Many fish species call the Ohio River home
The resurgence of Western Pennsylvania's three major rivers is illustrated by the ever-increasing variety of fish species available to anglers.
This is perhaps most evident on the Ohio River, where what's tugging on the end of your line often remains a mystery until it's finally landed.
About 30 miles of the Ohio River flow through southwestern Pennsylvania before leaving the state. Some of its best fishing can be found in the Montgomery Pool, which is the portion that flows from the tailrace of the Dashields Dam, near Edgeworth and Sewickley, to the Montgomery Dam, 18 miles downriver, near Monaca.
Some of the best fish habitat on navigable rivers like the Ohio is provided by the outflow sections of dams, as well as the structures found near feeder creeks.
These were the types of spots that attracted my attention when my buddies, Don and Tom, joined me recently on the Ohio.
Our first stop was downriver of the Dashields Dam outflow. This dam is of the fixed-crest type, meaning the water passes over a concrete barrier.
Over time, the plunging action of the water washes material from the bottom, which is deposited downriver to form a shallow midriver hump. It's a common scenario below dams of this type. The water flow was low, and the shallow flat was well outside the restricted area that keeps boats out of the hazard zone.
Holding the boat just upriver of the edge of the flat, we pitched jigs to the current-swept shallows. A few casts into the session, Tom set the hook on a fat channel catfish.
A few moments later, I did the same, this time bringing a spirited smallmouth bass to the net.
I continued working the upriver edge of the flat, allowing the boat to slide toward the lock side of the dam. The movement of Tom's jig was interrupted. Following a strong tussle, I netted his fish, which we all gazed at with uncertainty.
Tom remarked that it looked like a tarpon. After looking at the fish a few moments, I suggested its species as skipjack herring, which I knew were in the river. A Google search the next day confirmed this identification.
The remnants of old Lock and Dam 4, near Ambridge, was our next location. This area provides a wealth of structure and cover, including a small feeder creek and a significant gravel bar.
As the boat drifted around the current-deflecting bar, we notice baitfish surfacing in the shallows of the feeder stream.
Armed with soft jerkbaits and soft swimbaits, we targeted casts to the clear, thin water.
When a lure cleared the shallows, smallmouth bass rose from the nearby depths of the river to pounce on it. Not all of them hooked up, but for about 10 minutes, we had exciting sport targeting the bass that were chasing baitfish up that small creek.
Our final stop was a few more miles downriver, where the Beaver River enters the Ohio. At this juncture, a soft-bottomed shallow flat is found on the right-hand side of the mouth of the Beaver. It's marked with "shallow shoal" buoys and the edge of the flat quickly drops into 15 to 25 feet of water as you move out toward the Ohio.
Our first efforts were aimed at the deep water off the edge of the flat. Within minutes, something ate my minnow-tipped jig. After a strong, stubborn fight, we brought a respectable flathead catfish to the boat. Later, Don did the same with a nice channel cat. Pitching up on the edge of the flat, Tom hooked into a nice white bass.
I worked the boat into the Beaver River to the first bridge. Fishing around a bridge pier, Don found a hot spot for freshwater drum. The spot also held a few small saugers. In the nearby shallows, smallmouth bass were chasing baitfish.
During a morning's fishing, we caught no fewer than seven species. The list could have been longer, as spotted, largemouth and hybrid striped bass, walleyes and other species make their homes in the Ohio.
