It's an angler's paradise with 37 one-acre ponds, some holding more than 5,000 catfish.
"I would say I'm definitely doing what I like." said Todd Beisser of the Senecaville Fish Hatchery.
Even during a cool fall morning, the guys are ready for the catch.
"From the middle of March until about Thanksgiving, it's fish culture, hands on fish work." added Beisser.
The six Ohio fisheries are maintained by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. There is one main goal.
"We're wanting to decrease that time between bites. We're trying to keep anglers happy." said Beisser.
The lakes are drained and buckets of catfish are hauled away. They're placed into tanks so any other fish species can get sorted out. Finally, an even longer journey awaits. The fish are trucked to a public Ohio Lake near you.
"They [other ODNR employees] give us a list of lakes and the number of fish they'd like to have
and we try to meet that number." explained Beisser.
The Ohio state fisheries are funded through fishing and hunting licenses and in turn, you
have something to catch.
"We stock public waters, where anybody with a fishing license has access to these fish." said Beisser.
Next time you go to reel in the big one, don't forget about the guys that made it possible.
For more information, visit Ohio Fish Hatcheries.
