When to Start Fishing Again?

[Trevelayan]

I'm in central IN, and last summer my friends and I really got into small creek fishing in the area. None of us are really experienced with moving water, so we don't really know when to head back out. Most fish in our area headed to deeper water in mid October, and these creeks mostly freeze in the winter and have ice pack though February. When can we expect them to be biting again? We mostly go for smallmouth, gar, and catfish. Sugar Creek area in Crawfordsville if any of you are familiar with the area. We usually go when the water is clear and below 1.5 feet at this location (http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?gage=crwi3&wfo=ind). It's currently muddy and coming down from a minor flood. We tried on Saturday for a few hours, but it still seemed completely empty.

 

[Sniper 79]

I would keep going back and see how it goes. Keep a fishing log. Year after year you will start to see a pattern for your waters. It takes a lot of time and hard work.

I was going to hit a spot this morning. Then wind and snow hit and I said forget it. Muddy flood waters here too. I prefer those conditions. Fish are easy to locate and no one else is fishing or even out.

 

[snapping turtle]

In creeks the feeder streams and ditches (if there is a deeper hole around it) seem to come online first. I have two drainage tubes that I try out first. The early rain can be warmer than the creek and they normally have a deep spot from flooding in the past. That seems to bring them into the area with whatever drops out of those tubes.

Normally a 1/64 ounce jig (tipped with a bee moth) on a slip bobber tossed under the tube and allowed to drift around. The other pole a jig (bigger) off the bottom (tipped with anything.) nice and slow. White color works well but black also seems good. The flashy colors seem to work later.

 

[Sniper 79]

In creeks the feeder streams and ditches (if there is a deeper hole around it) seem to come online first. I have two drainage tubes that I try out first. The early rain can be warmer than the creek and they normally have a deep spot from flooding in the past. That seems to bring them into the area with whatever drops out of those tubes.

Normally a 1/64 ounce jig (tipped with a bee moth) on a slip bobber tossed under the tube and allowed to drift around. The other pole a jig (bigger) off the bottom (tipped with anything.) nice and slow. White color works well but black also seems good. The flashy colors seem to work later.

Exactly the tools I have in the back of my truck right now and also planning on hitting a drain tube like that. I took a walk and there were a ton of bait fish around which is a great sign. Now if I could only find time to make it back there and give it a try. I am hungry for some fish!

 

[snapping turtle]

One of the drain tubes does not truly count. A small stocked lake is where the tube comes from and fish sometimes get flushed out of the lake down the tube and into the creek. It is a nice spot, nice and deep but since it is stocked above it tilts the scale of when things are really turning on. The spring smallmouth bite is always earlier and awards those out early.

Small lakes (farm and apartment lakes) get a wacky worm (I like Carolina rigged) in the shallows when we get lots of sunlight. Just because you never see people fish it does not mean it is fishless. I have a few small ponds that are great until the weeds take over the edges about Memorial Day. Then without a boat they are worthless.

Watch the trees. When the dogwoods bloom it is crappie time. This is an old wives tale but since my mother in law always watches for it I have found it to be very true. She also say’s when the dogwoods bloom mushrooms are ready (found this to be less true more like when the first dogwood bloom pops)

Catfish I have never really figured out well. I catch them when I should not and never catch them when others seem to. I don’t mind I have a Coleman lantern and that sound always calms a soul.

The other spring rain thing I watch for is when the crawdads mate and shed the soft crawl. I switch up to a bigger bass jig and a plastic crawdad. Another mother in law trick is garlic oil spray. I would watch her spray a wd40 sized can while perch fishing out of a boat. Both of us had two poles. She caught three times the amount of fish I did. Next day I sprayed it on and we catch about the same amount. She got me a couple cans of it and normally gets me one for Xmas. I spray it on plastics and it works best on the crawdads.

Thats about out all my spring tips. Other than a dry line catches no fish.

 

[SAILORGOLF46]

JM, will you share more info about the garlic oil spray. Where to purchase and who manufactures it. Thanks.

 

[snapping turtle]

The product she got last time was called BANG fish attractant.
The last two were different but the label is long gone. Paper and water do not mix well.

They should all all be about the same. The fish on the plastics seem not to drop the plastic as quickly. On bait it must call the fish in from further away. I fished with dad for years we never used anything like it. Fishing with mother in law she always used it and she outfished me all the time from the same boat.

 

[boosteds13cc]

Everything is all flooded here in northwest indiana.