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Hoover gear guide

Phone-first kits for Hoover Reservoir: cats, crappie, bass, saugeye. Bank vs boat cards, short buy lists, and packing checklists.

Disclosure: No paid affiliate IDs on this page yet. If affiliate or sponsored links are added later, they will be labeled. Buy what fits your budget; confirm regs and safety gear yourself.

Overview

Hoover Reservoir (Westerville / Delaware–Franklin) is one of Ohio’s best multi-species lakes, especially for catfish. About 2,884 acres of water and 45 miles of shoreline on the ODNR lake map, with depths to about 60 ft near the dam at summer pool.

10 hp motor limit and 10 mph speed limit (Columbus city code), with idle speed within 100 ft of shore. It’s a drinking-water reservoir. Lower pressure than many big lakes; kayaks and small boats work well. Night helps channel and flathead (blues too); it is not best for every species.

Old Dutchman Bait & Tackle, 904 S Sunbury Rd, Westerville. Cut shad, shrimp, liver, crawlers, goldfish, live bluegill, floating-rig parts.

Neighborhood shop note, not a paid ad.

Before you go

License required ages 16+. Confirm 2026–27 rules on ODNR / HuntFish OH before you keep fish.

Species Reminder (verify current rules)
Crappie 30 a day (black and white combined), 9″ minimum. Hoover site-specific rule; ODNR has proposed dropping the 9″ minimum from March 1, 2027
Bass LM/SM 5 a day combined, 12″ minimum (statewide; no Hoover exception)
Walleye / saugeye / sauger 6 a day combined, no minimum size at Hoover (the 15″ rule covers only a few other lakes)
Cats No limit under the trophy lines. One channel cat 28″ or longer, and one each of blue and flathead 35″ or longer, per day (statewide; Hoover has no catfish exception)

Local intel

North end (Oxbow / Twin Bridges / above Sunbury Rd) often cited for bigger blues. Bait shop: see Old Dutchman in Overview.

How to use

  1. Optimal kit
  2. Rigs with buy list
  3. Bait / lures
  4. Bank vs boat + public spots

One medium spinning outfit can cover crappie + bass + saugeye if you change line and terminal. Trophy blues / flatheads need a heavier dedicated setup.

Universal extras

Kit cards

Bank Catfish

Everyday + trophy kits, slip-sinker, floating rig, bank night setup

Crappie

Light spinning, slip-float, vertical jig. 9″ minimum

Bass

Stick worms, Texas, wacky and jig. Largemouth first

Saugeye

Jig + minnow, blade, slow troll, bank dam

1. Catfish: channel, blue, flathead

Headline Hoover fishery. ODNR says some of the older blues already top 30 lb, and in 2019 Hoover gave up more 35″+ Fish Ohio blues than any other Ohio water. Night is strong for channel and flathead (blues too); daytime boat work still scores.

Optimal kits

Everyday cats

  • Med–heavy spinning or baitcast
  • 12–20 lb mono / fluoro or 20–30 lb braid + fluoro leader
  • Circle hooks 2/0–5/0 · egg / no-roll sinkers ½–3 oz
  • Rod holders (2–3) · headlamp · net · pliers
  • Measuring board (28″ / 35″ trophy lines)

Trophy blues / flatheads

  • Heavy baitcast or stout spinning
  • 40–65 lb braid · 40–60 lb mono/fluoro leader
  • Circle hooks 5/0–8/0 · heavier sinkers / 3-way
  • Large net · strong rod holders · cooler + ice
  • Circle-hook tip: wait for a steady pull, then reel. Don’t “set” hard

Rigs (buy list)

RigPieces
Slip-sinker / Carolina Egg sinker → bead → swivel → 18–36″ leader → circle hook
Floating / hover Same as slip + foam float or floating hook to lift bait off silt
3-way 3-way swivel · dropper to sinker · longer arm to bait (channel edges)
Balloon mid-depth (boat) Balloon or float set bait mid-column while slow-trolling cut bait
Bank night Rod holders · slip or floating · clicker / drag set · headlamp
Carolina slip-sinker rig diagram
Slip-sinker / Carolina
Floating hover rig diagram
Floating / hover
Three-way rig diagram
Three-way

Baits

Bank vs boat

Bank

  • Public shoreline near Oxbow, Redbank, Walnut flats
  • Night: multiple rods in holders, quiet lights
  • Watch private docks; public only

2. Crappie

9″ minimum, 30 a day at Hoover in the 2026–27 rules. ODNR has proposed removing the 9″ minimum from March 1, 2027, so check before you keep fish.

Optimal kit

  • Light spinning 4–8 lb mono or light braid + fluoro leader
  • 1/16–1/8 oz jigs · slip floats · small hooks
  • Ruler for 9″ · small net · minnow bucket if using live bait legally

Rigs

Slip-float rig diagram
Slip-float

Baits / lures

Bank vs boat

Bank

  • Riprap, bridges, public docks / shore brush
  • Slip-float covers depth without a graph

3. Bass

Largemouth primary on Hoover; smallmouth show in rockier / clearer stretches. Stick worms are a Hoover staple.

Optimal kit

  • Medium spinning or baitcast · 8–14 lb line (or 10–20 lb braid + leader)
  • Soft plastics · spinnerbait / chatter · topwater for low light
  • Terminal kit · pliers · 12″ measure (black bass minimum)

Rigs / presentations

Colors

Green pumpkin, watermelon, black/blue, white/chartreuse for stained water; natural when clear.

Bank vs boat

Bank

  • Points, riprap, laydowns on public shore
  • Weightless stick worm covers water quietly

4. Saugeye / Walleye

Hoover’s saugeye and walleye come from ODNR stocking (walleye were added in 2019 for a study against saugeye). Daily limit is 6 combined walleye, sauger and saugeye, with no minimum size at Hoover (2026–27 rules).

Optimal kit

  • Medium spinning · 6–10 lb fluoro or braid + leader
  • Jigheads 1/8–3/8 oz · paddle-tails / twisters · blades / spoons
  • Headlamp for low-light unhooking · long-nose pliers

Rigs / methods

Baits

Bank vs boat

Bank

  • Dam / lower riprap when open and legal
  • Points and current edges after dark

Quick packing lists

Your ticks save in this browser, so the list is ready next trip.

Bank day, mixed

Practical Hoover notes

Gear lists are notebook suggestions for Hoover’s 10 hp and bank reality, not sponsorships (yet). License 16+ · ODNR / HuntFish OH.