Well, as usual, Piedmont Lake is the first of our local waters to turn on. The lake is continuing to rise after the Winter drawdown and the main Marina ramp should be useable in a week or two. Boats can be launched off the old roadbed to the right of the ramp and those anglers with 4-WD vehicles can launch from the rest area on Rte.# 22. The Saugeye bite is cranking up with limits of 17″ to 22″ fish being caught in 14 to 25 foot depths from the dam up to the 4-H Point. The roadbed by the dam and the entrance to Essex Bay have been the best areas so far. Bladebaits, especially the 1/4 ounce Vib-“E” in chrome/blue back have been the best producers, with jig/minnow and jig/plastic combos running a close second. This bite should last through the last week of March. After that these fish will begin to migrate to the upper end of the reservoir. In April the best bet will be to launch at the Reynolds Road Ramp and fish the extreme upper end in water depths from 2 to 8 feet. Livelining Shiners, Suckers, or Chubs will produce well then, as will casting crankbaits on shallow gravel-to-mud transitions. So far Piedmont is the only local lake to turn on. Atwood and Tappan should begin to pick up about the third week of March, with Seneca, Salt Fork, and Clendenning following closely behind.
February 25, 2002 at 5:56 pm
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