Last tournament

Sorry it's taken me so long to post this; time slips past before you know it.
Anyway, Bub Cooksey's annual season-ending tournament at Dillon was held Nov. 6 with nine boats (16 anglers) competing.
Willard and Mark Hensley walked away with the victory, bringing in four keepers that weighed 5 pounds, 5 ounces. Rick Fifield finished a strong second with two bass weighing 4 pounds, 9 ounces.
Cooksey and Dick Bowman finished third with a 1-pound, 10-ounce fish and I was officially fourth with a 1-pound, 5-ounce bass. I say officially because at east two other boats had fish but didn't bother to weigh them in (it was only paying two places).
Bob Mathie at Bob's Outdoor Supply in Newark donated plaques for the winners.
Will that be my last fishing trip of the season? I hope not, but it al depends on the weather. I was going to go out Sunday but decided I really didn't want to fight the wind that was kicking up.
Next Sunday is out because Southern Ohio is setting up its schedule for next year that afternoon. Maybe Saturday will be decent.

Greenlee, Parrett promoted

ATHENS, OH – Fisheries biologist Mike Greenlee has been promoted to Fish Management Supervisor for Wildlife District Four in southeast Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.  Greenlee succeeds Tim Parrett who was promoted to Fish Hatchery Program Administrator in June 2011.

 “I’ve got all the confidence in Mike’s abilities to lead the fish management section,” said Mark Hemming, District Four Manager.  “He has always been very professional, and I know he will put all of his experience and expertise into doing the best job possible.”

 Greenlee received an associate’s degree in Recreation and Wildlife Management from Hocking College and a bachelor’s degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Management from Lake Superior State University.  He comes to the job with over 20 years of experience in the fish management section.  He was first hired as a biologist in District Four in 1990 after working as a seasonal in the same section for three years.  He also worked as a Biological Aide with the Utah Wildlife Resources at the Bear Lake Fisheries Experiment Station.

 “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to serve our anglers and the Division of Wildlife by leading a great group of dedicated Fish Management staff in District Four,” said Greenlee.

 As the district’s Fish Management supervisor, Greenlee will coordinate all fisheries programs and projects for 19 counties, including streams and rivers, more than 40 public fishing lakes, and the Ohio River from Scioto toBelmont counties.

 He currently resides in Vinton County with his wife Linda and their two teenage children, son Joshua and daughter Ashley.

Logan to MWCD post

Former ODNR Director Sean Logan is moving to the Muskiongum Watershed Conservancy District. Here's some of the announcement from MWCD:

The management of the natural resources and conservation programs on the 54,000 acres of public land and lakes overseen by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) will be led by former Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) director Sean D. Logan.

Logan was appointed chief of conservation of the MWCD by the conservancy district’s Board of Directors during a recent meeting. A Columbiana County native, Logan also is a former member of the Ohio House of Representatives and served as a Columbiana County commissioner.

“Since its organization in the 1930s, the MWCD has planted hundreds of thousands of trees to slow erosion, worked with local farmers to open acreage for sharecrop operations and managed its mineral resources through a strategy that has served as a model for other public agencies,” Logan said. “I am humbled and honored to be part of the work by the MWCD to protect these valuable natural resources in the Muskingum River Watershed for generations to come.”

In his position, Logan will oversee the MWCD’s conservation operations and management, which include forest and timber harvest and planting, agricultural activities, water quality testing, partnerships with other agencies involved in flood reduction and water conservation, and mineral resources management.

“The MWCD is extremely pleased to have Sean Logan in charge of its conservation programs,” said John M. Hoopingarner, MWCD executive director/secretary. “Sean brings to the residents of the MWCD region a tremendous amount of experience, insight and support of the protection of natural resources in the state of Ohio. He also understands the value of partnerships to enhance the benefits that are being produced by the system of dams and reservoirs in the Muskingum River Watershed.”

Logan was the 11^th person to serve as director of ODNR since it was formed in 1949 when he was appointed by former Gov. Ted Strickland in 2007. Prior to that, he served as an elected member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 1990-2000 – including sitting on the House’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee – and was a Columbiana County commissioner from 2001-2007.

He received a bachelor’s degree in political science and speech communication from Muskingum College and earned a law degree from Capital University Law School. He and his wife Melissa have three children and reside at Guilford Lake.

“The MWCD has a professional and educated staff that is dedicated to serving the residents and property owners in the watershed,” Logan said. “As a native of Eastern Ohio, I understand the rich natural resources that have been protected by the operation of the dams and reservoirs in the MWCD region, as well as providing sources of outdoor recreation and economic benefits. We are truly blessed in this watershed to have these resources and facilities available, and we must work diligently to protect this valuable infrastructure.”

For more information about the MWCD, visit www.mwcd.org.

S.O.B. Classic: Day 2

Sunday at Dillon was almost as frustrating as Saturday at Piedmont. The wind started early and didn't quit until after we did. It was coming out of the east, which meant there was nowhere on Dillon to get away from it.
Randyh Brownrigg put on  good charge to get in contention, but the four bass he caught weighing 5 pounds, 8.4 ounces just wasn't enough to make up for the first-day lead Ken Fulks and Kevin Samson had from Saturday.
Samson wound up winning the title with a two-day total of 8 pounds, 3.4 ounces. His Sunday catch was two bass weighing 3 pounds, 6.4 ounces, including the second-day big bass of 2 pounds, 5.8 ounces.
Fulks, who held a narrow lead on Saturday, finished second with 6 pounds, 7.6 ounces. Hi problem was he only caught one fish Sunday weighing 1 pound, 9 ounces.
Brownrigg finished third with a total weight of 6 pounds, 5.8 ounces, and Tom Sherfy finished fourth with 5 pounds, 15.4 ounces. He had two bass weighing 2 pounds, 10.6 ounces Sunday.
Eight out of 11 anglers caught 16 keeper bass Sunday. I'm sorry to say I was not one of them.

S.O.B. Classic: Day 1

Saturday was one of the most tiring and frustrating days I have spent fishing in years. The only reason I don't classify as among the most miserable as well, was that it was not snowing or drenching me with cold rain.
I was at Piedmont for the first day of our club championship. I had not been at the lake since spring, so I figured I would start were  I have had some success in the past during the fall. I should have known something was wrong when almost every other boat headed down the lake.
The lake quickly turned muddy, the sediments in Lick Run had been stirred up more than usual, turning most of the bay milky green and the wind started blowing as soon as we started to fish.
Nothing there, nothing in the other main area I wanted to fish, so we headed down the lake (Randy JAckson was fishing with me), hoping for better conditions and maybe some place to get out of the wind, which was quickly becoming a real nuisance.
We quickly found better water, but there was still no shad activity, and this at a time when they are normally thick in the bays and being fed upon by bass and muskies.
The wind was also getting worse. It swirls through the hills and valleys around Piedmont until there is almost no place to get away from it. even ion relatively calm areas, the wind would gust enough to ruin casts and blow the boat out of position if you let your attention lapse for even a minute.
The only action I had all day came when I rolled a spinnerbait over a branch and a small muskie (about 30 inches) grabbed it. For a second I thought it was a big smallmouth, but that was only the gold blades flashing in the water. Randy also had a muskie hit a spinnerbait and he later caught a small bass, but that was it.
Even though Randy and I were two of the four anglers whop blanked for the day, we aren't that far behind the leaders.
Kenny Fulks leads after day 1 with four bass weighing 4 pounds, 14.6 ounces, with Kevin Samson hot on his tail with two bass weighing 4 pounds, 13 ounces. Tom Sherfy is third with 3 bass weighing 3 pounds, 10.4 ounces.
Samson had the first day's big bass at 2 pounds, 7.8 ounces.
A total of 15 keeper bass were caught by eight of the 12 members fishing,
Sunday's second day is at Dillon. I just hope the wind dies down a bit.

Tappan S.O.B. results

It was cold, rainy and windy at Tappan Lake Sunday, but the fish didn't seem to mind, although they weren't very cooperative where I was fishing.
Tim Magers won the tournament with five bass weighing 8 pounds, 13.2 ounces. He also had a 4-pound, 6.6-ounce fish that took big bass honors.
Kevin Samson finished second with five bass weighing 8 pounds, 3.6 ounces; Randy Brownrigg placed third with five bass weighing 6 pounds, 13.6 ounces; Eric Woodrow took fourth with five bass weighing 6 pounds, 10 ounces, and Tom Sherfy was fifth with five bass weighing 6 pounds, 3.4 ounces.
A total of 44 bass were weighed in by 13 of the 15 members fishing.
Brownrigg held off a late-season run by Mike Baughman to win the club's angler of the year  title. Now we'll see if he can add the club's classic title in the championship tournament to be held Oct. 15 and 16 at Piedmont and Dillon.
I just hope the weather is better than it was Sunday.
I had two keepers in the first hour, one on a spinnerbait and one on a crankbait, but it took me a couple hours to get a third fish, on a hand-poured Senko from Bob's Outdoor Supply.
A bout of bad wind messed up my plans for the next place I wanted to fish, but I missed a couple possible keepers in an area I have seldom fished in the past. I should have stayed there, but I thought another area would produce fish and went  there.
Big mistake. It was another area I hadn't fished in a long time and I was mistaken about the cover I thought was there. By then I was out of time.
I thought I might have enough to at least keep Eric Woodrow from passing me in tghe standings, but I didn't.
Still, sixth is the best I have done in the club standings in a while and I weighed fish in every tournament I fished, which was a nice change from last year.

Y-City Classic

Y-City Bass Club held its two-day classic on successive weekends, Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 at Hoover Reservoir.
Chad Lighthizer won the tournament with a two-day total of 13.52 pounds. He overcame a deficit of more than four pounds after the first day to win the title. Chad's 6.15 pounds the first day was third to Ryan Boyer's 10.69 pounds, but Ryan caught only one fish the second day and finished third with 11.95 pounds.
Mark Lasure also made a run from fourth place, but fell slightly short at 13.34 pounds to finish second.
Dave Blackstone finished fourth at 11.23 pounds and Dan Allen finished fifth at 8.65 pounds.
Ryan Boyer took big bass honors with a 4.49-pound bass.
I don't know how many fish were caught the first day, but there were 27 caught on Oct. 2, with Lighthizer and Lasure both weighing in five-fish limits.
Piedmont results
I don't believe I ran the results of Y-City's last regular tournament, Sept. 18 at Piedmont.
Jim Kughn took first with three bass weighing 7.43 pounds, including a 3.93-pound fish that took big bass honors.
Jay Anker was second with four bass weighing 6.38 pounds, Dale Towse finished third with three bass weighing 5.19 pounds, Tom Sherfy placed fourth with four bass weighing 5.17 pounds and Dan Allen was fifth with three fish weighing 4.74 pounds.
A total of 42 bass were caught by 20 out of 33 anglers fishing.

Dillon Results

Dillon Reservoir was the site of a Southern Ohio Bassmasters club tournament Saturday, then the Chuck Murray Benefit Tournament Sunday.

Club results
The club tournament was won by Kenny Fulks with five bass weighing 8 pounds, 5.2 ounces, well ahead of Kevin Samson, who had five bass weighing 6 pounds, 15 ounces.
Bob Fulks finished third with four bass weighing 6 pounds, 11.4 ounces, Tim Magers placed fourth with four bass weighing 4 pounds, 3.6 ounces and Devan Hutchinson was fifth with two bass weighing 3 pounds, 5.2 ounces.
Hutchinson also took big bass honors with a 2-pound, 5.6-ounce fish.
Out of 21 members fishing, 15 caught 38 keeper bass.
Club leader Randy Brownrigg, who had a comfortable lead in the standings, failed to weigh a bass. As a result, his lead is down to 34 points with our final tournament, at Tappan, coming up Oct. 1.
Three members have at least a theoretical chance of catching Randy: Mike Baugfhman, Tom Sherfy and Kenny Fulks.
I'm in fifth, but with no chance of moving up.
Dillon was a tough day for me. I caught a keeper at the fish place Randy Jackson and I fished, but I was unable to catch another keeper the rest of the day. The second place I found fish the week before, and where I thought fish would still be found Sunday, proved even more unproductive.
Maybe I fished the worm too much, but that's what has produced most of my fish this year and  have had confidence in.

Open Results
Jerry Mossman and Tim Magers ran away with the Chuck Murray Benefit Tournament Sunday, bring in eight bass weighing 13 pounds, 2.4 ounces. That included a 3-pound, 12.8-ounce fish that took big bass honors.
Bob Fulks and Jeremy Parish finished a distant second with five bass weighing 6 pounds, 15.2 ounces. They had the second biggest bass of the tournament at 2 pounds, 2.8 ounces. They also had a mixed bag of fish, with four largemouth, a smallmouth and a spotted bass.
Steve Wahl and Shane Kimble finished third with seven bass (all smallmouth) weighing 6 pounds, 13.8 ounces.
Alan and Jordan Wayne placed fourth with four bass weighing 5 pounds, 3.4 ounces, and Trevor Ernfield and Randy Jackson were fifth with four bass weighing 4 pounds, 13 ounces.
Eighteen teams entered, with 12 weighing in 42 bass.
Door prizes were donated by Bob's Outdoor Supply in Newark.

Cranberry at Muskingum River

I realized I forgot to post the Cranberry Marsh Bass Club results from Aug. 14 on the Muskingum River at .
Rick McDonald II won the event with five bass weighing 5.81 pounds, followed by the elder Rick McDonald with three bass weighing 3.55 pounds. The younger McDonald also had the big bass at 1.59 pounds.
Bob Fulks finished third with three bass weighing 2.88 pounds, John Fulton took fourth with two bass weighing 2.44 pounds and Rick Miller placed fifth with two bass weighing 2.42 pounds.
Sixteen out of 28 members fishing weighed 32 bass. One junior member, Nate Swihart, weighed a fish.

Boating classes

If you need to find  boat operator's class, here's a release from the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District you may find interesting:

Ohio residents who are 29 years old and younger and planning to operate boats with motors of greater than 10 horsepower must comply with a mandatory boater education law.

The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) will host three classes during the month of October at varying locations to assist boaters with meeting the education requirements. The cost of the course is $5 per person and registration is handled through the MWCD main office at New Philadelphia.

 According to state law, all boaters born on or after Jan. 1, 1982, must show proof that they have successfully completed an approved boating safety education course if they operate any powered watercraft great than 10 horsepower on a state waterway, including any MWCD lake. The law includes those who operate personal watercraft, rental powercraft and persons 18 years old and older who supervise youth powerboat operators.

 The MWCD’s list of upcoming classes that meets the Ohio boating education requirement are scheduled on the following dates, times and locations:

 Oct. 15 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Tappan Lake Park activity center, 84000 Mallarnee Rd., Deersville.

 Oct. 17, 18 and 19 – 6 to 9 p.m. each night – Seneca Lake Park office – 22172 Park Rd., Senecaville (Participants must attend all three sessions to meet full education requirement).

 Oct. 22 – 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. – Pleasant Hill Lake Park activity center – 3431 Rt. 95, Perrysville .

 For registration, contact Stacie Stein at the MWCD office by calling toll-free (877) 363-8500 Ext. 2201, or by sending a message to sstein@mwcd.org.

For more information about the MWCD, visit www.mwcd.org and follow the MWCD on Facebook and Twitter.

S.O.B. on the Muskingum

I knew we would get bad weather for a tournament sooner or later and we got it Sunday. I didn't mind the rain, but the thunderstorms were not welcome.
We had no sooner started fishing when we started hearing some distant rumbling. So, while keeping an eye on the approaching storm, Randy Jackson and I stayed near the ramp fr our early fishing. Luckily, that was where I wanted to start anyway, so I had no complaints on that score.
Unfortunately, the one good fish I had on before the lightning arrived, I lost next to the boat. I told Randy I might regret that before the day was over, and In was almost right.
Randy did get a keeper a few minutes later, and when the lightning came too close, we headed for the truck. A lot of anglers I know will stay out in a thunderstorm, but that's too dangerous for me.
The storm passed quickly, and we resumed fishing, but the bass had "turned off."
After the rain, I lost a  big fish below the McConnelsville dam, but I don't think it was a smallmouth or spot. I think I ran the crankbait over the back of a big drum and spooked it into the air.
Finally, about 1 p.m., I put a keeper spot in the boat and I would at least get some points.
Eric Woodrow won the tournament with three bass weighing 2 pounds, 15.5 ounces, while Bruce Reavley was close behind with three bass weighing 2 pounds, 13 ounces.
Debbie Woodrow finished third with two bass weighing 2 pounds, 7.2 ounces and took big bass honors with a 1-pound, 10.1-ounce fish.
Tom Sherfy placed fourth with two bass weighing 2 pounds, 1.6 ounces and Mark Lasure was fifth with two bass weighing 1 pound, 14.4 ounces.
Out of 24 members fishing, 16 weighed in a total of 26 bass.
I finished 10th, which was good enough keep me in sixth place in gthe club standings.
With two tournaments left, Randy Brownrigg has a comfortable 99-point lead over Mike Baughman and 104 points over Tom Sherfy.

Y-City results

Wesley Hammer won the Y-City Bass Club tournament n the Muskingum River Rokeby Lock Pool (Gaysport) on Aug. 14 with an catch of five bass weighing 6.32 pounds. Drew Allen was a distant second with four bass weighing 4.2 pounds.
Tyler Shawger took third with two fish weighing 3.39 pounds, including a 1.92-pound fish that took big bass honors.
Chad Lighthizer finished fourth with two bass weighing 3.06 pounds and Tom Sherfy was fifth with three fish weighing 2.65 pounds.
Nineteen out of 29 anglers weighed in 37 bass.
The club's next tournament, its final regular contest of the season, will take place Sept.18 at Piedmont. The two-day classic will be held at Hoover Sept.25 and Oct. 2

Wheelin' Sportsmen hunt

If you know anyone with a disability who would love the chance top go deer hunting, the Wheelin' Sportsmen event at McConnelsville may be just the ticket. Here's the information I received from the Division of Wildlife:

MCCONNELSVILLE, OH –Outdoor enthusiasts with disabilities will have the opportunity to hunt deer, participate in various field activities, and create lasting memories and friendships this fall during a special deer hunting event for disabled sportsmen according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.  

 The tenth annual AEP Ohio Wheelin’ Sportsmen Ultimate Team-Up special deer hunt will be conducted on October 28 and 29 with the event activities at the Clarence E. Miller Armory while the participants will be hunting on land known as the AEP ReCreation Land near McConnelsville.  The “Ultimate Team-Up” is a program developed by the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF).  Participants do not have to be confined to wheelchairs and the event is open to applicants with any type of physically challenging disability. An experienced guide will offer whatever assistance may be needed in the field.  Sponsored by American Electric Power, NWTF Wheelin’ Sportsmen, NWTF Wolf Creek Chapter, and the Ohio Division of Wildlife, this award-winning event will host approximately 40 to 45 hunters.       

 To be considered for participation in the event, interested hunters must submit their names and subsequent information no later than Sept, 2.  For registration information, contact Dave Dingey at (740) 962-1205 or Brian Cox at (740) 962-1215.

 Hunters in the event must meet necessary Ohio licensing requirements, but do not need to be experienced in deer hunting.  Each hunter will be partnered with an experienced and capable hunting guide, which will make their hunting trip memorable, educational, and, hopefully, successful.

 This special hunting event is designed to promote education, good health, character, sportsmanship, recreation, self-esteem, and disability awareness.  Those interested in becoming a sponsor for this event can contact Dave Dingey at (740) 962-1205.

Cranberry results

John Miller Jr. won the Cranberry Marsh Bass Club tournament at O'Shaughnessy July 17, weighing in three bass that weighed 6.74 pounds. He took big bass honors with a 3.4-pound fish.
Tim Morgan finished second with five bass weighing 6.49 pounds, Bub Cooksey placed third with three bass weighing 6.02 pounds, Tim Magers took fourth with four bass weighing 5.47 pounds,  and Jerry Mossman was fifth with four bass weighing 4.48 pounds.
The club's next tournament is Aug. 14 on the Muskingum River at Zanesville's Riverside Park.
His and Hers
The club turned around and held its His and Her picnic and tournament the following Sunday at Dillopn. It was supposed to be on the Muskingum River at Zanesville, but because of high water and current, they voted to move to Dillon.
Debbie and Jerry Mossman won the event, followed by Dora and John Miller. Adam and Abby Richards finished third and fourth went to John Shell and Kathy Rasso.

Y-City update

I've been negligent about keeping up to date with local club results. I don't know if anybody is reading this, but I'll try to do it anyway.
The Y-City Bass Club had two tournaments in July, one at Seneca July 10 and one at Hoover July 31.
Seneca Results
Ryan Boyer won the Seneca tournament with three bass weighing 8.13 pounds and took big bass honors with a 4.18-pound fish.
Mark Delancey finished second with three bass weighing 6.15 pounds, Steve Miracle placed third with two bas weighing 5.82 pounds, Kenny Simpson took fourth with two bass weighing 5.47 pounds and Mark Lasure was fifth with a 2.31-pound bass.
Only eight anglers out of 34 who showed up weighed in a total of  14 bass.
Hoover results
Dave Allen won the Hoover contest with five bass weighing 10.59 pounds and took big bass honors with a 2.99-pound fish.
Kenny Simpson was second with five bass weighing 8.76 pounds, Steve Miracle placed third with five bass weighing 8.01 pounds, Gabe Branfass finished fourth with five bass weighing 6.9 pounds and Chad Lighthizer came in fifth with five bass weighing 6.74 pounds.
Out of 33 members who fished, 26 weighed in a total of 72 bass. Eight five-fish limits were weighed in.
The club's next tournament is Aug. 14 on the Muskingum River Rokeby Lock Pool at Gaysport.
Buckeye tournaments
I don't have any information about what has been going on in the Tuesday evening tournaments at Buckeye except that Jerry Mossman and Tim Magers have had some good evenings. If I get anything I wil continue to post the results.

Muskingum River His and Her

Sunday was the first time this year I've been on the Muskingum River. It's just the way things have worked out, since I've only been able to fish on weekends this summer.
Southern Ohio Bassmasters held its annual "His and Her" tournament on the Zanesville pool out of Riverside Park. River conditions were excellent, although the bass weren't hitting quite as readily a I expected.
Anyway, Lindsey and I had a decent day.
Eric Woodrow and his wife, Debbie, won the tournament with 4 pounds, 4.4 ounces, while Lindsey and I were second with 45 pounds, 3.6 ounces. The Woodrows had eight fish, we had seven; when you don't have to worry about size limits, you wind up with some strange weights.
Judy and Tom Sprankel finished third with 3 pounds, 4 ounces; Shirley and Rick Pfeifer placed fourth with 2 pounds, 10.8 ounces and Fawn and Jeremy Parish were fifth with 2 pounds, 10.8 ounces.
There were quite a few smallmouth weighed in, but Lindsey and I didn't catch any. She caught one largemouth, everything else we caught was a spotted bass, including one nice fish of about 14 inches which, unfortunately, I didn't get a weight on.
Al of our fish but one were caught on black/blue flake hand-poured Senkos from Bob's Outdoor Supply. The other fish hit a  chrome Hub's Chub.
Flyers are out for the club's rescheduled Chuck Murrey Benefit Tournament Sept. 11. Check are bait and tackle stores for flyers or go to the Southern Ohio club website, which is included in the links to the left.

Cranberry at Tappan

Cranberry Marsh Bass Club had an excellent tournament at Tappan Lake on June 26, as 28 out of 33 members (the total included two junior members) caught 95 keepers and seven members weighed in five-fish limits.
Bob Fulks won the contest with five bass weighing 7.97 pounds, while Wayne Hanley was second with five bass weighing 7.29 pounds. Hanley also took big bass honors with a 3.19-pound fish.
Gary Frazier finished third with five fish weighing 6.65 pounds, Neil Butt placed fourth with four fish weighing 6.47 pounds and Barry Spangler was fifth with four fish weighing 5.94 pounds.
The club's next event is its His & Her tournament July 24 at Riverside Park in Zanesville, while the next qualifier is July 17 at O'Shaughnessey.

Hot day on Hannibal Pool

It was hot on the Hannibal Pool of the Ohio River Saturday, July 9, both the weather and the fishing. I was drained after nine hours in the sun, but it was worth it after weighing in five bass and finishing third in the Southern Ohio Bassmasters club tournament.
I wasn't ten only one catching bass. Out of 25 anglers fishing, 23 weighed in 67 fish. Six five-fish limits were recorded. Most of the fish weighed were smallmouth, but some spots and largemouth were also brought in.
Randy Brownrigg finished firt with five bass weighing 6 pounds, 1.2 ounces, less than six ounces ahead of Mike Baughman, who had five bass weighing 5 pounds, 11.6 ounces.
I finished third with five weighing 5 pounds, 6.6 ounces, Eric Woodrow placed fourth with five fish weighing 5 pound, 6 ounces and Tom Sprankel was fifth with five fish at 5 pounds, 1 ounce.
Scott Siemer and I ties for big bass honors with 2-pound fish. His was a smallmouth and mine a largemouth.
I fished with Randy Jackson of Zanesville and although he caught only two keepers, we had a good time, catching fish throughout the day. Most of our fish were caught on crankbaits fished in the main river, but I also caught keepers on a spinnerbait in the river and on black with blue flake hand-poured Senkos in a couple of creeks. The largemouth was caught on the stickbait.
ou can check out the complete numbers at the S.O.B. website listed in the links go the right.

S,O,B, results at Pleasant Hill

You couldn't have asked for better fishing conditions than we had Sunday morning at Pleasant Hill. It was overcast, with mild temperatures and little wind and best of all, the fish were biting! Unfortunately, the last four hours weren't so nice as the speedboaters, skiiers and sun all came out.

It sprinkled little at one point and I hoped it would rain enough to drive off the skiiers and speedboaters, but no such luck.

Southern Ohio Bassmasters had 28 members compete, and 25 of them weighed in a total of 86 bass. Ten five-fish limits were recorded.

Tom Sherfy won the tournament with a catch of five bass weighing 7 pounds, 12.4 ounces. Rick Pfeifer was close behind with only three bass weighing 7 pounds, 4.4 ounces, but he had a 4-pound d, 7-ounce fish that took big bass honors.

Shawn Sprankel finished third with five bass weighing 6 pounds, 13.2 ounces; Chris Lighthizer placed fourth witgh five bass weighing 6 pounds, 6.6 ounces, and Terry Ryan was fifth with five bass weighing 6 pounds, 4 ounces.

I had five fish but they only weighed 4 pounds, 14.6 ounces and I finished about tenth.

I picked a good place to start, had a keeper in the boat in minutes. I had all five keepers by about 9 a.m. maybe 9:30), but I couldn't catch another keeper the rest of the day!

I now guys were catching fish on various lures, but I caught all five of my keepers on plastic. One hit a4-inch Yum Dinger, two were caught on one of Bob's Outdoor Supply hand-poured Senkos and two came on a beaver-type bait.

Our next tournament is July 9 on the Ohio River Hannibal Pool.

Cranberry at Dillon

I finally got the results of the Cranberry Marsh Bass Club results from Dillon June 12.
Rick Miller won the tojurnament with a catch of three bass weighing 5.33 pounds, followed by Keith Wolfe, who had three bass weighing 4.79 pounds.
Bob Fulks took third with three bass weighing 4.42 pounds, Neil But was fourth with three bass weighing 3.64 pounds and Tara Schmity finished fifth with two bass weighing 3.64 pounds.
Rick McDonald took big bass honors with a 2.79-pound fish.
A total of 42 bass were caught by 25 of the 33 members participating.
The club fished Sunday at Tappan. I know Bob Fulks won gthe tournament, but I don't have the details yet. I hope to have them soon.

Fireworks at MWCD lakes

Fireworks are planned for the Fourth of July weekend at four Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District lakes. There will also be a display July 16 at Pleasant Hill Lake.

Holidfay weekend shows are set for Atwood Lake on July 4 and Charls Mill, Seneca and Tappan lakes on July 2. All shows begin at dark.

Here's more of the information sent out by the MWCD:

The fireworks display at Atwood Lake Park will be held inside the park’s amphitheater, which also serves as the home to the annual Alive Festival. Families are encouraged to bring their chairs and blankets for the show, which also will be visible at many locations around the lake.

 All of the parks have a wide list of events and activities planned during the holiday weekend. Details are available from the individual parks or through listings on www.mwcd.org.

 And there’s more.

 Pleasant Hill Lake Park will host its annual fireworks show on Saturday, July 16. The fireworks are a big part of the park’s annual Christmas in July celebration.

 The five MWCD lake parks feature full activities and events schedules each summer between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The parks also offer swimming beaches, hiking trails, campgrounds, cabins, picnic shelters and more.

 Atwood Lake Park is located at 9500 Lakeview Rd. NE, Mineral City; Charles Mill Lake Park is located at 1277A Rt. 430, Mansfield; Pleasant Hill Lake Park is located at 3431 Rt. 95, Perrysville; Seneca Lake Park is located at 22172 Park Rd., Senecaville; and Tappan Lake Park is located at 84000 Mallarnee Rd., Deersville.

For more information about the MWCD, visit www.mwcd.org and on Facebook.

Charles Mill S.O.B. results

We hit it right at Charles Mill Lake Saturday. The weather was pleasant, with at least some cloud cover most of the day and not enough wind to be aggravating until the last couple hours. And best of all, the bass were cooperating, even though the lake was slightly low and the upper end was muddy.

Twenty-three Southern Ohio Bassmasters members and one guest fished the tournament and everyone caught fish. A total of 82 bass were registered, with 11 limits being weighed in.

Chris Lighthizer won the event, weighing in five bass that tipped the scales at 13 pounds, 11.2 ounce, including a 3-pound, 10.8-ounce fish that took big bass honors. He had another almost as large.

Randy Brownrigg finished second with five fish weighing 11 pounds, 12.4 ounces; Scott Siemer placed third with five bass weighing 10 pounds, 1.4 ounces and Greg Montgomery took fourth with five fish weighing 9 pounds, 9.8 ounces. Rick Pfeifer was fifth with five bass weighing 8 pounds, 8 ounces.

The day started great.I had four keepers in the boat by about 8:30 a.m., so I headed down to an area that has almost always produced fish for me. That proved to be a huge mistake -- The next couple hours produced only one small bass, so I headed back to the area where I had caught fish earlier. One drum and another small bass were all it produced.

I never did get that fifth keeper. Maybe Pleasant Hill will work out better this Sunday.

Y-City results June 5 and 11

Mark Lasure topped a 31-member field to win the Y-City Bass Club tournament at Dillon June 5, weighing in four fish that tipped the scales at 7.38 pounds. He also took big bass honors with a 2.91-pound fish.
Wesley Hammer finished second with five bass that weighed 6.85 pounds and Chad Lighthizer placed third with four fish that weighed 6.58 pounds.
Bob Hammer finished fourth with three bass that weighed 5.9 pounds and Tom Sherfy was fifth with three bass that weighed 4.86 pounds.
A total of 44 bass were weighed in.

O'Shaughnessey results
The numbers were about the same at O'Shaughnessey June 11, as 19 out of 27 members fishing weighed in 41 bass.
Steve Miracle finished on top with five bass weighing 7.96 pounds, while Eric Woodrow was a close second with four bass weighing 7.5 pounds.
Deb Woodrow had one more fish than her husband, but they weighed less, her total of 6.94 pounds being good for third place, while Tyler Shawger placed fourth with three bass weighing 6.14 pounds. Gabe Brandfass was fifth with three bass weighing 4.88 pounds.
Shawger took big bass honors with a 3.68-pound fish.

Buckeye Open results May 21

I finally have the results of the May 21 open at Buckeye Lake.I don't know how many entered the contest, but Mitch Blake emerged as the winner with five bass weighing 9.95 pounds.
Robin Cross placed second in his tournament with five fish weighing 8.14 pounds, and Skip Yates and Jim Watson finished third with four bass weighing 8.03 pounds.
Dave McConnell took fourth with five bass weighing 7.65 pounds, and Jeremy and Fawn Parrish were fifth with five bass at 7.54 pounds.
Josh Harter took big bass honors with a 4.19-pound fish.

June 7 results
The turnout continues to be outstanding for the Tuesday evening tournaments. Organizer Robin Cross reports there have been at least 45 anglers every week with more than 50 some weeks.
On June 7, Dusty and Wayne Baker won with five fish weighing 9.43 pounds, including a 3.51-pound fish that took big bass honors.
Mike and Phyllis Goodin finished second with five bass weighing 6.54 pounds, Derk Matz and Matt Noble placed third with three bass weighing 6.52 pounds, Marty Frost and Ed Johnson took fourth with five fish weighing 6.39 pounds and Jeremy and Fawn Parrish were fifth with five fish weighing 4.68 pounds.

Buckeye Tuesday results

I have a couple weeks of Tuesday night Buckeye Lake results to catch up on.

May 17

On May 17, Chris Cooper and Will Englefield won with five bass that weighed 10.3 pounds, while Jeremy Parrish and Bob Fulks took big bass honors with a 3.48-pound fish. Charlie Gray and Chuck Davis finished second with five bass that weighed 6.83 pounds, while Shaun Magers and Buck Miller took third with five fish that weighed 6.78 pounds. Scott Wood placed fourth with five fish that weighed 6.17 pounds and Robin Cross was fifth with five fish that weighed 6.15 pounds. May 24 The fishing was even better on May 24 when 52 anglers showed up. The contest was won by Rodney and Neil Butt with five bass that weighed 10.74 pounds, while Bill Englefield finished second with five bass that weighed 9.93 pounds. Skip Yates placed third with four bass that weighed 7.77 pounds and also took big bass honors with a 3.7-pound fish. Shotie McLain and Tom Zigart were fourth with five fish that weighed 7.09 pounds and MIke Goodin took fifth with five fish that weighed 7 pounds.

Y-City at Leesville

Sorry this has taken so long to post. Had some technical problems,

Wesley Hammer won the Y-City Bass Club tournament at Leesville Sunday 
by a margin of almost 10 pounds. he not only had the only five-fish 
limit weighed in, he took big bass honors as well, with a 4.35-pound 
fish.
The rest of the top five, however, were in a tight race. Bob Hammer 
took second with three bas weighing 3.97 pounds, Dave Blackstone 
finished third with three fish weighing 3.93 pounds, Mark Lasure placed 
fourth with three fish weighing 3.38 pounds and Mike King was fifth 
with three fish weighing 3.14 pounds.
Out of 32 club members entered in the contest, 20 caught a total of 35 
bass.

Delaware S.O.B. results

The carp were rolling early at Delaware, but that didn't bother me. They were raising a ruckus along the shore and I thought the bass would be further out on the trees along the bank I like to fish this time of year. They weren't, or at least weren't responding to the lures I was using. I found bass later, but it wouldn't be enough to get in the money.
Tim Magers won the tournament with four bass weighing 7 pounds, while Kevin Samson finished second with four fish weighing 6 pounds, 10.2 ounces.
Nick Belt placed third with five bass weighing 6 pounds, 4 ounces; Randy Brownrigg took fourth with five bass weighing 6 pounds, 1.8 ounces and Mike Baughman was fifth with four bass weighing 6 pounds, 0.6 ounces.
Big bass was a 4-pound, 0.2-ounce fish caught be Shane Finney.
Out of 28 contestants in the event, 23 weighed in 62 bass.
It wasn't a bad day, although the cloud cover breaking up and the wind blowing straight up the lake was annoying. In fact, the wind was blowing as soon as we started and only got worse during the day. To be accurate, the wind was mostly at the annoying level, rather than aggravating. That was because early in the day I changed the boat direction to avoid running into a log and hit something underwater. At least one screw popped loose and I spent the rest of the day babying the trolling motor -- keep it at minimal power, no sudden changes of direction and don't hit anything else -- but that wasn't why I ended up with only three bass.
I just didn't get enough hits. I only missed two, for whatever reason, and I only lost one, which I jerked out of a brush pile and which MIGHT have been a keeper.
The lake was actually in good shape: A bit murky in the upper end and within an inch or two of normal summer pool. The lake had been a few inches high, but if it still was, I couldn't tell.
Our next tournament is not until June 18 at Charles Mill. I'm looking forward to that one.

Y-City at Charles Mill

The Y-City Bass Club had an outstanding day at Charles Mill Reservoir Sunday as 36 of 49 members entered weighed in at least 119 fish. It looks like eight limits were weighed in and three anglers had weights over 10 pounds.
Kenny Simpson won the contest with five bass weighing 12.66 pounds, while Dick Brandfass was second with five bass weighing 10.7 pounds.
Bob Hammer finished third with five fish weighing 10.51 pounds, Mike King placed fourth with five fish weighing 9.71 pounds and Dan Allen was fifth with four bass weighing 8.47 pounds.
Sunday was not a pleasant day to be fishing, with temperatures dropping and a cld breeze blowing, but the fish obviously didn't mind.

S.O.B. results at Buckeye

I was dead tired after our tournament on Buckeye Lake Saturday, which is why I didn't get his written up until Sunday night. More on that later; first the results.
We had 30 anglers (29 members and one guest compete on a day that saw 26 of them weigh in 97 fish and with nine five-fish limits recorded. All of the top five had limits.
Bob Fulks won the event with 7 pounds, 15.2 ounces, but then second through fifth were divided by only about 4 ounces.
Guest Jerry Mossman finished second with 7 pounds, 3.2 ounces; Shaun Magers took third with 7 pounds, 1.8 ounces; Kenny Fulks placed fourth with 7 pounds, 1 ounce, and Kevin Samson was fifth with 6 pounds, 15.6 ounces.
Big Bass was a 2-pound, 11.2-ounce fish caught by Jeremy Parrish.
I had one of those days, or rather one of those weeks. When I fished the Pete Taylor Memorial Tournament the week before, I had very little trolling motor power I was sure I had charged the batteries, but something was wrong. When I checked things out, I discovered I either had a dead battery or one bank of the charger wasn't working. When I disconnected the batteries found that one was stone dead, so I had to replace it. I was also right about the charger: one bank isn't working.
Then, the first place I went to, I lost the first keeper I had on. Not good way to start, but at least I was right about fish being there. It didn't help that I saw another angler catch three keeper bass in water I had just fished over.
Then, after I had put one keeper in the boat, I hooked into a good fish. It took me under a dock, but I was able to get it out past the dock post and I could tell it was a good fish -- at least 3 pounds. I got it to the boat and was just reaching for the net when it came up again and came off. A little while later, about 20 yards from where I lost the big fish, I finally hooked another and this time put a 17-incher in the boat.
At the weigh-in it was 2 pounds, 15 ounces, but I lost out on the big bass award because it was dead (we give an 8-ounce deduction for dead fish). More on that in a minute.
I finally left there and tried a couple other spots, but only caught a small fish or two until I went into a channel I hadn't fished yet this year.
I started fishing a small craw and almost immediately lost another keeper. That didn't help my mood any, but I kept fishing the area and put my third keeper in the boat. Unfortunately, I also lost a good keeper. That made four I had lost.
My next stop was unproductive and I had time to hit one more area if I did it quickly.
I worked to the back of another channel and got my fourth keeper, but I was out of time. And when I opened the livewell to put it in, I discovered the wort news of the day: One bass was dead and another - the big one -- looked like it wouldn't make it.
I don't know what happened. I have never lost a fish in this boat's livewell. I don't know if I had failed to turn on the recirculation pump after I had pumped in some fresh water earlier in the afternoon, or if the fish were stressed from spawning or something else.

On top of it all, my weigh-in bag (a heavy black one) blew out of the boat on my way down the lake and I didn't notice until I got to the ramp.
As it was I finished 12th. If I hadn't had to two dead fish I would only have been 9th, but i would have had big bass. And if I hadn't lost that bigger fish, I would have won the tournament. Of course, I wasn't the only one to have lost a good fish, but it's still hard not to think that way. I just have to put it behind me and think about fishing Delaware Sunday.
Of the fish I weighed in, the big one hit a Big-O crankbait, two were caught on a small hand-poured craw (black and blue) and the other hit a green pumpkin hand-poured soft stickbait.

Tuesday night results

May 3 results
Big news from the May 3 Buckeye Lake tournament: Scott Clark didn't win!
Thirty anglers showed up for the contest, which was won by Brian Caudill and Mike Mathers with five bass weighing 9.4 pounds. Jason Abelas and Ron Patton took second with four fish weighing 7.33 pounds and took big bass honors with a 4.06-pound fish.
Dwayne Nauer and Gray Perkins finished third with five bass weighing 7.04 pounds, Jerry Mossman and Tim Magers placed fourth with five fish weighing 6.99 pounds and Mike Gitting was fifth with five fish weighing 6.01 pounds.
May 10 results
The results this week were outstanding. Fifty anglers showed up and 10 limits were weighed in.
Dave Marace won with five bass weighing 11.67 pounds, including a 4.09-pound fish that took big bass honors, while Brett Crane finished second with five bass weighing 9.63 pounds.
Buzz Biretter placed third with five bass weighing 7.49 pounds, Boyd Yater and Jim Watson took fourth with four bass weighing 7.14 pounds and Rob and Debbie Myers were fifth with five bass weighing 7.14 pounds.
A total of 78 fish were weighed in with a total weight of 115.81 pounds.
If any names are misspelled, please let me know so I can correct them.

Ironton falcons to be banded

Peregrine falcons are doing better than I thought. I wish I could go to this banding; it would be interesting to compare to the eagle banding I observed at Conesville.

IRONTON, OH - The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife will be conducting a peregrine falcon banding on Monday, May 16 at the small park located on the Kentuckyside of the Ironton-Russell Bridge.  This event will be open to the public, and offers those who attend the opportunity for an up-close look at peregrine falcon nestlings.

 The event will begin at 10 a.m., and last about an hour.  A biologist will climb under the bridge where the nest is located to retrieve the nestlings.  Once on the ground, Division of Wildlife biologists will outfit the three week old peregrine falcon chicks with state and federal identification bands.  Additionally, blood samples are taken to monitor the genetics and possible contaminants in the birds.  

 This event is weather-dependant; heavy rain, high winds or lightning would be cause for cancellation.  For information contact the Wildlife District Four office at 740-589-9930. 

 The Division of Wildlife has confirmed a total 37 nesting sites throughout Ohio.  Nesting locations include tall city buildings, bridges, steel manufacturing companies, grain processors, and power plants. 

'Partners in Watershed'

Here's a release I received recently from the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District:

NEW PHILADELPHIA -- Several projects around the communities of the Muskingum River Watershed will feature improvements in flood reduction, water quality and watershed education through grants from the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD).

The MWCD’s “Partners in Watershed Management” grant program will provide an estimated $200,000 this year to assist with projects that were considered through a competitive application process. The Partners in Watershed Management program was developed in 2009 by the MWCD to assist local groups, organizations and communities in implementing water quality projects, flood reduction and mitigation programs, and watershed education efforts throughout the 18-county MWCD region.

 “This is the second full year that the MWCD has offered the Partners in Watershed Management program grants and our staff is very pleased with the quality of the applications that we have received,” said Boris E. Slogar, MWCD’s chief engineer. “There is a growing awareness of how important a healthy watershed is for a community’s quality of life. The MWCD is committed to assisting worthy projects in the Muskingum River Watershed.”

 Project awards approved recently by the MWCD include:

* Muskingum County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD), $50,000 as part of an $89,981 project for the development of an interactive mobile watershed and conservation education trailer that can be transported to various locations. Other partners involved in the project include Zane State University, Cincinnati Museum Center and Union Terminal, Guernsey County SWCD, Coshocton County SWCD, Perry County SWCD and the City of Zanesville.

 * Huff Run Watershed Restoration Partnership in Carroll and Tuscarawas counties, $10,475 as part of a $23,355 environmental education project that includes a field trip series, watershed awareness community festival, watershed tours, environmental children’s club and newsletters. Other partners involved in the project include the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ (ODNR) Division of Mineral Resource Management, Carroll and Tuscarawas County SWCD offices, Norma Johnson Center, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Tuscarawas County Health Department and Sunday Creek Watershed Group.

 * Friends of Lower Muskingum River (FLMR), $28,000 as part of a $140,000 watershed management plan development for the region including Morgan, Muskingum, Noble and Washington counties. The MWCD grant will provide the required matching funds for FLMR to obtain a grant of $112,000 from ODNR.

 * FLMR, $20.000 as part of a $45,000 project to cap two leaking orphan oil wells along Cabin Run in Morgan County, a tributary of the Muskingum River. The U.S. Coast Guard has agreed to award the remaining $25,000 for this work, which will stop the flow of oil directly into the stream, improving water quality in the region and eliminating a foul odor and unsightly seepage from the well.

 * Muskingum Valley Park District in Muskingum County, $47,000 as a portion of a $103,531 project to implement stormwater runoff best management practices in a highly visible urban residential development at Zanesville. The 50-acre area will include the installation of rain gardens, broad-based dips and a retention pond and will serve as a demonstration site for educational tours and research. Other partners involved in the project are the City of Zanesville and the Muskingum County SWCD office.

 * YMCA Stark County, which operates Camp Tippecanoe on a portion of property owned by the camp and a portion owned by the MWCD at Clendening Reservoir in Harrison County, $25,000 as part of the $249,000 cost to replace an aging and poorly functioning wastewater treatment plant that discharges directly into the lake. The camp, which opened in 1958, offers a wide variety of camp and outdoor educational programs. Other partners involved in funding the project are the Hoover Price Foundation, the Northern Ohio Golf Charities and Foundation, and the Game Reserve Association.

 * Ohio Lake Management Association, $24,600 as part of a $56,036 water quality monitoring program that includes testing at several MWCD reservoirs. The MWCD also participated in the program in 2010 by providing funding and personnel to conduct testing.

 “Besides the obvious benefits that can be seen by all of the partners involved with these projects, there also are benefits to the entire system of dams and reservoirs in the Muskingum River Watershed,” Slogar said. “Clean water and education are a benefit to the environment in our watershed, and help to improve healthy lifestyles for our residents.”

For more information about the MWCD, visit www.mwcd.org.

Pete Taylor Memorial results

I hadn't fished the Pete Taylor Memorial Tournament, the annual charity event Cranberry Marsh Bass CLub holds, and I wasn't sure I was going to fish this year. Lindsey had to work and I wasn't sure I wanted to fish it alone. However, since I have a club tournament there Saturday and this was the best chance I had to pre-fish the lake, I figure I would g ahead and fish it.
I certainly didn't set the lake on fire, but I found out enough that I think it will help me come Saturday.
I don't know how many people actually fished, but 68 names were on the entry list, which included a few kids, who fished free, and a few people who paid entries but didn't fish.
At the weigh-in, 27 anglers brought fish to the scales and seven limits were recorded.
Chris Van Skye won the contest with five bass weighing .26 pounds and took big bass honors with a 2.48-pound fish. Bill Henry was second with five bass weighing 8.08 pounds.
Todd Hahn placed third with four bass weighing 5.9 pounds, Mike Goodin took fourth with five fish weighing 5.67 pounds and Zyon Mirise finished fifth with five bass weighing 5.41 pounds.

Cranberry results

Cranberry Marsh Bass Club has had a tough start to its season. Its first tournament, which was to be at Buckeye Lake, was canceled due to high winds. The last I heard, no decision had been made about whether to reschedule the event or just go with a seven-tournament schedule.
However, instead of fishing its second tournament May 1 at Pleasant Hill, the club decided to switch to Buckeye Lake.
I know Shaun Magers likes to fish Pleasant Hill, but he can't be too upset with Buckeye, as he won the tournament with five fish weighing 8.38 pounds. That's only a little less than the weight he had the day before at Piedmont.
Neil Butt took second with five fish weighing 8.15 pounds and big bass honors with a 2.77-pound fish, while Bill Gordon placed third with four bass weighing 7.57 pounds. Rick McDonald II finished fourth with five fish weighing 7.06 pounds and Jerry Mossman was fifth with five bass weighing 7.03 pounds.
A total of 92 bass were weighed in by 28 of the 34 members and two junior members fishing. Nine five-fish limits were recorded.
The club's next tournament is scheduled for Alum Creek May 15. However, like many area lakes, Alum  Creek's has been high, and club officials will be watching the lake level to see if it is going to be fishable. As of Sunday evening, it was only about 2.75 feet above summer pool, so it will probably be okay, but muddy.
One other development: Wayne Hanley has resigned as club president. I talked to him briefly Saturday at the Pete Taylor Memorial, but I was so tired I never asked him about it.

Piedmont was productive

I enjoy fishing Piedmont, it has long been one of my favorite lakes in Ohio. I just wish it was a bit closer. WIth gas over $4 a gallon, driving 78 miles one way makes for an expensive day of fishing.
It didn't start off well. I was late getting away from home and made it to the ramp as the lasgt of the other club embers was heading out.
And the lake was high. I expected I would have to get my feet wet to get the boat launched, but another angler gave me a hand. I didn't get his name, but I certainly appreciated it.
The fishing started slow for me, but when I came to the flooded brush at the back of a favorite cove, I started catching bass. I had a five-fish limit in the boat by 11 or 11:30 a.m.
All of them were caught off wood in shallow water. I was pitching either black/blue flake hand-poured Senko or a black and blue beaver-type bait, both from Bob's Outdoor Supply. I tried spinnerbaits, crankbaits, a buzzbait and even a Chatterbait, but had no strikes on those.
I don't know how everyone else caught their fish, but I got the impression that most were fishing deeper and faster than I was. I did best when I fished the baits extremely slow, and then most of the bites were very soft,
After I boated my fifth fish, I didn't catch another until about 1 p.m., when I put a 15-inch smallmouth in the boat. That enabled me to cull a 12-inch bass, which turned out to be critical.
What all this is leading up to is that I won the Southern Ohio Bassmasters club tournament with a total weight of 8 pounds, 14 ounces. The fifth fish  caught was also the big bass of the contest at 2 pounds, 15 ounces.
The reason that culling that one fish was important was that Shaun Magers was right on my heels, weighing in five bass that weighed 8 pounds, 13.4 ounces.
Randy Brownrigg finished third with five bass weighing 6 pounds, 4.6 ounces; Chad Lighthizer was fourth with five fish weighing 5 pounds, 12.4 ounces, and Tom Sherfy was fifth with four bass weighing 5 pounds, 11.6 ounces.
Out of 29 club members fishing, 24 weighed in a total of 57 bass. Considering the weather lately, I don't consider that bad at all.
Our next tournament is at  Buckeye Lake May 14.
Our annual pen, now the Chuck Murrey Benefit, is Sunday, May 8, at Dillon. I just hope the lake gets back to somewhere near normal by then.
Also that weekend, the anual Pete Taylor Memorial Tournament sponsored by Cranberry Marsh Bass Club, is Saturday, May 7. You know, I'm not sure if it isout of the north shore ramp or Lieb's Island. I'll have to check on that.

Clark wins again

Once again, the weather was not good for the Tuesday night tournament at Buckeye, but also again, Scott Clark won the tournament. That's three in a row.
Clark had five fish that weighed 10.93 pounds, more than two pounds ahead of Mike Watson and Chad Lawson, who had five fish that weighed 8.21 pounds.
Jason Harder finished third with four fish that weighed 6.59 pounds, including the big bass of the contest at 3.13 pounds.
Tim Magers and Bob Fulks placed fourth with four bass that weighed 6.3 pounds and Shaun and Donna Magers were fifth with three bass that weighed 5.53 pounds.
Organizer Robin Cross reports that despite the poor weather so far, about 25 angkers have been showing p each week.

Southern Ohio opener

The Southern Ohio Bassmasters held their season-opener April 23 at Burr Oak with the water high and rising.  Only 21 members showed up and only eight caught keeper fish.
I guess  wasn't the only member who decided the cost of driving all they way to Burr Oak and fishing in what promised to be tough conditions, with flash flood warnings out for the weekend, just wasn't worth it. I wasn't even sure we'd be able to launch, although Kenny Fulks told me later they had no problem. However, the report from Burr Oak a day later  was that the water had come up into the parking lot ad launching had become impossible.
Mike Baughman won the tournament with two bass weighing about 5 pounds, .4 ounces, while Eric Woodrow took second place and big bass honors with a 4 pound, 13.6-ounce fish.
Kenny Fulks finished third with a 4-pound, 6.4-ounce bass, Randy Brownrigg was fourth with a 4-pound, 2.6-ounce fish and Mark Lasure placed fifth with a 3-pound, 15.6-ounce bass.
A total of 10 keeper bass were caught by nine anglers.

Advantage Angler course

Here's an interesting item for Ohio Bass Federation members about a fishing course available through the Bass Federation (TBF) website:

The Advantage Angler Program is a free 11-lesson course on fishing.

There is also a Pro Angler Course which has a 15 percent discount to Federation members, which makes the cost $40 with the discount.

There are also species-specific and specialty courses available.

Federation members must access all of gthese programs through the TBF online store on the TBF website.

You can link to the TBF site through the Ohio Bass Federation site listed at the right of this page.

Y-City at Burr Oak

April 17 was a windy day to be out fishing, but the Y-City Bass Club braved the elements at Burr Oak that day. The results were not up to Burr Oak standards, but catching anything under those conditions is an accomplishment.
The Y-City club had 28 members fish, and 11 caught a total of 12 keeper bass. Chad Lighthizer was the only angler to bring in two keepers, which weighed 6.72 pounds. His catch included the big bass of the contest, which weighed 4.62 pounds.
With one fish each, Tyler Shawger finished second with 4.33 pounds, Kenny Simpson placed third with 3.88 pounds, Mike King took fourth with 3.72 pounds and Jeff Turner was fifth with 3.45 pounds.
Although no huge fish were caught and the numbers weren't there, the smallest fish weighed 2.72 pounds, which speaks well of the quality of the bass fishing at Burr Oak.

Tuesday Buckeye results

The weather's been miserable most of the week, but 26 intrepid anglers still showed up for the Tuesday evening tournament at Buckeye.
Scott Clark won for the second week in a row, this time with five bass weighing 10.51 pounds. He also took big bass honors with a 2.55-pound fish.
Mike Goodin finished second with five fish weighing 7.9 pounds, Jason Abella and Dick Ford took third with four bass weighing 4.75 pounds, Mike Watson and Chad Lawson were fourth with three bass weighing 4.57 pounds, and Ron Groves and Brett Smith placed fifth with three fish weighing 3.99 pounds.

Shoreline work at MWCD

You may remember that last fall I ran information from Muskingum Watershed about shoreline stabilization projects at several lakes. Here's information from them on how the work went:

As spring and summer arrive at the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) reservoirs, visitors will notice that shoreline projects at many lake locations have been completed over the past few weeks.

"Nearly two miles of shoreline has been protected and restored at four reservoirs this winter after the completion of more than 20 individual stabilization projects that cost more than $1.2 million, according to Boris E. Slogar, MWCD chief engineer. 

“The shorelines have been eroding for many years and this winter the MWCD began the most ambitious program in the conservancy district’s history to protect the shorelines,” Slogar said. “Even more important, this is an ongoing program that is part of the routine maintenance of the reservoirs to ensure their continued effective performance for years to come.”

 The MWCD projects were completed at:

 Atwood Reservoir – 11 projects at $399,157

Charles Mill Reservoir – 4 projects at $201,300

Seneca Reservoir – 7 projects at $365,957

Tappan Reservoir – 4 projects at $255,795

 Some of the projects were completed by MWCD staff members and others were completed by private contractors that were awarded contracts for the work through the public bidding process.

 The MWCD also removed more than 1,000 tires, furniture and other debris from all of its reservoirs during the winter months.

 The MWCD announced last year that nearly 500 individual sites are in need of varying amounts of shoreline improvements. A team of MWCD engineering staff members has been using innovative mapping and aerial photographic technology to review the 300 total miles of shoreline at the reservoirs. The work that has been identified would cover about 24 miles worth of shoreline at the 10 MWCD lakes.

 The work is paid for through the MWCD’s funds collected from property owners in the Muskingum River Watershed who receive identified benefits from the Amendment to the Official Plan of the MWCD that calls for maintenance and rehabilitation in the system of flood-reduction and water conservation reservoirs and dams in the region. Two of the projects – one each at Seneca and Tappan reservoirs – received grant funding from the State of Ohio’s Clean Ohio Grant Fund program.

 Planning already is under way for projects for the 2011-12 winter season, with the goal of another 20 to 30 projects to be completed. Projects likely will include work at Clendening, Piedmont and Pleasant Hill reservoirs, as well as work at other reservoirs to be done by MWCD crews.

For more information about the MWCD, visit www.mwcd.org.

Tuesday Buckeye results

The weather was lousy for the first Tuesday evening tournament at Buckeye Lake April 12, but the fishing was quite good, according to organizer Robin Cross.
Scott Clark won the tournament with five bass weighing 9.43 pounds, while Ron Groves and Brett Smith took second with five bass weighing 7.38 pounds.
Robin Cross and Dave Mocuks took second with four bass that weighed 6.92 pounds and took big bass honors with a 3.31-pound fish.
Mike Watson finished fourth with three bass weighing 5.31 pounds and Randy Wilkes and Frank Tipton finished fifth with two bass weighing 2.21 pounds.

Cranberry cancels contest
Cranberry Mash Bass club was to open its tournament season Sunday at Buckeye, but high winds persuaded them to cancel the tournament.
Based on what I saw of the lake when I went out for the weigh-in Sunday afternoon, they made the right decision. I don't know when the tournament will be rescheduled for, or if if they will set another date, but I'll find out.