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I was looking at the results from the Got 2 Love it tournament this past weekend and I noticed that third place weighed in 17.55 pounds with five fish. Now that is a good day of fishing, but what made my jaw drop was the fact that there limit was comprised of all smallmouth! That is right, you heard me, 5 smallies with a 3.5 pound average weight!!!! I bet those guys had a blast!!!
They are in there. I hear about someone hookin one every now and then. I wouldn't mind hookin one (not to be greedy).
WOW..........
If you go to the IDNR web site and read some of the creel surveys you will see they have gotten more readily available over the past 5 years. The lake has aged to a point where it sustains suitable habitat for them to thrive. More and more of the lake bottom is becoming exposed. The more rock that is available the better the filtering system for silt and other garbage. This in turns makes the water clearer and allows grass to grow at deeper depths. All these things in conjunction with one another is creating a very nice smallmouth fishery that will continue to grow. On my trips to Patoka the last few years I have actualy went targeting smallies and have not been dissapointed. Remember, they are not largemouth and inhabit different substrates and habitat.
Ray Rigby
I have not targeted them but have been catching quite a few the last few years. Also there seems to be lots more rock bass in the lake.
I hooked an 18 incher there once, on a popper around shallow grass, deeper water nearby. I wasn't expecting a smally at all. I thought I got me a 5-6lbs largemouth.