The days are longer. Last evening (3/8/5) it was fishable daylight until about 7:30. Got the boat cleaned and greased and ready to go. This Friday I plan to splash onto Brookville. According to the Corps, the lake is still at winter pool. I am hoping to find some large walleye. That's my goal this year: big walleye from Brookville in the early spring, then on to Monroe for those massive crappie in mid-April. In May I plan to tackle the wiper population on Monroe, hitting them hard with juicy nightcrawlers and chicken livers throughout the month of May. In June I plan to threaten some white bass and walleye on Cataract, then I'll be off to Brookville for the white bass and stripers until the end of the season. Does anyone else set up plans like this, and if so, what are yours? Keep Your Tip Top Up!
Oh Yeah.... :bouncy: I took my Big boat to the canvas shop yesterday, to get the rain cover done, but still have the little one here and she's raring to go. I was sitting at work today thinking about pulling my boat up to Michigan City on Good Friday, and spending the morning trolling for Coho, and if that worked out then perch fishing just northeast of the pier in the afternoon... Days are indeed getting longer, and I'm getting the itch to be fishing the soft water again... Woo Woo!:bouncy:
That sounds good, too. I never had much luck trolling around Michigan City, but then I never really knew what I was doing either. I have, however, spend many an enjoyable weekend out by the lighthouse with a lantern and a couple of folding chairs making long casts into the channel in the fall. Got a few big fellas off there at various times. Last year I fished off the rocks below the Michigan City lighthouse and snagged some amazing perch on Little Cleos. Michigan City; always a good trip.
I usually launch at the Gar-hill ramp at Brookville. Right now, its bone dry down to the point from the campground ramps. As far as plans go, I'm a fly by the seat of my pants kinda guy. Seems like everything I make plans, I get reports of different fish on a hot bite other places. I'm shootin' for brookville walleye sometime next week. If that don't work, then off to Summit lake for some walleye. They should be up real shallow right now. I usually fish from 3:00 am till around 9 or 10:00 am. I always catch more brookville eyes just before first light.
Brookville 3/18/05 Didn't catch anything. Water temp at the ramp was 46 degrees. Over in the Garr Hill area I dropped the thermometer down 12-15 feet and it read 42 degrees. Still a bit cold.
Slowretrieve thats warmer than I got the weekend before. The warmest we read was 39 degrees. We were playing with the floating fly.
That's good news, Cincybass. By that reckoning we should be warming about three degrees a week and by the first week of April it should hit 50+and we be fishing with gusto. Fool that I am, however, I am sure I'll be on the water again before early April, provided the weather holds. I'm thinking of heading for a smaller lake, maybe Summit under the assumption that a smaller body of water will warm sooner. Then I can hit B'ville again once they start holding in some water. Keep Your Tip Top Up!
Yesterday, the water temp at summit lake and prairie creek was 41 degrees. Most of the fish were suspended out in the main lake basin in 24' and deeper water. Marked fish from 10' all the way down to the bottom.
Thanks for the info, Bestshot. That blows my smaller-lake-higher-water-temp theory out of the water, but with gas prices I appreciate the fact that I don't have to drive to Summit or PC to find out I am wrong. Keep Your Tip Top Up!
