TBF Semis results

[IndianaBassMan]

I have been watching and reading this thread with great interest. I am at best an average bass fisherman. I fish some small club events and have fishing some team events over the years. Like everyone on this board I have seen the bass fishing at Patoka deteriorate over the last several years. I agree that the lack of vegetation has had an adverse affect. Some want to blame the DNR for not stocking bass while stocking other species of fish. I wonder if the DNR cares at all about bass fishing or bass fishermen at all. I wonder if the DNR is not trying to discourage bass fishing. I wonder if there is not a certain level of disdain for bass fishing and bass fishermen. I have never spoken with a CO so this is pure speculation. I wonder this because there is a percentage of bass fishermen (although I believe is a relatively low percentage) that completely disregard the rules of the lakes such as running idle zones such as Big Patoka, Lick Fork, Middle Fork, and Pine Grove. I am just asking the question. Could this be a reason why the DNR shows so little interest in what we love to do?

I agree that bass fisherman tend to break the laws of the lakes a lot, but so do others. Its not about that, its about money, time, and effort

[cevans]

It takes a lot of time, feeding, care and money, to raise a 8-10 inch bass in large quantities. IBF has had to had some imput from DNR to settle on buying this size of fish to be released in Raccoon and now raising money to release in Monroe and and possibly Patoka and after these fish are released, the DNR is stating they are going to study how the fish survive. Question that enters my mind, why wouldn’t biologists already have a idea how these released fish are going to survive? After all, all they have to do is check what all the surrounding states are doing with bass stockings. I realize all lakes are different in a biological sense, but at least somebody trained in fish biology ought to have some idea as to how this IBF’s efforts are going to turn out or why is the IBF then, the gennie pig in this experiment and using their moneys raised vs, DNR doing the stockings?

when it comes to the lack of grass on Patoka, I question whether we have a chemical problem in the water especially in the spring time heavy rains that cause the high water going into Patoka, from farm fields above the lake as I don’t Bass fish anymore. I chase all other fish now, and I have seen Patoka as the mud line gets to Walls or has been there or below, for a time after hard rains , and anywhere you would fish in the stained to muddy water, no fish caught, or even a fish on the electronics till you went below the mud line and didn’t have any problems catch an abundance of fish, but give it 2-3 weeks and the fish moved back upstream as the water cleaned up a bit. Numerous times I have experienced this every year for the past 6-8 yrs but never before. I have asked DNR if they do water quality study’s in the spring, and they don’t due to budgets and time as well as manpower, but in the summer, the state will test the water at the Beaches where everybody swims. Patoka was built like Monroe and both lakes are similar in properties and upper watersheds that dump into each. Monroe has grass on the main lake and near the main bay bordering Cutright and causeway, but you go above Grub Point or towards Pine Grove, there is a loss of grass and especially all the buck brush that used to be plentiful. Both lakes don’t experience extreme high water very long most of the time. Patoka does experience 3-4 ft of high water past few years and I would think due to the prolonged time of this 3-4 fr of high water, grass would grow and thrive even when the lake would go back to normal pool as I type this, Patoka is still 2.1 ft above summer pool. There again, anybody ever get a defend answer fromone ofmour lake biologists as to what is going on? Nobody I talk to has a answer for me or do I think they know of a answer. Does DNR care? To some extent I really think so, but it’s a Army Corps of Engineers run lakes.

[Gsmith223]

I know years ago when the INDNR would tag the Wiper in Monroe with a transmitter then track there location via boat and post this information online.
They also did the same thing with Walleye. I think this is just a big experiment by them to justify having so many "biologist". I would love to see how much money has been spent on the project statewide and what kind of return they are seeing on the investment.

[Gsmith223]

Found some articles from the INDNR relating to the Walleye program

https://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3280.htm

https://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/file...ticleJan09.pdf

[cevans]

Found some articles from the INDNR relating to the Walleye program

https://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3280.htm

https://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/file...ticleJan09.pdf

i have always kept a copy of the maps in my boat to look at and a few spots on the maps, do produce walleyes at certain times of the year. Walleye on Monroe past 2 yrs has been very hit and miss, more miss than anything and pretty pathetic. Crappie size is on a come back and I also think gills too. Bass has been spotty for me but I snag quite a few undersized so that is a good thing. Stripers/hybrids catch rate as been getting lighter as well. Just my 2 cents.