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I love to fish but don't own a boat. I have fished the marina and front banks but have only ever caught small crappie. I keep thinking that "next year these fish should be good-sized". Unfortunately, the fish I usually catch aren't keepers. Any good advice?
To be brutally honest...bank fishing is normally only productive during the spawns. The rest of the year will be frustrating unless you know the lake, know the fish, and the patterns of the fish and lake!
Alot of good info on the CJ thread about why the lake is like this, and Crappie info!
Schools of shad and relatively DEEP water are currently the keys...not necessarily saying FISH deep, but over deep (10-20 fow). The point below the Visitor`s Center lower parking lot might be a good choice...
I haven't tried that side of the lake (yet). One of the reasons I like CJ is the riprap on the banks. I often fish at night and usually have good luck catching fish that come in for an evening meal.
I grew up bank fishing with my Dad at the Fairfield causeway at the Brookville, IN lake. I was a wee lad when they built the lake. I can still picture my dad swinging a fresh cricket out in search of crappie using his cane pole.
Crappie Dreamer,,, the west bank of the lake this time of year from the flat to the tower at the outlet offer some of the best fishing in the lake from dark to dark. You have cover ( rip rap) , flats deep water access and weeds on a 17' deep ridge . Don't be afraid to move up and down the rip rap at different times of the day and try different depths to locate decent fish.
Perhaps not surprisingly a live small crayfish barely suspended above the bottom can have outstanding success on the rip rap this time of year, catching a variety of fish including some LARGE crappies surprisingly...btw, the thermocline is normally between 15-18 fow, wouldn`t bother fishing deeper than that this time of year. Often rig the small `dad on a large "glo" orange floating head jig with a stop and sliding sinker rig. Have caught about every type of fish in the lake on it. Use `dads less than 2" long; you might be SHOCKED to see just how BIG a fish will literally inhale that small mud bug...
hey, you can run but you can't hide, Hope all is well, I'm hanging in there.
CJP
Hello Fritz ! Glad to see you here "Friend " !