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Jerry Huelsman of St. Henry snagged a little fish while fishing with his wife, Cindy, at Windy Point in Montezuma on Wednesday. Ohio's annual Free Fishing Days take place Saturday and Sunday, enabling residents to cast their lines into any public waterway without a license, including Lake Erie, public lakes, reservoirs, streams and rivers.
CELINA - State park officials are gearing up for a wave of weekend warriors looking to take advantage of free fishing on Grand Lake.
Ohio's annual Free Fishing Days take place Saturday and Sunday, enabling residents to cast their lines into any public waterway without a license, including Lake Erie, public lakes, reservoirs, streams and rivers.
Grand Lake St. Marys State Park Director Dave Faler welcomes the prospect of neophytes and seasoned anglers alike coming out to enjoy the state's scenic outdoor resources. He just asks that they be mindful of others and clean up after themselves.
"There's usually about 10 times more people out and about … for free fishing weekends," Faler told The Daily Standard. "You'll see them at East Bank and West Bank, anywhere that they know there's state park property."
Grand Lake boasts a slew of fishable shoreline spots, which can be located on maps on the Ohio Department of Natural Resources website. Largemouth bass, white and black crappies, bluegill, walleye, channel and flathead catfish, yellow perch, bullheads and carp all call the lake their home.
"I would say any place right now that you can find sand or stone," Faler said when asked about good spots to fish, especially for beginners. "The blue gill are spawning. Any hard surface, like the seawalls (are ideal locations)."
Matt Tuttle, who runs Matt Tuttle's Crappie Guide Service on Grand Lake and contributes a weekly fishing report for The Daily Standard, said he's catching bluegills just about everywhere now.
"I'm using an ant jig tipped with a wax worm. Fish about 12 inches deep just off the rock banks. I'm also catching them off of wooded banks as well," Tuttle said in his latest column for the newspaper.
Jerry Huelsman of St. Henry snagged a little fish while fishing with his wife, Cindy, at Windy Point in Montezuma on Wednesday.
Faler noted that crappies are at the tail-end of their spawning season.
"I'm still catching crappies on the rocks and a lot of the sea walls are producing bites as well," Tuttle noted in his column.
For newcomers, Faler recommends a simple bobber, hook and waxworms, which can be purchased at local bait shops and even Walmart.
"I encourage everyone to pick up a fishing rod this weekend and create memories with family and friends," Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement. "Ohio is the Heart of Adventure, and this is the perfect time to get outside, cast a line, and enjoy what our state has to offer."
This upcoming weekend is the only time of the year when residents 16 years old and older can fish public waters for free without purchasing a fishing license, according to an ODNR news release.
Anglers under 16 can fish for free year-round and are not required to hold a license. All other fishing regulations, size requirements, and bag limits apply during Free Fishing Days.
"Free fishing days allow anglers of all ages and skill levels to enjoy this time together," said ODNR Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker. "A weekend of fishing is the perfect way to celebrate the start of summer and spend time outdoors."
