Crappie biting ?

[skeeter 190]

I fished Hardy Sunday water temp was 52,looked for crappies most the day no luck.Bass fished about an hour caught two on white spinner bait 13 and 15 in.should have bass fished sooner i guess.

[raporter]

Despite the high water I caught about a dozen on Patoka today. Jig under a bobber at 10' and countdown 10 on the drop and then a sloooow retrieve. Black and chartruese tube with crappie nibbles. Don't think it is going to be a very good spring.

[Moose1am]

I talked to Patoka Larry today on the phone for a while. He said to start at 10 ft. LOL And you said you caught your fish at 10 ft.

Now that's amazing to me.

I have read that the lakes bottom can be clear near the bottom foot or two and muddy above that.

I wish I still could fit into my wet suit and scuba dive where people have fished recently (after they are done) and check out what the bottom looks like.

Back in 1978 when I was still fitting into my wet suit I wanted to dive at Patoka Lake but found out that it was not allowed. That's a shame too. People can water ski and ride jet skie but not scuba dive in that clear water. So I guess an underwater camera is the next best thing.

I would love to have new scuba gear and a underwater electric sled to get around there quickly.

I read where Buck Perry from Fishing Facts Magazine use to dive at Dale Hollow lake to see where and what the fish were doing. He learned all about structure fishing.

My limited diving experience has verified what Buck said.

If anyone has one of them fancy underwater cameras they could easily verify what the bottom looks like and if it clears up or not.

I talked to PL today and he said that the entire Patoka Lake Old Patoka River section of the lake was muddy. From Kings Bridge all the way to Hwy 145 on the lake. He just drove by the lake in these area and has not got his boat out yet. He's working overtime and real busy this year.

Water level is way higher than I have ever seen it. It was very high back in 1996. That was the year where we had major flooding on the lakes (strip pits) that I fish these days.

[mperry]

I was also at Hardy Sunday and had no luck on crappie. Caught a few little bass but that was it. The highest water temp I found was 55 deg. Thought maybe this weekend they might turn on but looks like more rain and cooler temps towards the end of the week.

[MissinTheFishin]

I went to Patoka and Beaver lake. Caught maybe a dozen or so keep size and about that in little guys.
They are biting very very slow.
Was using black flick tails on a 1/8th oz jig head under bobbers fishing about 3 feet deep.

It was so nice getting out on the water