Fishing spots

[chubbahead]

Along these same lines, a lot of you have noticed the GMR postings are way down, with the 10 fold increase of pressure lately, many of the posters on here and other boards have ceased posting about good catches since they are getting much harder to produce. We all have learned the hard way about trusting folks we "thought" were good folks that would respect our spots. :ooooh:
Nothing worse then a good post and half a dozen PM's asking about where to catch fish like that, I used to send fols to the well known holes but that only pushed out more folks to search for less crowded waters, its a double edged sword.

BTW, there are no flatheads in the GMR bigger then 8 lbs, and for me, thats the truth!!!:wink:

Salmonid


Mark is exactly right about the GMR. Last year, the Ohio Rivers section was loaded with people fishing the GM. Maybe ten times more than the muskingum. Hardly any of those people post anymore, and for good reason. A lot of talk is just done by email now between people who trust each other.

Now the muskingum section this year has really picked up, and every other post is usually about someone getting frustrated and cramped in by other fisherman. You guys I'm sure will all learn, most already have, and keep there good catches and spots to themselves. You guys have talked up that river so much I bet you see pressure from Kentucky, WV, and Pennsylvania. It doesn't help that you have a thread dedicated to pictures for the river. That just tells me maybe I should head that way and fish for them. :wink:

[catfishrollo]

im gonna make this short and half way sweet. i have been fishin awhile now for flats at night... this isn't the first yr. i have seen added pressure. it has been increasing and increasing! thats our sport! if it wasn't getting this popular we wouldn't be spending our time on here. However, i fish for big fish and don't enjoy giving spots up...But, i don't go to the extent of getting shi^^y either when i see someone there. i only ask u find it yourself! i don't tell anyone where i catch fish, and if i do, consider me a bullsitter ..lol i feel if its public water then fish...rivers, lakes etc. i was raised the way most are...find good area...keep it to yourself, respect it, let your fish swim, don't get seen there, or u will deal with others. thats why i lie, drink, don't smoke..lol..alot of what i have read on here lately i can blame principle on the one that shown, told or trusted.. i don't know the whole story and really don't care to...but, how i feel about it is, if im as serious as i am about catching big fish i show no one anything about these spots. i fish with one guy mostly when targeting these creatures....and will continue to do so. we have built that trust together..if you really don't know them that well, fish with them, but never show the pot of gold!!!! i have even went to the extent of not showing up till after dark, pulling anchor and moving when hearing another boat...and dressing in camo...most of the time so if i needed to hide while on the bank...im not doing this out of as$holism or etc. i have dealt with the added pressure and people fishing my area, i don't like it, but, won't go as far to claim area or spots i fish...after all...i found them for a reason...someone else is gonna do the same...thats why i respect those who put their time in the same as me and we always seem to run into each other...thats what makes a good fisherman!!! rollo

[loanwizard]

im gonna make this short and half way sweet. i have been fishin awhile now for flats at night... this isn't the first yr. i have seen added pressure. it has been increasing and increasing! thats our sport! if it wasn't getting this popular we wouldn't be spending our time on here. However, i fish for big fish and don't enjoy giving spots up...But, i don't go to the extent of getting shi^^y either when i see someone there. i only ask u find it yourself! i don't tell anyone where i catch fish, and if i do, consider me a bullsitter ..lol i feel if its public water then fish...rivers, lakes etc. i was raised the way most are...find good area...keep it to yourself, respect it, let your fish swim, don't get seen there, or u will deal with others. thats why i lie, drink, don't smoke..lol..alot of what i have read on here lately i can blame principle on the one that shown, told or trusted.. i don't know the whole story and really don't care to...but, how i feel about it is, if im as serious as i am about catching big fish i show no one anything about these spots. i fish with one guy mostly when targeting these creatures....and will continue to do so. we have built that trust together..if you really don't know them that well, fish with them, but never show the pot of gold!!!! i have even went to the extent of not showing up till after dark, pulling anchor and moving when hearing another boat...and dressing in camo...most of the time so if i needed to hide while on the bank...im not doing this out of as$holism or etc. i have dealt with the added pressure and people fishing my area, i don't like it, but, won't go as far to claim area or spots i fish...after all...i found them for a reason...someone else is gonna do the same...thats why i respect those who put their time in the same as me and we always seem to run into each other...thats what makes a good fisherman!!! rollo


Are you a part time gourmet chef? You seem to do a darn fine job of stirring that pot!

You don't know this, but with you wandering around the bank in the dark and in camo, it helps with the recent alleged sightings of Bigfoot in the area. :wink:

[cats gone wild]

This is only my second year on this quest but I can say that there is a heck of alot more people fishing a certain stretch of the Muskingum compared to last year. Last year by 3 a.m. I would be the only boat out there. That certainly is'nt the case now. It has made be a better catfisherman because it has forced me to look for different spots. This year I have caught fish in four different spots, none of which are the spots I fished last year. I have listed to some of you and your advice on choosing spots on busy water and it has paid off. My numbers and sizes are way up from last year.

[catfishrollo]

thats what it is all about, doing your homework, looking for overlooked area that may even be in a heavily fished stretch, now all you need phil is some good camo.lo..and be aware of others seeing you boat fish in these spots if all possible ,and a tight-lip on your locations and you will have spots that will produce for you for yrs. to come.. goodluck and glad to hear about the success..rollo

[Vonroc]

Cats gone wild, you hit the nail on the head. I myself have on many occasion continue to go to the same spots sometimes without any luck. Success in new area always feels good and does make you a better fisherman. Often we think only {our} main hot spot will produce. Nothing wrong with always fishing your hot spot, but it's nice to prove to yourself you can do it anywhere - man thats fishin!

[poisonpits]

i know it dont sound rite but i have even put up posted signs on public land to help keep people out.dont work on most but seems to work on the stupids.

[bigfish08]

i spend about half my time scouting and half my time fishing, i havent fished the same spot twice this year,, been trying new spots every trip and i havent been dissapointed yet, except back in the spawn, i beileve people who work the hardest do the best, i also think that appplies to big flatheads.. ive had several golden moments this year pushing a gear packed heavy canoe up some crazy rapids, and long shallow riffles and thinking what am i doing this is retarted, but seeing my best friend catch his personal best flat made me think wow, all of that stress and trouble was worth it!! i think half the fun of flatheads is being in a spot with only your best fishing buddy, its just not the same by yourself.. gotta have someone to share that experience with, someone to talk about that monster that pulled the hook just feet from the shore or boat, and also someone to get the net lol

[AwShucks]

There is a creek in the Guthrie area that floods every now and then. About 10 years ago the farmers would let you fish the creek from their land. I'd go two or three times a week, catch flats every time I went, and never, never caught one under 5 lbs. I took a suppossed friend to my honey hole, and the very next night he had that whole creek strung with trotlines and limblines for about a half a mile above my hole and below it... talk about angry. But I guess things worked out all right in the long run...the farmers posted their land. I don't even know of one place you can get down to the creek to fish now.

[catfishrollo]

thats funny! i wonder if it would work at local boat ramps? :smile2:

[wolfman]

...and dressing in camo...most of the time so if i needed to hide while on the bank..."by Rollo"

One night I was bank fishing a lake last year in Ohio and nature called, so I stepped back into the woods, found a appropiate spot to take a crap. Well, during the process, heard a stick break off to the side of me about 30 yards, then I happen to notice a silohette outline which appeared to be a well camoflaged creature standing straight up beside a tree in the distance staring at the lake. My first thought was bigfoot, but then realized that it was wearing hunting clothes. Rollo, was that you? lol

[catfishrollo]

you know the old sayin...sh!t floats, and yours don't stink lol i can't remember seeing anything in the lake nor smellin anything...so must not of been me lol...:smile2::wink:

[BGRUMBLES]

I can't believe people are on here fighting about....of all things....spots! Nobody to blame but yourself if your hole gets overrun due to jaw jacking in my opinion.....always sucks taking the blame yourself but whatever.

I was shown a hole on hoover and the guy told me not to tell anyone so I haven't. I have only taken people on my boat who I trust...and because of that I don't even have to tell them not to talk.

The funniest post on this thread is the one about the guy setting trot and limb lines up and down the creek. hahahahaha...... Seems like you got a relatively painless lesson in choosing who to trust!

Bottom line is fish with true friends, people you can trust, go out and play commando if you have to.....but when you fish with idiots, dishonest people, cheats....etc. and surround yourself with them then guess what....POOP HAPPENS!!!!! Fishing was the gateway to a lot of my lifelessons courtesy of my grandpa and our adventures/talks along the way. Glad to see some other people learning lol..


ben

[BGRUMBLES]

just figured I would throw this out there:


DON"T TELL ANYONE WHERE YOU GET YOUR CATALPA WORMS THIS SEASON hahahahhaha!

I would hate to see the Ohio section shrink over caterpillar holes.....

we should all just get on dillon or another big moderately quiet body of water and fish one weekend and camp out or something....sort of the fisherman's kiss and make up if you will.

[RamRod]

just figured I would throw this out there:


DON"T TELL ANYONE WHERE YOU GET YOUR CATALPA WORMS THIS SEASON hahahahhaha!

I would hate to see the Ohio section shrink over caterpillar holes.....

we should all just get on dillon or another big moderately quiet body of water and fish one weekend and camp out or something....sort of the fisherman's kiss and make up if you will.


I'm game for a little get together as well!

[catfishrollo]

why don't we have another mini-gathering..maybe make it just for a day even.. actually sounds like an idea to me? seriously...since we all fight about catfishing these days lol. maybe we could have a carp fish off for fun..and other games and food for fun? i claim the spillway as my spot lol...rollo

[BGRUMBLES]

yeah we should do this i want to meet ram rod anyway we were supposed to fish last year and never got to it....always down to wet some lines with tony he is great.

ben

[Salmonid]

Along these same lines, a lot of you have noticed the GMR postings are way down, with the 10 fold increase of pressure lately, many of the posters on here and other boards have ceased posting about good catches since they are getting much harder to produce. We all have learned the hard way about trusting folks we "thought" were good folks that would respect our spots. :ooooh:
Nothing worse then a good post and half a dozen PM's asking about where to catch fish like that, I used to send fols to the well known holes but that only pushed out more folks to search for less crowded waters, its a double edged sword.

BTW, there are no flatheads in the GMR bigger then 8 lbs, and for me, thats the truth!!!:wink:

Salmonid

[jason454ci]

In my opinion the internet has made for alot of used to be good fishing holes. Most of the time I don't think it is the members of the sites that you have to worry about. It is the lurkers that don't sign up for the sites. They just sit back and let people that have put in alot of hard work finding good productive spots lead them right to them. If you are gonna work hard to find the fish when you do catch them don't go announcing to the whole world where they are. These are not private forums by no means. Yes it does feel good to help put someone on a good fish. Sure it is great to be able to share your knowledge on catching these elusive trophies. But at what cost. You end up losing good holes that you have put alot of hours into finding just so someone that hasn't taken the time and done their homework to have. It is great to brag when you do get a big one but keep it secret as to where you caught. Just give the body of water not the exact location if you want to tell. I have no problem with someone fishing in a good spot if they have put in the same amount of work that we have and found it theirselves. Lets quit telling everyone where to go catch the big ones and keep those spots for those that have worked to find them.

[ryang]

yeah we should do this i want to meet ram rod anyway we were supposed to fish last year and never got to it....always down to wet some lines with tony he is great.

ben

Ahhh RamRods just a blow hard always talking :smile2:

[catfishrollo]

thats a nice post...maybe one of the better ones i have read and its the truth. argue if u must, but the ones that are out and fish hard understand this! i have no problem helping people, and have prob. drawn some to my home town spots since joining here..i have seen this myself . i don't do the majority of my fishing here anymore. for a matter of fact, i was pushed from fishing alot of theses spots a few yrs. back. long befor joining this site! and it is only getting worse...there is still fish in the area i live, but i would rather fish around them and try to be elusive if i can. big fish are becoming farther and farther apart due to this.. lots of fishermen and trotliners!.. lurkers, they are here now.. all i can say is what i said earlier...some of you may laugh at my post and make fun of me...i really don't care! watch, listen, and beware of people seeing you. grab anchor and move, hide, do whatever you can to protect the spots you have, esp. if you are a local that is known to catch nice fish!!!! i guarentee someone will tell me later they should have listened!you would be amazed of the people that will take advantage of your hard work and knowledge..don't believe me find out for yourself..rollo

[cats gone wild]

This maybe just a coincidence, but it's funny that a homemade dvd featuring a certain stetch of a certain river is now seeing almost triple the fishing pressure from last year.:confused2:

[BGRUMBLES]

thats a nice post...maybe one of the better ones i have read and its the truth. argue if u must, but the ones that are out and fish hard understand this! i have no problem helping people, and have prob. drawn some to my home town spots since joining here..i have seen this myself . i don't do the majority of my fishing here anymore. for a matter of fact, i was pushed from fishing alot of theses spots a few yrs. back. long befor joining this site! and it is only getting worse...there is still fish in the area i live, but i would rather fish around them and try to be elusive if i can. big fish are becoming farther and farther apart due to this.. lots of fishermen and trotliners!.. lurkers, they are here now.. all i can say is what i said earlier...some of you may laugh at my post and make fun of me...i really don't care! watch, listen, and beware of people seeing you. grab anchor and move, hide, do whatever you can to protect the spots you have, esp. if you are a local that is known to catch nice fish!!!! i guarentee someone will tell me later they should have listened!you would be amazed of the people that will take advantage of your hard work and knowledge..don't believe me find out for yourself..rollo

This really reminds me of salmon fishing out west.....YOU WOULDN"T BELIEVE the jerks! When I was stationed there I fished a ton, now I fish twice a year out in Washington for salmon. The rivers are ALWAYS packed down the banks...and boats throughout too. I used to laugh when I would hook into one and land it after a good 15 minute battle or more. As soon as I got it on the bank and gilled it so I could fish again I would turn around and there would literally be ten people right on top of where I was standing. I would just move and catch another one because unlike cats...salmon is more of feel than anything. Those people didn't know a rock from a fish bumping a hook so it wasn't a bother. Hoover is one of the most underfished lakes and that's where I go....never have issues hardly anyone on the lake! So, due to my lack of flathead hunting time like you guys invest I don't really have investments to lose...but in reading all the messages and stories the past few days I can sure say I am able to relate. It really sucks seeing "your find" get exploited, but as I said in my other replies the best thing is sometimes being cautious who you fish with.....I don't think I have ever taken anyone with a boat to my honey holes that are boat only access....case closed lol. As for the bank stuff....only river close enough for me is the scioto and olentangy. I won't ever fish the scioto again because I get sick to my stomache with seeing what people have done to a river....the olentangy i need a bit of time with but my buddies catch big flatties there on chubs. Anyway good point here about the hole stealers.


ben

[jason454ci]

This maybe just a coincidence, but it's funny that a homemade dvd featuring a certain stetch of a certain river is now seeing almost triple the fishing pressure from last year.:confused2:

I think the biggest contributing factor of the added pressure on that stretch is the local tournaments every other saturday. Seems like all the locals went and bought boats over the winter. But there is alot more folks out there this year.

[Netmanjack]

Well I'll tell ya what, you guys are sure full of your self. I have fished spots that I have been told about and I have told folks about spots that I have had great success with and the one thing they have had in common is only one big fish has ever seen the net! Hey, just because you might catch a good fish there now and then doesn't mean every time someone fishes that spot that they are going to get one. And if you tell some one that practices CPR what makes the difference any way? I'll bet no one goes to their so called secret spots and catches a big or bigger cat every time they go there. Part of being a good angler is finding fish, not going back to the same old hole. Man' what kind of excitement could be involved if you knew that every time you went to your honey hole that you would catch a big fish? Why do you think the guys on the bass tour have fast boats? to get to the good spots first! Face it, there are a lot more cat fishermen out there and so called secret spots are shrinking whether you tell anyone about them or not. I feel that the best thing to do is try to beat the weekend angler, either get to the good cover first or fish through the week. After all, who are you going to complain to when your honey hole is filled to the brim with complete strangers fighting for position, and I'll be darned, you never told one of them where to go. And I'll tell ya all something else, I would rather make a good friend than I would hoard a spot that was known to hold nice fish.:ooooh::smile2::wink:

[cats gone wild]

I think the biggest contributing factor of the added pressure on that stretch is the local tournaments every other saturday. Seems like all the locals went and bought boats over the winter. But there is alot more folks out there this year.
Jason, now that you mentioned that I have noticed the same vehicles in the parking lot about every weekend.

[catfishrollo]

you are right and not right.. some of these spots are areas i used to catch numbers nearly every trip, and a spot or two i would stop in the local tourney and catch a fish we call a kicker...not any more! i will gladly show you an area that used to have no traffic, and held good fish! you are right though, you can't bank on catching big fish every trip. i will be honest on that one...BUT, you can ask any local that has fished for yrs. in my hometown, and they will agree, and many will say there is no big fish here anymore! u know thats not true, but, jack... i remember a 5 fish night was average every night without problem...im talking flats....try it now! i know what kinda effect it has have here.

[catfishrollo]

i like making friends as well, but, how many of your friends fish your best spot? be honest! ...:smile2:

[cats gone wild]

I guess my problem is'nt that there is more fishermen on the river taking up spots. With the added pressure has come more boats and more fishermen with the lack of boater etiquette. When you are on a river with several other boats trying to catch a fish that requires peace and quiet, you don't go running up and down the river at 30 mhr.

[Netmanjack]

i like making friends as well, but, how many of your friends fish your best spot? be honest! ...:smile2:
Long before I ever heard about the BOC and CPR my fishing friends and I never killed big fish. We had a great feeling of respect for them, for battling their way through life just to get to that size. Respect is the key word I guess. To answer your question all of them. Thats is why they are my friends, we have a common bond, we trust respect and love each other. New friends come fast sometimes, but it still takes time to move into the true friend category. They say a man is lucky to count how many true friends he has on one hand. After 56 years that is just about where I am at, 5. I don't consider every one I meet to be a friend. I do however extend the opportunity. Oh' one more thing, I haven't found my best spot yet! lol :big_smile:

[BGRUMBLES]

Long before I ever heard about the BOC and CPR my fishing friends and I never killed big fish. We had a great feeling of respect for them, for battling their way through life just to get to that size. Respect is the key word I guess. To answer your question all of them. Thats is why they are my friends, we have a common bond, we trust respect and love each other. New friends come fast sometimes, but it still takes time to move into the true friend category. They say a man is lucky to count how many true friends he has on one hand. After 56 years that is just about where I am at, 5. I don't consider every one I meet to be a friend. I do however extend the opportunity. Oh' one more thing, I haven't found my best spot yet! lol :big_smile:


this goes with what i was saying previously...all comes down to what we define as a "friend" in my opinion. I like a lot of what you say netman ...makes lots of sense to me.....also consider a lot of folks might put equal time into finding spots as we do...as well as the fact that there is very little that makes a spot ours so to speak.....spending a lot of time on one hole might make it feel special but the bottom line is sooner or later it will pass as "the spot" for whatever reason.

anyway good points. I still don't believe the threads started up on spot arguing....just need to fish more I think and have fun.....getting too serious really.

ben

[loanwizard]

Long before I ever heard about the BOC and CPR my fishing friends and I never killed big fish. We had a great feeling of respect for them, for battling their way through life just to get to that size. Respect is the key word I guess. To answer your question all of them. Thats is why they are my friends, we have a common bond, we trust respect and love each other. New friends come fast sometimes, but it still takes time to move into the true friend category. They say a man is lucky to count how many true friends he has on one hand. After 56 years that is just about where I am at, 5. I don't consider every one I meet to be a friend. I do however extend the opportunity. Oh' one more thing, I haven't found my best spot yet! lol :big_smile:

On one hand I hope I'm on that hand, but then again.... I hope I am not the middle finger... or the nose pickin finger or the... oh never mind! :angry:

Hey Jack, how early you gotta be to get to that spot behind the lodge nowadays? People comin from all over most respectful but a few dubious....

[catfishrollo]

i understand what you define friend as now. i have many many people i class as friend..some more trustworthy than others. a few more mentally stable than a couple. lol. i guess the point i was trying to make is the one i said earlier, make sure you know them well before trusting them that well. i have many friends that are very close to me and mean alot to my family, but simply aren't the type of friend i would trust after spending lots of time fishing to show them certain areas. if we took all of our friends we would have to rent the Lorenna and charter to them up wills to salt fork so they could see everything from z-ville to the lakes...that would be a true friend to do so right? lol rollo

[catfishrollo]

just to give you a better understanding, i barely know you..but would call you a friend. now, one that i would take to a spot? not yet.. so is that classed in the "true friend" catagory? lol i dunno, my guess is not yet! :smile2: but, if you take all of your friends like you said...and we classed each other as "true friends"..that means your friends would be fishing areas i show you, if i shown you..right? then i wouldn't have one friend or two that knows the area..i would have be given many new friends lol without even asking!!!lol:wink:

[catfishrollo]

p.s we know the loanwizard treats all his friends the same jack...heck if someone mentions fishing and friends..he throws a gathering!!!!lol sorry shawn i'm really just messin lol had to stir that pot:smile2: rollo

[ryang]

Well I consider all of you my friends and Ill take you to all of the spots I fish at (I wont tell that I havnt caught anything tho:smile2::smile2::tounge_out:)