Patoka Report

[ss]

The lake is at winter pool for the first time in a long time. Good time to go out and see some stuff that hasn't been exposed for a while. Water temperature was 43 at the dam and there is some thin ice in the creeks. Only bite I had was a 3 pounder on a jig in about 7 feet of water.

[billius]

Well at least you caught a nice fish!

[doc201pro]

Any day spent fishing is a great day.....Wish I was closer to Patoka.

[King31]

Any day spent fishing is a great day.....Wish I was closer to Patoka.

You would have to live with being constantly disappointed. The Dead Sea is tough!

[doc201pro]

You would have to live with being constantly disappointed. The Dead Sea is tough!

I fish for bass in Indiana. Constant disappointment is part of my day.....

[BackLash625]

The Dead Sea is tough!

Which one?.. We have many..

[cubswin]

I always find it interesting the complaints about Patoka. I've had one bad afternoon there, and it really wasn't bad. Buddy used to complain about monroe the same way.

Of course I fish salamonie and mississenwa, so I'm used to really tough days. Bright side there is always another lake to go fish around this part of the state, some of which are outstanding.

[red186]

I always find it interesting the complaints about Patoka. I've had one bad afternoon there, and it really wasn't bad. Buddy used to complain about monroe the same way.

Of course I fish salamonie and mississenwa, so I'm used to really tough days. Bright side there is always another lake to go fish around this part of the state, some of which are outstanding.

Same here I don't get to Patoka to often but a few time a year, I never seem to have a horrible day always seem to catch something as I've been fishing it since it was built, back then the small pike were a nuisance.

[cubswin]

Same here I don't get to Patoka to often but a few time a year, I never seem to have a horrible day always seem to catch something as I've been fishing it since it was built, back then the small pike were a nuisance.

Never caught any there, didn't start fishing it until 1985. First time there I went to lip a 3lb fish about dark and had a hook go in the back of my hand. Had to make a trip into french lick to a dentist office (my dad was a dentist and knew the guy) to cut it out. Bluegills were big back then as well as the bass, and the weeds were everywhere.

Now days I fish it the way I fish missy and salamonie that have no weeds, and always seem to do pretty well. Worse day in recent memory I caught 2 4's and some dinks, missed one over 5. That was 2019 on a hot as hell august day. Wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either. Didn't go this year with the pandemic, just didn't want to stay at a hotel.

[cevans]

No pike left in Patoka. When the state stocked them,,,they were all sterile so as not to reproduce. Pike ruined the smallmouth fishing in the lake. Last one I caught was about 8 lbs.

[billius]

The last pike I caught in Patoka was probably in the early 90's. Some of them got to be pretty darn big. I had a buddy who hooked one that probably would have gone 12-15lbs. We got it to the side of the boat and it cut the line.