Backchannel on the ohio

Fished there today for the first time, seemed like an awful lot of water was coming out, the 2 closest gates to shore were open, didnt do good at all had a few hits on twister tails and tubes but nottin else.  anyone willing to give me some advice on this part of the ohio? looking for anything that will hit my lures, also went to montogomery dam and only got 3 small bass on tubes.  the rivers dont seem to be producing too much yet.

keep the waders on and forget the rivers for now. in the past 3 days ive tallied 69 smallmouth, 3 largemouth and my first ever meanmouth from a couple well known streams littered across western pa. granted nothing of trophy size but there were quite a few fatties mixed in to keep it interesting. green and brown tubes with red flake texas rigged were the crack for thier pipe this weekend.
 
hopefully the rivers pick up soon though. im too out of shape to be wading 5 miles of stream every weekend
 
 

We caught a few on the Allegheny below #7 in Kittanning last friday night. The river was still up and a nice walleye (with one eye) and a rock bass were all to be had. Both caught on shiners.. walley on floating jig head.
 
*edit* Sorry, forgot this was an Ohio river thread.. jumped the gun.

Fished it this morning from just before sunrise to 10:00am.

Wipers to 15lbs. One muskie at 37". One unexpected monster catfish. My scale only reads to 25lbs. We caught a few small sauger but stopped fishing for them quickly.

The fish are there. Here's a hint. Think big!

Pics to come when developed. Man, I gotta get a digital camera.

I mainly fish artificial. I've a relative that carves big plugs out of balsa so I don't mind losing them that much since he'll replenish my supply for the cost of materials only.

Here's the skinny. Right where the white water come out at the back channel where there's sort of a ramp leading to the water you can at times, when lucky, see big wipers swimming right up. This is the time to remove the front two trebles from your largest plugs and go to town. I barely even cast. I flip it out a few feet, being sure to keep the tension so that the current creates the action alone. This little process lasts only maybe 10-15 seconds before flipping your lure out again. This also prevents you from losing many plugs.

What always amazes me is the big ugly cats I'll catch on a 10 inch plug in water you'd think nothing could survive in.

My main source of success for monster wipers has always been down at Leetsdale right on the spillway. At certain times of the year you can see the largest of the large wipers swimming to the spillway alongside that flat wall that extends out about ten feet. You can flip out your monster plugs and let that natural current action takeover on your plug until it crosses over said wall. I've done this since I was sixteen years old, which makes that seventeen years of the same success. Beware, I'm not sure you're exactly allowed up on that wall so get up on top about 30 minutes before dusk and hit it hard for a bit. I've heard rumors of people getting fined but I never have. Once the sun sets the action stops but you can do the same technique with one ounce jigs and twisters for some beauty walleye action. Again, this perfect action only happens at certain times of the year down at Leetsdale and a few other white water spots so test it out for yourself because I'm keeping my Jacque Cousteau like research to myself.

The man is always killin' my favorite shore spots but those big wipers just cry for me to stick it back at him.

P.S. Forgot to add. Don't fall in or you'll be fish food for those big nasty cats.