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Hello. I am asking for some advice to help me zero in on a top crappie lake in southern Indiana. It must also be safe from the asian carp invasion. I have been fishing KY Lake for 15 years; but I feel it's been lost to the carp. It will take many years to recover. Thankyou very much.
I have no idea why you want to fish Indiana if your from IL. as in my opinion, Ill has excellent lakes. But, if your wanting to fish IN I would say Cagles Mill (Cataract), Lake Lemon, Lake Monroe in the spring time, West Boggs, and in eastern Indiana Brookville. Patoka 8000 acres used to be my favorite but the shad has hammered it along with the loss of weeds. I dont waste a lot of time with Patoka. Monroe is coming back after being weak. West Boggs was drained and restocked couple of years ago but is getting hammered big time. Boggs is 650 acres so it is the smallest of the choices, Lemon is 1700 acres, Monroe is 10,500 acres, the Cat is 1400 acres. Western central Indiana has Cecil Harden, (Mansfield) and its pretty good for 10-11 and some 12s. I can limit out on all of them except Monroe and I dont keep anything under 10 unless its mortally wounded by hooks. I know nothing about Hardy Lake other than it has been hammered by fishing pressure. We dont have big water in Indiana like Rend Lake, Crab Orchard, or Clinton, or Shelbyville in IL.
That's a great list with details. thankyou. I live an hour due west of downtown chicago. The few lakes here are so overfished by people that have no clue about minimum length limits, AND creel limits. If they get on a batch of 5 inch crappie, they'll fill their buckets with them. Same for baby bass and bluegill. I've called DNR Police twice. Both times they got caught. As you know, the economic state of IL is pure horse poop, and the taxes will bankrupt a Rockefeller. This new govenor has promised to raise taxes even more! So, the question I gave was an escape plan from IL for a retirement home search. It's a few years away, but it's tough to search while still working full time. Also, I don't mind a little snow and cold, but my area gets too cold for too long. Thanks again.
Salamonie and Mississinewa are in north central Indiana and good crappie lakes. Wawasee in northern Indiana is our largest natural lake 5000 acres and it’s been 20 years since I last fished it and have no idea other than a heck of a lot of local bass clubs hit it all the time. Check out the Sali and Missi.
Chuck how is the fishing at lemon if it not frozen in December and February thinking about making the drive up there very soon
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i haven’t fished it in past couple months but I am sure it was muddy last week with 3.5 inches of rain. I was going to West Boggs but Will hit it tomorrow as I want to play with setting up new 360 and mega 10 DI on front after moving my mega SI 9 to back then networked it all. Everything is set and works great in the garage except gps puck (no signal lol) but need to hit some water and only have time next 9-10 days then tied up with hectic trade show schedule in Jan Feb, then free to hammer fish anytime after that. Give you a report tomorrow evening.Quote:
Originally Posted by sir catchalot;[URL="tel:3744901"
Thanks in the process of networking all my new toys I got for Christmas I would say good luck but I know you dont need any...lolQuote:
Originally Posted by cevans
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Ahhh we all need a little luck now and then. Winter time fishing means they will feed sometime during the day if you stick with it. At least we aren’t fighting ice yet.
2old2keep, if fishing in Indiana, you need a lake launch permit purchased off DNR of which cost 25.00. We all need one Jan 1st.
this some new law the are sneaking in on us or something? I haven't heard of this.Quote:
Originally Posted by cevans
Its been around for quite a while. All the lakes I previously mentioned you need a lake permit. Here is a link from DNRs website and if you read it, there is a link for lakes requiring it. 2 kinds motorized and non motorized 25.00 for motorized, 5 bucks for yaks, canoes, row boats etc.
DNR: Boating Fees
Attachment 325779
You dont need them for most rivers and creeks I think.
It's only for DNR owned propertiesQuote:
Originally Posted by river scum
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Exactly, but if you check the links, it will maybe be confusing to some. There is links for waters listed and waters not needed. It’s another tax as if we don’t already pay boat taxes when we get our trailer plates and renew your boat registration. Then throw in launch fees at Lake Lemon and West Boggs that I fish and and add another 200.00 I pay. :bangheadQuote:
Originally Posted by Locator79
ok, you threw me with the "everyone needs come jan." part. lol
You northern fishermen fishing natural lakes don’t have to get a launch permit, but anybody central and down south that has mostly resivours to fish have to pay the piper his dues. :deadhorse
There was an article in the newspaper here in Evansville, IN which was talking about how the IDNR F&W Division is getting less revenue from the Feds as the number of fishing and hunting license are lower than they were in the past. Thus less funding for IN IDNR Fish and Wildlife Division. They get their revenue from the sales of fishing and hunting license and the money that the Federal Fish and Wildlife Agency gives back to the States.
Dogwood Lake in Glendale Indiana is a very good crappie lake when you get on them & you don't need a launch permit either.
Dipsydiver, when is the last time you fished Dogwood? Crappie are small and not abundant, Bass fishing leaves a lot to be desired, blue gill is not what it used to be. And fishing pressure is immense especially with the boat loads of Amish. There is a bunch of us locals, that still occassionally get sucked into fishing it with the dreams of the past as to how it used to be. :banghead Granted, you can still catch fish but not the size or abundance there used to be. and it befuddles me as to why DNR doesn’t do something to enhance Dogwood especially when the State has a fish hatchery on the south side of it next to the Dam.Quote:
Originally Posted by dipsydiver;[URL="tel:3751587"
I'd have to agree. Happened to the majority of southern lakes we have.Quote:
Originally Posted by cevans
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I screamed for years that Indiana needed to build some sizeable reservoirs or impoundments. There's just not much public fishing like other states have to offer. One reason I moved to Lake Barkley was because of the fishing. Of course now we are fighting the Asians! I do think progress is finally coming in that regard!!
Fishing in Indiana will never become better. Never! We educate newbies and the public how to fish, electronics are way better, fishing equipment is better, and fishing pressure is a constant increase on fish populations and the water we have. DNR can only do so much with the budgets they have as their budgets don’t increase enough to improve the situation in the state. If today’s fisherman does not learn to adapt and overcome, his catch rates and size of fish he does catch, will not improve. It is what it is. I was on West Boggs last Sunday tweaking and setting up a new 360 and helix Mega 10 DI on the front and setting the networking up. 26 boats in wintertime on that lake Sunday! And they were keeping every crappie they caught no matter what size it was. I was the only person catching and releasing and some looked at me like I was a idiot. I never caught a fish that touched a 10 in line on my golden rule. Those fish just do not have a chance to grow. :twocents
Unfortunately........you're rightQuote:
Originally Posted by cevans
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That is the problem everywhere I go. People keeping everything despite size and creel limits. Not enough enforcement. ''No money in the state budget for more officers,'' is what they say in IL. It sickens me to hear this is happening everywhere...
Why are state lakes so poor, if Patoka had good fishing I don't think that dogwood and boggs would get the pressure they get. How can pretty much lakes in Illinois have a lot better crappie fishing when they are demographically pretty much the same.
I think it's the direction of where the available funds go. The surrounding states have way better managed fisheries than we do, at least in the southern part of the state. But, I've seen millions spent on horse camping. And each year or two there is an increase in your DNR stickers, entry fees, and camping costs. But I'm not seeing the return. If there weren't a couple lakes closer by that I hit early for spring crappie, and few others i like to redear and eye fish, I wouldn't even buy a license and all my money would be spent in KY. Which most of it is anyway, because of my options of lakes to fish.Quote:
Originally Posted by kyrich
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Same here I fish Ky lake all the time but Asian carp is killing it but to me , there is place in southern in thats that great to fish . I went to patoka
test a prop on my boat so I bought the launch permit to be legal done some damage to my boat because the docks had no bumpers.
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Indiana has only 3 big lakes. One is Wawasee 5000 acres in northern part. Monroe 10,500 acres central, Patoka 8000 south. Most other lakes under 2000 acres. Patoka has a shad problem. Not enough water to handle the fishing pressure.
I have never seen that many crappie fisherman on patoka And dont think it is over overfished if anything it needs a lot crappie taken out and get someone to manage our lakes
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Everybody quit fishing Patoka for crappie and gills. Years ago you could catch all the nice gills and red ears you wanted. Then they got small due to shad. 5-6 yrs ago I could limit out on 10-15” crappie cranking and long lining jigs as well as jig fishing single pole. Shad in the lake are over 14 inches or more in big schools. Why you think Crappie USA quit holding tourneys there? It is still my favorite lake to fish, but I don’t fish it as much as I used to.
This is your answer... Patoka was a destination for guys from states over, and many quality crappie tournaments. Now.. It's an empty parking lot, and a ghost town.Quote:
Originally Posted by cevans
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I wish Indiana had lakes like Alabama does. They are run by the state and stocked by the state and they monitor what is taken out to make sure it stays well stocked. I go down to see my dad several times a year in Alabama and we have a blast fishing Madison County Lake. Madison County PFL | Outdoor Alabama
their is a lot of strip pits around litton dougar unit their are a lot of big crappie
About 3 years ago we fished Dogwood Lake in the spring before we moved to Fla. Did real good catching red ears & bluegills. They really need to put a limit of 20-25 on the red ears & gills. Seen them cleaning a ridiculous amount of them over the years at the cleaning station their. Cevans did you know Brenda who had the bait shop there? Was wondering if she reopened the shop and how her husband John was doing. We use to leave our camper there and get it when we came down there in the spring and fall.
I know Brenda but havent stopped in the shop didnt know anything about John, but will find out what I can and get back to you. When we finally had ice to ice fish last year, everbody round here couldnt find any grubs, mousies or bee moths, I drove up to Lake Monroe, bought 50 bucks worth and scattered the bait around to those that wanted it around here and a few guys tried Dogwood making it look like Swiss cheese with nothing caught thru the ice. All the small ponds around Dogwood were hammered with guys keeping all those small fish and I mean it was ugly! :Rofl
Cevans, do you know Don Obryan? Lives in a modular across and a couple of doors east of the baitshop in Glendale. I lived in Washington for 93 to 2000 and hunted and fished Glendale extensively.
Sorry No.Quote:
Originally Posted by Duckmann;[URL="tel:3758773"
KY is head and shoulders better all around. There are lakes across the state that offer great fishing.