Increasing Opportunities while Decreasing Risk in Ohio
OutdoorHub 06.20.12
Finding fish in Ohio’s larger reservoirs can be tough. Not only must anglers pin point areas where the fish might be biting, but they also must realize how far they are away from the nearest launch in case of problems. This is especially true on Pymatuning Reservoir (Ashtabula County), where there are 14,000+ acres of fishable water for anglers to enjoy. So where can an angler go to find fish and still be cautious given the conditions?
This past week, the Ohio Division of Wildlife teamed up with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the Pymatuning Lake Association, Ohio State Parks, and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to place structure into Ohio’s largest inland lake. “Both the wooden cribs and the rock reefs were placed within a quarter mile of the nearest ramp,” said Matt Wolfe, fisheries biologist who oversees this project for the Division of Wildlife. “Anglers can get out there quickly, find the structures that will be holding fish, and benefit from this tremendous partnership between the state agencies,” added Wolfe.
Rock reefs and wooden cribs were placed just offshore of the Snodgrass Boat Launch. The wooden cribs were placed in about six to 10-feet of water from N 41o 32’ 50.5” / W80o 29’ 51.8” to N 41o 32’ 48.1” / W80o 29’ 52.6”. Rock reefs were placed in about five to eight feet with the center located at N 41o 32’ 41.0” / W80o 29’ 45.2”. The map datum on your GPS unit should be set at NAD 83 to find the structures and the coordinates provided are in degrees, minutes, and seconds. Anglers from both states may launch their boats from the Snodgrass Ramp, which is located on the Pennsylvania side of the lake. Please be aware of the reciprocal fishing regulations that are in effect on Pymatuning.
The goal of this project is to introduce structures into the waters of Northeastern Ohio in order to recruit the next generation of anglers and retain the anglers who already enjoy the sport of fishing. A downloadable Google Earth file containing all of the structure placements throughout Northeast Ohio is available by contacting the Wildlife District Three office at (330) 644-2293.
