Ohio Valley Outdoor Times 7-2016

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Though thought ofas a relatively docilefish, walleyes are infact aggressive preda-tors. During the latespring and early partof the summer flow-ing waters can pro-vide good action forwalleyes if you key inon the right placeswith the right tactics.Once walleyes have

recovered from the spawn, and water tem-peratures rise up into the high 60s and low70s, they will move into current areas,sometimes surprisingly strong current areas.On local free-flowing waters, like the mid-dle portion of theAllegheny River (PA), andthe lower stretches of Mahoning and Red-bank creeks, walleyes will nose into currentspots at the base of heavy riffles, using theprotection of the rocks found there to pro-vide proper ambush points to pick off theabundant prey found there.Soft swimbaits outshine most other offer-

ings in their ability to deceive river walleyesin this situation. They are available in a va-riety of shapes. I’ve found the best ones,walleye-wise, to be pre-rigged baits in thethree- to four-inch size range. More specif-ically, I’ve had success with Storm’s Wild-

Story inside page 6

FINAL WMT EVENT IN THE BOOKS - P.13

Early SummerWalleyes

GrayShades

July 2016

Ohio Valley

Times

Turn To Walleyes Page 4Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo by Jeff Knapp

Chris and Jeff Leonard of Latrobe, PA display a nice Allegheny River walleye taken earlier this summer from the tailout section of a pool.

By Jeff KnappFishing Editor

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OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES2 July 2016

Too much copy inthis edition is dedicatedto poaching arrests andother illegal activitiesrelated to hunting inboth Ohio and WestVirginia. See two sto-ries on the subject: onPage 5, titled “ThreeConvicted in VintonCounty (OH) Incident”and Page 9, “EightPoachers Arrested in WV on 77 Charges”.That’s a lot of wrongdoing!

Doing wrong for what reason? Personalgain? Putting food on the table? For thrills,or stupidity? Pick one, they’re all wrong!Are our laws tough enough to quell these il-legal activities? They must not be, peoplekeep doing it, and ruining it for those whoabide the laws.

For the three convicted felons in the Vin-ton County, Ohio case, two of them re-ceived four years in prison, the other sixyears and all three received a LIFETIMEloss of hunting privileges in at least 44states (part of the Wildlife Violators Com-pact). These three idiots took spotlightingdeer to another level. As they fled into thewoods on a dark evening after DNR officersapproached them, one of the suspects firedtwo rounds toward the officers. It got seri-ous from that point.

In the West Virginia case the eight menamassed 77 hunting violations involving theillegal hunting of black bears. All of thoseviolations covered just 4-5 months in 2015.The multiple charges included variouscounts of: illegal trapping of bear, illegalkilling of bear, spotlighting bear, huntingwithout permission, hunting bear duringclosed season, illegal possession of bear,hunting bear with use of bait and conspir-ing to violate Chapter 20 of the WV statecode.

Most of the charges were filed in Grantand Mineral counties in West Virginia.

I’m going to guess this is not the first timesome of these hunters have been involvedin illegal activities. They are, however, justcharges brought against the individuals andare innocent until proven guilty. We’ll see.It’s a good bet some of them will be forfeit-ing a few weapons and their hunting privi-leges for a few years.

Back in Ohio, I just received the latest“Field Reports” from the ODNR Divisionof Wildlife. These are little snippets, or re-ports, the officers have encountered over thepast few months. Are people really thisDUMB?

Atop the list of reports is one about a fish-erman at the Hoover Reservoir (FranklinCounty). The wildlife officer observed theindividual fishing and later approached theperson. The fisherman saw the officer ap-proaching and set down his pole. Eventu-ally the fisherman was seen trying to leavethe parking lot. The officer approached him,asking to see his fishing license. The fish-erman stated he was headed to the bait storeto “buy his license”. Besides witnessing thefisherman with a pole in his hand he alsosaw fresh minnows in his possession. “Healready stopped at the bait store,” noted theofficer in the report. The fisherman wascited and ordered to pay $128 and courtcosts.

Another group of fishermen in MedinaCounty (Spencer Lake Wildlife Area) didnot feel they needed to possess a fishing li-cense. Five men were were actively fishingwith two poles, again observed by anODNR officer, but they all claimed to be“simply enjoying the weather” from a fish-ing dock. Each of the ‘enjoying the weath-er’ chaps were issued a summons for fishingwithout a license, were convicted and paida total of $770 in fines and court costs.

Are People Really This DUMB?5 Three Convicted inVinton County, WV

ODNR

6 Gray Shades ofSummer

Ralph Scherder

8 Ohio’s BoaterEducation Law

ODNR

9 Eight PoachersArrested in WV

WVDNR

10 RBFF Reveals TopPlaces to Fish & Boat

RBFF

11 Increased Access =More Opportunities onShenango River

COL (Ret.) Grey D. Berrier

12 Top Five InlandLakes for 2016

ODNR

13 Gwynn & WhitacreWin Final WMT Event

WMT

INSIDE THIS MONTH

14 Five Ways to Stretch Your Camping Dollars

3D Archery Shoots - July 17, Aug. 21, Sept. 18. Hosted by Mosquito Bowmen, 2535 McClearyJacoby Rd., Cortland, OH 44410. Cost $10, Cubs under 12 free. For info. call 330-507-1212 or seewebsite: www.mosquitobowmen.com.Ohio River Catfish Tournaments - July 23; Aug. 6. Sponsored by Chester-Newell Sportsmen’sClub. Open to everyone. 7 p.m. Sat. to 7 a.m. Sun. Boundaries Pittsburgh to Wheeling. $10 per fish-erman. Visit Chaney’s Service Station or call 304-387-3982.3-D Archery Shoots - Aug. 6-7; Sept. 4 at Beaver Creek Sportsman Club, 14480 WashingtonvilleRd., Washingtonville, OH. Contact Chuck York at 330-978-3253 or 330-716-3964.Explore the Outdoors Day -August 13 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) at Beaver Creek State Park (alsoWildlifeEducation Center), 12780 Echo Dell Road, East Liverpool, OH 43920; featuring several hands-onoutdoor demonstrations for youths and adults. Event is free. Visit website:www.friendsofbeavercreekstatepark.org.

By Larry ClaypoolEditor

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OUTDOOR CALENDAR

Publisher/Editor, Larry [email protected]

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[email protected] Valley Outdoor Times

is published by Ohio Valley Outdoors Magazine©

Offices located at210 E. 4th Street, East Liverpool, OH 43920Phone 330-385-2243, Fax 330-385-7114

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To Advertise CALL 330-385-2243

OutdoorOhio Valley

TimesJuly 2016 VOL. 8, NO. 07

Contributing EditorsRalph Scherder, Hunting Editor

Jeff Knapp, Fishing EditorBrian Miller, Field Editor

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OHIO VALLEY OUTDOOR TIMES 3July 2016

eye Jigging Swim Shad and Curl Tail Min-now; and Northland’s Slurpies Swim Shadand Swim Shiner.Four to five-inch hard jerkbaits, like Ra-

pala’s Husky Jerk, Bomber’s Long A andSmithwick’s Rogue also work well in thesetypes of waters.The best approach is to allow the boat

(or kayak/canoe on smaller waters) to driftthrough the riffle, being poised to cast assoon as you reach the “quality” water.Then make cross-current casts, using theweight of the bait to get it down to the fish.The trick is to work the bait just fastenough to keep it from hanging in therocks. As the name suggests, you swimthis bait. No jigging, no stop-n-go…just asteady retrieve. Continue with this ap-proach as the boat drifts through the runthat heavy riffles typically feed in to. Andexperiment with colors, as walleyes can becolor selective.Another early summer location that pro-

duces of walleyes is the tailout area oflarge river pools. This is the area wherethe pool shallows up, increasing in speedbefore it dumps into the riffle or run below.Such places often feature clumps of emerg-ing milfoil and eelgrass, providing addi-tional cover. Early and late in the day, andduring rainy/cloudy days, it’s common to

catch river walleyes in a foot or two ofwater from such spots. And they act likeriver smallies, fighting hard and sloshingaround on the surface.One of the best ways I’ve found of

catching these fish is by way of a soft jerk-bait like Yum’s Houdini Shad or WincoCustom Baits’River Darter. Rig the 5-inchbait on a 3/0 hook. Hooks that incorporatea light cylindrical weight to the hookshank, like Mustad’s Power Lock Plus,work well for this, as the weight acts as akeel, toning down the action of the bait,which walleyes seem to prefer.Hold the boat (or anchor) above the shal-

low tailout zone and make long casts quar-tering downriver. Allow the bait to swingdown with the current as you slowly twitchit back upriver. Once the bait’s swing iscomplete, and it’s hanging straight down-river, permit it to hang in the current a fewseconds, which often triggers a strike.Then continue slowly twitching the baitback to the boat. In warmer water riverwalleyes like to follow the bait, so let ithang for a second or two before pulling itout of the water.Other lure options that dupe walleyes in

river tail-outs are Senko-style worms, thepreviously described soft swimbaits, andspinnerbaits. The latter can be particularlyeffective when the water is muddy from re-cent rain.


Walleyes From Page 1COLUMBUS, OH—The Ohio Depart-

ment of Natural Resources (ODNR) willhost three more Paddle Palooza Festivalsat Maumee Bay State Park, Caesar CreekState Park and West Branch State Park.These free events are a great opportunityfor people to try a variety of canoes andkayaks and learn how to do stand-up pad-dleboarding (SUP). Experts will also beavailable to share information about localpaddling activities and resources.The locations are:Maumee Bay State ParkInland LakeSunday, July 1011 a.m.-4 p.m.Contact: Sarah Genzman419-836-6003Caesar Creek State Park LakeSaturday, Aug. 131 p.m.-6 p.m.Contact: Don Siler937-323-1582West Branch State Park LakeSaturday, Aug. 1310 a.m.-2 p.m.Contact: Stephanie Uber330-644-2265Paddlesports in Ohio have increased in

popularity over the past several years. In2015, more than 161,000 Ohioans regis-tered canoes, kayaks or other paddle-spe-

cific watercraft. Over the last decade(2006-2015), Ohio’s kayak and canoe reg-istrations (including liveries) have in-creased 138 percent.Those numbers are expected to grow as

the state continues to invest in the paddlingcommunity. From 2006 to 2015, more than$7 million was provided through commu-nity grant programs and publications. Thissupport provided carry-in and small boataccess, as well as hands-on skill develop-ment through local education and recre-ation programs, including Paddle Paloozafestivals and the Paddle Ohio program. Italso funded publications detailing streamaccess and paddling opportunities.The ODNR Division ofWatercraft is re-

sponsible for boating safety, education andlaw enforcement on all waters of the state.This statewide area includes the near-shorearea along 451 miles of the Ohio River, ap-proximately one-third the entire surfacearea of Lake Erie, more than 605 inlandlakes and more than 60,000 miles of inlandstreams, rivers and other waterways. TheBuckeye State is one of only seven statesin the nation where admission and parkingat state parks are free. Many Ohio familiesand out-of-state residents turn to Ohio’swaterways for fishing, swimming, boatingand paddlesports.Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.

ODNR to Host Annual Paddle Palooza

ATHENS, OH — Three McArthur,Ohio residents recently pleaded guilty tonumerous hunting and drug charges inVinton County, according to the OhioDepartment of Natural Resources(ODNR).On November 13, 2015, ODNR Divi-

sion of Wildlife Officers in southeastOhio were working a plane project inVinton County looking for spotlightingactivity. State Wildlife Officer JaredAbele was directed to a vehicle in SwanTownship. When the truck finally cameto a stop two individuals fled into thewoods. The driver was detained and sub-sequently arrested. State wildlife officers,as well as the McArthur Police Depart-ment and the Vinton County Sheriff’s Of-fice, arrived on scene to assist in locatingthe two suspects. The plane observed alight in the woods and six officers enteredto apprehend the suspect. As theysearched through the dense forest, twoshots were fired by one of the suspects.The officers withdrew and set up aperimeter on the surrounding roads. TheOhio State Highway Patrol brought intheir aircraft with Forward Looking In-frared (FLIR) technology to help locatethe suspects. The search was suspended

after an extensive five hours when thesuspects had not been located.The driver, Shawn Barber, was inter-

viewed the following morning and theidentities of the two suspects were estab-lished. Timothy Ousley was apprehendedlater that day by the Vinton County Sher-iff’s Office.A team of state wildlife officers and in-

vestigators gathered information on thesecond suspect’s possible whereaboutsand, with the assistance of The SouthernOhio FugitiveApprehension Strike Team(SOFAST) of U.S. Marshals, KevinWright was apprehended several dayslater.The case was presented to the Vinton

County Grand Jury and all three suspectswere indicted on a total of 25 charges.Through the diligent work of TreciaKimes-Brown, Prosecutor, all three sus-pects pleaded guilty to various charges.Trecia Kimes-Brown and the Vinton

County Prosecutor’s Office were recentlyrecognized by the ODNR Division ofWildlife for their efforts to help protectand preserve Ohio’s natural resourcesthrough their work in prosecuting the in-dividuals involved in the spotlightingproject.

Each of the three individuals received alifetime loss of hunting privileges andwere entered into the Interstate WildlifeViolators Compact, meaning they arealso banned from purchasing a hunting li-cense in all of the 44 membered states.The Wellston Police Department, the

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and theHocking County Sheriff’s Office also as-sisted with the case.Anyone observing or suspecting that

wildlife violations are occurring may re-port illegal activity by calling the Turn-In-A-Poacher (TIP) hotline toll free at1-800-POACHER.ODNR ensures a balance between wise

use and protection of our natural re-sources for the benefit of all. Visit theODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.Defendants, charges, and sentences in

the case are:ShawnM. Barber, 29, McArthur - con-

victed of aggravated possession of drugs,improper handling of a firearm, obstruct-ing justice, and one count of jacklighting.Sentenced to 4 years in prison and a life-time loss of hunting privileges. Orderedto pay $2000 in fines and forfeit all itemsseized.Timothy A. Ousley, 28, McArthur -

convicted of aggravated possession ofdrugs, improper handling of a firearm,obstructing official business, and one

count of jacklighting. Sentenced to 4years in prison and a lifetime loss ofhunting privileges. Ordered to pay $2000in fines and forfeit all items seized.Kevin J. Wright, 28, McArthur - con-

victed of aggravated drug trafficking andattempted felonious assault. Sentenced to6 years in prison and lifetime loss ofhunting privileges.All items seized were forfeited to Vin-

ton County Sheriff’s Office, and includeda Ford F150 pick-up truck, an AK-47rifle, two handguns, crystal meth, aniPhone, and various other items.


Three Convicted inVinton County (OH) Incident

Ohio Valley Outdoors-Magazine

@OVOutdoors

As the wails andwhines of the GrayFox Pups In Distresscall filled the frostynight air, I trained myflashlight on the realthing heading myway up the tree line.The eyes on thisadult gray fox re-flected in the lightlike gold coins bounc-ing up and down as it got closer. Ishifted just slightly, enough to better po-sition my shotgun on my knee and thestock against my shoulder so I couldtake the shot. It was enough that thelight moved off of the animal by a fewfeet. When I shined back where the grayfox had been only a split second earlier,it was gone.

This happened last November and Istill haven’t forgotten it. No matter howmany times you experience success, it’sthe little defeats along the way that standout most. You can rue them or you canuse them as fuel for improvement. This

summer, I’ve decided to do the latter.Even though I can’t harvest these ani-mals this time of year, there’s no lawagainst calling them in for the camera.Also, heading afield without a gun andjust focusing on my set-ups and callinghas been a great learning experience thatwill help me be more successful this fall.

Gray fox are interesting critters.They’re not as famous or as esteemed astheir red-coated brethren, although per-sonally I think they’re prettier. By na-ture, they’re more aggressive and havesmaller ranges, which makes them agreat candidate for predator hunters.You can do a lot of things wrong andstill call in a gray fox.

The biggest factor that determinessuccess or failure, of course, is wind di-rection. That one doesn’t change nomatter if you’re hunting predators orwhitetails – the wrong wind can foilyour hunt quicker than anything. Reallywindy nights haven’t been all that pro-ductive for me when calling fox thissummer, and come to think of it, thatholds true in the fall as well. Those

blustery, stormy nights when you thinkgame is going to be running hard beforea front are typically anti-climactic whencalling fox. Calm nights have beenmuch better.

Two reasons could play a factor tothis. First, on calm nights your scentisn’t blowing all over the place. Con-sidering that most predators will ap-proach from downwind, this means thaton windy nights they could hit yourscent long before they’re close enoughto be seen. Calling fox in the daytimehas been an interesting experience inthis regard. Calling at night, my field ofview is limited to that of my artificiallight. During daylight hours, though,you see everything, and several timesI’ve seen fox hang up a couple hundredyards out that I never would’ve knownwere there if I was calling at night. Thewindier it is, the farther out the fox tendto hang up.

Second, sound carries better on calmnights. More importantly, predators cankey in on the direction of the sound bet-ter on calm nights.

This isn’t to say that you should stayhome on windy nights. You can stillhave success during those times, but


Gray Shades of Summer

Ohio Valley Outdoors– Photo by Ralph ScherderMore than anything, calling gray fox is anumbers game. The more stand locations

you hit in one night, the better your chancesof finding a fox to respond to your calls.

By Ralph ScherderHunting Editor

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Turn To Shades of Gray Page 7


How to Contact US

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you’ll do better if you adjust your standlocations to fit the conditions. When thewind is blowing hard, I prefer tighter lo-cations where visibility is more limited,and I try to cut off the downwind ap-proach. Hunting higher ground and onridges can be really productive becauseyour scent will blow out into the wideopen.In general, I try not to over-think stand

locations, even on windy nights. Ashunters, we’re always looking for waysto be more efficient and experience suc-cess more often. Truth is, you can doeverything right all night long and stillnot call in a gray fox. Maybe they justaren’t in the mood to respond. Maybeyou never got within earshot of a foxthat night. Maybe they stayed close totheir dens. On any given night, therecould be a dozen reasons to explain fail-ure, so don’t take it personally and trynot to get discouraged.More than anything, calling gray fox

is a numbers game. The more stand lo-cations you hit in one night, the betteryour chances of finding a fox to respondto your calls. I’m not that picky aboutlocations. If I come across a field bor-dered by a creek bottom, I’ll pull over

and get as far off the road as I legallyhave to before I start calling. It’s thatsimple. Find a spot, turn on the call, seewhat happens. If you don’t get a re-sponse in 10-15 minutes, move on to thenext spot. Because gray fox have muchsmaller ranges than reds, your next loca-tion can be a mile down the road andyou’ll be reaching a whole different pop-ulation.The biggest thing I’ve learned is that

once a gray fox enters the scene, keepyour light on it. A gray fox will keepcoming into a continuous light, but itwill spook if that light shifts. Also, ifhunting with a partner, you should eachhave your own light and face oppositedirections and make sure you’re in goodshooting positions before you even turnon the call.Not all fox calling has to be done at

night. Maybe it’s the time of year, butso far this summer I’ve called in quite afew gray fox during daylight hours, es-pecially the first and last hour of light.That’s a time frame I used to overlookwhen predator hunting, but this fall I’mlooking forward to giving it a try. That’sthe beauty of the offseason. It gives ustime to reflect and experiment and findnew tricks that will help us be more suc-cessful this fall.

Shades of Gray From Page 6

EAST LIVERPOOL, OH — CurtJena of Hopewell High School andMarkie Emmerling of East LiverpoolJunior High earned top honors in thesecond season of the Upper Ohio ValleyStudentAngler League. Jena claimed theTim Horton’s Angler of the Year in thehigh school division and Emmerling wasthe Protech Electric Junior High Anglerof the Year.The top awards were realized after

UOVSAL’s final event held on LakeErie on June 8. Jena, a sophomore, fin-ished third in the Lake Erie event to cap-ture the overall league individual title.Emmerling won the junior high divisionon Lake Erie to seal his top honor. Healso captured the Heritage Thermal BigBass award in the junior circuit.Danny Gentile of Hopewell won the

Lake Erie tournament. Brian Schnell ofSpringfield Local High School was sec-ond. Schnell also won the HeritageThermal Big Bass award for the largestbass. Stephanie Emmerling, last year’sAngler of the Year, finished fourth.Seth Alford took second place behind

Emmerling in the junior high division on

Lake Erie. Cole Abbott of ColumbusWorthington was third.The Upper Ohio Valley Student An-

gler League, a high school based fishingleague is in its second season. HarryEmmerling is the founder and director.— Larry Claypool

Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo courtesy of Harry EmmerlingMarkie Emmerling, of East Liverpool JuniorHigh, won the UOVSAL 2016 Junior HighAngler of the Year award. He’s shown withhis Big Bass fish at the recent Lake Erie event.

Jena, Emmerling Take Top UOVSAL Honors

Ohio law requires boaters born on orafter January 1, 1982, to successfullycomplete either a boating course or aproficiency exam in order to operate aboat powered by more than 10 horse-power.The boating course must be approved

by the National Association of StateBoating Law Administrators; and theproficiency exam must be approved bythe ODNR Division of Watercraft. Thelaw applies to any operator AND anysupervising adult who was born on orafter January 1, 1982.The Education Law Does NOT ChangeOperator Age LawsFor PWC (Personal Watercraft,

known by the common trade names ofSki-Doo, Waverunner, SeaDoo, etc.):• Children under 12 may not operate

PWC, not even with an education cer-tificate.• Children 12 to 15 can operate PWC

as long as they are under the direct su-pervision of an adult (18 or older) whois onboard AND as long as the childAND the supervising adult (if born onor after January 1, 1982) have education

certificates.• Children 16 or older can operate

PWC as long as they have an educationcertificate. Adult supervision is not re-quired.For Powerboats (besides PWC) greaterthan 10 HP:• Children under 12 can operate any

other type of powerboat greater than10HP as long as they are under the di-rect supervision of an adult (18 or older)who is onboard AND as long as thechildAND the supervising adult (if bornon or after January 1, 1982) have edu-cation certificates.• Children 12 and over may operate

any other type of powerboat greater than10HP as long as they have an educationcertificate. Adult supervision is not re-quired.72 Hours to Produce Proof of EducationAnyone born on or after January 1,

1982, who is operating a vessel poweredby more than 10 horsepower and isstopped by a law enforcement officer onOhio waters must produce a certificate

of completion of either an approvedcourse or proficiency test not later than72 hours after being stopped. Proof thatthe person holds such a certificate mayalso be provided within the 72-hour pe-riod instead of the actual certificate.Failure of the person to present the cer-tificate or proof of holding a certificatewithin the 72-hour period is prima-facieevidence of a violation.Rentals:Rental businesses cannot lease or rent

a boat powered by more than 10 horse-power to anyone born on or after Janu-ary 1, 1982, unless the person:• Signs a statement that they have suc-

cessfully completed an approved boat-ing course or a proficiency exam, OR• Successfully passes an abbreviated

exam, with a score of 90 percent or bet-ter, administered by the business andvalid only for the period of the rentalagreement.ViolationsViolators of this requirement are

guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourthdegree if the violation is not related to acollision, injury to a person, or damageto property, punishable by a fine of notmore than $250, a term of imprisonment

of not more than 30 days, or both.If the violation is related to a colli-

sion, injury to a person, or damage toproperty, it is a misdemeanor of the thirddegree, which is punishable by a fine ofnot more than $500, a term of imprison-ment of not more than 60 days, or both.Any person who operates a boat pow-

ered by more than 10HP and commits aviolation which involves a threat to thesafety of persons or property must be or-dered by the court to successfully com-plete a boating education courseapproved by the NationalAssociation ofState BoatingAdministrators before theoffender is allowed to operate any boatgreater than 10HP on Ohio waters. Vio-lation of such a court order is punishableas contempt under existing law.http://watercraft.ohiodnr.gov/coursesearchhttps://www.boat-ed.com/ohio/http://www.boaterexam.com/usa/ohio/faq.aspxhttp://www.boatus.org/onlinecourse/states/ed_requirements_map.asp


Ohio’s Boater Education Law

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ROMNEY,WV—West Virginia Nat-ural Resources Police Officers havecompleted an investigation that has re-sulted in the arrest of eight men on 77charges of violations of West Virginiagame laws involving the illegal huntingof black bears. The investigation beganin September 2015 when an illegal bearbaiting site near Mount Storm in GrantCounty was reported to the DNR Dis-trict 2 office in Romney.Lead investigators Sgt. G.M. Willen-borg and Senior Natural Resources Po-lice Officer A.D. Kuykendall, assistedby natural resources police officers fromMineral, Grant and Pendleton counties,completed the investigation and filed thecharges. The alleged illegal bear huntingviolations occurred between May 2015and September 2015. Charges have beenbrought against the following individu-als and are pending in court. The chargesidentified are allegations and any defen-dant is innocent until proven guilty in acourt of law.Mark Allen Lampka, Jr. of MountStorm, West Virginia, was charged withviolations ranging from (2 counts) ille-gal trapping of bear, (4 counts) illegal

killing of bear, (6 counts) illegal posses-sion of bear, (2 counts) spotlighting bear,conspiring to violate Chapter 20 of theWest Virginia State Code, hunting with-out permission, hunting bear duringclosed season and other game law vio-lations. These charges were brought inGrant and Mineral counties.Daniel Boddy of New Creek, WestVirginia, was charged with (2 counts) il-legal killing of bear, (2 counts) illegaltrapping of bear, (4 counts) illegal pos-session of bear, spotlighting bear, con-spiring to violate Chapter 20 of theWestVirginia State Code and other game lawviolations. These charges were broughtin Grant and Mineral counties.Chad Fridley of Mount Storm, WestVirginia, was charged with illegal killingof bear, spotlighting bear, (2 counts) il-legal possession of bear and conspiringto violate Chapter 20 of the West Vir-ginia State Code. These charges werebrought in Grant and Mineral counties.Steve Thomas Lyons, Jr. of Elk Gar-den, West Virginia, was charged with il-legal killing of bear, spotlighting bear,hunting bear with use of bait, illegal pos-session of bear and conspiring to violate

Chapter 20 of the West Virginia StateCode. These charges were brought inGrant and Mineral counties.Dustin Knaggs of New Creek, WestVirginia, was charged with illegal killingof bear, spotlighting bear, illegal posses-sion of bear and conspiring to violateChapter 20 of the West Virginia StateCode. These charges were brought inMineral County.Terry Kuh of Maysville, West Vir-ginia, was charged with spotlightingbear, hunting bear with use of bait, ille-gal possession of bear, illegal taking ofbear during closed season and conspir-ing to violate Chapter 20 of the West

Virginia State Code. These charges werebrought in Grant County.James Scott Kuhn of New Creek,West Virginia, was charged with huntingbear with the use of a trap, illegal pos-session of bear, and conspiring to violateChapter 20 of the West Virginia StateCode. These charges were brought inMineral County.Ronnie P. Bothwell of Burlington,West Virginia, was charged with huntingbear with the use of a trap, illegal pos-session of bear and conspiring to violateChapter 20 of the West Virginia StateCode. These charges were brought inMineral County.

Eight Poachers Arrestedin WV on 77 Charges

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Recre-ational Boating & Fishing Foundation(RBFF) and its Take Me Fishing andVamos A Pescar campaigns recently re-leased the 2016 Top 100 Family-FriendlyPlaces to Fish and Boat. Florida’s Ever-glades National Park snagged the No. 1 po-sition as the best place to fish and boat inthe U.S. for the second consecutive year.Take Me Fishing™ and Vamos A

Pescar™ brought back America’s TopFamily Fishing and Boating Spots InstantWin and Sweepstakes for its third consec-utive year, with the goal of finding greatfamily-friendly fishing areas and gettingmore families out on the water. More than300 sites representing all 50 states werepre-selected from across the U.S. and en-trants were able to vote daily for their fa-vorite places.Criteria for the Top 100 included having

a public body of water within driving dis-tances of a major city, good fishing oppor-tunities and family-friendly amenities.Withthe newly introduced Spanish-languageversion of the survey, instant-win prizesand mobile access to the voting process, it’seasy to see why this year’s sweepstakessaw the highest number of votes. Nearly35,000 different anglers and boaters castnearly 650,000 votes to support their fa-

vorite fishing and boating locations.Top 10 Places to Drop a Line in 2016:Everglades National Park, Fla.Bahia Honda State Park,Atlantic Ocean,

Fla.Blue Springs State Park, St. Johns River,

Fla.Kissimmee State Park, Lake Kissimmee,

Fla.Clear Lake State Park, Clear Lake, Calif.Brannon Island State Park, Sacramento

River, Calif.Dockweiler State Beach, Santa Monica

Bay, Calif.Hanging Rock State Park, Hanging Rock

Park Lake, N.C.Guntersville State Park, Guntersville

Lake, Ala.Lake James State Park, Lake James,Ala.

Other Interesting Facts:Places in North Carolina and Alabama

moved into the coveted Top 10, displacingTexas and Pennsylvania.In 2016, 29 states are represented in the

Top 100, four more states than in 2015.Florida and California are the only states

to have placed in the Top 10 three years ina row.“The best way to enjoy fishing and boat-

ing is to find a special place to fish withfamily and friends, so we’re thrilled that so

many people shared their favorite place toengage in this national pastime,” saidRBFF President and CEO, Frank Peterson.“With so many states represented in theTop 100, we’re encouraging everyone toget out on the water and enjoy these family-friendly locations. It’s a great way to enjoy,conserve and restore our nation’s aquaticnatural resources.”

With National Fishing and BoatingWeek starting June 4, check out theseopportunities to help consumers enjoy

fishing and boating this summer:Free Fishing Days 2016 - Most states

will offer free fishing days for everyone tofish on public bodies of water without afishing license. These days are the perfectopportunity for beginners to try fishing forthe first time.#ReelFun Fishing Events - Kick-off

events will be hosted at more than 1,000Walmart® stores across the U.S. June 3 -5. All ages and skill levels are invited tolearn fishing tips from expert anglers, pur-chase a fishing license, and test their cast-ing skills.#FirstCatch - Create and capture mo-

ments fishing with family and friends, thenshare them with others online using #First-Catch. #FirstCatch is Take Me F Fish-ing’s initiative to help anglers cometogether and revel in the joys of fishing andboating by sharing their first fishing andboating memories - first catch of the day,

first fish of the season or even the firstcatch of a lifetime.For additional details on National Fish-

ing and Boating Week, including yourstate’s Free Fishing Days, visit TakeMe-Fishing.org. The site, along with its Span-ish language counterpart,VamosAPescar.org, is a one-stop resourcefor fishing license and boat registration in-formation, fishing and boating locations na-tionwide and how-to information to helpplan fishing and boating adventures.

About the Recreational Boating &Fishing Foundation (RBFF)

RBFF is a nonprofit organization whosemission is to increase participation in recre-ational angling and boating, thereby pro-tecting and restoring the nation’s aquaticnatural resources. RBFF developed theaward-winning Take Me Fishing™ andVamos A Pescar™ campaigns to createawareness around boating, fishing and con-servation, and educate people about thebenefits of participation. Take Me Fishingand Vamos A Pescar help boaters and an-glers of all ages and experience levelslearn, plan and equip for a day on the water.The campaign websites, TakeMeFish-ing.org, and VamosAPescar.org, featurehow-to videos, information on how to get afishing license and boat registration, and aninteractive state-by-state map that allowsvisitors to find local boating and fishingspots.


RBFF Reveals Top Places to Fish and Boat

HINTON, WV (AP) — West Vir-ginia’s state parks will soon featurecharging stations for electric cars.The Register-Herald reports that the

U.S. Department of Energy provided agrant to the parks system to set up thestations across state parks in West Vir-ginia.The parks system has ordered 11 sta-

tions for state parks that have a lodge.They will feature dual chargers and willbe able to produce 30 to 80 amps.Paul Redford, the district administra-

tor for theWest Virginia Division of Nat-ural Resources, Parks and Recreation,says the stations will allow the parks toattract more visitors.“There are not a lot of other states that

have this many interstate systems run-ning through it,” Redford said. “We aresitting in an area perfect for more electriccar stations.”He said officials don’t plan to charge

for using the stations.Redford said the program is in line

with the agency’s mission statement topromote conservation.

“We’re trying to be as environmentallyfriendly as possible,” Redford said. “Weare doing our part to reduce emissionsand solid waste.”If they’re popular, the parks system

says it will work to add more stations toaccommodate demand.“I hope visitors plug into a station then

go and spend money in the gift shop,”Redford said. “I’m really excited to getthis going.”

WV Parks to OfferElectric Car Charging Stations

Have a question forthe OVO Pro Staff?Please submit questions on

a variety of topics tomembers of the Pro Staff

via email at:[email protected].

To most passersby,the Shenango Riveris simply a road signmarking the first wa-terway Interstate 80passes over after en-tering Pennsylvaniafrom Ohio, a scanttwo miles from thestate line. Like manysmaller waterwaysthroughout Ohio,Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, theShenango River is often overlooked as apotential destination for outdoor excur-sions, except by the locals, who are inthe know. In the past, access to theShenango River in the middle stretchwas extremely limited from where itflows under Interstate 80 in MercerCounty downstream approximately 16river miles to where it passes under In-terstate 376 in Lawrence County. Thathas radically changed in the past fewyears with the opening of three addi-tional public access points in LawrenceCounty. This is my “home water” sinceI am fortunate enough to live along theShenango River, and it will be my priv-ilege to introduce you to what thissmaller river has to offer.The Shenango River derives its name

from the Native American Irquoianword “Shaningo”, meaning “beautifulone”. It flows north to south relativelyclose to the OH-PA state line with its en-tire watershed draining 744 square milesof Crawford, Mercer, and LawrenceCounties in PA and an additional 285square miles of Ashtabula, Trumbull,and Mahoning Counties in OH. Thenavigable portion of the Shenango Riverstarts at the base of the dam at Pymatun-ing Reservoir and flows south pastGreenville. In the upper stretch, activecanoe and kayak rentals now operate toallow visitors to paddle the ShenangoRiver for themselves. Further south inMercer County, the Shenango River isonce again impounded by the U.S.ArmyCorps of Engineers at Shenango Reser-voir; which like Pymatuning Reservoiroffers extensive fishing boating, camp-ing, and other outdoor opportunities.After exiting Shenango Dam, the river

flows through downtown Sharon and theadjacent industrial areas of Farrell andWheatland. As it approaches Interstate80 and proceeds downstream, theShenango flows primarily throughforests, fields, and pastures with only oc-casional glimpses of human structures

and the distant hum of passing vehicles.The upper access point on this middlestretch of the Shenango River is the PAFish & Boat Commission (PF&BC) boatlaunch in West Middlesex, just off PA318 along Campground Road, only 3miles from Exit 4 of Interstate 80 or 2.5miles from Exit 1 of Interstate 376.From West Middlesex downstream,

the Shenango River is typically 30 yardswide with intermittent pools and riffles.The average depth in the summer isthree feet with some deeper pools reach-ing 12 feet and a few riffles a mere 6inches in depth. The Shenango River isthe perfect waterway for canoes, kayaks,and flat-bottom jonboats that draft verylittle water. There are a few placeswhere larger rocks from former mill orcanal dams need to be navigated around,but this is primarily Class 1 flat-waterpaddling with a few stretches less thanone hundred yards that may approachClass 2.Like many narrow waterways, the

biggest threat are strainers from largesycamores or maples that fall across theriver and that can quickly change fromone trip to the next. I strongly encour-age all paddlers on the Shenango Riverto always wear a life preserver and re-main highly vigilant to cautiously navi-gate around or under the branches offallen trees. High water after recentrains greatly increases this risk, since theriver moves significantly faster and pad-dlers have less time to maneuver aroundor through strainers. I know of severalfamily members and friends who haveinadvertently capsized their kayaks orcanoes on the Shenango in the past.Approximately 5.5 river miles down-

stream of the PFB&C boat launch is thenewest access point on the ShenangoRiver at the village of Pulaski. Recentlyconstructed in November 2015, the Pu-laski access point is co-located with theparking area for PA State Game Lands150, just off PARoute 208 and only onemile from Exit 5 of Interstate 376. Fromthere it is a mere 4.5 mile float down tothe McQuiston boat access area onNashua Road, which was just completedback in September 2015. For the first1.5 river miles between Pulaski andNashua Road, the property on the eastside of the river is PAState Game Lands150 and offers unique opportunities tohunt deer, squirrel, raccoon, and ground-hog from a canoe or jonboat, for thosewho are inclined to try something differ-ent.

From the McQuiston boat access area,which is named after a local high schoolstudent and avid outdoorsman, ShaneMcQuiston, who was tragically lost inan automobile accident, it is another 5miles down to the Millenium boat accessarea in Neshannock Township. Con-structed in 2012 in an area locallyknown as the Harbor, the Milleniumboat access area at 137 Kings ChapelRoad, New Castle, PA 16105 is near theNew Castle School of Trades and only amile from the intersection of Interstate376 and U.S. Route 422. From the Mil-lenium boat access area, it is a 3.5 milefloat to downtown New Castle and ap-proximately 9 river miles down to Ma-honingtown, where the Shenango andMahoning Rivers merge to form theBeaver River.There are plans to eventually con-

struct a boat access area at the point inNew Castle where Neshannock Creekflows into the Shenango River. How-ever, at this time, the next available pub-lic boat access is 6 miles downstream onthe Beaver River at the Bevington boataccess area, near Wampum. It was cre-ated in 2008 in memory of SGT AllanBevington, who was killed in action inIraq. From the Millenium boat accessarea on the Shenango to the Bevingtonboat access area on the Beaver River isapproximately 15 river miles, so pad-dlers must be prepared physically andlogistically to be on the water for an ex-tended period. The Beaver River flowsfor another 25 miles before emptyinginto the Ohio River at Rochester, PA.The 14 river miles between the

PF&BC boat launch at West Middlesexand the Millenium boat access area atthe Harbor are a somewhat underutilizedoutdoor resource. For fishermen, thereare abundant smallmouth bass and chan-nel catfish. Large carp and flathead cat-fish found in the deeper pools will testthe drag on your reel. Enough walleye,northern pike, and muskellunge are dis-tributed throughout the river to keepyour interest and every year some fortu-nate angler seems to pull out a 50+ inchmonster muskie from this stretch. Otherspecies, such as crappie, sunfish, andsuckers are frequently picked up as in-cidental catches while pursuing othergamefish. Depending upon how muchyou float and how long you stop to fish,any of these stretches on the mid-sectionof the Shenango River can take severalhours or almost an entire day on thewater.

This stretch of the Shenango River isalso a favorite of waterfowl hunters.Canada geese can be harvested in boththe early and regular seasons with someconsistency. The primary draw of theShenango though has to be the opportu-nity to pursue the abundant wood ducks,since few waterfowl or gamebirds are asmajestic as an adult male wood duckwith his colorful plumage. Otherspecies that frequent the Shenango Riverinclude teal and mallards; and on severaloccasions when the water level was veryhigh, I’ve found the mallards thick in theflooded timber.Besides seeing and possibly hunting

deer squirrel, raccoon, and groundhogson the river, we also frequently seebeaver and muskrat during our floattrips. I was blessed to observe my firstShenango River otter in October 2010and in July 2013, I caught a glimpse ofwhat I believe was my first LawrenceCounty black bear lurking back in theforest. For the birdwatcher, there is al-ways a strong possibility of getting agood look at a bald eagle or ospreyperched in a tree or flying just overheadin search of a fish dinner. Other fish-preying species observed, just aboutevery time out on the water, includegreat blue herons and kingfishers.Abundant other songbirds keep thingsinteresting during every float trip.The term “hidden treasure” is an often

over-used expression frequently em-ployed to describe garage sale finds, re-mote tourist destinations, or quaintrestaurants off the beaten path. Whileothers may delight in finding thosethings in life, my passion is finding highquality fishing, hunting, wildlife-watch-ing, and paddling prospects few othersknow about. The mid-section of theShenango River in southern Mercer andnorthern Lawrence Counties is one ofthose outdoor opportunities that arethere for all of us to enjoy. Why not takeadvantage of the new public access arearecently constructed on the ShenangoRiver during an upcoming outdoor ex-cursion? I’ll be the one in the dark greenkayak with a tan mesh men’s sun hat.Hope to see you on river!


More Access = Increased Opportunities on the Shenango River

You need morecustomers!

Contact Sales ConsultantTracy Bissell at330-385-2243

By Col.(Ret.)Grey D. Berrier IIFIN Pro Staff

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COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio offersmany fantastic opportunities for the pub-lic to fish, including 124,000 acres of in-land water, 7,000 miles of streams, 2.25million acres of Lake Erie water, and 481miles of the Ohio River, according to theOhio Department of Natural Resources(ODNR). Here are a few areas in centralOhio anglers may want to check out.The ODNR Division of Wildlife has

numerous resources available to assistanglers, including lake maps, fishing tipsby species, and fishing forecasts basedon survey data. New this year, is an inter-active fishing map which allows anglersto select features to customize their ownfishing maps for Ohio’s inland lakes. Theinteractive map is even mobile friendlyso anglers can access information righton the water. For more information, clickthe fishing tab at www.wildohio.gov.

Black BassKnox Lake (Knox County, located

outside Fredericktown) — Knox Lakehas a high abundance of largemouth bassthat consists of many large fish (61% offish are 15 inches or longer). It’s recom-mended to fish structures along theshoreline below the Old Mansfield Roadaccess. The section of lake above the Old

Mansfield Rd. boat ramp is a stump fieldand can be difficult to navigate; cautionis advised in this area.Shore anglers can access the lake at

the marina, dam, the Old Mansfield Rd.boat ramp on the north side of the lake,and a pull off on Old Mansfield Rd lo-cated on the south side of the lake.Boats with motors larger than 9.9 hp arerestricted to idle only speeds.

CrappieDelaware Reservoir (Delaware

County) — Delaware is one of the mostrecognized crappie fisheries in centralOhio, with a good population of bothwhite and black crappies.In the spring, the best areas to focus on

will be larger coves with brush and woodin the water. Delaware Lake is sur-rounded by a wildlife area and state parkso anglers are able to access the lake inmany areas.Fishing maps provided by ODNR-

DOW will show the most popular fish-ing access. There are three boat ramps onthe lake and a marina that has fuel andboat slips.Delaware is subject to substantial

water level fluctuations following rain-fall that can affect access and fishing. Be

sure to check the Army Corps. of Engi-neers website after recent rains.

SunfishIndian Lake (Logan County) — Year

in and year out Indian Lake has been oneof the best bluegill fisheries in centralOhio with large fish and high catch ratesin comparison to other lakes.Focusing on the northeast section of thelake known as the game preserve can bebeneficial. There are miles of backwaterchannels and bays that offer great habitatfor sunfish. Shore anglers should startfishing around the Moundwood area.During late spring and summer try

fishing the lily pads for large bluegill. Amap of Indian lake is located on theODNR- DOW website showing anglerswhere boat ramps and shore access exist.

Channel CatfishHoover Reservoir (Franklin County)

— Hoover has a large abundance andlarge number of channel catfish. Flat-head catfish are not extremely commonhere, but there are some present. Re-cently the Division of Wildlife hadstarted stocking blue catfish in this laketo create a trophy fishery. While thesefish are not trophy size yet they are doingvery well and are being caught by an-glers.The reservoir has many access points,

but generally the northern portion of thelake is where the best catfishing takesplace. The oxbow boat ramp is a popularaccess for shore fishing in the northernpool of the lake.Hoover has a 9.9 hp boat restriction.

There are five boat ramps on Hoover, butonly two of them (Walnut Street andMaxtown) are usable when water leveldecreases during late summer. Note:Hoover Reservoir provides water for theCity of Columbus; causing water levelsto decrease tremendously during thesummer months.

SaugeyeIndian lake (Logan County) — Indian

Lake has a large population of saugeye.Anglers seeking saugeye at Indian Lakeneed to look for areas that are windswept with current. Saugeye will typi-cally be in areas that have rip-rap orrocky substrate. When the wind andwaves are hitting these areas the fishingcan be even better. When the wind isblowing, fishing water between islandswhere a current is forming can be a goodplace and time to use blade baits.For more fishing forecasts and a list of

other top inland lakes by species, visitwww.wildohio.gov.Visit the ODNR website at

www.ohiodnr.gov.

Top Five Inland Lakes for 2016

GENEVA, OH — A sold-out field of50 boats launched out of Geneva onwhat would be a beautiful day on LakeErie. Boats spread out over the area fromFairport to Ashtabula looking for theright fish.Taking top prize was Jim Gywnn and

Matt Whitacre with 44.72#, good for$3400. Jim andMatt fishedAshtabula in60 feet of water pulling single Coloradoworm harnesses 55-70 back on 3 oz. in-lines. They also pulled fish on DipseyDivers on 3.5 setting at 80 back. Pinkback and nickel back Colorado bladeswere their best colors.Runners-up Jason Kopf and Rodger

Riggs pulled a nice bag of 42.18#. Theyfished in close to Geneva pulling wormharnesses with single willow bladesworked best. They also brought in theBuckeye Sports Center big fish of theday monster 10.72# fish for a total of$1900. Kopf and Riggs also won theprevious event at Lake Erie Lorain inlate May with a 40.92# bag.

Sam Cappelli and Ted Jackson tookthird with a great bag of 40.42# and alsowas the highest finishing Mercury Ma-rine equipped boat good for $1150. Cap-pelli and Jackson won the first WMTevent on Mosquito Lake. During theApril 24 event the pair also pulled in theBig Fish award.Mitch Shipman and Chad Fenster-

maker grabbed 4th at Geneva with38.82# for $800. Rounding out the top 5was Don Lint and Greg Clayton 35.54#.Don and Greg also captured the LundBoats Bonus and a paid 2017 NTC spot.Bob McLuckey and Ryan Persutti win2nd place NTC Side Pot.The Geneva event wraps up another

amazing year for Walleye MadnessTournaments.Walleye Madness Tournaments are

sponsored by Buckeye Sports Center,Lund Boats, Mercury Marine. The seriesoffers no-membership fee required100% payout tournaments, plus $700per event in sponsor bonuses. The Ca-

bela’s National Team Championshipqualifying is provided by the series af-filiation with the national organization,TheWalleye Federation. Other sponsors

are: Mepps, Reef Runner, Surf MonkeyGear, Oakley, Opti-Tackle, Vibe, Red-nek Outfitters and AirWave Pedestal.


Ohio Valley Outdoors–Photo courtesy of WMTJim Gywnn and Matt Whitacre won top honors during the Walleye Madness Tournament’s

final 2016 event on Lake Erie. The pair netted 44.72# of fish near Ashtabula, Ohio.

Gwynn and WhitacreWin Final WMT Event

Send us your trophy photos

Also for ourPhoto Showcase

Connor Mayleturkey

Trumbull County, OH

Eric Mehalkolargemouth bass

using green pumpkin java tubes

email to:[email protected] to: Photo Showcase210 East 4th StreetEast Liverpool, OH 43920

www.ohiovalleyoutdoors.com

Camping can bean economical wayto explore the out-doors, or it can beexpensive, depend-ing on gear selec-tion and the extentof the adventure. Ifyou prefer to leanmore to the conser-vative side withyour camping funds,a few tweaks to trip planning and actionskeeps your camping finances at a mini-mum. Following are five tips that willsave you a few bucks for the next camp-ing excursion.1. Pack extra items to avoid leaving

camp for more. Gear, such as batteries,can easily be packed for the trip withouttaking up much space, as long as you’renot backpacking. Buying batteries andsimilar supplies, such as lantern andstove fuel at the campground or nearbyconvenience store, will cost a premiumprice. A small piece of gear can take abig bite out of the weekend campingbudget.2. Plan meals to prepared at the camp-

site. For many campers, cooking over anopen fire is a highlight of the campingouting. But for some campers, a shortdrive from the campground to a localrestaurant is a culinary option. That’s ac-ceptable as a backup plan in case of foulweather and no dining canopy on hand.The key to inexpensive camp cooking ishaving a plan, even on paper if that helpsyou remember. Create a checklist of in-gredients and a basic recipe book, eitherpurchased or compiled notes. Resist theurge to grab extra grub when groceryshopping for the campout, which resultsin a longer grocery receipt and shortersavings.3. Discover free activities to explore

or participate in. Finding activities ofamusement that doesn’t involve a fee iseasy while camping. The mainstays ofcamping such as hiking, biking, fishingor canoeing are enjoyed without any ad-ditional cost unless bikes and canoes arerented. Visiting local sites that charge anominal fee can be saved for anotherday when camping budget is more giv-ing. Select a pursuit that you are alreadyequipped to do so. If a good pair ofbinoculars is owned, then consider

wildlife observation as an activity, lotsof fun for all ages.4. Stay close to home, or actually, at

home. The backyard campout that was acommon activity among kids in the 70sis making a comeback. The “staycation”trend remains strong and camping is aworthy option. State parks and othergovernment owned campgrounds arebargains compared to private camp-grounds typically. Free camping existsand with a quick Internet search, publiccamping options will surface.5. Create and follow checklists.

Checklists can be the most useful camp-ing tool when used. A master checklistwill keep each factor of the camping tripin order; from preparation to campsitefun. An item left behind by mistake oranother that was overlooked while plan-ning the packing list, demands addi-tional costs to either retrieve the item orpurchase a similar at a nearby source.

The Versatile CampfireCooking Tripod

While on the subject of economicalcamping, selecting a camping tool thatcan multi-task eases the campingbudget. One such gear item is a cookingtripod, but more campers go without onethan those who do. A cooking tripodconsists of three sturdy steel legs, a sup-porting hook attached to the center ofthe joining legs at the top, and a lengthof chain to connect a pot or grill to thetripod.A cooking tripod provides options for

cooking over an open fire. Advantagesof a cooking tripod, in addition to easypacking and handling, are the ability toquickly and easily adjust the cookingtemperature. Simply shorten the sup-porting chain to raise the cooking sur-face or kettle to lower the temp andlengthen the chain to put the targetcloser to the campfire for more heat. Be-fore starting the cooking chores, and be-fore building the campfire, set the tripodup and adjust the legs to ensure there isample space between the forthcomingfire and where the pot, pan, or grill willhang.A cooking tripod will support a sus-

pended Dutch oven efficiently. A popu-lar campfire cooking practice is toslowly stew a soup in a Dutch ovenhanging from a tripod over an open

flame. It looks and smells great as well.Or, hang a Dutch oven from a tripod tokeep a previously cooked meal warm forlater. Other, more modern design potsalso work well with tripod cooking tech-niques. Heating water for use in creatingother dishes is easily accomplished byhanging from a tripod, saving onpropane use.Available as a cooking accessory for

tripod campfire cooking is a grill gratethat is suspended by three chains to the

tripod’s center hanging hook. The tripodgrill takes a few seconds of effort to findthe balance to provide a level grillingsurface. Experiment with adjusting thechain and hook points (with leathergloves) to enhance your campfire cook-ing talents. Either for grilling or simmer-ing a hanging pot of chili, a tripod workswell. After a few camping trips, yourskills at setting up a tripod strategicallyand centered over the campfire willsharpen.


Five Waysto Stretch Your Camping Dollars

Ohio Valley Outdoors - Photo by Robert LoewendickA cooking tripod provides options for cooking over an open fire. Advantages of a cooking tri-pod, in addition to easy packing and handling, are the ability to quickly and easily adjust the

cooking temperature.

By Robert LoewendickField Editor

OVOu

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BIRMINGHAM, AL — For the firsttime since the creation of Bassmaster’s100 Best Bass Lakes rankings, a fisheryhas reclaimed the No.1 spot in the na-tion. Toledo Bend Reservoir, whichstraddles the Texas and Louisiana bor-der, keeps the crown and is the only laketo earn the title more than once.“More than three months of research

went into this year’s rankings,” ex-plained Bassmaster Magazine editorJames Hall, who noted that the initialpool of top fisheries was developed withinput from B.A.S.S. Nation membersacross the country, state fisheries biolo-gists, the 3,500-member B.A.S.S.Council and some of the 650,000 Face-book fans of B.A.S.S.“Then, we scoured the Internet for

current catch-rate data, using the resultsof more than two dozen tournament or-ganizations and several state ‘lunker’programs to narrow the field to 100. It’sa brutal process, but the results givebass anglers the ultimate bucket list oflakes for 2016,” Hall said.There is one big difference in the

rankings this year. The Top 10 lakes inthe nation are ranked regardless of loca-tion, but instead of ranking the remain-ing lakes through 100, as has been donein the past, Bassmaster divided the na-tion into four regions: Northeast, South-east, Central andWestern. Now, readerswill see the Top 25 lakes closest tothem. This also created four No. 1 re-gional fisheries.In the Southeast division, Santee

Cooper lakes earned the top spot (it’salso ranked No. 2 in the nation). ClearLake took the No. 1 spot in the Westerndivision (No. 3 nationally), while theNew York portion of Lake Erie wasnamed No. 1 in the Northeast (No. 4 inthe nation). Of course, Toledo Bend wasthe Central division’s No.1 fishery.“Our panel of judges who finalized

the rankings were absolutely blownaway by the production of Toledo Bendthe past 12 months,” Hall noted. “Thelake has yielded 139 certified bass over10 pounds with a 14.15-pounder top-ping the list. Plus, a 38-pound limit andcountless limits in the 30-pound rangehave been weighed in during tourna-ments over the past year.”The 185,000-acre impoundment was

the site of the A.R.E. Truck Caps Bass-

master Elite at Toledo Bend in May,which Kevin VanDam won with almost100 pounds, even though the anglerswere fishing in tough conditions afterregional flooding had occurred.A couple of other highlights from the

rankings include Texas’ Falcon Lakeclimbing back into the nation’s Top 10with a No. 9 ranking. This lake wasranked No.1 in 2012 and then verynearly fell off the list when droughtplagued the region. Plus, a couple ofnew lakes have cracked the rankings,includingMississippi’s Okatibbee Lake,Arizona’s Saguaro Lake and Florida’sLake Rousseau.Texas earned bragging rights for the

state with the most ranked lakes, boast-ing eight fisheries on the list. Floridaand California tied for the second mostwith seven ranked lakes, while NewYork and Michigan each have six lakesin the Top 100.Bassmaster’s 100 Best Bass Lakes

will be published in an eight-page sec-tion of the July/August issue of Bass-master Magazine. The completerankings will also be featured on Bass-master.com.

The Top 10 In The Nation1. Toledo Bend, Texas/Louisiana[185,000 acres]2. Santee Cooper lakes, Marion andMoultrie, South Carolina [110,000 acresand 60,000 acres, respectively]3. Clear Lake, California [43,785 acres]4. Lake Erie, NewYork [30-mile radiusfrom Buffalo]5. Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Cal-ifornia [1,100 square miles]6. Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota [132,000acres]7. Lake Berryessa, California [20,700acres]8. Rodman Reservoir, Florida [13,000acres]9. Falcon Lake, Texas [83,654 acres]10. Lake St. Clair, Michigan [430square miles]

Northeastern Division1. Lake Erie, New York2. Lake St. Clair, Michigan3. Lake Erie, Ohio [30-mile radius fromSandusky]4. Thousand Islands (St. LawrenceRiver), New York [50-mile stretch]5. Saginaw Bay, Michigan [1,143

square miles]6. Lake Charlevoix, Michigan [17,200acres]7. Bays de Noc, Michigan [Escanaba toLittle Summer Island]8. Lake Champlain, NewYork/Vermont[490 square miles]9. Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan [32miles long, 10 miles wide]10. Presque Isle Bay, Pennsylvania [5.8square miles]11. Oneida Lake, New York [79.8square miles]12. Cayuga Lake, New York [43,000acres]13. Burt/Mullett lakes, Michigan[17,120 acres and 16,630 acres, respec-tively]14. Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hamp-shire [20 miles long, 9 miles wide]15. Cobbosseecontee Lake, Maine[5,540 acres]16. Candlewood Lake, Connecticut[5,420 acres]17. Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia[20,600 acres18. China Lake, Maine [3,845 acres]19. Lake Cumberland, Kentucky[65,530 acres]20. Chautauqua Lake, New York[13,156 acres]21. Upper Chesapeake Bay, Maryland[The entire bay is more than 64,000square miles, but the best fishing is inthe top one-third.]22. Pymatuning Reservoir, Pennsylva-nia/Ohio [17,088 acres]23. Stonewall Jackson Lake, West Vir-ginia [2,630 acres]24. Squam Lake, New Hampshire[6,791 acres]25. Kezar Lake, Maine [2,510 acres]

Central Division1. Toledo Bend, Texas/Louisiana2. Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota3. Falcon Lake, Texas4. Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Texas[114,000 acres]5. Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin [from Lit-tle Sturgeon Bay to Fish Creek]6. Lake Palestine, Texas [25,560 acres]7. Caddo Lake, Louisiana [25,400acres]8. Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, Okla-homa [46,500 acres]9. Lake Ray Roberts, Texas [29,350acres]10. Newton Lake, Illinois [1,775 acres]

Southeast Division1. Santee Cooper lakes, Marion andMoultrie, South Carolina2. Rodman Reservoir, Florida3. Chickamauga Lake, Tennessee

[36,240 acres]4. Kentucky/Barkley lakes, Ten-nessee/Kentucky [160,309 and 58,000,acres respectively]5. Lake Guntersville, Alabama [70,000acres]6. Lake Istokpoga, Florida [26,762acres]7. Pickwick Lake, Ala-bama/Mississippi/Tennessee [43,100acres]8. Falls of the Neuse Reservoir (FallsLake), North Carolina [12,410 acres]9. Ross Barnett Reservoir, Mississippi[33,000 acres]10. Lake Murray, South Carolina[50,000 acres]

Western Region1. Clear Lake, California2. Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Cal-ifornia3. Lake Berryessa, California4. Lake Havasu, Arizona/California[19,300 acres]5. Dworshak Reservoir, Idaho [17,090acres]6. Lake Casitas, California [1,100 acres]7. Tenmile Lake, Oregon [1,626 acres]8. Lake Washington, Washington[21,747 acres]9. Don Pedro Reservoir, California[13,000 acres]10. Saguaro Lake,Arizona [1,267 acres]

About B.A.S.S.B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority

on bass fishing and keeper of the cultureof the sport, providing cutting edge con-tent on bass fishing whenever, whereverand however bass fishing fans want touse it. Headquartered in Birmingham,Ala., the 500,000-member organiza-tion’s fully integrated media platformsinclude the industry’s leading maga-zines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times),website (Bassmaster.com), televisionshow (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), so-cial media programs and events. Formore than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has beendedicated to access, conservation andyouth fishing.The Bassmaster Tournament Trail in-

cludes the most prestigious events ateach level of competition, including theBassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro ShopsBassmaster Open Series, B.A.S.S. Na-tion, Carhartt Bassmaster College Se-ries presented by Bass Pro Shops, CostaBassmaster High School Series, ToyotaBonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Cham-pionship and the ultimate celebration ofcompetitive fishing, the GEICO Bass-master Classic presented by GoPro.

Bassmaster’sPick Best USA Bass Lakes



Bill Hall147", 21-pt., crossbowFranklin County, OH

Darryn Markey1st smallmouth

Coshocton County, OH

Gauge & Wyatt Wise6.5lb. sheephead

Middle Beaver Creek, OH

Keith Cummingslongbeard

Lee County, VA

Don Hall8-pt., muzzleloaderHardin County, OH

Deonte Stradwick8-pt., 131", crossbowLicking County, OH

Chase Stradwick146", 12-pt., muzzleloader

Licking County, OH

Send Us Your PhotosWe’ll print your hunting, fishing or trap-

ping photos in the next issue of OV Times orOhio Valley Outdoors magazine. Send pho-tos via mail, email or Facebook.Email to: [email protected] to: Photo Showcase210 East Fourth St., East Liverpool, OH 43920

Bill Hall, Jr. & Hannah Hall, age 1038lbs. male coyotes - Hannah's 1st coyote

Licking County, OH

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No Special Permits Requiredat Wingfoot Lake

AKRON, OH – Recent changeshave increased waterfowl huntingopportunities at Wingfoot Lake inPortage County according to theOhio Department of Natural Re-sources (ODNR). A drawing will no longer be held

and special permits are no longer

required to hunt waterfowl on theODNR Division of Wildlife-ownedportions of Wingfoot Lake.Interested hunters are encour-

aged to view a map of WingfootLake which designates where wa-terfowl hunting can take place. Themap can be viewed and printed atwildohio.gov by clicking on“Hunting, Trapping, and ShootingSports,” then click on “HuntingResources by Species.”

Call Wildlife District ThreeHeadquarters in Akron at (330)644-2293 with questions.For additional information re-

garding waterfowl hunting in Ohio,visit wildohio.gov.ODNR ensures a balance be-

tween wise use and protection ofour natural resources for the bene-fit of all. Visit the ODNR websiteat ohiodnr.gov.

Documents

Ohio Valley Outdoor Times 7-2016