SEPTEMBER
Yellow Perch: Lake Erie
It's tough to keep Lake Erie off the list of great angling destinations no matter what the month. The lake is already known as an excellent bass and walleye fishery, but this month the attention will be focused on its abundant yellow perch schools. And, if you are looking for a great family vacation this is the place to be. Kids love to catch fish and this month it's hard not to catch Lake Erie perch.

According to the ODOW, there are good numbers of 10-inch fish from the strong 2001 year-class. Additionally, there are plenty of bigger fish, up to 12 inches, from the 1998 and 1999 year-classes.

Muskellunge: Leesville Lake
Ohio's most ferocious game fish -- the muskie -- is the perfect complement to this month's pan-fried yellow perch.

Every September, southeastern Ohio's Leesville Lake muskies begin to feed aggressively. Try casting large crankbaits in the numerous bays and inlets, especially those filled with weedbeds. Like Clear Fork, Leesville Lake usually yields somewhere near 50 Huskie Muskie Club qualifiers.

Muskies often follow the bait back to the boat without hitting it, so don't forget to make the classic figure-8 with your lure before pulling it out of the water. This extra finesse step in your retrieve will greatly increase the odds of a strike.

OCTOBER
Smallmouth Bass: Little Beaver Creek
If you're looking for a change of pace, try fishing streams and creeks for smallmouths this month. As the leaves turn to rust and gold, several streams throughout the state will be worth fishing. One of the best Buckeye State smallmouth streams is Little Beaver Creek.

Located in eastern Ohio, Little Beaver Creek is one of five Ohio streams managed under special harvest regulations, including a 15-inch size limit on bass and a daily creel limit of one fish. A 2002 stream survey showed that 40 percent of all bass over 7 inches exceeded 11 inches. Additionally, 9 percent of the survey fish were larger than 15 inches.

The best stretch of river is between the Ohio-Pennsylvania border and the state Route 7 crossing.

Largemouth Bass: Salt Fork Lake
Another good bet for fall bass fishing is Salt Fork Lake. According to ODOW reports, a 1991 electro-shocking survey was conducted to assess the density of the Salt Fork bass population. As a result of the survey, biologists instituted a 15-inch minimum-size limit in 1992. A 1998 survey confirmed that the Salt Fork bass fishery was a high-quality largemouth fishery.

This month, anglers can expect plenty of action as the water cools and the bass begin chasing baitfish. Try fishing the banks of creeks and inlets with spinnerbaits and crankbaits.

NOVEMBER
Saugeyes: Piedmont Lake
Covering 2,273 acres in eastern Ohio, Piedmont Lake is a good place to stock up on late fall saugeyes. According to the ODOW, the lake harbors an excellent population of 12- to 17-inch fish.

This month, anglers should focus on the shallows in the southern end of the lake. The water surrounding the County Road 100 bridge has been very productive, especially early in the morning or during the evening. A 10-hp limit should keep boat traffic to a minimum.

Saugeyes: Deer Creek Tailwaters
Another excellent place for finding late-fall saugeye fishing is at the Deer Creek tailwater area. In fact, the former state-record saugeye was taken from these tailwaters in January 1989. That fish weighed 9 pounds, 7 ounces.

A stocking program continuously fuels the fishery. More than 300,000 fingerlings are released into the Deer Creek fishery each year.

Small jigs tipped with twistertails or minnows (or both) are favorites. Slowly swim the jig as it bounces the bottom.

DECEMBER
Hybrid Striped Bass: Ohio River
Our year wraps up with a unique experience: chasing white and hybrid striped bass on the mighty Ohio. White bass usually average 6 to 12 inches, but hybrids run anywhere from 3 to 10 pounds. This month, both species will search out warmwater discharges. The concentration of fish makes fishing the discharges an exciting venture.

The New Cumberland and Pike Island pools have recently been stocked with almost 100,000 hybrids. Both pools are a good place to start. However, just about any warmwater discharge should provide wintertime action, even if it's not for white bass or hybrids.

Saugeyes: Alum Creek
As long as there isn't ice over central Ohio's reservoirs there should still be good action for saugeyes at Alum Creek. The stretch of Alum Creek north of Columbus produced the current state-record saugeye, which weighed 12.84 pounds and measured over 28 inches in length.

According to biologists, the southern portion of the lake contains an abundance of emerald shiners; therefore, the saugeyes tend to hold in the southern end where they can exploit this favorite food source.