Skunked at Mantua

[bwhit175]

Hi All,

New to the posting part of this forum, not necessarily the reading portion.

Headed up to Mantua with my 4 year old around 5 this afternoon and sat on the west side of the reservoir along the rocks looking for a little fun with bluegill.

We threw everything I could think of. Had a pole sitting with a jig and worm for the whole time. I threw jigs, grubs, spinners and had absolutely no sign of life. There were probably 20 fishers along the west bank and in the 3 hours we were there I watched one guy bring in a small largemouth. Not sure if it is the small cold front that came in that messed with everything, but it was a bummer.
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[lavaman]

From reports I've heard, it's been a tougher year so far at Mantua. While some are catching their share, it seems there are a lot of fishermen having some tough luck. The Gills and Bass might be fewer and far between in the early summer.
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[CoyoteSpinner]

Welcome aboard. Don't let Lava discourage you. He always says that lake is depleted and stunted. Think I'll have to try it and see if Ican't disprove his theory.

Could be location, I've usually done better from the east side. Plus it can be tough from shore getting into the pockets.
How big of jigs were you using? Color can be a factor too. But I've thrown ice jigs at em this time of year and done better than a big fat crawler. They can be finicky biters and bait thieves. Small as a bobber as you can manage. Plus gills have small mouths compared with crappie.
I've seen once the bass bed down, they are stubborn and are more into defense than offerings. Gills too.

Hope to hear more Mantua reports. Thanks, good luck.

[lavaman]

Thanks for putting words in my mouth Yote! You da man!
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[bwhit175]

I used mostly the small jigs I have always used up at Mantua. I have fished those rocks a few times a year for pretty much my whole life and at least caught a few (which I would have been good with this time). I didnt ever throw out a nightcrawler by itself, but mostly a piece of worm on a jig. Oh well.. Hopefully we will have better luck next time.

Thanks for the tips!
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[Tin-Can]

My best fishing at Mantua has been to get out to the middle of the water, find the deep cut that runs more or less from the docks, north - east toward the other side, then just cut the motor and drift. Have a light line with brass hook and barb bent down, with about a 1/4 piece of night crawler and let it hang about 2 to 3 feet in the water without a bobber, You can actually watch the gills and small perch hit the worm. My daughter had a blast a few years ago doing that.
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[Fin-S-Fish]

Bass are done spawning which means they won't be nearly as shallow as summer progresses. Bluegills are still spawning a bit but the major initial spawn was done a week ago. This season some of the pre spawn gills were huge! Had plenty of 10 in and 1 lb in weight. There is no shortage of fish in there. It was every cast. But yeah summer's here, good fishing is over for the most part. Sure you can catch dink 8 in bass and 3 in gills from the west bank all summer, but now is down time for me.
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[MBM1969]

I have done very well at Mantua this year with my fly rod. I had never fished it untill this spring but ended up making four trips over about three weeks. The best trip was a week ago. I caught and released over 50 bass and bluegill. I was fishing out of my pontoon boat on the north east side. Olive buggers seemed to work the best. I agree that the bass spawn is about over. Hope to get up there again over the summer.

Mark
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[CoyoteSpinner]

So where's been all the reports? Been so quiet while Willard's firestorm has received such grand attentions.

I know it's a spring fling, and based on the water temps. But the only reports have been iffy to not so fair. Maybe it's just been bank tanglers not the floaters and boaters. [:/]

Funny, I didn't realize fishing season ends when summer begins. I'll have to start rethinking things. Maybe time to pull the ice gear back out and start honing my auger blades. Hmmm. [:p]


bwhit - didn't mean to preach to ya, if you've been fishing there that long, you don't need my advise. I've had a few good trips there over the years, but I'm not close enough to make it any everyday event. Plus - I always feel my best shot on that water is being . . . ON that water. Easier to work the trees and shrubery from the outside in. Wonder how the water level is?

[bwhit175]

Didn't take it as preaching at all, so no worries!

We will have the bass boat back in town in about 2 weeks so we will have to make our way out on that. It was definitely frustrating because all of us on the rocks were getting skunked while the boats 50 yards in front of us were pulling fish in left and right.

Thanks for all the advice
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[Springbuck]

Location location location......

Mantua is interesting because it's full of fish normally associated with kid fishing....but! Bluegill are supposed to be fecund and crowded together, but Mantua is a tad different.

Water temps and depth seem to really mess with where fish are year to year and throughout the year. They tend to concentrate In certain areas and that means you won't find as many everywhere else. I just had a friend fromwork get skunked and he did what you did. This wandering fish thing makes it a harder place to take a kid than you might otherwise think.

Basically, bluegill are spawning in shallow water of a certain temp right now. You have to find them on or near these beds. They like it warm, but if too shallow or obvious, they get harrassed by fisherman and eaten by birds.

I found them last week under thick trees in very shallow water, too thick to cast, too shallow to sneak, and too spooky to bite. This requires a watercraft or a specialized wading technique, sneaking around fishing just feet off the end of your rod. That's how I do it. This can be tough on a kid.

The good news is the spawn will be over soon and bluegills and perch can be caught all over in the weeds and around the trees and in open water. This lasts until the hottest part of the summer when the fish seek deeper cooler water during the day.ook for openings in the vegetation with steep banks then (East side), but fish may hit the shallows early and late.

Late summer they line up against the rocks where you were and chase perch fry and insect hatches so much it actually looks like a boil. Evenings then are a good time forkids. Into Oct. I catch em all around the lake over weed beds as the water cools.
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[Fin-S-Fish]

Yeah bass fishers tend to like to keep it on the DL till it's over with haha. I just don't catch many big fish after the spawn and winter so I take it easy in the summer.
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