Still got 3.5 inches of ice here

10 hours ago, IndianaFinesse said:

Still got 3.5 inches of ice here

I was wondering lake ice status - that's a shame. Will still take a while. Any main lake open water as a teaser or is everything froze over?

Retention lakes are opening up in Indy.  Got out for a little while this afternoon and managed a few small ones.  Sure felt good after this past month.  I just hope we don't go into a long cold spell like before and have to wait till March for ice out.  

On 1/28/2018 at 10:29 AM, Team9nine said:

I was wondering lake ice status - that's a shame. Will still take a while. Any main lake open water as a teaser or is everything froze over?

Not sure, haven't seen the main lake in a couple days. Last I saw on Saturday there wasn't anything to speak of with the exception of large areas around bubblers.

Anybody got open water yet , major cabin fever up here in Northern Indiana 

Been open since last Friday. probably about to ice up again for a bit. But just very slightly

Got better than just open water - we've got open water with biting fish  Only been the small stuff locally though, 3 acres or less. Have managed about 20 in three short trips. Single digits tonight will probably kill it again for a while.

 

Caught three 14 inchers after work yesterday.  The pond I was fishing was half covered with skim ice when I started at 2:00.  It was gone an hour later.  Hope this colder weather is interspersed with some warm days so the ice can't get established like it did earlier.  ( Sorry ice fishing guys).

1 hour ago, The Bassman said:

Caught three 14 inchers after work yesterday.  The pond I was fishing was half covered with skim ice when I started at 2:00.  It was gone an hour later.  Hope this colder weather is interspersed with some warm days so the ice can't get established like it did earlier.  ( Sorry ice fishing guys).

Forecast models look like we're going solid water for the next two weeks before we get another warm spell. Several potential snowfalls in the coming week, too. Froze my butt off for thirty minutes tonight, but landed 3 including this one. I'll make it another couple weeks now

 

It was in the low 50's yesterday and in the 60's two weekends ago. We would've gotten about 2-3 inches of snow today but it took awhile for it to start sticking so we ended up with ice and a dusting of snow over it. 

Anybody have any contact info for the PO Pluggers? There website seems too be outdated with information from previous years.

24 minutes ago, LxVE Bassin said:

Anybody have any contact info for the PO Pluggers? There website seems too be outdated with information from previous years.

If you're on Facebook, look up and message Walter Wynn, Jamoni Harper or Reginald Gibson. Any of them should be able to help you out. I believe the club is still active from what I can tell. Next time I talk with a friend who fishes with them sometimes I'll check.

Hey Hoosiers!  I am looking for a place to demo kayaks before I buy one for this fishing season.  I plan to spend between 2 and 4k so I can't buy without trying.  I am in Hamilton county (just north of indy) but I would be willing to drive.  The only one I know of right now is in Bristol Indiana which is a 2+ hour drive for me.  I would like to find someone closer.  Any help would be appreciated!

Wildcat Creek Outfitters does demo days. They will be at the Boat Sport and Travel show so you can see the different brands and models they carry. While there you could ask them about demo days. The brands they carry are Wilderness Systems, Jackson, Nucanoe, and Feel Free.

 

I personally fish out of a Wilderness Systems Radar 135. I’m getting the pedal drive within the next two weeks so I have installed installed before Nationals next month.

Hey guys! Does anyone fish Patoka? I've heard that's a great lake for largmouth. My dad & I are hoping to rent a boat down there one day this spring. We're hoping to go mid prespawn and fish sub 15' (I understand some basic concepts, but dont have a lot of experience with fish finders). I would appreciate all the advise I can get! Thanks 

41 minutes ago, BrianMRetter said:

Hey guys! Does anyone fish Patoka? I've heard that's a great lake for largmouth. My dad & I are hoping to rent a boat down there one day this spring. We're hoping to go mid prespawn and fish sub 15' (I understand some basic concepts, but dont have a lot of experience with fish finders). I would appreciate all the advise I can get! Thanks 

It's very close to where I grew up, it's a very tough lake. Very very easy to not land a keeper. But my grandpa still tells me the story of a few years ago catching 28lbs on 5 fish on 6 casts. And it's not just a fish story, I've seen pictures lol. Pre-spawn, target any grass/flats/wood with a crankbait I think there is a lot of dead water up there but if you find em, you'll have a good day I'd bet.  If you go there and get a hotel stay in jasper on the south side, eat at "Wings etc". Also the schnitzelbank, It's delicious. The roads around there are narrow, hilly, curvy so be careful driving, the locals drive em liquored up every weekend. 

3 hours ago, BrianMRetter said:

Hey guys! Does anyone fish Patoka? I've heard that's a great lake for largmouth. My dad & I are hoping to rent a boat down there one day this spring. We're hoping to go mid prespawn and fish sub 15' (I understand some basic concepts, but dont have a lot of experience with fish finders). I would appreciate all the advise I can get! Thanks 

I haven't yet, but I've got a tournament there early/mid April so I'll let you know how that goes.

Thanks for the advice! I appreciate it. We'll definitely be extra careful driving 

If I remember correctly, South lick fork ramp is off of hwy 545. It is somewhat of a protected cove, if you leave the ramp and go along the road there is a good hard bottom/rip rap bank and if you go under the bridge into the back of the cove there is a good amount of wood that looks like it would be great to flip a jig into. Left also looks fishy with if I remember correctly. Its been a few years since I've been on patoka though

On 2/12/2018 at 7:50 PM, CroakHunter said:

If I remember correctly, South lick fork ramp is off of hwy 545. It is somewhat of a protected cove, if you leave the ramp and go along the road there is a good hard bottom/rip rap bank and if you go under the bridge into the back of the cove there is a good amount of wood that looks like it would be great to flip a jig into. Left also looks fishy with if I remember correctly. Its been a few years since I've been on patoka though

I've put in there before, it's down past the dam.  When you find the submerged bridges very close to that ramp, throw an A-rig across them at first light and hold on.  The 145 bridge area can be really good post-spawn, but for pre-spawn make sure you have a flippin stick out to fish some of the shallow timber cove fingers with a creek running in the back.

Pedal drive and Rudder system installed. I will get out this weekend to try it out. Only 36 day until National championship.

Thanks for the advice guys! Pitching jigs in timber is one of my favorite techniques, so hopefully that'll work out well for us!

Passed on the Boat Show today (saved a lot of money - ) and walked a couple banks instead. Scored 7 before the cold and sleet got too much. Wanting to get the boat out, but it's going to have to be a lot warmer than today for that to happen.

 

Had a random 3 inches of snow today, but it's all gone now since it was nearly 70 the end of the week. Plan to get out tomorrow. 

Any of you guys going to the boat show next weekend?