Big Indiana Bass

Geist Conservancy District Update

Some of the right people are starting to notice and voice opposition. This is what it will take both in committee as well as once this (likely) hits the NRC to make a difference at this point. It's still complicated as the bill and the District attempt are separate and yet tied together to a degree at the same time. Pay attention to developments and be willing to write a letter or e-mail or even attend a meeting in your area when the time comes, starting with a phone call or email to your local representative now as stated in the last paragraph of the letter.

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The Struggle Is Real

Headed out to Raccoon Saturday for some crappie fishing. Graphed loads of them on the main lake, but struggled to get them to bite. Finally went a little shallower and put something together. However, recent reports the past few days appear to suggest we were on the wrong end of the lake, as lots of nice limits of what appear to be good size fish are being posted. Not a fan of big idle zones, but might have to reconsider next time...

Back On Geist - Finally

Looking back at my records, I believe the last time I fished Geist for bass was December 2015 with Jacob before he moved to Tennessee. So when I got the oppotunity to tag along with Josh Ray, it seemed like a good excuse to make the drive over there. The lake was pretty stained, if not muddy in some areas, and water temps seemed pretty consistent from 51-53 degrees about everywhere we went. There had also been a lot of chatter in the news about an apparent fish kill going on over there, so I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. It turned out better than I thought.

First spot I pull up to, second cast, and a small keeper comes to the boat. Next area, just a handful of casts in, and something near 4.5 pounds or so also comes aboard. We'd go on to catch several other solid keepers to go along with a couple Josh had already boated before I got there (I arrived just after 1:00 PM).

No surprise, I'm sure, but Rat-L-Traps, shallow cranks and jigs all caught fish. As usual, there was quite a bit of traffic on the lake, many guys practicing for events that were happening this weekend. We also managed to snatch a couple bonus fish; Josh with a big channel and me with an oversized carp I struggled to hold for a shot.

Was a fun trip, and it was also neat to see everything that had changed since I last visited, as well as the many spots I used to catch fish from that hadn't.

Crappie On

Picked up just over 50 this afternoon. Water temps 51-53, about 4" of visibility. They had 3 gates open and pulling hard. Could see vortices behind our buoys on the main lake. Should get better quick once things settle down a bit. About 10 rigs in the lot when we pulled up at 1:45PM. Stayed until about 6:15PM. Back to bass fishing later this week.

Snuck Out This Afternoon

Weekend isn't looking that great from a weather standpoint, so took half a day off from work and hit the lake. Launched a little after 2:00 and spent 4.5 hours on the water chasing bass. A lot of sun and a decent breeze at times, though nothing too terrible. Water was okay but still not as clear as I'd like to see it. Surface temps were running around 48 degrees, and these cold nights and sunny days seemed to slow the bite down, at least for me. Managed right around 15 though, including half a dozen keepers. Here's a few pics:

Saturday Afternoon on the Water

Got the boat back out on the lake this afternoon for a few hours. Checked out a few deep spots but nothing going for me. Perhas it was too sunny and calm. Moved shallower and starting getting bites right away, so stuck with it for most of the time. Pulled 15 to the boat - water clearing and starting to warm...up to 47 in the area I stayed in.

Finally Out On The Water Again

Felt good to finally get the boat out and running again. Last time out was the first week of January. Been a long couple months. Other than needing a good wash, seems like everything still works fine. Aired up the tires, oil and filter plus lower unit all fresh. Even a few fish were biting  Picked up 5 in 43-44 deg stained water. Not a bad day...

Bank Bass Still Biting

A few of the bass I caught on blade baits this afternoon.

First Cataract Keeper of 2019

Caught on a jig out of about 10' of water.

Still Have Open Water

Wouldn't have guessed it being as cold as we've been, but still finding open water on the big reservoirs and have been taking advantage of it every chance I get. Just wrapped up 3 trips in the last 3 days, and boated 300 crappie along with a few white bass and largemouth. Found some floating ice today and ponds this morning were heavily skimmed over, so no telling when it will all end.