Monroe

[FWFeecherman]

Hey 3 sons and slowretrieve! I hope your both doing well. I live in Ft. Wayne and I do most of my fishing in Northern Indiana for everything from flatheads to bluegill to steelhead and smallmouth, but I have never caught a Wiper and I am dying to give it a try. I love to catch white bass, but we never get any around here much bigger then 12-14" and I hear Wipers can be a blast. My friend and I are trying to plan a trip to Monroe in the next month to try and catch our firts wipers. I have been told that the fall is a good time to try because the wipers tend to chase the schools of shad into the coves in relatively shallow water. They tell me you can take baitfish imitating lures and fan cast for them in these coves. Is this true from you experiences? Its about a 3 1/2 hour drive so we'll only have one shot to do this and any info on where to launch or general tips would be greatly appreciated. If your interested I could give some tips or info on Steelhead fishing in IN Lake MI tribs. Tight Lines and screamin drags to ya!!!!! FWFEECHERMAN

[3sons]

I not sure you want me to give you pointers on Wipers if you look at the success I've had this year. It is true that they key on shad and typically where you find the shad you will find wipers. It is kind of hard to quess where they will be on a given day but it is true they will chase the shad up on the shallower flats and usually in front of the bay areas. I am not sure if it's been just the type of days I've been there this year or not but I have not been there this year when they have been in this pattern. Lately I've found them suspended over the creek channel both on the slow side of the lake and on the west also. One thing I have noticed for sure is to stay after them through the day when you find them. Many times they will bite for a short period of time and then shut down. I've also had them start biting at high noon on a sunny day for an hour or so and then just quit and not get another fish all day (go figure that behavior).

I really don't mean to be so negative about my response because on the flip side when they turn on, this can be some of the most fun that can be had in fishing. The wiper is truely a good fighting fish and that is why I keep going back regardless of the previous outcome. Good luck and let us know how you do..

[FWFeecherman]

Thanks so much for your response 3sons. I appreciate the info. I've read about everything I can find on Wipers and it looks like Monroe is my best shot for some good ones. Its about a 31/2 hour drive for my buddy and me. Can you recommend a good launch. What kindo f boat are you fishing out of? We'll be in a 16ft Lund. Does the water on Monroe ever become unnavigable due to weather conditions? I'm just trying to narrow my shot down to the best chance possible to be on the water to try and figure out something. We figure we'll fish two days and hope to catch one of these great fish. Thanks for any info. I really appreciate it so much. Tight lines and Screamin Drags to ya!!!!!!!

[Slowretrieve]

The lake is now down about five feet because of some repairs that are being done. It is the first time the level has been lowered since 1988. It does not present any real problems, but it is having an effect on the fishing patterns. I agree with
3sons--these guys are hard to pattern. I recommend starting by trolling some minnow-tipped 3/8 oz. white jigheads with either blue/white crappie skirts or 2" white curly tail jigs. That will get you fish. Forget the coves and find large flats that are 3-5 foot deep and adjascent to deep water. Humps are great in about 3-5 feet with drops on the sides of about 12-16 feet. That's been my observation. I have never fished wipers on the slow side of the lake. Put in at Paynetown of Moores Creek; both ramps are deep enough for you. A 16 foot lund will do nicely. The longer your poles the better. I usuall use a 9 footer and no less than 12 # test. When you get used to the smaller fellers on the above jigs, switch to either a tiger colored 5" Thunder Stick, a 4" silver spoon if its sunny, or a chartreusse Hyper Striper Stump Jumper with about a 4" chartreusse tail; these usually have to be purchased through Bass Pro Shops. Or, near Paynetown there is a baitshop called the Fishin' Shedd (WWW.FISHINSHEDD.COM)and they will have some good chartreusse bucktails. Use about a 3/8 oz., anything heavier will ride the lake bottom. Try trolling right as you exit the Paynetown inlet--go east from the mouth. If that doesn't do any good, head south to the Fairfield area. Fish in front of Fairfield, and if that does no good, cross the lake and fish the mouths of the inlets by the Hardin Ridge ramp. 3 1/2 hours is a long drive. Have you looked at Freeman above Lafayette? It has the last several state records.

[FWFeecherman]

Thanks so much for the info slowretrieve! Im getting some good info together and it looks like my buddy and I are going to hit the water Thanksgiving weekend if the wives will let us. Thanks again and Tight Lines and Screamin Drags to ya!!!!!

[Slowretrieve]

I also agree with 3sons on location of the fish. Shallows close to a bay and across the mouth of the bay is the place to fish. I, too, have noticed that they turn on and off at odd times. What I notice most is there is no point to fishing for wipers after dark--they rarely bite. There is not point in fishing for them early in the morning--they rarely bite. They usually start to bite (as far as I have ever seen) at about 11:00 a.m. They bite about two hours, then quit. At about an hour before sunset--just when the sun is almost ready to drop below the horizon and until the last bit of daylight lingers they will bite hard. I've often thought of not bothering to get on the lake until 4 p.m. I'm pretty sure that I would do just as well fishing late in the day at this time of the year as I would if I fished all day. Spring is different. They still won't bite until about 11 a.m., but they will bit all day long and into the evening in the spring.

[Slowretrieve]

You're welcome, Feecherman. You should also check with a Nov 7 post on this site from JSY. He gets much bigger fish than I do and has been at it longer. I've only been fishing these brutes for about four years and the largest I can remember catching is a 7.5 pounder. That's nothing considering the state record is over 22 pounds. I would also check on lures. Fishtechoutdoors.com has some nice wiper lures. Any way you cut it, though, big, little or nothing, it is probably worth the trip to Monroe just for the scenery.
Where have you been getting white bass? Those, too, are favorites of mine. I admire the way they hit and the way they always turn their side to you, making them hard to get to the boat. Thus far my favorite white bass spot is Brookville, but it was terrible this past summer. When they bite, it is also a great place for stripers.

[FWFeecherman]

Hey Slowretrieve. I've only fished for white bass at one place near me and that is Huntington Resevoir near Markle IN. The white bass run up the Wabash River that runs into the resevoir in the spring beginning around mid April into May. We wade the small river and throw jigs for them. We have lots of days where we catch up to 30 - 40. Not too many big ones though. I usually get a couple each year pushung 14 inches. I hear lots of stories of people cathing much bigger, but I haven't seen them. I would say they average about 11-12". The only bad part is the small water can become really flooded quickly if it rains. The year before last I only got to fish for white bass one day, the rest of the spring the resevoir was flooded and you couldn't even get to the river. Thats happened a couple of times in the last five years or so. Its a lot of fun though. Its pretty easy fishing. Usually if their in the river they'll hit just about anything. Raod Runners, twister tails, anything that they can see they'll usually hit hard. The water is always a little stained coming form the Wabash so chatruese, white, and yellow seem to produce well for me. A lot of guys throw nightcrawlers undr floats for them also. I have so much fun catching them because of the hit and how hard they fight. Thats why I am so hyped about catching a wiper. Tight Lines and Screamin Drags to Ya!!!!

[3sons]

I was hoping slowretrieve would respond to your questions. He and jsy for sure have more experience with the wipers than I do and I really appreciate the information they bring to the board. Thanks to both of you for your input. Good luck to all and keep posting your results and experiences, I'll try to do the same.

[FWFeecherman]

Does anyone know roughly what the water temp is right now on Monroe? Thanks again for any info. Tight Lines and Scramin Drags to Ya!!!

[jsy]

Guys: I hate to tell you this, but the hybrid fishing at Monroe is pretty much over for the year. The only way you are going to have a very remote shot at a big one is live bite right along the bottom using your trolling motor and moving very slow. The water temps have cooled down to much to be trolling fast moving jigs or crankbaits and they wont chase them. I would recommend you wait to spring to go. Just wanted to let you know, I have fished that lake since 1990 for the hybrids and you can pattern them if you go enough, but some days, I dont care what you use, they wont bite. Another tip. Stay away from fishing for them on the full moon phase.




>Hey 3 sons and slowretrieve!
>I hope your both doing
>well. I live in
>Ft. Wayne and I do
>most of my fishing in
>Northern Indiana for everything from
>flatheads to bluegill to steelhead
>and smallmouth, but I have
>never caught a Wiper and
>I am dying to give
>it a try. I
>love to catch white bass,
>but we never get any
>around here much bigger then
>12-14" and I hear Wipers
>can be a blast.
>My friend and I are
>trying to plan a trip
>to Monroe in the next
>month to try and catch
>our firts wipers. I
>have been told that the
>fall is a good time
>to try because the wipers
>tend to chase the schools
>of shad into the coves
>in relatively shallow water. They
>tell me you can take
>baitfish imitating lures and fan
>cast for them in these
>coves. Is this true from
>you experiences? Its about
>a 3 1/2 hour drive
>so we'll only have one
>shot to do this and
>any info on where to
>launch or general tips would
>be greatly appreciated. If
>your interested I could give
>some tips or info on
>Steelhead fishing in IN Lake
>MI tribs. Tight Lines
>and screamin drags to ya!!!!!
> FWFEECHERMAN

[jsy]

Low 50's. Boys, it is over for the year at Monroe for the hybrids. I promise you, you will have little to no success, I highly advise you to wait until next spring.



Does anyone know roughly what the
>water temp is right now
>on Monroe? Thanks again
>for any info. Tight
>Lines and Scramin Drags to
>Ya!!!