How Do You Provide More Hits Than Skunked Trips?
Conservation clubs, state agencies collaborate on yearly fish habitat project
ANDOVER, OH- Fish naturally relate with some sort of habitat in Ohio’s lakes. But what happens when the habitat disappears? Typically, fishing gets a lot tougher since fish spread out and can be more difficult to find. But, thanks to the Division of Wildlife and numerous other state agencies and conservation clubs, anglers who fish Pymatuning have another hot spot to try out.
“The wood structures, or Porcupines, that we introduced imitate the old stumps that have degraded away.” said Matt Wolfe, fisheries biologist for the Ohio Division of Wildlife, who oversees this project. These structures will allow anglers to benefit from the tremendous panfish fishing that Pymatuning has to offer, and anglers won’t have to wait long before they start to work. “By the time we introduced the last structures, fish were already moving into the ones we placed earlier in the morning.” added Wolfe.
The Porcupines can be found at the following location:
Ø From N 41o 36’ 33.1” / W 80o 31’ 41.2” to N 41o 36’ 33.6” / W 80o 31’ 34.2” to N 41o 36’ 31.3” / W 80o 31’ 38.2” in about 13 - 14 feet of water
The map datum on your GPS unit should be set at NAD 83 to find the structures.
The goal of this project is to introduce 500 structures into the waters of northeastern Ohio annually. With limited funding available, none of this would be possible without the help of local organizations who have contributed to this effort. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Ohio State Parks, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pymatuning Lake Association, Ashtabula County Wildlife League, Whitetails Unlimited of Ohio, Conservation League Inc., Crooker Creek Conservation Club, and the Jefferson Conservation Club partnered up with the Division of Wildlife on this particular project in its attempt to recruit the next generation of anglers and retain the anglers who already enjoy the sport of fishing.
Structure locations in other northeast Ohio lakes can be found at the Northeast Ohio Fishing Prospects page. For all other inquiries, please contact the Wildlife District Three office in Akron at (330) 644-2293.
For more news online, check out the ODNR Press Room at ohiodnr.com