CLEVELAND, Ohio - Once a playground for the employees of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., Wingfoot Lake just east of Akron is a pretty good fishing hole for largemouth bass and bluegills, as well a unique lake where anglers and paddlers can often enjoy watching a Goodyear blimp take flight from its hangars Wingfoot Lake’s south shore.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has now designated Wingfoot Lake State Park as the location for the state’s inaugural Ohio Air & Space Trail, a component of America-250 Ohio’ s Trails & Tales program. Trails & Tales seeks to establish five additional thematic experiential trails in the state over the next two years.
“Ohio’s pivotal role in aviation and space exploration is a testament to our state’s enduring spirit of innovation and discovery,” said Director Mary Mertz of the ODNR. “We are thrilled to see Wingfoot Lake State Park recognized as part of the Ohio Air and Space Trail, showcasing the remarkable achievements and contributions of Ohioans to the field of aerospace.”
Bass fishermen once flocked to the diminutive Wingfoot Lake waters, and many are returning despite restrictions that penalize bass anglers with large outboards. The entire lake is designated a no-wake zone, favoring kayak and canoe fishermen and shore anglers, who have a new 200-foot boardwalk to prowl for bass and bluegills.
The park also has renovated its Nature Center, and offers hiking, picnicking, kayak rentals and nearby shooting and archery ranges.
Largemouth bass luring anglers: There are lots of angling options now that summer has arrived, and largemouth bass fanatics are finding success as long as they explore a variety of water depths.
Fishermen at Mosquito and Pymatuning reservoirs are catching lots of bass, and tournament anglers have been weighing some surprising trophy fish in recent days. Pinning down the depths where the big bass are hanging out is a problem, requiring fishermen to probe the shallow haunts, the deeper waters and everything in between.
Portage Lakes bass fishing has been very good, as well, especially Turkeyfoot Lake and adjacent Mud Lake. The bass fishing is already making waves out west, with West Harbor and East Harbor on the Marblehead Peninsula giving up big numbers of bass and a few trophies to keep the hard core bass fans interested.
Catfish a hit in the Grand River: Big channel catfish are being caught throughout the lower Grand River, as well as a few smallmouth bass. Catfish anglers probing the deeper holes on the Grand River around Kiwanis Recreation Park are relying on crayfish to tempt the big cats, with nightcrawlers and traditional catfish baits also working.
The channel catfish spawning season has wound down around Sandusky Bay, but lots of catfish are still being caught on raw shrimp, nightcrawlers, cut bait and processed catfish baits. Catfish are also moving to the shallow reefs of Lake Erie for the summer to feed.
What’s new with the walleye?: The flotillas of Lake Erie charter captains are still reporting steady limits of walleye all along the Ohio shoreline, and in the Central Basin fewer small walleye that don’t meet the 15-inch size limit are being caught.
Most of the walleye reported have been in the 18- to 22-inch category, with many anglers heading to deeper waters for the biggest fish, including the weather buoy north of Huron.
While the summer tactics of trolling spinner rigs tipped with nightcrawlers and spoons are now producing lots of walleye, many anglers are still trolling diving plugs, or crank baits, as they have done for the last few months, rather than deal with the worm dirt.