Category: Ohio River
5 Great, Fish-Catching Lures for River Bass
Written by Ed Harp
Thursday, 14 April 2011 10:00
No Comments

For those of you who want to do some bass fishing this year here’s a list of five baits that’ll get you through most of the year. As you can see it isn’t necessary to spend a fortune. You can fish and catch on a budget.

  1. A Trick Worm – River bass are notorious for holding shallow. At times they move up in the creeks into less than a foot of water, sometimes into as little as 4 or 5 inches. A wacky rigged — just run the hook through the egg sack — will catch them all day long. Circle hooks are the choice of top anglers. They make a secure hookset and rarely snag on slime and debris. Just remember, you don’t jerk on them to set the hook. A slow, steady pull with you rod tip works best.
  2. A Small (1/4-ounce) Popper – Work it along slow at first. Just make a few rings in the water every time you move it back towards the rod tip. If that doesn’t provoke a strike try speeding it up.
  3. A Buzzbait – Throw this lure as far back into the shallows as possible and then bring it back with a steady cadence. There are clackers and there are squeakers. Most guys have a preference but the truth is that both styles have caught a lot of bass. Carry a couple of each.
  4. A Square-Bill Crankbait – Toss these fish-catchers up against the bank and bring them straight out, towards the boat. You can also flip and pitch them. Bright colors seem to work best — maybe because they can see them better in the stained water. Tip: Some of the best are made by Ima. That should come as no surprise. They were designed by Bassmaster Elite Series angler, Bill Lowen, from North Bend, Ohio.
  5. A Big Creature Bait – Pick anything you like. Texas rig it with a big hook, a fairly heavy sinker so you can punch through the debris and toss it on a heavy rod and reel with stout braided line. Work every target from every angle.
 
Catfish Facts
Written by Ed Harp
Monday, 11 April 2011 10:00
No Comments

Flatheads

Flatheads are by far the most exotic and perhaps the most popular species in the Ohio River. Flatheads can reach weights in excess of 100 pounds. Typical color ranges from brown to green with a white belly. They tend to develop lighter colors in clearer water and darker colors in darker waters.

For the most part they prefer stained to muddy water. They’re most active at 75 degrees although they will tolerate extremes at both ends of the temperature scale. Flatheads have been caught in water as cold as 32 degrees and as warm as 100 degrees.

Flatheads are predators — they are not scavengers — and as such are structure and current oriented. They follow the usual rules about water movement. They tend to move shallow in rising water, hold on structure in stable water and move out deeper with falling water. Preferred depth ranges are anywhere from 15 feet to 80 feet depending upon conditions.

Current will spread them out. A lack of current tightens them up into schools. Their favored forage is shad, shiners, bluegills, skipjacks and crayfish. They have been known to eat ducks, mice, frogs and snakes upon occasion.

Average size, in the middle sections of the Ohio River, is in the 20 pound range. Big fish hit the 35 pound mark with 50 pounders and above becoming more common over the past few years.

Channels

Channel cats are somewhat smaller than flatheads and are known to eat almost anything. They have more taste sensing organs than flatheads and blues, although blues aren’t very far behind. They feed almost entirely by smell and taste.

Stink baits are popular with channel cat anglers although they mostly account for smaller fish. Trophies are almost always caught with cut bait or live bait. Channel cats are less structure oriented than flatheads. They often roam to follow the forage.

Eight pounds is a good Ohio River fish. Anything over 10 or 12 pounds is something to write home about.

Blues

Blue cats are the monsters of the river. Who can forget the old-time pictures of 100 pound plus blues being held up by local fisherman when the dams were being built? (Some writers claim they reached 200 pounds plus just before and during the Great Depression. That seems unlikely, but who knows for sure?)

Blues favor much clearer water than the flatheads but feed generally on the same forage. They’re generally found on clean sandy bottoms, over rock and gravel areas or along hard substrate. They’re especially fond of areas with humps or underwater rises. Blues are native river fish. They prefer moving water.

Driven nearly to extinction in our recent past they are now on the rebound and are caught with regularity. In the Cincinnati area they average around 10-15 pounds but downstream they increase in size dramatically. Each year there’ll be several caught that weigh between 60 and 85 pounds. Several over 100 pounds have been caught and weighed on certified scales over the years.

 
73 Pound Blue Cat Caught Saturday
Written by Ed Harp
Monday, 04 April 2011 10:00
No Comments

For those of you who think it’s too early to be fishing the river, or who think it’s too cold and muddy, you’d better think again. The other guys are catching your fish. According to press reports released by KingKat, Rob Benningfield (Bowling Green) and Ed Moore (Louisville) landed a 73.65 pound blue catfish while fishing in 25-30 feet of water just west of Louisville. They reported using skipjack for bait.

As big as that fish was, however, it isn’t all that unusual. The Ohio River is considered one of the better catfish fisheries in the country. Blues and flatheads over 40 pounds are common, with channels up to 10 pounds routine.

For the most part all three species can be found in the Meldahl and Markland Pools. Typically they’re found near baitfish, along drops and channel swings as well as in or near current. The biggest ones are almost always caught with cut or live bait, although eating size channels are famous for slashing into crankbaits and spinnerbaits.

KingKat is a serious catfish tournament trail sponsored by Cabela’s and other top-shelf industry companies. They have several Ohio River tournaments scheduled this year. To fish one of them, or learn more about their organization check them out at www.kingkatusa.com.