New Fisherman at Patoka

[ron64emm]

Just retired.... Never been a fisherman... Determined to learn at Patoka Lake. Any tips for bass or crappie this spring would be appreciated.

[ElectricSLT]

Nothing beats spending time on the water - go early and stay late. Pick an area and try to learn the structure around it - then expand to another area. Years ago you could go around the shoreline casting a worm or a jig and have a good time - usually catch a keeper or two and enough small ones to keep it interesting - those days are about gone. The lake gets pounded pretty hard and the fish have wised up! These days the better fishing is on offshore structure.

As far as what to fish with - the prevailing species that the bass & crappie are eating is gizzard shad. There are millions of little gizzard shad schools all around - so fish with anything that imitates them - plastic, spinnerbait or crankbait. If you aren't seeing any schools of shad on the surface or on your depthfinder - move until you do see them.

Due to the numbers of gizzard shad in the lake Patoka can humble even the best anglers around - the fish are there if you can find them and get them to bite - but it's not easy.

Good luck!

[bassmanic1]

Its been a while for me but I used to have good luck for bigger bass on main lake points at Patoka , there is a nice one just east of the swimming beach that runs pretty far into the lake and has a nice drop from a flat 4-5' to 15' . Had good luck with Yamamoto 5" Senkos fished without a weight , just rig texas style and like it sink slowly were the flat drops off and has some weeds . If your at Gander Mnt. pick up a IN fishermans map book , it has a detailed topo of the lake .

[redearhoosier]

Nothing beats spending time on the water - go early and stay late. Pick an area and try to learn the structure around it - then expand to another area. Years ago you could go around the shoreline casting a worm or a jig and have a good time - usually catch a keeper or two and enough small ones to keep it interesting - those days are about gone. The lake gets pounded pretty hard and the fish have wised up! These days the better fishing is on offshore structure.

As far as what to fish with - the prevailing species that the bass & crappie are eating is gizzard shad. There are millions of little gizzard shad schools all around - so fish with anything that imitates them - plastic, spinnerbait or crankbait. If you aren't seeing any schools of shad on the surface or on your depthfinder - move until you do see them.

Due to the numbers of gizzard shad in the lake Patoka can humble even the best anglers around - the fish are there if you can find them and get them to bite - but it's not easy.

Good luck!

And this is exactly why Patoka Lake ***** as a panfish lake...the number of gizzard shad kills the bluegill/redear and probably hurts the crappie population in the long run too. It should be named Bass Lake, because that's all it's good for IMO.

The DNR aren't doing justice with this lake. Having a balanced fishery should be their aim, but apparently it's not.

[Stevens]

And this is exactly why Patoka Lake ***** as a panfish lake...the number of gizzard shad kills the bluegill/redear and probably hurts the crappie population in the long run too. It should be named Bass Lake, because that's all it's good for IMO.

The DNR aren't doing justice with this lake. Having a balanced fishery should be their aim, but apparently it's not.

Not trying to be rude, but what do you propose the DNR do about it? Once there in a lake that size, they are there to stay. I just dont see this as the DNR's fault nor is there a good way to fix it. I feel for you, every lake i've fished without shad has a very healthy panfish and bass population, and i know the shad are really only benefiting the adult predators.. but i think its just something that we have to deal with, because DNR can only do so much, and in this case i dont know what they can do at all.

[raporter]

Very little the DNR can do to rid the lake of shad. Like Stevens said they are here to stay. Due to the shad we now have stripers and will soon have a decent walleye fishery. No one misses the big gills more than I do.

[Arauthator]

I don't see a problem with the shad. I have NEVER been to Patoka without catching at least a dozen keepers. That goes for Bass, Bluegill, and Crappie. I absolutely love that Lake. I also usually only go for a 4 hour period unless I'm in a Bass Tournament. That's pretty good fishing in my book. As far as the Bass are concerned, any day I go I can catch em' on a Spinnerbait, Jig, Plastic Worm, or Buzzbait. Just depends on what the Bass want that day, not what you want to throw at em'. So I never go there without at least 4 poles rigged with those baits. My 5th pole I keep in the boat just in case. It's a Daiwa setting on a 7' pole with a 5:4 ratio for crankbaits....great for lipless crankbaits too. Slows down the bait and keeps it in the strike zone longer. I have noticed with those Bass at Patoka, speed is VERY important.