Ice Fish Ohio Forum
Ice Fishing Reports and Ice Conditions by lake. => C.J. Brown => Topic started by: lowellhturner on January 11, 2012, 02:38:48 PM
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We are to soon meet again with ODNR and the Army Corps of Engineers and the Park Manager to 'seal the deal' for the next phase of attractors and spawning cover. We hope to emplace very long lasting cedar, osage orange, catfish spawning culverts and possibly several rubble/ block and red brick piles into CJ. We HOPE to be allowed to go to 20 fow which will allow us to "litter' upwards of 5X the previous area, potentially. We will be grateful for any assistance of manpower, materials, ect. The only real change will be that I will NOT be permitted to post the GPS coordinates; the parties assisting WILL recieve them in their entirety. This was NOT my personal decision, but as a condition imposed by many of the "Friends' I will accept it. Thank You !
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:)keep will try to make myself available. :)
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Optfish, Thanks ! We will start come spring. We are looking for 6- 8` tall cedar trees as well as osage orange (hedge apple ) trees, clean 5 gallon buckets, clean unpainted cement blocks 3 and 10 hole bricks and willing bodies...more later, sir !
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For sure keep us posted. I am more than willing to be involved in this project. I don't fish CJ much but I'm willing to help out whenever I can.
Thanks and keep up the good work!
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Thank You MD Buckeye ! If you can locate any of the needed items they will be of help sir ! More later...
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I too will be willing to help with the manpower...
Dont know about locating needed items but will keep an "EYE"
out for them
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i wish i was closer, i have about 12 cinder blocks i would love to get rid of.
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CJ Brown Iceman, even being available to help at all would be of assistance. It has proven to be a "multi faceted" endeavor, collecting the materials, moving it, assembly, donating/ buying needed materials and providing boats to get it all to it`s final resting spots. Fathead 45, perhaps we can "network and see if we can get them here. So long as the blocks are unpainted we could use them. Where are you located? If anyone knows anyone who works for a tree/ lawn servive those cedars and osage orange limbs would still be there 20 yrs from now after going in...
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im in lima, but my dad lives in conover which is about 25 mins from springfield. i could talk with him and see if he could pick up and bring to his house and you could get from there.
what other materials are you looking for?
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Fathead I have a truck, and can pick them up and take to wherever. I plan on helping out. I also have a boat that can be used for this operation.
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Thank you for offering, bigbr1. What type of boat do you have available? Fathead 45, the materials we looking for are clean 5 gallon buckets, cement blocks, bags of cement, large and small dia PVC piping, 1x1" and 2x2" HARDWOOD stakes, 12" dia plastic culvert cut into 3` pieces and any osage orange limbs/ branches 3" in dia at cut ends and as many 6- 8` cedar trees and shrubs we can secure. Lastly as many 3 and 10 hole red bricks as we can get our hands on. Some items we will try to get locally, but we`ll gladly accept ANY help/ materials offered, especially the cedars and osage orange ! Thanks !
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I have a 16' Alum boat with a pretty good open space to carry stuff, all though I don't know how many bricks would be considered safe. But I will help where needed.
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alright, i know my dad just tore down a whole chimney an it was 2 truck loads lol. ill talk with him and see what hes doing with it.
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Please let me explain why we decided not to publish the GPS locations of the cover we are placing this time!
CJ has benefited recently from weather not allowing most fishermen out in the Spring during most spawns, the high water has offered more spawning areas and when the fry have hatched the water has receded perfectly and the fry moved to the rocks and previous laydown cover and brushpiles.
The hot summers have allowed multiple shad spawns that have exploded this baitfish population and allowed the predators a huge food source, which in turn has allowed the natural minnow population, perch, and gill populations to grow. The increase of small shad fry every few months is feeding all of the new small predator fish, and the larger predators that are not cannibalizing the fry.
The crappie size and creel limits and the wet springs have kept the normal bank fishing down which has allowed their population to grow in size and numbers.
There have been 3-4 years of Huge Bass spawns, the number of Bass and size, is noticeable by everyone.
Even the Cat population is Stronger.
CJ has experienced a population growth that hasn't happened since it was first built.
The bad news is that a major shad kill right now could be really be bad for fishing...short term it would be good for the fishermen who would enjoy that first year without food for all the fish...but soon the predators would face a die-off also.
We are trying to bridge the shad kill that IS coming. If we continue the projects, we can continue to build the natural baitfish population and avert a drastic kill-off! The more areas we provide for all of the fish the better the whole population will be.
The reasoning for not giving out locations is that we have seen people sitting on these locations daily...sometimes all day....just poaching easy fish until that area had no more to offer!
The idea now is to provide something for the fish and so CJ becomes capable to handle the population increase like it did when it was NEW and had all the stumps, trees, posts etc. In the long run and if we do this right, it will benefit the fishermen more than just allowing them to set on a brushpile until they strip it!
We will set up a meeting in early Spring to talk and pick out locations (that we all agree on), then we will have examples of bucket trees etc, that can be built at home or at CJ, we will have meetings to build the "Block" tree at CJ for those that can attend, and if people cannot attend they can make "Bucket" trees at home.
People who build stuff at home or have blocks etc can bring it to the maintenance area of CJ at anytime through the Spring and Summer (we do not want to interfere with everyones Spring Fishing) then we will hopefully set one date in the late summer where we all can meet after supper and sink everything we have built and accumulated...Quick, Easy, and Done for the year! No GPS, no maps, nothing...all for CJ!
If all we have is 50 bucket trees, then we'll be thankful for that and they will go in. Anything is better than nothing and the best part is that we will be legally allowed to drop structure to help CJ!
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Lowell, Ill help anyway I can, I do have a pile of old cinder blocks to donate and my 19 ft boot may help with accurate GPS available on it. My Wed and Thursday afternoons and some weekends ar emy best days. all depends on each weeks schedule from work. Keep me in the loop!
Salmonid
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Sir Intimidator, welcome aboard here ! Obviously have been recruiting help. Salmonid, glad to have you along also ! Forgive me if i seem too overly optimistic, but think we can crank out a few more than 50...if the help is available.
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hey lowell, my dad ended up using the bricks for his creek. but he did tell me that there is a brick making place in st paris ohio. they throw all there 2nd bricks in a big pile and he is pretty sure they would let you have as much as you want.
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Our 2cnd biggest problem is of course transporting the materials, perhaps we can work something out...as the Intimidator has pointed out; things are relatively "good' for now, but assuredly (and unfortuneately) it`s cyclic; the shad kill WILL eventually come. The more cover that goes in, and the greater variety the more NON shad forage base there will be to minimize the impact, particularly helping to increase the yellow perch. If we can semi organise the effort, we stand a very good chance to get in a "Sunday Punch" who`s effects will last for a VERY LONG time, perhaps 10+ yrs...
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bigbr1 lives in st paris and knows the place im talking about i hope lol. i know they do other things too like clay tiles and what not.
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Lowell
Just keep us updated as to when and where.
I have a bass boat with GPS if needed
Weekends would be my only chance as I suspect is the case with most
Mike
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fathead 45, we might need to speak with them. We may be able to organize a "convoy' of trucks or something similar, with help to unload it awaiting at CJ. It`s all about organizing it so when we need the "muscle' for tasks when it`s time we can swiftly accomplish it and then get back to fishing...
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The "Meet and Greet" for the 2012 CJ Cover Project will be held on March 3rd (Saturday) at 1pm, at the Visitor Center. More info can be found on www.ohiogamefishing.com (http://www.ohiogamefishing.com), then on the SW forum, and there is a "Sticky" at the top of the page which is titled "CJ Cover Project"!
Please pm either Lowell or myself with areas that you would like to see cover placed....we need to have this ready for the Meeting. We will have examples of cover that can be built at home also at the Visitors Center!
Debra Walters from the ONDR will be at the meeting to look over proposed areas and give final buy-off, representatives of the COE, and Park Management will also attend to answer any questions and help with anything else we can think of!
Debra (Gator Queen) is the SW district Manager and a fish biologist who did all of her Masters Degree work on CJ, she will gladly answer any questions on the Lake or fish!
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Saugeyemarc, your presence and opinions would be invalueable. And to the MANY who helped previously, we will have some restrictions, but this is a GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY to create a "honey hole' that only you initially will KNOW about...(unless it produces so WELL you can`t resist sitting on it ALL the time !)
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Saugeyemarc, your presence and opinions would be invalueable. And to the MANY who helped previously, we will have some restrictions, but this is a GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY to create a "honey hole' that only you initially will KNOW about...(unless it produces so WELL you can`t resist sitting on it ALL the time !)
It is a "Golden OPPORTUNITY" to HELP CJ with alot of Permanent structure....so that the fishing will continue to be good for the rest of our lives! The idea is to make cover and place it in an area that you can "MONITOR". Then continue "CHECKING" it, to see if it's productive...then we'll know where to place cover the next time, that is beneficial FOR THE FISH!!!
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I don't fish CJ that much.... However, this may change. LOL I am willing to help if needed?
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I'm going to be available again this year for moving block and trees. I hope to be able to help with the rigging this year as well, I know that this is the most time consuming part of what you do.
This lake is going to be over the top in the coming seasons. I've already capitalized on the isolated structure points through the ice. The fish are relating to this cover and the camera shows it, especially as the water clears toward middle ice on the main lake. Your efforts are serving their purpose!
It wouldn't be right for us all to claim the spoils without getting our hands a little dirty right along with you.
It's a good cause, and I'm grateful to be of help. The more manpower, the better! This could be a destination spot for panfish in the next 5-10 years as I see it now. I'd like for guys in NE Ohio to think of it as "Only 3 hours drive," instead of "a 3 hour drive."
If there are attainable goals, year to year, this will happen.
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Sir, have been running my butt off the last 2 wks, sorry to have missed the last 2 "chats"! Your words are heartening and will pass them along. MANY persons helped get us this far and we hope to REALLY go "over the top' this season, some perhaps optimistic persons have mentioned 1,000 of them; ain`t sure about THAT many, but ANY is that many more...again we meet March 3r at 1 PM at the Visitor`s Center to "negotiate' with the Corps, ODNR and the Park for slightly more "freedom of action" this time...Saugeye Marc is going to try to attend if at all possible. The meeting is open to the public as far as am aware...
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That's a cool project. I wish we could get something like this going on some of the Northeast Lakes. That would be awsome, I know right where I'd put them.
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Slabslayer, Go up to berlin. There are thousands of christmas trees in the parking lot at the launch by the dam. It looks loike they have already been setting some out. With the lake level down you can see see where they have been setting them and some of the old ones from years past.
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Cool, I'll have to mark that down for my summer tournament up there. Thanks.
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We now have all 3 needed "Green lights" for our project. The meeting is set for March 3rd at 1 PM at the Visitor`s Center at CJ. We will have 1 day to sink ALL the assembled attractors in August. we are asking anyone interested in creating their own "honey holes' or enhancing an existing spot to assemble them and get them to CJ at that date. Christmas trees and cerar trees less than 8 feet tall attached TIGHTLY to cement blocks, compact "figure "8" TIED brush blocks, PVC in cemented buckets less than 4 feet tall, wooden slats in cemented buckets less than 4 feet tall, will all be OK. You build it, we`ll get it in where you want it (within our restrictions). we will also be able to temperarilly store it on the Corps of Enginner`s side very near the Visitor`s Center for approx. 1 week prior. This will be our LAST chance for about 3 yrs...if you can make even 10, we WILL get them where you want them (withiin our restrictions). Let`s LIGHT this candle !
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Hello,
I will be willing to help as well. I have three boys.. my oldest is seventeen and he would like to help as well. Keep us in mind.
I will be at the boat docks Saturday morning trying to catch a few Crappie around sun up sitting by the pumps. My name is Roger.
If you're there, stop and introduce yourself. I'd like to put a face with the names here.
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Glad to have you on board, Roger. I have some "honey does' to get "done' tommorow; for what it`s worth a "Friend" PMed me and said he did OK on the outside bend close to the tip of the S Breakwater with a light float and 2 small "glo" ice jigs in about 12 fow. DO be forewarned there are over 40 attractors in that curve lakeside. Might be worth a try. Also, if you can, try to make the meeting March 3rd at 1 PM at the Visitor`s Center just North of the outlet Tower. See you there sir...
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Well crud,
Thank you for the tips Lowell but I ended up with unexpected honey doo's Saturday morning so I didn't make it there.
I did get there this morning around 7:30 but had no luck. 1 small bluegill and nothing else.
There was a gentleman there with his son that said he got a couple keepers at day break but that was it.
I'm going to try again later today if I can break away. Fingers crossed.
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The outside turn on the S breakwater is an EXCELLENT spot, especially at dusk and dawn; keep in mind that there will be a possibility of snags. The possibility of walleye is just as likely...
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Thank again for the tips....
I ended up making it back over there tonight about a half hour before dusk. I caught two keepers a few minutes before leaving. "White and Hot Pink" ice jig #8 size hook....banana shape jig. First year fishing through the winter and this is a blast.
Hey also, I spoke with a guy named Mark this morning that was there by the pumps on Saturday. He said someone had dropped by and asked if his name was Roger......I know I said I would be there so ....I apologize to whoever it was that stopped to introduce themselves.
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Roger
Read your post sat morning
So I decided to stop by and see if they were biting
Just out running some errands and wishing I was fishing
Mike
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That`s the great thing about this site.
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Tommorow`s the day, hopefully we`ll have company. Thank you, guys.
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As it now stands, as near as we can tell, there are now over 2,000 attractors in CJ...
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That is exactly what the bathtub needs!
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As it now stands, as near as we can tell, there are now over 2,000 attractors in CJ...
Sounds like we need to add some more ;)
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Funny you should mention that...hopefully if things go as we are conspiring....eh, `planning` we will have a much easier time now. Hopefully the new baitshop concessionare will be "in on" our `endeavors`...perhaps being way too optimistic, but would LOVE to "splash another 1,000 this yr. Most will be "C" trees, but would also like to build at least 3 more cement rubble/ block/ brick piles. Again, actual assembly will be our "Achilles heel"; if we can get enough `warm bodies` involved, could have them in before Memorial Day in time for the crappie spawn....(evil laughter sound effect here...)
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More structure = more places for Crappie to hide to get bigger and bigger and bigger till I catch it :) Don't worry I catch and release :)
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Guys, we may now have a good source for OSAGE ORANGE (hedge apple); this stuff will last underwater for 20+ yrs...hopefully we can score many pickup loads of it !