MY FAVORITE LAKE IN COLUMBIANA COUNTY

   In my photos, the small lake that I am fishing is where I grew up. This is a 12-15 acre lake located in the north western portion of Columbiana County. I have been associated with this small body of water all of my life! My parents bought a partial of land here in 1947 for $500. Dad built our home on the property in 1961. Dad started fishing here in the mid 1940's and fell in love with the lake and decided to become an associate. The lake has always been private, open only to it's members however, during the 1960's it was opened for pay to fish to the public.
   If I had a $1.00 for each fish I've caught out of this lake, I'd be a very wealthy man today! I've seldom gone there without catching fish and some of my friends, that have been with me, have said that this is the best water they have ever fished!
   It was primarily a Largemouth Bass lake when Dad started fishing it but it also held Bluegill, Crappie, Perch, Catfish and a few Suckers (in the early days).
   The lake is approximately over 170 years old, having been constructed as the result of the old Sandy and Beaver canal system that was attempted between 1835 and 1850. A branch of said canal runs northwest and southeast of the lake and the lake ( I believe) was constructed as a reservoir for the canal.
   I would have loved to have been around at that time to have witnessed the construction. The lake has changed so much in my life time due to sediment filling in the shorelines. There used to be some major drop offs along the edges but the mud and muck has taken those away!
   There used to be abundant lily pad growth and not much weeds but today it's just the opposite! The pads used to be so thick that half of the lake was covered with them and it looked like you could walk on them! The membership has always been fighting a never ending battle against the vegetation problems and today with the older members, I think it is a lost cause!
   The majority of the members don't fish and cann't see the importance of a good lake management program! There are basically too many fish in the lake (since there are no fish being removed) and the size of the Bass have decreased through the years as a result! A thriving fish population is obtained through a good harvesting and catch and release program! For instance, if large Bass are the goal then the population of average size fish needs to be thinned out. The state of Ohio's D.N.R. recommends that 10 Bass under the length of 10 inches be removed per acre of fishing water plus one Bass of 15 inches every year. Then the primary food source, let's say Bluegill, should be reduced at the rate of 300 - 500 bluegill over the 6 inch size, per acre per year! This will allow the smaller Bluegill to be more readily available to be food fish for the Bass, allowing them to grow larger! That's a lot of fish for a 12 acre lake, especially when no one fishes the water!
   Having said all the negative "stuff" about the lake, there is not a day that goes by that I don't want to be on that water! My buddy and I still manage to have a real good time and the Bass fishing is still good even if the fish are on the small side! I'm just as guilty for not taking fish but at the age of 60, I am just too lazy to clean them! We keep saying, "maybe today we will bring some home to eat", but never do!