Mantua 6/23

[nkunz]

My grandson is visiting from Ohio so we decided a trip to Mantua was in order. I read a post that said the bluegills were shallow next to the trees. Upon arrival around 7:30 we headed over to the inlet to see if there was any trout action-none. Next we worked along the trees on the south side -nothing. Then we moved to the east side next to the point. We saw a few swirls next to the trees so we put a worm under a bubble next to the trees and started catching some pretty nice bluegills. As we sat there fishing we saw numerous schools of bluegill in the open water around us but they didn't want to bite. We found that casting close to the trees worked best. In fact getting the bubble right up under the tree branches resulted in an immediate strike. This worked well for a while until we started running low on bubbles and the trees looked like Christmas trees. We decided to go gather bubbles even if we would have to find another spot after. After gathering the lost bubbles I saw a bluegill swimming in the shade of the boat so I let the worm minus the bubble down to him and immediately about six more appeared and one took the worm. We backed off from the trees about 5 feet and started flipping the worm under the trees and caught fish almost as fast as we could get the worm in the water.

The grandson kept track, He caught 30 and I only caught 21.

Water temp was 66 when got there and about 67 when we left at 1:30.

One word to the wise don't forget your mussel certification. This was the first time I have had the boat out this year and it never even crossed my mind until I got back to the truck and found a note under the wiper blade. I should have gotten a ticket instead of a warning.
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[fishermen777]

I love those days on Mantua like that. Its times like these I regret selling the boat. We have take countless little kids to mantua to fish for them gills! Thanks for the good report may have to take the toon out.
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[CoyoteSpinner]

Ya mean Barney Fife let you off with a warning!!!
Check the boating-stickies, you can get a 1-time certificate if you take the online test, then you don't have to remember to fill one out every time. I'd bet - as boating season progresses, they'll progress from the "warnings".

Good news on the Gills. Sounds like some fun.
I've usually found the trout down the center "channel" where the weeds drop off to the deeper mid-section.

Don't know how ya'll do it. I can't count that high. Maybe I should bring a 'clicker'. Sometimes that 'competitive edge' is what you need to get them to hit. 'No it's MINE!!!' Kewl.

Thanks for the report. Expecting to take the kids out on the new ride early morn Sat - hopefully before the masses descend. I think it's going to be a busy weekend for boaters! First of the heat wave!

[Springbuck]

Nice.. I spent tuesday doodling them right out from under and in the trees with a flyrod and a small spinning reel. I used bobbers and without, but dropping in a jig and then barely making it dip and wiggle drove the bluegills nuts. I saw people all around fishing in the more open areas, and catching fish, but I did better than most actually chasing them into the trees.

Remember to avoid the chunky flotsam when wading. That lake does have swimmer's itch.
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[Cuttbowbrown]

I just got back from a late afternoon at Mantua myself. The bluegills are a ton of fun right now. I was on the south bank in the weeds. The veg is loaded with blues. If you can avoid getting hung up, I think they will hit anything. I used a small castmaster on the spinner and a black bugger with gold flash on the fly rod (finally some fly rod action). Those setups even caught 2 small bass. When I was counting, I caught a dozen blues in my first hour there.
The best part was that I outfished the guy down the shore by about 3 to 1. He was baitfishing ; ) Flys and lures all the way!
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[Dgallen]

My wife and I went this evening, got there about 4:45. We took the puppy swimming for her first time and she had a riot, didn't get much of a chance to fish only about 15 minutes but landed 4 decent bass and caught 1 piggie bluegill an on x-rap. Still how it fit that in its mouth!
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