Fishing

There aren’t many outdoorsmen who wouldn’t like their youngsters to become steady fishing partners, and follow in often muddy footsteps.  So, when they hear the words “Can I go fishing, too?” they’re eager to take them along.  Often, it’s a good experience. one that gets better as the years roll along.  Sometimes, it’s a bad […]

Continue reading about Seven Steps to Fishing With Kids – And Making Them Fishermen for Life!

outdoorswithmartin on April 11th, 2010

 Bluegills.  Unusually prolific, doughty fighters, easy to catch, and excellent on the table.  It’s no wonder they’re one of Ohio’s most sought species, and while these little panfish will bite 12 months of the year, the top time to make a serious catch is when they’re on their spring spawning beds.  And that’s usually sometime […]

Continue reading about Time For Spawning Bed Bluegills -Spring Fishing Ohio

It’s spring at last.  How do you tell?  Not by the calender or by the tulips and daffodils that are pushing up.  Spring arrives in most fishermen’s opinion when the first walleyes move into the Sandusky and Maumee rivers with spawning on their mind.  The smaller males arrive first, usually around the last of March […]

Continue reading about To Ohio Fishermen Spring Means Walleyes Spawning in Sandusky and Maumee Rivers: Here's How to Catch Them

outdoorswithmartin on April 11th, 2010

Our area has lots of farm ponds. Some of them are excellent in terms of all around recreation, particularly fishing for lunker bass and palm-sized bluegills. Some others rank as good, more fair, and a goodly percentage are definitely mediocre to poor. We all love the excellent to goods, and many a reader either has […]

Continue reading about How to Make Ohio Farm Ponds Healthy and Great for Fishing in Ohio

outdoorswithmartin on March 5th, 2010

There’s very little question that yellow perch are Lake Erie’s favorite fish on the table.  Crisp, brown fillets touched with tartar sauce disappear from plates like magic when they appear, leaving smiles of appreciation, and one of the prime times to take some is right now.  Action should improve through April, remain steady well into […]

Continue reading about Early Spring Lake Erie Perching Can Be Excellent

outdoorswithmartin on January 16th, 2010

Ever do something really dumb?  All of us have, and more than once, but the stupidest thing I ever did in my life happened on an ice fishing trip.  It happened about 40 years ago when a partner and I drove to a good sized farm pond that had some lunker bluegills.  We stopped at […]

Continue reading about Ice Fishing Safety: What to Take Just In Case

outdoorswithmartin on January 16th, 2010

Someone asked me recently if I had an absolute favorite outdoor sport, and it proved a tough question. As readers know, I love hunting and fishing of any kind, but when I thought a little more I had to say that skin diving (snorkeling) ranked extremely high.  It’s a wonderful sport, one that lets you […]

Continue reading about Fishermen, Swim With Your Fish: Snorkling the World and Snorkling Ohio

Ohio’s ice fishing has been slow in coming this year.  Bitter cold days that see first a skim over local ponds and lakes, then thicker ice, then a warm spell that eats it away again.  But traditionally good ice of 5-6 inches comes sooner or later, and now it’s here,  and local anglers begin gathering […]

Continue reading about Try Pond Ice Fishing for Starters: Ohio's Winter Days Have Fishermen Out on the Ice

outdoorswithmartin on January 8th, 2010

Ice fishing season comes upon us just as soon as area lakes and farm ponds reach a safe ice thickness, and that means it’ll be time to catch those first of the winter meals of bluegill and crappie fillets.  Coming out of ice water they’ll be unusually tasty.  But after four or five trips for panfish, it […]

Continue reading about Ohio Icefishers:Try Trout and Walleye for More Fight

outdoorswithmartin on October 13th, 2009

Fall has to be the best, though shortest, season of the year.  And once the beans and corn are off, it’s a good time to take a well earned vacation.  The question is – where can you go that’s reasonably close, inexpensive, and a great place to visit with lots of things to do?  For […]

Continue reading about Houghton Lake, Michigan Good To Visit for Fishing and Fun

Wouldn’t it be nice during this soon-to-come prettiest season of the year to do some near wilderness fishing?  To roam where almost no one else goes, cast for fish who seldom or never see a hook, to wade where deer come to drink and wild  turkeys slip through shoreside brush?  You can do it, and […]

Continue reading about Enjoy (Nearly) Wilderness Bass Fishing by Floating and Wading Ohio's Rivers and Streams

outdoorswithmartin on October 7th, 2009

Some years ago an old friend retired and was given a fishing rod and box of tackle, instead of a watch.  “I’ve always wanted to learn to fish,” he said, “and now I’ve got the time.”  He made several visits to a local lake, caught nothing, and gave his equipment away.  “I just didn’t know […]

Continue reading about The Absolute Nuts and Bolts of Fishing

outdoorswithmartin on October 5th, 2009

Hunting seasons are well in, and the thoughts of most area outdoorsmen are on deer, rabbits, pheasants, and waterfowl.  But fish are still biting, cold weather or no, and one of the most active now is white and black crappie.  These silvery, flatsided pansters are extremely popular each spring when they come in close to […]

Continue reading about Autumn Crappie Fishing: Where Are They Biting?

outdoorswithmartin on October 1st, 2009

October is a good month for hunting several kinds of wildlife, but it’s an equally good time to do some fishing, and the best game in town these days is seeking Lake Erie perch.  Erie perch traditionally turn on in October with action along shorelines and on piers a little slow at first, but gradually […]

Continue reading about October Perfect for Lake Erie Perch Fishing on Piers and Headboats

outdoorswithmartin on September 24th, 2009

Is there a best season of the year to go muskie fishing? It’s an arguable point, but in my opinion the top time is right now. Why? Because muskies are cold blooded, which means their metabolism varies with water temperature. That water is hot right now, but cooling, so not only are muskies feeding heavily […]

Continue reading about Muskie Fishing Tactics for Ohio Lakes: Success at Clear Fork Reservoir

outdoorswithmartin on September 21st, 2009

Once upon a time when I was attending Ohio State University (OSU) at Stone Lab on South Bass Island, I took a few hours off and went smallmouth bass fishing along Peach Point at Put-In-Bay.  I caught nothing.  It’s a prime spot and I was curious, so I put on a face mask and snorkel I’d […]

Continue reading about Scuba Diving in Ohio Lakes: Fisherman Seeing the World Through Fish Eyes

outdoorswithmartin on September 21st, 2009

 How much does the average grain farmer make on his land per acre? $100? If he’s lucky. But apparently, it’s possible to make $1,000 on those acres, at least if they’re wet. Really wet! Bob Calala and his two brothers Lewis and David, have been doing extremely well on their liquid acres, and their annual […]

Continue reading about Shrimp Farming In Ohio Farm Ponds? Yes!

outdoorswithmartin on September 4th, 2009

Usually, they’re called carp, but other names include bugle mouth, sewer bass, and some that can’t be printed here.  They’re maligned as destroyers of game fish eggs, bottom rooters that murk clear water, fish with few enemies, but wonderful reproductive success, so much so that an accidental introduction in a farm pond can see that […]

Continue reading about Catch a Big Fighter: Carp Fishing Tips and Making Your Own Boilies

outdoorswithmartin on September 3rd, 2009

There are plenty of man-made lakes in Ohio, but very few natural ones, and most of those few are small, gouged out when the last glacier receded about 10,000 years ago.  But there’s one large one, 90 acre Punderson Lake, a clear, sparkling body of water that’s deep and cold and offers some interesting activities […]

Continue reading about Punderson Lake, Ohio: Worth a Visit for Outdoor Sports and Family Fun

outdoorswithmartin on September 1st, 2009

The dog days of August and the first weeks of September are traditionally slow fishing times.  Most years, with so many days of temperatures nearing 90 and water temperatures higher than usual, lockjaw among fish species is almost epidemic.  But not among catfish.  Channel cats and shovelheads LOVE hot water, and now is a peak time to […]

Continue reading about Dog Days of August Great for Catfishing in Ohio Lakes

I fished my first farm pond at about age 8, and it must have been a good experience because since then I’ve visited literally hundreds.  I like them because a well managed pond will have plenty of fish and being small, it can be covered thoroughly in a few hours.  If there are bass there, […]

Continue reading about The Lure of Ohio Farm Pond Fishing: How to Catch the Most Bass in 2 Hours with the Best Bait

outdoorswithmartin on August 31st, 2009

Summer can be tough for Lake Erie walleye anglers, with too many storms, too much hot water, and too many days when winds blew hard out of the east. But it’s settling down now, and the cool water fishing season is upon us. A good time to catch some prime opal eyes, but those who stick […]

Continue reading about Change Fishing Tactics For Fall Lake Erie Walleyes

outdoorswithmartin on August 27th, 2009

Recently, an Ohio girl was bitten by a shark in Florida waters, that was the 7th reported shark attack in Florida waters this year (2009). Will there be other attacks?  Almost certainly, since  August and September remain for vacationers.  Mid-western readers who haven’t already enjoyed vacation time will be going somewhere soon, and often enough it’ll be to salt water.  […]

Continue reading about Sharks Are Not a Problem

I’ve made some good fishing trips this spring, a jaunt to Lake Erie for a limit of walleyes, and visits to other places in-state and out. But the two best trips I’ve made this year were to farm ponds less than three miles from my home, because I made them with my two grandsons here […]

Continue reading about Take Kids Fishing with Success: Tips for Creating Lifetime Fishing Companions From Your Kids

outdoorswithmartin on July 25th, 2009

There’s simply no question that fishing for largemouth bass is the most popular piscatorial sport in the country.  Literally millions of dollars are spent each year on fishing tournaments, more millions on tackle, bass boats, trolling motors, and other necessities, and time on the water spent casting for these greenish fighters simply can’t be estimated.  […]

Continue reading about How to Fish Largemouth Bass on Docks, Shorelines and Weedbeds

Published March 2005 “How did you do on walleye at Fremont yesterday?”  “I got one jack, that’s all.  A couple of guys snagging did better.  I think a game warden caught one of them.’  That’s a typical story for Sandusky River walleye fishermen.  One or two fish, rarely more, and a long day spent tossing […]

Continue reading about Sandusky River Walleye Fishermen Change Their Luck in Spawning Season with Tiny Jigging

Published March 2005 It’s been a slow winter for steelhead fishermen.  Some fish have been caught in Lake Erie tributaries, but floods and other rigorous winter problems have slowed action to almost nothing for weeks at a time.  Now. there’s good news.  As of last weekend rivers from Conneaut Creek to the Rocky River and […]

Continue reading about Ohio's Lake Erie Steelhead Fishing: Catch Them with Spawn Sacs (and Make Your Own)

outdoorswithmartin on July 25th, 2009

Published March 2005 It’s been a long and unusually hard winter, but spring is coming and soon crocus will be in full bloom, the trees greening up, and waters in area lakes warming steadily.  Fishing will pick up too, as various species begin to feed up for spring spawning, so it’s time to check the […]

Continue reading about Northcentral Ohio Lake Fishing for Largemouth Bass and More

outdoorswithmartin on July 24th, 2009

How do you like your weekends or vacations?  Rugged and rustic?  Ultra-modern with all of the amenities?  You can find either at Lake Hope, a 120 acre lake that waits in Vinton County not far from McArthur in southeastern Ohio.  This pretty woodland lake is a fish-hook shaped body of water surrounded by 2,983 acre […]

Continue reading about Boating, Fishing and Camping at Lake Hope, Ohio

Published April 2005 There’s very little question that yellow perch are Lake Erie’s favorite fish on the table.  Crisp, brown fillets touched with tartar sauce disappear from plates like magic when they appear, leaving smiles of appreciation, and one of the prime times to take some is in early April.  Action should improve throughout April, […]

Continue reading about Early Spring Lake Erie Perch Fishing Can Be Excellent: Best Rigs, Rods, and Places to Fish

Published March 2005 Back when I was a youngster of ten or twelve, I spent a lot of time roaming the hills of southern Ohio with a cluster of boon companions. We had no televisions or computers then, so we made our own fun, and to forestall dangerous snakes, bears, alligators, and tigers, went heavily […]

Continue reading about Pre-Hunting/Fishing Season Practice and Preparation: Off Season Tasks for Hunters and Fishermen

Published February 2005 The shank of winter is a hard time for most outdoorsmen.  Hunting is essentially over, river and stream fishing is scarce, and the outdoor shows are few and far between.  So, what can you do over the next weeks before the weather breaks and lawn grass starts to green up?  You head […]

Continue reading about Ohio Icewater Bluegill and Bass Fishing: Fishing Tips When Winter Oxygen Levels are Low

outdoorswithmartin on July 22nd, 2009

Ever hear of solunar tables?  Many readers, especially younger ones, haven’t, but lots of old veterans have and believe in them so fiercely that they plan hunting and fishing trips around the tables.  For those unfamiliar with the tables, sol means sun and lunar means moon, and the basic idea is that the two together […]

Continue reading about Solunar Tables for Fishing and Hunting: Do They Work?

outdoorswithmartin on July 22nd, 2009

It’s the shank of the winter and not much is doing out there.  Hunting is essentially over, the ice is iffy, and about the only fishing is for steelhead and saugeye.  Which is okay, because saugeye particularly can provide some fun fishing, at least given proper conditions.  This below dam sport has been slow most […]

Continue reading about Tailwater Fishing for Ohio Saugeye: Favorite Methods

outdoorswithmartin on July 21st, 2009

Published February 2005 Ice fishing has been a tough proposition on Lake Erie this winter.  Ice was slow in coming, though there were 8 to 10 inches finally last weekend, and water under the ice was muddy, thanks to floods that swelled tributaries and pumped millions of gallons of silt filled water into the lake.  […]

Continue reading about Where to Go Lake Erie Ice Fishing? Around the Islands

outdoorswithmartin on July 21st, 2009

Published February 2005 Every year it happens.  Like the inexorable ticking of a clock, the days grow longer, two minutes by two minutes.  And as they do, Lake Erie walleye eggs and milt begin to mature and hormones trigger off behavior patterns that have changed little over thousands of years.  The fish begin staging south […]

Continue reading about Lake Erie Pre-Spawn Walleye Fishing Tactics

outdoorswithmartin on July 21st, 2009

Published January 2005 Seems like every bass fisherman has his or her own personal favorite fishing lures, and most use them through thick and thin.  Too often, it’s thin.  I know some anglers who stick strictly to pig and jig combinations and put a plastic worm on the other rod.  Both are good offerings, but […]

Continue reading about Ohio Bass Fishing: Best Baits and Lures for Your Tacklebox

Ask the average outdoorsman what he likes to eat, and he’ll probably say beef, pork, and chicken.  The daring might go for turkey occasionally, taste a bit of wild rabbit, feast on braised venison, but that’s about it.  If you’re in this ho-hum category, food-wise, maybe it’s time you put a little adventure in your […]

Continue reading about Hunter/Fisher's Overlooked Bounty: How to Eat Crayfish, Sparrows, Muskrat, Groundhog, Sheepshead and Carp (if you want to)

outdoorswithmartin on July 20th, 2009

Published January 2005 It’s been a tough winter for below the dam saugeye anglers.  Heavy snow, ice storms, and far too much rain have seen tailwaters below Charles Mill and Pleasant Hill lakes bank full and muddy far more often than not.  But that’s got to change eventually, and the heavy rains might actually have […]

Continue reading about Ohio Saugeye Anglers: Winter Fishing in Reservoirs and Dams

outdoorswithmartin on July 20th, 2009

Published January 2005 Good ice has been slow in coming to area farm ponds this winter.  Snow and rain, freezes and thaws, but if that safe 4-5 inches of clear ice hasn’t arrived yet, it surely will soon, and when it comes, a small, but growing fraternity of ice walkers is going to be out […]

Continue reading about Ice Fishing in Farm Ponds: Catching Big Fish Through Little Holes

outdoorswithmartin on July 20th, 2009

Most farmers would like to have a farm pond on their acreage, and in north central Ohio, literally thousands do.  Some are wonderful places, filled with good sized fish, perfect for swimming, places that draw waterfowl and wildlife in plenty.  Lots of others are too shallow, too weedy, filled with stunted bluegills, good for little […]

Continue reading about Building The Perfect Farm Pond: Experience from Northern Ohio

outdoorswithmartin on July 18th, 2009

Published in December 2004 Unless you’re into ice fishing or below the dams saugeye, steelhead fishing is the only game in town from December through March.  Luckily, it’s a very good game indeed.  The Ohio Division of Wildlife stocks many thousands of steelhead each year into Lake Erie tributaries, and these fish grow large feeding […]

Continue reading about Ohio Winter Steelhead Fishing

outdoorswithmartin on July 18th, 2009

Christmas is coming close, and while major gifts have doubtless already been bought, there are still stocking stuffers and smaller presents for an outdoorsman/woman/youngster that need to be bought.  Everyone knows that wives and mothers do most of that buying, and these busy shoppers too often know less than most about gifts for hard hunting, […]

Continue reading about Christmas Gifts for Fishermen, Children and Sportsmen

outdoorswithmartin on July 18th, 2009

Published December 2004 It’s a good time of year for area farming folk.  The crops have been harvested, the machinery repaired, and it’s time to sit back and rest or maybe take a little trip somewhere to get away from northern Ohio’s often bitter weather.  You might go to Florida, spend $150 a night for […]

Continue reading about Winter Getaway: Myrtle Beach – From Fishing to Shopping