Where can they be found?
Heard it was tough.
Where can they be found?
Heard it was tough.
http://indianabass.com/derbys/2018/TBFDay1Results.htm
http://indianabass.com/derbys/2018/TBFDay2Results.htm
Looks like 5 fish over the course of two days won it all. About half the field blanked for the entire weekend. Sounds like fun.
Steve Sendelweck
Phoenix 920/Mercury 250 ProXS
Originally Posted by ss
What has happened to that lake, I realize there isnt any grass but the creeks never had grass and always use fish decent even when the main did not.
Lots of theories, but probably nobody know for sure. The biggest concern I have is the lack of small fish. Look at how many people in that tournament had a single fish over 3 pounds and how few 2 pounders there were. If you happen to catch a keeper, its 3-6lbs. Where are the 1-3lb fish. Either there have been several bad spawns in a row, or the stripers and walleye are eating the bass fry before they grow up. I watched a school of yellow bass eat some kind of fry in shallow water (probably bass, crappie or bluegill) back in the spring.
Steve Sendelweck
Phoenix 920/Mercury 250 ProXS
I figured that tournament would be a tough one. My wife and I were down there for three days before that tournament. I know that lake very well, almost always catch something. We didn't get one bite the whole three days. One day we fished out of Walls ramp, the rest of the time on the main lake. Not to mention it was going to be in the low 50's, windy and rainy during that tournament.
Bill Gard
Richmond, Indiana
2015 BassCat Caracal/225ProXs
TEAM SHERM'S MARINE
Of course I talk to myself...sometimes I need expert advice.
First 3 years Patoka was open to fishing IBF weighed in 1000 lb each year. Then it slowly decreased over time to today. I blame Army Corps Enginners for allowing the lake past Half dozen years to be above summer pool all summer long then dropping it 6 months winter pool a few feet below summer pool for loss of grass. I blame DNR for not proper fish maintanence as you now can’t catch decent blue gill, crappie or bass, let alone walleye and hybrids/strippers that they are stocking. You cannot release 15 to 20 million walleye fry a year at a size of 0.02 inches and expect anything to survive with lake that has schools of 12-14 inch or larger schools of shad in it. I have fished Patoka since day one and watched our best made lake for bass and other specie fishing totally go to he#@ and will no longer waste my time fishing my favorite used to be body of water in Indiana. Patoka was designed a fishing lake with all the timber left standing and the rest brushpiled and tied down as well as buildings bridges and structures left in it when flooded. What a waste it is now. Just my 2 cents.
Sad but true
Where was this?
I think this just about sums it up
It burns my tail, that we have as perfect looking well built lake with all the fishing problems that have developed over the years. Indiana DNR first stocked sterile northern pike many years ago to combat shad, and all they accomplished was to destroy the smallmouth bass fishing in the lake and didn’t last long as everybody that caught them, kept them to eat. They put wipers/hybrids and now some strippers in, but very low amounts compared to walleye stockings, but that doesn’t seem to have any noticeable effects. Loss of all the weedlines and weed beds really hurt as your spawn doesn’t have that type of cover to hide in over 8000 acres. And you never get any defined answers if you ask DNR what the heck they are doing as I don’t think they have a clue. DNR seems to act like Patoka is going strong. What a waste of fishing prime fishing habitat for Indiana. And forthmof July you have the beach shut down for ecoli threat? We haven’t had that problem up till past few years popping up in dead of summer.
It’s actuallh quite simple. We just don’t have near the fish In the lake as we use to. That’s just a fact. Probably lots of reasons why but the lack of grass is a big one. The lake is fertile and if we can ever get the grass to return the lake will come back.
I fish up there as much as anyone and hold my own against just about anyone on that lake. I feel bad for you guys that just come up and fish it every once in awhile. I’m amazed you all can catch anything half the time. I love the lake, but it’s just brutally tough.
I e been fishing patoka a lot over the last six years and I have watched it progressively get worse each year. I don’t know what the answer is. Move the lake to Kentucky. Lol. No faith in IDNR.
Because KY and Barkley lakes are just going strong.
"It's even, but it ain't settled. Let's settle it." Fast Eddie
I still can't believe they actually won...Cubs Fans Everywhere
Catch5 is spot on, as most all the time it’s become very tough to fish. I have fished Patoka since Day one, 1975 I think was first year you could fish and have watched DNR screw with it with no great results. Maybe they should have just left it alone. What do I know, but it’s become pathetic and it’s always been my favorite lake to fish except in the past 3-4 yrs. good luck fishing Patoka.
The INDR does this with every lake they touch. When Turtle creek was at its heyday it was ran by the power plant personnel. IDNR comes in and runs it and its history. Then look how great a fishery Geist is, INDR doesn't do anything other than an advisory voice from what I have been told. The state are always talking about bucket biologist but they are the biggest ones I have witnessed. Their way to fix problems is throw in fish that are not supposed to be in the lakes. That seems to always be their answer.
That is a Tennessee River problem with the Asian carp. Not a KDNR problem. They actually care about bass bass fishing in that state.
I was told by a retired Hoosier Energy employee that the channel that the hot water exited the plant became clogged with weeds. The plants solution was to dump 55 gallon drums of herbicide into the channel. It wasn't long til all the weeds were gone. I don't think that is DNR's fault.
The best way to cheer yourself up is to cheer up someone else.
I know the IBF is trying but what is it going to take to really get the INDNR to stock millions of Bass into Monroe and Patoka like they do Walleye and Wipers. Somehow we should be able to apply enough pressure to make some sort of change in the stocking program.
I have written to the IDNR on a few occasions to talk about bass stocking programs, etc. The responses I have gotten have never changed. They always state that the emphasis isn't on bass fishing anymore. That seems pretty obvious to me.Granted, those responses were several years ago, maybe 8 years ago. I have no idea what the DNR stance is currently on bass fishing and bass populations in lakes in our state.
Bill Gard
Richmond, Indiana
2015 BassCat Caracal/225ProXs
TEAM SHERM'S MARINE
If the KDFWR truly cared they wouldn't have waited until the Asian carp situation was well out of control. The only reason they're finally trying to address the issue is due to all the negative press online and on local TV. Fishing there is tough now and that area is losing hundreds of thousands in fishing revenue that they depend on. There's so many negative posts online about KDFWR's lack of effort to stop the invasion years ago that it would take a year to read them all. IDNR doesn't care about bass fishing, period!! Hell the signs around the lake tell you it was built for flood control, not fishing.
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