A reel good time

GRAND LAKE - The annual Crappie USA 2018 Super Event tournament returned on Friday and Saturday with record-breaking participation as the spring fishing season heats up.

Darrell Van Vactor, Crappie USA Tournament Trail operations manager said 68 two-person boats entered, up from 63 entries between pro and amateur divisions last year.

"The number of boats we had this year is the highest of any of our super events this year," he said.

Mike Powell of New Knoxville and Steve Rockwood Sr. of Wapakoneta, who brought in more than 15.5 pounds of crappie, reeled in the top prize of $3,900.

Participants spoke a lot about the chilly conditions on the lake, but the teams were easily able to catch plenty of crappie to meet the 14-fish requirement to qualify for prize money. Most top teams reported catching 25-60 fish.

While the mostly cooler weather this spring hasn't stopped fishing on the 13,500-acre lake, it has slowed the number of catches.

"The fish haven't been biting as well as they normally are this time of year, because it's been so cold, and they're used to warmer water, but I still see catches, and I've been catching fish myself," said Dave Faler, Grand Lake St. Marys State Park director.

He said fishing has been hit-or-miss so far, with crappie fishing being really affected by the cooler waters as time for spawning draws near.

"The best days I've had fishing so far are right at the tail end of a high-pressure front, and it started raining right before that low front came in and then they kind of shut down," Faler said, adding the crappie are active but are sticking close to structures about 3-4 feet deep.

Aside from crappie fishing, Faler noted anglers also are seeking catfish and bass on the lake, but those seeking crappie and bluegill are by far the most numerous. With the warmer weather predicted this week, he expects greater success for area fishermen.

"I think it's going to warm that water up, and the fish are going to start moving up closer on the brush to get ready to spawn. And I think you're going to start seeing more fish being caught, both crappie and bass," he said.

Three additional tournaments took place on the lake this weekend - the Grand Lake Crappie Series, the Rod and Gun Bass Busters and the Westend Ohio Bass Club Tournament - and another 53 are scheduled with more expected, Faler said.

He noted he's received reports of people tying onto someone else's boat dock or lift. He reminded boaters that this is illegal as the docks and lifts are private property. He said warmer weather is likely to bring out more traffic on the lake, and all boaters should remain alert on the water.