Rocky Fork Lake - Night Fishing

[Catbird]

Late Saturday evening (1-7-06) I decided to head out to Rocky Fork Lake for some night fishing. On the way there I stopped at Wally world to pick up some chiken livers but they were out. Even though I had tried before but with no luck, I purchased some sliced beef liver. I arrived at the lake around midnight. The water at the ramp I used is around 3' deep. There was about an 1/8" of ice on the surface. Air temp was 33 degrees and the surface water temp was 36 degrees. The rest of the lake was pretty clear of ice once you got out of the channel and into the main lake. This lake is 1,992 acres w/31 miles of shoreline. I had the whole lake to myself...of course. I took along a pack of frozen shad and managed to catch 1 medium sized bluegill. Not a bite all night till about 7:AM. While anchored in 32' of water fishing 4' off the bottem, I finally got my only bite on the live bluegill. I landed a 15# channel cat. This is my personal best channel cat on this lake.

[flathunter]

Thats a very nice fish!

[H2O Mellon]

Great Channel would have been my PB too.

[dinkbuster1]

man i dont see how you can set out all night this time of year. we still have like 13 hours of darkness! tonight wouldnt have been bad, its still 50 degrees out!

[bro_catfish]

Nice fish
my Avatar pic is me in a BOC fish off I have on thermals..reg clothes sweat shirt carharts and a over coat ...when you get the hankerin to go you have to go lol

[Fatkat]

Geat catch Catbird, I gave u a rep point for fishing 7 hours :crying: in those tempatures without a bite. A 15# Channel though that makes it worth it.

[tcba1987]

wow thats a HUGE channel cat that would have easily been my personal best. man you guys catching all these cold water cats is making me want to get out fishing SOON !! CONGRATS !!!

[rockbass]

One heck of a fish! Way to go! That is a good one in my neck of the woods.


TCBA, why wait? Go!

[Catbird]

Getting ready to try another night out on the lake. I don't see any need to get there till about 2:AM ...lol That should give me plenty of time to locate the cats.

[rockbass]

Can't wait to hear how you do. Winter time cats in my area are tricky.
I want to try to find some, but am limited to shore right now

[Salmonid]

Hey Catbird, how would you rate the Flathead fishing in RF? and do you ever hear of any from the tailwater? about 20 years ago I was at the tailwater and saw about a 15 lb flattie caught and several had nice channels from down there. Just wondered if it would ever be worth a trip from Dayton

Salmonid

[ohiocattracker]

Nice catch there Catbird,yea i have tried beef livers also but have only caught a few small channels with it i prefer live or cut baits anymore.

[Catbird]

Rockbass, I didn't have any luck getting any live bait. Not a bite on anything I had. It was a little different though, full moon and the cats kept moving.

Salmonid, I personally haven't caught and flatheads from the spillway area, just channels. The largest flathead (14#) I caught was on cut bass in the creek channel beside North Beach. My brother (Fatkat) largest flathead from this lake was 25# caught on nightcrawlers at the sailboat marina. Anytime you want to come down, give me a hollar. We can fish the lake or on the Ohio.

[shovelheadwolf]

ive seen the moby dick of channels pulled out of rocky fork. 20 years ago my brother and another freind were fishing down by the dam and jon caught a channel that totaly bottomed out the 25lb scale we hade with us. i know it was a long time ago but i would like to catch that monster or just see it caught again.

[bro_catfish]

Right now Id like to see a 2.5lb fish

[dinkbuster1]

i heard from an old dude some years ago that rocky fork had 20lb+ channels in it. he told me about some spots to go to but i never made it down there. there are some big flats in there but havent heard much about the lake in recent times.

[river scum]

ataboy catbird nice fish!

[THE CATKING]

Nice channel !!! Hey Catbird- we are neighbors...I live in Marathon right down the road ....I also have a lot on Lake Lorelei and it has some MONSTER blue cats and flatheads....... As far as the flathead question that was asked, Rocky Fork is probably the best flathead lake in Southern Ohio ..Many over 40 pounds are caught there every year , mostly in the camping area neck of the lake in the spring time.....The spillway area is private at Rocky Fork fellows.....;) ...THE CATKING !!!

[THE CATKING]

Nice channel !!! Hey Catbird- we are neighbors...I live in Marathon right down the road ....I also have a lot on Lake Lorelei and it has some MONSTER blue cats and flatheads....... As far as the flathead question that was asked, Rocky Fork is probably the best flathead lake in Southern Ohio ..Many over 40 pounds are caught there every year , mostly in the camping area neck of the lake in the spring time.....The spillway area is private at Rocky Fork fellows.....;) ...THE CATKING !!!

[Desperado]

Nice looking fish!! I'm going to down that way this summer. We can hook up and catch some more big cats.

[Catbird]

Catking, the spillway can be reached from the east side of the dam if you don't mind walking a steep path. The area from the bridge up past where the mill used to be is private property. The owner will procecute trespassers if you go in from the bridge. The last time I was at the spillway, there was a sign downstream marking his land.

[Catbird]

Deperado, give me a yell when you're coming down. We dock a 24' pontoon every year out there.

[THE CATKING]

I stand corected about the spillway...thanks Catbird..;) good to know....I don't fish Rocky Fork as much as I do Paint Creek Lake....both have a nice population of flatheads ......THE CATKING !!!