I'm looking for lakes where I can be safe running a 15 foot v style jon boat with a 9.9 hp engine. I recently purchased it and the only lakes I have been on are Cowan and Eastwood lakes. I'm looking for more lakes that I can fish. I would like to fish lakes like Caesars Creek, Delaware, Knox, Oshaunessy (however you say that), Acton, Burr Oak, Deer Creek, Rocky Fork, Paint Creek Lake, Buckeye, and any other suggestions. I really don't care about the 10 hp rule, I just want to catch some bass and be safe. Sorry if this is too vague or anything. Any and All help would be very appreciated.
Hoover would be a great start. It's been giving up a lot of quality bass the last couple of years! Check out some of the past threads.
Knox is another good bass lake.
Burr Oak would be doable. Lake Snowden, not sure what you mean by being safe, but 12 ft aluminum with 9.9 go out on the Oak all the time. Lake Logan would be a good lake, bass can be alittle finiky, but there in there. Good luck
Go up to the headwaters, past the no-wake markers. Places like Delaware or Alum are full of powerboats who don't care about their wakes, but the upper sections are quiet, just fishermen and paddlers.
And early on pleasure boaters won't effect you much. Just watch the wind. I wouldn't recommend Buckeye yet but when they put some water in it the bass fishing should be on
Yeah wind, these central Ohio lakes tend to run north-south so when the wind is right, there can be a long "fetch" with some substantial waves. When the wind gusts are strong you learn to look for the little ripply waves on top of the big waves. That's trouble.
My son and I have a 12' flat bottom aluminum johnboat that we tie up on top of my Jeep. I fastened some transom wheels to the back of it (check it out online...a real cheap and easy way to get around fumbling with a trailer) so I can simply set the boat on the ramp and wheel it into the water.
We only use a trolling motor, so the best lakes with the least amount of wake (or chop on a windy day) are:
Hargus Lake
Rush Creek Lake
Hoover (Twin Bridges area)
OShaghnessy (Twin Lakes area)
Knox Lake
Alum Creek (Howard Rd.)
That is actually Rose Lake in the Boundary Waters in Minnesota . It does resemble the east shore of Rupert tho. Does anyone know if they still stock saugeye into Rupert ? I heard that the state quit and that would be a shame .
I fished out of a 14'alum v haul boat with a 9.9 johnson on it for 30 years. Had it everywhere from Canada to 5 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico..fished and ran across lakes in every kind of weather you can imagine. My advice..wear your life jacket, use common sense and try any lake you want to fish. Use google and boat ramps app to find the "safer" places to put in at..Goodluck and good fishing.
Another thing about Oshay, you can put in at Bellpoint and go up the Scioto until you're above reservoir level and there's a current. Go too far and you'll bang rocks.
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