Crappie biting ?

[Moose1am]

Those local boys almost won last spring but one of their big fish died before the weigh in. I try to keep an eye on those two guys to see where they fish. I go though Birdseye on my way to the lake. I wish I knew were they live as I would stop by and see if they want to go fishing with me. LOL
Must be nice to live so close to the lake and be able to fish it often without spending a fortune on gas.

One of these days I am going to get motivated to drive up to the Kings Bridge by road and see what that place is like. I have seen satellite views of it.

I wish I could see the lake from a birdseye view above.

Maybe one day I can hook up with Larry and we can ride up there. I feel very uncomfortable going up in that part of the lake with my boat. I almost turned my boat over one time as I ran the port side over the top of a tree. I got stuck on that tree and could not back off. So I had to give it a lot of gas and take a chance of tipping over or getting off the tree. My engine kept kicking up and I could not back off the tree top. That tree top was about 3" below the surface and I ran smack up on top of it. I was stuck with the tree about midway down the lenght of my boat and starboard of my boat's centerline. I don't want to have to go through that again. Not only was I endanger of flipping over sideways but I could have torn a hole in the bottom of my boat. Luckly the tree top was rotten and it didn't dig into my boat's bottom.

Now if I knew that all the trees were at least 5ft below the surface that would be great, but there will always be one or two taller tree tops that are just below the surface.

I have been up there when the lake is at 532 ft or winter pool and then you can see the old river channel as it curves though the area. But even then it's hard to follow the channel without getting out of the channel and onto the flats surrounding the channel. That channel is very narrow and twisting as you head upstream from Dumpling Creek.

Moose I was at the weighin and heard several say they fished above Walls but didn't hear anyone mention above Kings bridge. You are right about using a small boat as you couldn't get a boat under the bridge. The local team from Birdeye and Ferdinand won the semi pro with a catch of over 8 pounds. There were 70+ teams entered and only 30+ weighed in their catch. You had to be tough to stay out there all day as it was a really miserable day.

[Moose1am]

Anyone know about where the local guys fished on the lake this time?

[raporter]

Sorry I didn't ask them. We wondered the same thing after we left. DUH. The ramp at King's is just a dirt ramp and there is limited parking there. It is better than it used to be as several years ago I was backing down and ran a stump down the side of my truck. When the lake is at normal pool we don't have any problems following the old channel. Still I would be hesitant to go into that area without a stainless steel prop.

[Moose1am]

The Guys at CUSA finally posted the results on their web site. See the Region 3 Patoka Lake tournament results

Looks like most of them fished out of Walls ramp.

[raporter]

Don't understand the results on the big fish. There was one over 2.5 before we got there and we watched a 1.65 being weighed.

[Moose1am]

Not sure I understand what you are asking? There was one big fish prize awarded I think. And I think that they gave an award or prize for the second biggest fish caught during the tournament.

Here is what I found on the CUSA web site:

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Big Fish Award

Taking big fish of the event was the team of Craig and Steve Money of Fort Branch, IN with a 2.35 pound Patoka Lake crappie which netted them $609.00. Second place in the big fish contest was the team of John Bledsoe of Noblesville, IN and Randell Walker of Arcadia, IN with a 1.72 pound crappie and receiving $261.00.
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I would love to have seen that 2.35 lb fish. Even the 1.72 lb fish would be a huge fish. I once caught a White Crappie at Patoka lake that weighted 1.5 lb on my dads old deliar scale. That's the spring loaded scale with the tape measure inside it. I forgot that it had a tape measure inside it and failed to measure the lenght of my fish. But it was one of the nicest crappie I have caught on Patoka Lake. It was the biggest crappie that I have ever caught on Patoka Lake. but I have caught as big or bigger crappie on KY lake or Barkley Lake in the past. But back in those days we just put them on a metal stringer and cleaned them when we got back to the boat dock. We only measured and weight the big 4 lb and bigger bass. Catching crappie was for food not for tournaments back in those days. But then there was the time they have the Crappie that had a tag on it that was worth money if you caught it.

I could be wrong. I know in the past they award some prize money for the biggest crappie caught during the tournament.

Maybe the second largest fish caught is just bragging rights.

I caught a 1.5 lb White Crappie at Patoka back in 2003 spring. April 2nd 2003 around noon to 2 pm. I was fishing alone side Frank Ison who was the winner of the tournament the year before and he and his partner Brian Ethridge won the spring CUSA tournament again in 2003. I saw Frank fishing as I was motoring out of a cove and stopped to talk with him. He was very friendly and helpful. He helped me learn a system that catches lots of crappie. I have two or three rods and reels setup on my boat ready to go using his system. But I have other systems that I use too. I don't stick with just one system. I carry about 7 or 8 rods and reels in my boat at all times while crappie fishing by myself. I take a few out when I take a friend with me. Have to make some room for his rods and reels. Basically Frank was using the Float and fly method. ie slip bobbers. He gave me some crappie nibbles, some bets foam slip bobbers, a couple of 1/16 oz jib heads and some BPS White Lightning #18 color code plastic Squirmin Squirt Jig bodies. These are the tentacle type hollow plastic jig bodies. That along with some 6 lb test mono and a long rod and reel and I was setup to go. Add a crappie nibble to the mix and you can catch some big fish. Frank has been fishing this spot out of a small john boat. He was sitting up in the front where the bow mounted trolling motor was located and operating the trolling motor with the handle. The speed adjustment was on the long handle making boat control easier in the Patoka Lake winds. We were fishing in open water where there were some submerged trees. This was a flat area but there is a creek and a river bed within 300 yards of the spot. There is one ditch that runs though the area across the bay and into the creek that the bay's named after. And there is a long submerged peninsula that juts out from the shoreline all the way to the river channel. I think that this is a staging area. The fish have many spots to spawn on in this area. And the bottom is full of rotting wood or vegetation. There's lots of bubbles coming up from the bottom. Maybe that was big fish farts? LOL . I fishes this area the month after Frank did and caught over 100 smaller crappie in one day. The place was full of small young of the year crappie. So that tells me that it's a hot spot. You will have to wade though the area's smaller fish to get the big ones to bite.

I caught my big one by having lots of patience. Give the big ones some time to bite and it helps to be really quiet and still. The slip bobber approach or a very long rod helps to get the bait out away from the boat.

I saw Frank throw back about 10 big crappie that day in April 2003. He returned them to the lake and held up each one to give me a good look at each fish. I have not seen that many big crappie at one time on Patoka Lake other than at the Weigh in that year. Back then they weighed in the 10 biggest crappie in the CUSA tournaments. Now they only weigh in 7 fish per team.

Don't understand the results on the big fish. There was one over 2.5 before we got there and we watched a 1.65 being weighed.

[raporter]

Must have posted these fish after I read it. 2.35 is right, somehow I was thinking 2.5. When I read it they had the biggest at 1.5 and caught by the semi pro winners.
I just got in from the lake and it was tough out there. I was fishing the Lick Fork area and could not raise a fish where I was getting them last week. Finally went to one of my deep spots and found them at 20 to 30 feet deep. I really do not like fishing that deep and used a double jig to get down to them. Of course it normally is not that deep there. Hope to get out again Thursday and if I do will be up in the Wall's area.

[bassmanic1]

Hey guys - heard that crappie were biting at Snakey Point last week so I headed up there today . Fished for 3 hours without a bite . 2 boats on the water when I arrived and 3 more when I left , I didnt see anyone doing any good . Started on shallow wood then moved to pads near deeper water , which at Snakey Point is 4-5 foot , no luck . Packed up and stopped at New Lake since I was in the area . With the bluebird skies I fished close to the bottom but no crappie , just 5 small bass . I didnt have any worms just minnows so I didnt bluegill fish . The north wind was cold and very brisk . The lake is very clear considering all the rain lately . The swimming area looks very nice and the campground had a few RV's in it . Its nice to have good fishing close with the price of fuel making trips $$$$ .

[Moose1am]

One of the guys that I ran into as they were leaving and I was arriving said he either fished Snakey Point yesterday or will be fishing it tomorrow.

Now that I know how to get up there I may fish it a time ot two this year. Not really sure that road will work as a launch ramp for my boat. My boat does not slide of the 2 x 4 easily. I was thinking about adding some of the BPS plastic strips to the 2 x 4 's. The plastic is slick and helps the boat slide on and off the trailer's 2x4's. I have my 2x4 on edge.

Hey guys - heard that crappie were biting at Snakey Point last week so I headed up there today . Fished for 3 hours without a bite . 2 boats on the water when I arrived and 3 more when I left , I didnt see anyone doing any good . Started on shallow wood then moved to pads near deeper water , which at Snakey Point is 4-5 foot , no luck . Packed up and stopped at New Lake since I was in the area . With the bluebird skies I fished close to the bottom but no crappie , just 5 small bass . I didnt have any worms just minnows so I didnt bluegill fish . The north wind was cold and very brisk . The lake is very clear considering all the rain lately . The swimming area looks very nice and the campground had a few RV's in it . Its nice to have good fishing close with the price of fuel making trips $$$$ .

[Moose1am]

My first fishing report for the year of 2008.

Went to Bluegrass F&W area today. Only one other boat was there but they were leaving. Said they didn't catch but a couple of little ones in the shallow water.

Barometric Pressure was high today and the sun was bright. Water was remarkable clear for Otter Pit. I thought it would be more stained and muddy with all the rain and the area being under water for a month. I could see the water line up along the upper bank. The grass had a water line all along the bank. That water line showed that the lake was about 4 or 5 ft higher than it was today. I know that the entire area was flooded but if that's where the high water mark was then it holds a lot more water than I thought.

It got up to around 55 deg when I was leaving. It may have hit 58 deg F air temp. Water temperature was around 53.3 deg F at the surface.

I caught my first fish in about 5 minutes after I started fishing my spot. This was a nice 11" long White Crappie. Nice fish for otter pit. I caught two more fish from this spot but really had to work at it. I ended up staying in this spot too long. After I moved I caught 9 more fish but then it got dark and cold on me so I went back end. My fingers got cold from dipping into the minnow bucket water. I would have fished longer if they had a light at the launch ramp.

The water is still higher than normal and it comes almost up to the handicapped pad with the railing.

I took a few pictures with my cell phone camera. I'll have to email them from my cell phone to my email address and then upload them to here or to Photobucket and then to here.

I had fun but I am tried.

The wind was blowing out of the south east from 3:30 until around 6 PM. It laid down a little bit. Either the wind was blowing harder than I thought it was or my trolling motor battery is going down on me. I have a 50 lb thrust Min_kotoa All terrain bow mounted Trolling Motor and an Optima D34M Trolling Motor Blue top battery. Both are about 5 year old now. Maybe 6 years as I forget. I got the battery in Jan 2003. So that makes it about 5 years old now. The trolling motor has 5 speeds. And #4 was not making much headway against the wind today. I could move but barely on setting #4. I had to kick it up to the highest setting #5 to go into the wind.

I caught all my fish in shallow waters ore in the top ten ft of surface water. I fished some standing brush that went from 18 ft deep up to about 10 ft deep. I caught most of my crappie around 7 ft deep over 18 ft of water near a sharp drop off. This has been my go to spot over the past two or three years and it's productive at times. Sometimes it dead.

I figured that since the winds were blowing out of the south today that the warmer water was all blown down to the North End of the lake.

I could see the concrete ramp in 3 ft deep water so that's why I said the water looked clear. Normally I can't see that much of the concrete at the ramp.

I was able to launch my boat OK. There is a little bit of new algae growing on the newly submerged concrete ramp. Hopefully IDNR will clean the ramps and prevent the algae from hurting anyone. It can get really slippery on these ramps at times

I had one other boat on the lake while I was there.


It was not a bad first day on the lake. It's going to be 70 deg tomorrow so I think I may change the oil in my truck and check the spark plugs. The darn thing is starting to missfire at 2000 rpms. Once I get up to 3000 rmp it runs great. It's acting like it's getting bogged down at the lower RMPs.

I need to find out why it's doing that. Maybe it's the 175,000 miles I have on it. I hope it's just a fouled spark plug or something simple to fix. I'll have to do some compression checks to make sure that the cylinders are all ok.

I'll try to post some pictures later in the photo forum

[MissinTheFishin]

Moose, where is the ramp at for Otter pit?
I have been there along that road but I didnt get to stay long.
Will that ramp hold a larger boat with a 90 horse Honda or is that something you may not want to launch there?
Thanks for any info.

[Moose1am]

It's on the West Side of Otter Pit. You can see it from Euler Road easily.

Here is a picture of the ramp at Otter Pit.


http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...scan0048-1.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...scan0048-3.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...m/scan0048.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...m/scan0049.jpg

Moose, where is the ramp at for Otter pit?
I have been there along that road but I didnt get to stay long.
Will that ramp hold a larger boat with a 90 horse Honda or is that something you may not want to launch there?
Thanks for any info.