Fishing for Smallmouth Bass in the White River

Hi, I fished in that same general area 2 years back while I was visiting my then g/f, now wife, who went to Ball State. If I remember correctly, the water is rather shallow through that stretch and I didnt catch a whole lot. I fish the Eel river where I live and the best way for me to catch the really big smallmouth was to use a live softcraw on the bottom. It works everytime. Softcraws can be expensive though, the other thing you can do is float a minnow.

Artificials that I have caught them on include little spinners, small crankbaits, and fake worms. Best action though has always been the softcraw. The hole I like to fish is about 5-7 feet deep and has a slight current with a rocky bottom. Thats what you want to look for. If you hook into a nice 3-4 pounder you will have a load of fun, pound for pound they are about the hardest fighting fish there is, besides the King Salmon.

 

Love that Eel River! Smallmouth, goggleyes, channel cats - It has been said that the Eel River has less development on it than about any other river in Indiana. We used to do twice a year water quality testing on it. I have spent a lot of time on the Eel around Logansport, Adamsboro, Twelve Mile and Mexico.

 

Where Rangeline Road near Anderson crosses the White, there is some decent rock and gravel that holds smallmouth. You can use rebel craws, bomber model a's (fire tiger), plastic, and topwater to catch them. I grew up in Alexandria and used to wade that section in the summer in shorts and tennis shoes, got to watch the E Coli counts, though, if Muncie cuts loose some sewage after a rain. You used to be able to park at the bridge and walk down to the river, but I think its posted now. You may have to go in at Mounds State Park.

I'm not sure where you live, but if you're in Muncie, a better bet it the Mississinewa from Eaton to Matthews. There are a lot of rocky stretches and smallmouths to 4 pounds (YES, I said 4 Pounds). Top water and jerk baits are great ways to cover the water. Lots of Bridges along the way. I have a few secret spots due north of Muncie, but I'm not giving up all my secrets :shhh:

 

Yeah, the Eel is one of the better rivers for smallouth. Its absolutely loaded and holds quite a few really big ones. I live in Logansport, and mainly fish here in the city, right below the dam and about 3 miles before it is absolutely loaded with fish. Quite a few nice sized flatheads in there too.

 

First of all go downstream of Muncie to fish. The way they groom the bank sucks, good for college girls jogging though! Find a good stretch where the current is swift then slows down and deepens. Use the biggest most active minnows below a bobber or to run and gun I like a mid sized crankbait. Most action is in the swift water right where it eddies or forms a shoot. Deep water, current, and cover are good keys. You can find some fish in the shallow flats but the bunches are always in the current with deep water close by.

 

Yea when I went to BSU I fished the river quite a bit. Caught some rock bass and smallies but never really consistent. Take a bike ride down to Yorktown, just take a rod and reel with a small box of inline spinners, small cranks. Below the dam by the waste water plant wasn't bad, there was another dam close to Muncie central that would produce a few fish from time to time. Get a ride and go out to Prarie Creek, fish from the bank for bass, crappie, and white bass. I did that a lot too. The white runs close by there and I did fish that from time to time and caught suckers and crappie. Good luck, some mushrooms around Prarie Creek too.

 

Dug deep to find this,, just wanted to bring it to the top again.:cheeky-sm

 

Good job Pigeon!

Think a craw color tube jig would be great for these river smallies too.

 

soft shell crawls set adrift into deep wholes. try not to spook the fish. if you have a creek close by you should be able to seign some anytime they'll be shedding. if you can find some shallow rocky places you should try some hellgrumites. their great smallmouth baites. have someone hold the seign and kick up the rocks and they'll drift right in the seign.

 

I am hoping to find some softshells at the bait store this weekend. Last year they were $6 a dozen:yikes: , hope it stays the same. But, you cant beat a day on the river with about 5 dozen:banghead3

 

Softcraws are the ticket. I priced them at 4.50 a dozen at one bait shop this weekend. Shop around, i had a bait shop in the center of town last week try to sell me bass minnies at 1.50 per dozen:16suspect. That just didnt sound right to me so i elected to drive about 10 minutes out in the country to the other shop and he had them for .75 a dozen. The man downtown must think he can jack prices up with no competition nearby.

 

I never fished for smallies before. Then I moved down around the Warren area. The Salamonie River had them all over. I just used my regular crappie bait, a white curly tailed grub on a jig head. Excellent action!!!!!!!!!!

 

indy smallmouth

I've heard the smallmouth fishing is decent in and around the outskirts of downtown Indy (no chit 4 and 5lbers). Just be careful not to hook any terds. And, on a positive note, any carp caught accidentally can be sold by the pound locally. This post will never make it.

Eric