star1pup

Has anyone had experience fishing the Ohio River? I understand that there are some places that you can catch fish even in winter.

Fished the River during the summer a couple of years ago and caught and released some nice smallmouths and a couple of sauger.

Airedales hunt for feather or fur!

mauser06

i live within 5 mins of the ohio...sometimes the fishing is good others it is terrible..but than again if we followed the fish not just our holes then we would find them again..i caught a few nice smallies out of it and a sauger or 2...i hooked a monster 30+inch walleye one day but i was caught in the moment and got all excited..i knew what it was and it was a monster because its back broke water but i was so excited i horsed a bit to much and the hook came out when it was within feet of the bank!!!! caught a few carp and a bunch of cats..thats my main species lately...nothing huge yet..biggest is a 26 or so inch flathead...and there is a place i bet you can catch fish in the winter...its a power plant..i heard the waters always warm there...so i bet they hang there in the winter...i like fishing the dams and the big points...btw im a shore fishermen and live in PA....i usually fish live bait for smallies and such and throw a spoon or somehting once in a while for them...nice big fathead minnows on the bottomw work nicely...and i caught the walleye on a spoon...i dont fish much hardbaits or worms so i cant speak about them.....

basserman

I fished a BASS tournament on the Ohio between Gallapolice, OH (?spelling) and Ravenswood. It was the most polluted body of water I ever saw.


Wonder if it's cleaned up now?????????

"Semper Fi"

star1pup

Mauser06, I also live close, but in Ohio. I'm just across the PA/Ohio border so I have a non-resident for PA. I also have a camper on Pymatuning so I have a license for both states.

Not sure where Basserman was fishing, or when, but the river is getting pretty clean up this way since the steel mills went broke. There is the usual stuff floating as on any slow moving river.

There are some fish eating advisories (mostly for bottom feeders), due to past contamination from industry, but when you read them it looks like you would have to eat a lot of contaminated fish to be affected.

Airedales hunt for feather or fur!

mauser06

i was taught not to eat anything from the river reguardless...there are some older guys that do and as far as i know they are alive and kicken..but all the pcbs and such in the water i wouldnt risk it...the river is a pretty dirty place but i lived here all my life and thats 16 yrs soon and its actually cleaning up slowly...before there was garbage everywhere but it slowly dissappeared and is staying away...i always clean up my fishing holes and usually take out more than i brought down...doesnt bother me im doing good all the way around and making my hole a nice one..most holes that hold fish on the river seem to have it all within a casts reach...you through a worm or minnow our you duno whats going to bite your bait..like i said before im not one to fish lures very often...and lately day or night ive been chasing cats because im in it for the fight and nothing compares to sitting on the river bank with your lantern waiting for that strike...then its on!...i wouldnt advise anyone to eat anything out of the river though....