Hovey Lake Fishing

[Moveon]

I've been reading though the IDNR fishing survey reports and fishing reports tonight and learned a few new things.

Hovey's Lake will open back up for fishing after Jan 31st 2012.

A fishing report claims that the bigger crappie are suspending out in the middle of the lake away from the timber. But I don't recall when that report said that they do that. I susect it's during the hot summer months or the cold winter months but the fishing report didn't say. That would make a big difference.

Any way the report said that they changed the motor size limits to unlimited motor size and imposed a 10 mph speed limit instead. I've been wanting them to do that for a long long time.

I always read about crappie fishing at Hoveys for years in the Evansville Courier and the Evansville Press news papers but never went down there to fish. I've hunted waterfowl down there in the early 1970's so know the lake a little bit. But I've never launched my boat down there before since they always had that 10 HP motor size limit for the lake.

I was reading though the fishing survey reports for hovey lake and Bluegrass's different pits. Crappie growth rates at Bluegrass Pit and Loon Pit seem to slow down after the crappie reach 4 years of age. Some fish that were caught in lift nets or with electroshocking were 6 years old but only 8" long while others the same age were 13" long. So why do some fish grow faster than others? Genetics? These crappie could come out of the Ohio River and end up in Bluegrass and Loon Pits during the spring flooding events. These fish could easily swim up Pigeon Creek and Bluegrass Creek into Otter Pit during the spring floods of 2011 and 1997. So the gene pool of the crappie population in these stip pits can get fresh blood every so often.

I personally thing it's the high pH and high Iron contect and the overall water quality that keeps the crappie growth rates so slow.

On the other hand the crappie growth rates at Hovey's lake (according to IDNR F&W surveys) are one of the fastest in the state. Hovey lake is closer to the Ohio River and crappie in the Ohio River can more easily get into Hovey's as compared to Bluegrass's pits.

I also have read that Hovey's has a population of Threadfin shad. I can't remember where I read that and I wonder how these threadfin shad can survive in Hovey's unless they get replenished from the Ohio River every year. Hovey's lake is shallow with a much shallower average depth as compared to Bluegrass Pit.

I live closer to Bluegrass than Hovey's these days but in years past I lived much closer to Hovey's. So it's a longer trip to Hovey's these days which is one reason I don't fish it. But I may go there this next spring if things work out. I'd like to catch some nice slab crappie for a change.

While we may not have the big crappie that they have down in Mississippi's lake Granada SP? we do have the State's fastest growing crappie right in our back yards.

[drjochum73]

I would watch out for Hovey Lake. It is getting a large population of the Asian Carp from what I understand. They seem to move freely during the flood stage in and out of the lake from the river. Good Luck

Dan

http://evansvillebassmasters.webs.com

[bassmanic1]

Way back in the mid- 1980's Hovey was THE place to crappie fish but that didnt last . There is a back story for the whole mess but its almost 2012 so who cares . Personally fished the lake in 2010 and wasn't impressed . Lots of those **** carp jumping everywhere so you have to really be careful moving around . Didn't catch many crappie or spotted bass . In the past there was always a good population of spots in Hovey we used to nail with spinner-baits and buzzbaits . Lost another great fisherman last week , friend and co-worker Danny Berry was killed in a auto accident on Dec. 21 . Danny loved to fish and we shared many a day on the water at Hovey . Our prayers go out to his wife Bev and family . He will be sorely missed .

[Moveon]

The only way to get rid of those exotic carp is the poison all the rivers and kill all the fish. So I guess they are here to stay. It's a crying shame that some idiot imported them to our waters. Those people responsible for doing that should all be punished somehow.

Way back in the mid- 1980's Hovey was THE place to crappie fish but that didnt last . There is a back story for the whole mess but its almost 2012 so who cares . Personally fished the lake in 2010 and wasn't impressed . Lots of those **** carp jumping everywhere so you have to really be careful moving around . Didn't catch many crappie or spotted bass . In the past there was always a good population of spots in Hovey we used to nail with spinner-baits and buzzbaits . Lost another great fisherman last week , friend and co-worker Danny Berry was killed in a auto accident on Dec. 21 . Danny loved to fish and we shared many a day on the water at Hovey . Our prayers go out to his wife Bev and family . He will be sorely missed .