Float trip on the Wabash

[Walleyechaser96]

We caught 2 but we had some others that I would say wasn't bigger than the 23 but I guess we will never know. I think we had 3 hooked that got and got off one broke my buddy's line. And we started off using twister tails. But quickly switched to crank baits he was using a orange and black I think 4 inch crank but they seemed to like that color

[Walleyechaser96]

Was* bigger than the 23

[Slabhunter136]

Nice report bigr!! Fish on brother! 

[Walleyechaser96]

Fished the wabash today only one eye. But a nice 20 incher I'll take that any day

[billyex99]

Thanks for the report bigr. A friend and I are planning our first trip on the Wabash Thursday. Putting in at 4 lane 31 and out at Lewisburg. Guessing this is about 4-5 hrs. Fishing on the Tippy has been real good the last 3 weeks as the water level is finally getting down to fishable level. Ready to try something new. Any info on this stretch appreciated such as which side of the large island to stay or does it matter? Will post results. 

[bigr]

Your going to have a good float. Good fishing all thru that stretch. Slow down just before and especially after a choke down area(ripple). Try and stay in the channel and current, use your paddle from time to time to feel depth. I suggest a couple top choices for lures. A baby o crank or any crank for that matter in clown color. 1/8 oz orange headed jig with chartreuse or white Berkley power twister,2 or 3 in . There's many other choices but those are my favorite with a number 3 mepps silver bladed aglia spinner with a white buck tail on occasion. Stay on the north side of island because this time of year there won't be enough water to float you. Where the river comes back together from that island I would fish hard. Always holds fish for me. Nice slack area with a good current edge. You should pick up as many sauger as you will eyes. Good smallie fishing in the fast running current edges wherever a rocky point sticks out. Right where you take out at Lewisburg is some good fishing in the deeper runs right under bridge. Good luck and please let us know how you do.

Thanks for the report bigr. A friend and I are planning our first trip on the Wabash Thursday. Putting in at 4 lane 31 and out at Lewisburg. Guessing this is about 4-5 hrs. Fishing on the Tippy has been real good the last 3 weeks as the water level is finally getting down to fishable level. Ready to try something new. Any info on this stretch appreciated such as which side of the large island to stay or does it matter? Will post results. 

 

[billyex99]

Made it out last Thursday, had the grandkids for three days so a late report. Started out good with the plentiful ripples. I got a smallie and lost a short eye at the boat in the first 15 minutes while my buddies first 5 fish were different species( short eye, catfish, gar, shad, and a smallmouth all on a crank bait). Slow stretch after that tried twister tail and mepps with no luck. At the end of the island we had several hits but no hookups. Buddy thought we would of done well with live bait there. Caught a couple drum and another catfish and that was it, nothing at the bridge. Saw a couple eagles and  two deer. Getting the boat out at the bridge was a pain. We ended up hauling it up with a rope tied to his truck. Is there a better exit or was that it? Took us 5 hrs. and 20 minutes. The Wabash is so much different than the Tippecanoe with the hard bottom, width, and big rock rapids (we got hung up on the rocks twice). Thanks for the info bigr. We are thinking about doing it again down by Logansport.

[bherr24]

Fishing on the wabash has picked up for me in the last week. Me and my son absolutely killed the channel cats over the weekend, we must have caught 15 or so in just a couple of hours on chicken liver.  I don't catfish a lot but my son really likes it. We even kept a few and i fried them up as catfish nuggets. They were very good.  Saturday night i caught a 19 inch sauger that swallowed about a 5 inch chub minnow. Went back on Sunday and my boy was catfishing, as he is reeling in something hooks up and it's a short walleye that basically hit a bare hook that just had a slither of liver on it. True story.  I then caught a 17 inch walleye and another sauger on a twister tail.  I plan on going tomorrow or Thursday targeting just walleye.

[bigr]

Conditions are very good right now and fishing is at a high. The corp will be opening up the gates sometime early October and the leafs will start falling which makes it tougher. Get em while the getting is good.

[bherr24]

Hit my little spot on the wabash again this evening for the last hour and a half before dark. Second cast was a familar thump and a  walleye was brought to shore. This one had to go back though as he was 2 inches shy of legal.  About 10 minutes later i get another thump and a bigger fish this time, a nice 20 inch sauger. I would proceed to catch 2 more walleye before i left, one a barely legal 16 incher and the other just an inch shy at 15.  Caught all fish on 3 inch twister tails and 1/8th oz head, casting just upstream and using a slow retrieve as the current took it downstream.  River is very low but i have a found a deeper channel just below a set of ripples with a rocky bottom that is holding all kinds of fish. I love the fall bite it's probably my favorite time of the year to fish.

[bigr]

sounds like a good outing. I went last evening also. Fishing was consistent. Not fast but good quality. Keep the cheeks and save for some great fish chowder.

[billyex99]

We also floated the Wabash Thursday. Put in at France Park and got out 7 hrs. later at French Post Park by Lockport. Had to get out and wade 4 or 5 times, the worst was at the Georgetown bridge where we waded about 300 yards. We caught 4 Sauger largest was 19" early in the fog with crank bait, night crawler, and fluke above the ripples. Also 25-30 Smallmouth mainly with flukes or super flukes. 6 catfish and one large drum. 

[bherr24]

The eye and sauger bite was on this afternoon. Got to the river a little earlier then normal and right from the start the bite was on.  Had half my limit in the first 15 minutes.  I thought tonight i might get my first indiana limit of sauger/eyes but  came up a little short. Unfortunately i lost the biggest fish of the night about 4 foot from the bank and then while trying to help my son land another eye around 18 inches long he popped the hook and fell back into the river.  I called my buddy and he caught 2, biggest at 21 inches.  I ended up with 2 walleye both at 18 inches and 2 saugers.  Had quite a few short strikes and my buddy had 2 nice ones get off.  Bite actually slowed down and got worse the closer to dark it got.  I caught all my fish on twister tails, my buddy got his on rapala cranks.

[bigr]

Good outings guys. Been along time since the river has been this clear and low. Fish seem to easily spook after catching a few or having alittle noise on the surface. Just for fun have you ever tried a lighted bobber drifted thru your run after dark. Its fun and exciting seeing that glow disappear under the surface but still being able to see a faint glow. Small bass chubs or crawlers or even leeches will work. You will mix in alittle of everything.

[bherr24]

Never tried that big r but sounds like a good idea. The place im fishing would be perfect for it as it has just the right amount of current.  I caught a sauger there last week on a chub that was on the bottom. I agree the fish do spook easily. We went back yesterday morning real early and one of the hispanics that live across the street had already beat us there, he seen us catching the eyes the night before.  He was catfishing in the hole using huge sinkers and worm, im sure he was spooking fish.  We still managed one 16 inch eye and 3 saugers but the bite wasnt nearly as good.  Last evening was even worse, the entire bank was lined from the guys across the street, wading in the river using hand lines.  Got one sauger before the storms rolled in.  I'll hit it again when there is less traffic lol.