Thread: Anyone have luck on Patoka?

I really think you call it fishing pressure that has screwed our big waters up. I have watched and participated in causing the fishing on Monroe and Patoka going to the dogs as on Patoka, we had a couple of years of 1000 lb weigh in of bass in Indiana Bass Fed. tourneys in the early days of the lake,,but never again,,or ever will there be those kind of weigh ins for bass. Same for the blue gills on Patoka,,we had 4-6 yrs of fill the cooler with big gills,,but what were we doing without thinking was raping the fishing beds of the big gills thinking it was a endless resource of which our DNR backed every move the fisherman made. DNR put Northern Pike in the lake and even tho they didn't reproduce, I always attributed the introduction of them cause the Smallmouth population to die out as both fish competed for the same food and cover. 2 yrs ago on high water,,we slayed nice crappies with cranks, but absolutely after catching limit after limit, nothing over 14 inches,,then last yr,,dry and lake normal to low,,nothing over 12 inches as well as no big numbers. 2 seasons ago,was the last time I took a bass at 5lbs and it had been several years I had even caught one at 5. I catch maybe 6 walleyes a year out of Patoka at 4 lbs as well as maybe 12 smaller ones and have to fish my butt off to nail them even tho DNR has dumped about 25 million in the lake, and by mid June,,,the best fishin is over with for the year anymore so I end up on the river rest of the time,,not wasting my resources on Patoka or Monroe for that matter. I personally think DNR doesn't have a clue or really cares how it manages our resources as now they are even considering baiting deer for deer hunting and the herd is decreasing of which that is their primary intentions. I really think,,we have seen and experienced better days, but we will see as soon as the ice goes out and weather warms,,won't we?