  No bait fish, no bass.

 

So we packed it up and went to a lake off of Bicentennial and saw the same thing - plenty of green growth near the shore but not a single baitfish followed a lure in.  Tried crank and senko while my brother tried a ned rig.

 

After about 45min of this, we packed it up and went to Sand Hollow and tried some shallower areas near the boat ramp that have held fish before (not that we caught any... lol) and saw the same thing - not a single ******* fish followed a lure in.

 

So, we decided to call it a day.  

 

So far, I'm still 0 for the year and my brother's managed to catch one catfish when we were trout fishing.

 

Nice to see our luck continuing.  lol  Might give a man a complex...

[blckshirt98]

Dangit, I've been waiting for the next CybrSlydr post and hoping to see some success!  I'm starting to think those waters you're fishing have no bass in them, or if they do they're all tiny.  Are there any local forums or tackle shops that can give you some info, or at the very least confirm those places you're fishing have bass in them?

[CybrSlydr]

I talked with a rep on FB about the lakes and they say ODNR sometimes stocks them but haven't for a while - it's not a consistent thing.  The only one they consistently do is Hook lake and that's for 16 and under.

 

As for local forums...  None that I know of.  One place I consistently go is Hornbecks Bait and Tackle in Belpre - guy there fishes tournaments and knows his stuff.  But even with his assistance, we've not managed to get anything. 

 

ODNR stocked trout at Blue Rock State Park (Cutler Lake) and Stroud's Run State Park (Dow Lake) - one a week ago and the other just yesterday.  So I'm thinking of heading to the place they stocked yesterday on Saturday and giving it a go.  I think that was Stroud's Run.  I've got some rooster tails and inline spinners - and can pick up a few more over at Hornbeck's on the way.  Maybe grab a chatterbait for later in the season for bass.