|
No one can honestly
say this hasn't been one of the most interesting of fishing years
thus
far, regardless of respective success ratios. A severe winter, the
effects of which atypically
lingered well past its welcome, combined with near-record spring
precipitation to confound
the best of anglers at best and outright postpone large numbers
of outings throughout the
area and, frankly across the entire midwest for much of the first
half of open water 2003.
Still, there have been stories of surprising success interspersed
regularly amidst all the
frustration and disapointment.As always, some anglers forced to
try new methods, means,
and locations found success in experimentation and alternatives
heretofore overlooked or
seemed unneccesary. With eyes turned anxiously towards an at least
more predictable
second half of the year , here's a review of just how things have
transpired so far this year.
BEST BLUEGILL SPOTS
1. Mogadore-redear bite delayed as elsewhere, but totally busted
loose along old shoreline
haunts finally in early June-big time. A banner year thus far.
2. LaDue-true bluegills abound here in less numbers than Mogadore's
generally less desirable
redears, but also face comparatively far less pressure.
MOST ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY SPRING WEATHER
1. Cuyahoga River - understandably took the biggest negative hit
from severe late snow
melt and subsequent monsoons. Still hasn't cleared to normal mid-season
green hue.
Good news: the fish still have to eat and early summer trends are
promising, to say the least.
Hint: keep the chrome-colored Rat-L-Traps close by.
2. Mosquito - shallow east-Ohio impoundment simply not deep enough
to absorb the
relentless spring rains. Still, the crappie bite somehow remained
the best around.
BASS TRENDS
1. National trend away from slower, more vertical presentations
trickles down to area adherents. Tournament directors hereabouts
all but unanimous in noting drift away from plastic worms and
jigs and towards more horizontal choices like crankbaits, Senkos,
spinnerbaits, and even
buzzers.
ERIE OUTLOOK
You know there's been a whole lot of rain when big pond afficianados
have of late been more
preoccupied with water clarity than current wave levels.Major 2003
notables thus far:
1. Perch bite remains strong as long as you seek out the other side
of the mudline; a concern,
as doing so much of this year has meant small craft venturing farther
out into uncomfortably
deep waters in order to do so.
2. Big-fish smallie bite continues to center eastward, with Ashtabula/Conneaut
area the
epicenter.
3. Considering, walleye year off to a good start, with discolored
waters actually reinvigorating
the old near shoreline bite, especially at night.
AREA WATERS OFF TO WORSE THAN USUAL YEAR
1. Cuyahoga River
2. Mosquito
3. Lake Milton
4. Portage Lakes
5. Berlin
AREA WATERS OFF TO BETTER THAN USUAL YEAR
1. Lake Hodgson
2. West Branch
3. Mogadore
4. West Branch
5. Walborn Reservoir
Don't forget that when faced with unusually stained water to keep
in mind spinnerbaits -
matched by size to the specie you're after, shiny lipless crankbaits
that will both make noise
and reflect what little light there is, and dark and/or black soft
plastics when presenting your
offerings vertically.
|
