Ohio's Big Fish Secret

AEP Recreation Lands Are A Jewel Close To Home

By Robert Loewendick

Well, it was a secret, or little known anyway, until I wrote this article, but there is plenty of fishing available at this hotspot.

When planning a fishing or hunting vacation, many outdoorsmen/women think of distance places with expensive guides and outfitters.

With the prices of gasoline and other elements of travel rising like a kite in a tornado, staying and planning an outdoor adventure closer to home is becoming popular.

Located in rural southeastern Ohio is one of the nation’s best opportunities for quality, affordable, and a diverse outdoors adventure. American Electric Power’s Recreation Land (AEPRL) covers more than 30,000 acres, open to anyone to use, although a permit is required, which is free and easy to obtain.

The AEPRL is intersected by the Morgan, Noble, and Muskingum county boundaries, six miles south of Cumberland Ohio. The land, which is reclaimed surface mining land, offers a variety of outdoors pursuits.

Opportunities abound for the entire family including: fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, and horseback riding, all available on the AEPRL property.

The spring season in the AEPRL waters offer the best largemouth bass fishing in the state. With more than 350 ponds and lakes providing over 2,000 acres of water surface, some only accessible by foot, there is an abundance of fishing opportunities.

If panfish are your targeted species, you won’t find any water in Ohio that grows bluegill any bigger than the AEPRL waters. Because of the remote locations of some of the lakes, the bass and bluegill grow to impressive and heavy sizes. Not only are the numbers in poundage high, so are the numbers of fish the waters hold.

It may sound like a far-fetched comment, considering the popularity of bass fishing, but literally, some of the fish swimming in a few of these remote lakes have never seen an artificial lure. That doesn’t mean that the fish will bite on anything thrown at it with a treble hook attached, but the possibility for a wall-mount type fish is great.

What, When and Where

Most fishing can be done from the shore, but there are access points on several of the lakes to slide in a small boat (a horsepower limit of 9.9 is enforced and many anglers only use an electric motor which is more than efficient).

A few of the lakes are only fishable by boat, because of the steep terrain surrounding the lake. It’s easy to spot swimming fish near the shoreline with the calm and clear waters.

To be successful on these lakes, an angler must approach the water’s edge quietly and with as little movement necessary as to not spook the fish.

Again, spring is the preferred season to be casting in these lakes and ponds, but the summer season still produces quality catches. Largemouth bass are caught on any typical pre-spawn and post-spawn type lures such as: spinnerbaits, spinners, and jigs with trailers. The spinning lure produces the action to instigate a bite from a pre-spawning bass, as will the spinnerbait, with large blades producing a lot of flash.

Another productive lure is a purple plastic worm or salamander. A Texas rigged 6-inch plastic critter, bounced and then lifted and left to flutter to the bottom, has produced many strikes when the fish were slow to react to other artificial baits.

Jigs tipped with any trailer fished slowly and given time to settle to the bottom for a second or two before retrieving is a productive and popular technique of local AEPRL anglers.

Bluegills can be caught on any panfish lure available. Anglers are impressed when sighting an AEPRL bluegill for the first time. The bluegills extreme color is reflective of the clean, spring-fed lakes that make up the waters of AEPRL. Live bait is the most reliable bait of the AEPRL, especially with the youth that fish the lakes and ponds. Nightcrawlers, grubs, and minnows are the primary species of hook hangers for bass.

A simple rigging of hook and bobber is all that is necessary to present live bait. A kid can bait his/her hook with a nightcrawler and have plenty of action, including several respectable bass, in little time.

If the bass are holding back then downsize the offering to small pieces of worm or change to mealworms and the bluegill will supply plenty of action. Not only will this adaptation to tackle presentation bring on action, but also a decent supply of fillets to enjoy back at camp or to take home.

The lakes are also stocked periodically with channel catfish. The channel cats are mostly found in the large lakes next to the campgrounds. This offers a fine chance for the younger kids camping with the family to participate in the angling action. The fresh water habitat that these lakes provide the channel fish also provide tasty fillets for the angler.

The closest town with lodging is Caldwell, seven miles east of the property on I-77, exit 25. A larger city, Cambridge, is 20 miles north of Caldwell, with many choices of food, lodging, and other sources of supplies, including a hospital.

Although, a major benefit to the AEPRL angler is the onsite camping that is available in 10 camping areas on the property.

The 10 camping areas contain approximately 380 campsites. As with all of the activities on the property, the free “Recreation Land Users Permit” is required for campsite use.

Each camp area is supplied with a shared water supply, fire rings, picnic tables, and a latrine, but no electric hook-ups are available.

Seven of the camp areas are located near a lake or pond with fishing available within walking distance from camp. A person or group can enjoy a few days of fishing without leaving the campsite.

The Ohio Valley attracts thousands of outdoorsmen/women to its forests, fields, and waters because of quality habitat the area provides in many sections of the region. It’s obvious by the quality of fish that comes from American Electric Power’s Recreation Lands, that it is a highlight of Ohio’s natural resources.

A permit and maps can be obtained at any AEP office or write to: American Electric Power, P.O. Box 328, McConnelsville, OH 43756; or visit www.aep.com and download maps and permit online.

Contact Robert Loewendick at: rrloewendick@yahoo.com