Adams Lake now restocked with trout Friday the Ohio Division of Wildlife stocked approximately 2,400 trout into Adams Lake. The trout made the 5 hour trip from the Division's Castalia trout hatchery located in the northwest corner of the state. Ongoing improvements at the Kincaid hatchery in Pike County, which normally rear the trout stocked in Adams Lake, prevented any trout production this winter at that facility.
"The Division of Wildlife placed trout in Adams Lake for all fishermen to enjoy," said Adams County Wildlife Office Chris Gilkey. "It's a great early season fishing opportunity for anglers and a resource we normally wouldn't get to enjoy in this part of the state."
About 75 anxious anglers were at the boat ramp to greet the arrival of the hatchery truck, which begin unloading trout just before 1:00 p.m. It took about 15 minutes to complete the stocking. The trout averaged 11-13 inches long.
According to Doug Maloney, fisheries supervisor for the DOW District 5 office, the trout stocking in Adams Lake should provide quality fishing for at least a couple of months.
"I don't know what it is about trout," said Maloney. "Sometimes the trout start biting immediately after they are stocked and other times it takes a few days before the trout start hitting."
Anglers will find corn, cheese, power bait, and wax worms the best natural bait. If using artificials; chartreuse, yellow or orange, 1/8 ounce Rooster Tail spinners are hard to beat.
Locally additional trout fishing opportunities await anglers at the Shawnee Trout Derby, April 24 at Shawnee State Park, when approximately 2,500 trout will be released into Turkey Creek Lake for this annual event.
Deer hunters are reminded that the popular Ohio Deer & Turkey Expo is being held March 19-21 at the Ohio Expo Center, 717 E. 17th St. in Columbus.
Deer hunters also take note; Ohio has a new (old) muzzleloader non-typical deer record. That record held shortly by Brian Stephens who tagged a 232-5/8 non-typical buck with a muzzleloader in Highland County this past gun season has just been usurped by a black powder non-typical also taken in Highland County in 1994 by Tom Luschek of Lynchburg that was officially scored last week by the Buckeye Big Buck Club at 237-0/8 B&C points. Originally that deer was first scored at the 1998 Deer & Turkey Expo and won best of show in the black powder category.
