Just want to clarify something here?? In the river you should never anchor at the stearn right, because of current? The post below says they sank by dropping anchor at the bow?



Quote Originally Posted by West Basin View Post
I grew up in Perrysburg, fished the spring runs, and have personally seen boats get swamped, sink, & otherwise get in trouble. Every year somebody drowns.

Rule #1 is SAFETY.

An 18 foot boat is not too big to fish the Maumee spawn, it's acutally better in that it's safer because of it's size. Dependiing on your boat's design, draft, and engine, you can access traditionally good fishing spots upstream of the Perrysburg / Maumee bridge, out in front of Ft. Megis, during normal to a little above normal flow. Past there it gets shallower & faster current, and only a local with river topograpy knowledge would take an 18 foot boat past Ft. Megis. There are gravel bars in various places around the bridge & beyond. In any case, procede slowly, read the river, and play it safe.

Launch at Perrysburg's Maple Street access, about 3/4 mile downstream from the bridge. Lots of parking & room to lanch your boat, and you'll start in deeper, slower water. Work your way upriver until you get across from the Perrysburg Boat club (road comes down to the river & a parking area). A hundred yards or so farther and the gravel bars start. There is one right out in the middle, a little closer to the island on the right. Work your way upriver, slowly from there, and watch the river current for signs of gravel beds. The entire area out in front of Perrysburg's Orleans Park, to the bridge, is gravel & rock bottom. There are also some good spots around the upriver end of the island (Ewing Island, a park) on the west side. Find the deeper "hole's" in this area, and fish them. Typical depths (normal flow) past the boat club are between a few inches over the higher gravel beds to 4-5 feet in the holes & channels. Closer to the bridge you get, the shallower it gets.

The biggest factor here is water level. If the river is high, near flood stage or more, DO NOT GO ANY FARTHER THAN ORLEANS PARK. If you do, you're asking for trouble due to current. There are plenty of places from Orleans Park to the island to fish, and even a bit downriver where the gravel bars start. I have talked with locals who have some of their best days fishing this area, but you have to know how to fish it (as always).

The biggest mistake fisherman in boats make is when anchoring (other than the usual stupidity of overloading, not wearing a PFD, & going places they shouldn't in dangerous conditions). I've seen guys come up in small boats in fast current, drop an anchor with a short line from the bow, and within a few seconds of the anchor catching the boat is swamped, pulled down by the current force. BE SMART. Have all your safety gear & wear a PFD. Balance the boat well before anchoring & have plenty of anchor line, and have a quick method to cut or release the anchor if neccessary. NEVER anchor in real fast current. Make sure your buddy works with you to keep the boat well balanced, and know what each other is doing.

If you take your time. play it smart, and try different spots & methods (inquire at local bait shops in Maumee & the parking areas to get current fishing tips), you can be successful.

One more thing. The fishing regulations are strictly inforced. On any given day you have a pretty good chance of being observed by law enforcement, so think twice about keeping that snagged fish.

Good luck!

West