GeoFisher:
When did your car get broken into. Was that this last year or this year or a few years ago.
If it's recently then there must be new crooks or the old crooks are back at it again.
I have bad memories of taking the trip up the Patoka River from the Bridge at 145 to Walls. I only did that trip that way one time and right at the last turn in the river bend before I got to the Walls Ramp area I got a speeding ticket from the Orange County CO boys. This was way back when the lake first opened. I didn't go back there way until a few years ago and then it was by truck not boat.
Now that I have a GPS unit that shows where I am located on the lake I may do that trip by boat again. But I only carry 6 gallons of gas for my boat these days. I'll have to put the other 6 gallon gas tank back in my boat. I have been using that space to carry a few other things like my oil and anchor along with a few other things.
I know a few years back (2002 and 2003) IDNR reservoir budget got cut and they talked about shutting down the Walls launch ramp. But some of the locals that lived up there volunteered to maintain that launch ramp and they kept it open.
I have only launched from there about 3 or 4 times total and the first time was during the middle of the week in 2002. April 1 st 2002 to be exact. Even at that time of the year and in the middle of the week there were at least six vehicles with boat trailers. Guys were pre fishing for crappie a week or so before the Crappie USA tournament that year. The guys I fished with that April were the guys that won the Semi Pro division that year. And they won the Spring Tournament at Patoka lake the year before.
And one of those guys won the last Patoka Lake Crappie Fishing tournament. Brian Estridge and his brother won last years Nov Tournament. Brian and Frank Ison won the spring Crappie USA tournaments in 2002 and 2003 if memory serves me right. I saw Frank Ison release at least 10 to 15 one to two pound white crappie one day as he was getting ready to drive back home. It was 2 or 3 pm in the afternoon and he released all the fish he caught that day while I watched him release them. He held up each one of the fish to show me right before he released them back into the water. Those were some of the biggest crappie that I have seen at Patoka Lake since the lake opened. I have seen lots of 8" black crappie but those were 14" to 16" fish that Frank released that day. I was fishing right near him that day and could see each fish he held up before releasing it.
But you can do the same thing at Lick Fork if you hit the shallow water areas where the fish are staging before they spawn in April.
Late March and Early April when the water's 60 deg F these big females will be in prespawn and you can catch them if you fish for them quietly and slowly. These big fish spook easily in the clear waters of Patoka Lake.
Originally Posted by GeoFisher
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