Maumee River Report 12 March 2017

Maumee River Report:

LEVEL-580.7 down a few inches from yesterday

TEMP- 39.5 degrees -down 1 degree from yestersay

Barometer: 30.40 inHg and steady

Wading to Bluegrass Island is possible

Clarity-4 inches

Sunrise : 7:52 AM (First cast)

Sunset: 7:37 PM (Last cast)

Virtually no change in the conditions the last four days, clear and cold. The cold nights have caused the river temp to drop 5 degrees in the last few days . While the river is filling up with walleye, the good thing about this cold weather is that it was a gradual drop in temperature so it hasn’t completely shut down the bite, although it is very slow. The best times to trigger the bite the last few days seems to be just after sunrise.    We saw fish brought in to the shop and reports of  quite a few anglers out on the river getting singles and doubles. The faster moving water is still the best areas to try -Buttonwood, Bluegrass, Ford st and Jerome Rd Rapids .  The water level and all conditions are  holding steady and predicted to be about the same throughout  the coming week. All access areas should be available to fish. Adjust your fishing technique  to cold weather tactics .Whenever possible, optimize your chances by planning fishing trips just prior to the passing of a cold front. However, most anglers are limited to fishing on the weekends, regardless of the weather conditions.

In general, winter fishing puts extra strain on fishing equipment, especially here on the Maumee. . After determining where to go, make sure all your equipment is up to the task. To start, make sure the reels are in good working order. A reel bearing that was noisy or stiff under warmer conditions will completely fail in the cold. Old grease and oil will thicken, making reels difficult to use. To prevent frustration, clean and lubricate them. That way, when the fish is hooked, you’ll be able to land it.

Cold temperatures drastically reduce a fish’s metabolism and the fish don’t need to feed as often. Smaller prey is easier to catch and digest. Presenting something small and slow best mimics the natural feeding habits at this time of year. Baits in the two- to four-inch range are perfect. If the goal is to catch the biggest fish in the area, use three- to four-inch baits, but if the goal is to catch the most fish possible, select baits in the two- to three-inch range.

Weight:  1/2 oz -5/8 oz

Leader: 2-3 ft

Colors:   Pink head /Shimmer shad Tail   –  Yellow Head / Pink tail  – Green head/ Orange Tail – Black head /Berkly Naturanal chartreuseTail