Posts Tagged ‘high water’
Do Not Despair

Editor’s Note: Ed Harp’s River Ramblings are posted every Monday and Thursday, covering short topics of interest to all Ohio River anglers. Make sure you check back often. You’ll be glad you did.

The river is up and things are pretty much a mess. Still, there is hope. As I was driving around Saturday afternoon I noticed something very encouraging. The creeks up on the high ground, north of the river on the Ohio side, are running clear.

That’s good news. I’d guess in less than two weeks the bigger creeks will be fishable either from the bank or a small boat. Really, if you’re tough you can fish the upper stretches of them now. Be careful, though. You don’t want to get caught in a strong current and get washed out into the main river.

Higher up — maybe 3-4 miles upstream from where the creeks flow into the river — I saw at least a half-dozen gorgeous, emerald green pools. Some of them were about the size of a big swimming pool, but others covered an acre or more. They looked perfect for a little spring fishing.

You can find most of them by simply driving around the back roads. A lot of them are visible from the bridges. Most of them can be accessed from public land.

An ultra-light spinning rod and reel, some 4-pound-test line and a tiny Beetle Spin should provide you with an afternoon of exciting fishing. The fish you catch won’t be giants, but they’re better than nothing.