Skipjack can be found on the Ohio River virtually anywhere there is a water discharge.  Moving water
brings them in heavy, so look near power plant discharges. Dams hold them by the thousands. They need
current and oxygen, so what better place to find them than both of these areas. You can catch them with
a cast net, but it is a lot more fun on light tackle as when hooked, these fish put on one heck of an aerial
display for you.

     You can use a couple of ¼-ounce jigs with white curly tails. Lures need to look like a shad or emerald
shiner, on about eight-pound test line. Cast out and reel back as fast as you can. These fish will run down
anything that is fleeing from them. Clear water is a must as skipjack hunt by sight. Another rig that can be
used is called a Picator/Sabiki rig. This rig resembles a school of minnows and is suspended under a float,
or it can be cast. With four to six hooks, if you’re into a big school of skipjack then you can have multiples
hanging from this rig.

     Remember one thing; If you find lots of skipjacks or shad on the river congregated in one spot, the
channel and blue cats are going to be close by, feeding on the spoils or killing whatever they can get their
mouths on. When skipjacks get excited they shed their scales, and that is a natural chum for the river.

     Structure fishing is the key to winter fishing. Any feature in the water - temporary or permanent - that
deflects current should be considered as structure. Anchored, full barges are major pieces of structure as
they lay 10-15 foot deep in the river. Catfish will target them along with the barge pilings that the barges
are anchored to.

     Fish the outside bends in the river. The water will be deep, and if there has been heavy rains or flooding
previous to you getting on the river, there may be trees and all sorts of junk in an area to break the current.

     Tributaries are great spots to fish, along with islands and old dams that have been blown up to make way
for barge traffic. If you’re on the river and near a grainery that's loading barges, fish down river from them as
they are going to spill grain into the river and the fish will be waiting nearby. Bridge pilings are really good -
fish on the upriver side of the concrete and on both sides of the pile. I seldom fish the back of the piling,
because if fish are there then they will be inactive. They have settled in behind the concrete to get a break
from the current. Dropping a bait alongside the structure will generally turn them on to feed. Don’t rule out
the use of shad or night crawlers (if you can get them) during this time of year.

     I also know people that have used the canned meat 'Spam' during the winter and have done well with the
stuff.

     I target both shallow and deep water and current and no current situations. When you find the fish you're
going to have a great time with them!

     One other thing - Dress warm, keep gloves on your hands and something around your face and above all,
as you leave the dock area to go fishing put on your personal flotation device and don’t take it off until you
put the boat back on the trailer. After you pull your boat from the water, tilt the engine fully down so that all
the water will drain from the engine. Pull the plug for the boat to allow any water that may have accumulated
in the boat to drain.

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    I can be reached at at my email address<plange@woh.rr.com>
or look for me out on the "Brown" this spring but,
when the river warms up then I'm off to there!

Thanks,
Tim "Doc" Lange

Doc's Website: <http://www.hookedoncatfish.com>
Ohio River Catfishing at it's finest.