This was my first time to Salt Fork Lake, a beautiful 2,952-acre lake in Salt Fork State Park in Eastern Ohio. The lake is well-known as a muskie lake so it was an interesting challenge to catch bass that are used to not being the biggest predator in the water. I took two days of vacation to have some pre-fishing time mostly with the goal of picking a ramp for the tournament, with the lake being so long and skinny there was a ton of water to cover (and I don’t have a motor) so ramp selection was crucial. I think I picked a good enough area to fish but I just never found the correct patterns and ended up with no fish submitted to the tournament. But I would recommend Salt Fork to anyone who muskie fishes, there were muskie marked everywhere on the Garmin!
This was my last tournament of the season with Ohio Kayak Fishing since I didn’t make the Top 20 in AOY points so didn’t qualify for the Tournament of Champions at Indian Lake. I finished 40th out of 92 anglers in the OKF AOY race, and while I’m not really mad at being ranked right in the middle of this strong group of anglers, hopefully I’ll do better next season!
Thanks to Strictly Sail & Kayak for sponsoring both Ohio Kayak Fishing and my other local trail, Cincinnati Kayak Fishing, we just wouldn’t have local fishing without them!
Check them out at their shop in Blue Ash, Ohio, or online:
https://strictlysailinc.com
Come fish with us next season! Follow OKF and CKF online at their respective Facebook pages or the associated fb groups, also each group has its own website:
https://cincinnatikayakfishing.com
(https://www.facebook.com/cincikayakfishing)
https://ohiokayakfishing.com
(https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554239691753)
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I live near Columbus and fish a lot of lakes in the area, I learned this summer to try something that you normally wouldn’t. I was fishing weeds and pads on multiple lakes with the usuals, frogs, Texas rigs, spinner and chatter baits with little success this time of year. Started working small jerk baits pretty fast along the edges and wholes and caught some.
Salt Fork is a tuff lake.
It’s my home lake and it can even be tough for us locals.
I know those spots well, the shallow areas you were in are early season areas.
Summer through fall the main lake is where I like to fish.
I was there pre fishing for a buddy at that time. Beautiful lake but it’s fishes tough as nails. Nice job though
Lovely video! You helped inspire me to pick up a Lynx from Strictly Sail for my 70th birthday. Just got back from taking her out on the Pimlico Sound at the Outer Banks. Bob from Strictly Sail was so helpful helping me load and tie down my Lynx.
This is pretty much bass fishing in Ohio lakes in the fall, but we all keep fishing with hopes of that great day that happens every now and then 😊
You did well considering this time of the year is tough everywhere and you have acquired some incredible fishing skills! Keep working on the techniques that you have already learned and add others along the way, this works for me! Hope you get the health issues worked out soon and that does explain the tiredness. I quit all caffeine over a year ago and this has been really great for me! Keep the videos coming!!
My suggestion to you is to start working on 2 techniques that you are the most confident in and get extremely dialed in with those. Expand your tackle out so that you can use those techniques you’re dialed in to find out what the fish are feeding on in the waterbody you are fishing. This takes time to learn and become adaptive.
Awsome videos, keep em coming. 👌
There was a reason why I hardly ever fished that lake even when I lived 10 minutes from it.
Start crappie fishing! Lots more fun
I live near salt fork. Seems to me it has a lil bit of everything a bass angler would want. Only one thing missing is bass that is willing to bite. I moved here a few years back and have been try to learn the local lakes. It has not been easy. All I can come up with is ondr puts most resources into Muskie fishing. Which I believe hurts the bass population. Like you said, no one did very well. Awesome video thanks for sharing.
Yup , it's my favorite Ohio state park and beautiful lake, but the fishing is tough. I usually put in over by the dam. I don't even use the boat ramps. Where the parking lot starts, you can put in there.
There's a no wake area by the cabin that is usually good, too.
I see a lot of bass boats hit the cove across from the lodge.
I'm always trying to get my 1st muskie at that lake. I missed 3 in one day. They love white bass.
Your doing it right. Just kep pliggin.
Illinois and Ohio probably fish fairly similarly. With the drought we've had (in Illinois), fishing has been TOUGH! Plus, it's still September-which is probably my worst warm water month. They don't seem to be deep and they don't seem to be shallow-or anywhere in between. So, if misery loves company, then…well, there's that. I'm going to take a short break. As always, I'm rooting for you! Root root! Or hoot hoot!
Gives you wings!!😅
Hey Melissa, you had a decent season. keep grinding and kill it next year! you're gonna break out real soon!
Hey Mel, I've been waiting for this video. I'm really sorry I couldn't help you much with Salt Fork. I would have liked to have sent you a map on places to try but I didn't know how to get it to you. There's nothing wrong with your fishing ability because Salt Fork is really tough in September. Next year if you happen to fish a lake in this area again, I promise to prefish for you. Good luck with the blood problem. Get healthy. 🙂
Fishing in ohio is an uphill battle.. Salt Fork is one of the worst.. plus this time of year is extremely tough
Melissa, I grew up fishing Saltfork and it used to be an amazing lake. I have since moved to Southern California but my brothers keep telling me that the lake has not been fishing like it used to. I miss my home lake, and hate to see it fishing so tough. Your positive attitude is amazing and will get you more and more! Keep up the great work!
Looked a fantastic spot. Lunar cycle can make a difference as well.
The white bass looked like our Australian bass