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MFF US Midwest => Indiana => Topic started by: bigr on Apr 05, 2021, 06:02 AM

Title: Resi's Report
Post by: bigr on Apr 05, 2021, 06:02 AM
I made it out Saturday looking for the bite and was rewarded nicely. Here's what I saw, heard and experienced. First of all the below Missy dam is giving up tons of fish out of the slack areas. Easy to find those areas just by seeing the number of fishermen. Get there early for a spot. The Missy resi itself is giving up a consistent bite of quality fish from about anywhere, boat or shore. The spring run up the river has begun and the numbers are really beginning to take off. White bass are up front with mostly small fish at this time and crappie starting to fill the slack areas behind them. Moving water below and behind and just off current breaks for the whites and slack areas for the crappie. Model airplane portion up to Hogs back area at this time. Whites can be found further upstream than that but not in numbers yet. Crappie are running up to 13 inches for the most part with majority in the 10 to 12 range. I found the bigger crappie on the Sally. With the water level up 8 ft or so from winter pool the resi is backing up in the Mt Etna portion of the river. Fish are moving up with the water and the big Crappie and Big White bass are on the bite. The area I fished had super easy access. Not another sole had been up in that area so I had it to myself until I sent a couple texts. As you all can probable tell I don't mind giving out info especially about the resi's. Tons of places and area for people to explore. These crappie were the best I've caught in a few years with several nearly touching the 15 in range. White Bass were also the big girls with a hard fight in them. If your into wading the Wabash at the junction of the Sally for walleye this area should be ready to give up a few also and I've heard the crappie are showing up already there also. This week with not much change in weather I think might be the real start of the best time of year for numbers and size and ease. Good luck and stay tuned.       
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: abishop on Apr 05, 2021, 04:29 PM
Great report, only wish I lived closer.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: techja on Apr 05, 2021, 06:57 PM
bigr, do you need a boat to fish Mt Etna area.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: bigr on Apr 06, 2021, 05:09 AM
No boat needed. Headed that way around 8am this morning. Anyone wants to join me just give out a shout for Big R.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: chicagill34 on Apr 07, 2021, 07:01 AM
Yesterday I started out in the Missy discharge channel,plenty of little white bass and I managed to keep 7 to donate to Soarin Hawk Rehab, They said the birds love the white bass. Seen others picking up a fish here and there down the chute but it was hard for me to tell if it was Crappies or White Bass. I was parked near the discharge so I didn't see how the guys were doing in the slack water area. Stopped by 105 and just caught a couple of small crappies. I hit the Mt. Etna area around 1 and the bite was pretty slow there. I took advantage of the low water and marked some nice structure areas for when they do fill that up at summer pool. When will the resi's be going back to summer pool??  Thanks  Jim   ( Speaking of Jim's, has anybody heard from Jim Roe??)     
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: chicagill34 on Apr 07, 2021, 07:22 AM
must be..lol  I haven't even seen him on FB..That's why I asked.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: chicagill34 on Apr 07, 2021, 07:25 AM
1 more thing I forgot to mention, 124 is closed down from Warren all the way to Mt. Etna. Just take 9 to the intersection.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: bigr on Apr 07, 2021, 08:41 AM
I had a real good bite yesterday morning at mt etna. Took the grand daughters and they had a good time. Water has dropped about two foot and the big fish had left leaving only small fish as far as I could tell. By the evening when I went back even the smaller fish were backing out. Up the rivers when water is dropping the fish back down toward main lake. With rising water they really move. That will happen again soon maybe with the possibility of rain this evening and tomorrow.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: bherr24 on Apr 07, 2021, 09:06 AM
I put the waders on yesterday after work and tried way downriver from the spillway at missy. Found a few nice blacks but not many. Was kinda surprised the bite was not better in some of the deeper eddys. Think im gonna try again this evening up stream from the resi and see if i cant find some stacked up somewhere. Lake is slowly rising and these warm days should get fish moving i would hope.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: chicagill34 on Apr 07, 2021, 09:20 AM
I wondered if I passed by you BigR I was out there in camo shorts and wearing mucks!!  ;D
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: bigr on Apr 07, 2021, 02:44 PM
I put the waders on yesterday after work and tried way downriver from the spillway at missy. Found a few nice blacks but not many. Was kinda surprised the bite was not better in some of the deeper eddys. Think im gonna try again this evening up stream from the resi and see if i cant find some stacked up somewhere. Lake is slowly rising and these warm days should get fish moving i would hope.
Word I got yesterday the bigger White bass are moving up again atleast as far as hogs back. Crappie should be right behind them. Let me know how you do. Cant get out til noon on Friday.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: bherr24 on Apr 07, 2021, 09:26 PM
Was not able to make it out today bigr. Planning on going tomorrow afternoon and evening though as long as the weather cooperates. I have a spot near 13 where i think there may be some fish but it is a killer walk and really sucks even more when they arent there lol.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: bherr24 on Apr 10, 2021, 08:17 AM
I got out last evening after work. I didnt have time to hit the spot i wanted so chose the one with a shorter walk. Just east of 13 bridge. Current was still pretty strong. I tried casting double jigs first and literally caught white bass every single cast for 10 minutes. Problem was i was lookin for crappie. Decided to walk the banks to my east looking for any slack water. Found one very small eddy and there was fish there. I ended up keeping 10 crappie they were all nice 10 to 13 inch ones. I probably caught 50 or more total then it just went dead. Hole was so small i prolly wiped em out. Im thinking my other spot is likely loaded with fish as it has a large area of slack water. Rain all weekend but im tempted to go try it anyway after my sons baseball game this morning.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: bherr24 on Apr 10, 2021, 09:46 PM
Made it out this evening around 6 when the rain quit. Took my son and we made the long walk through 2 fields and down thru the woods to my spot upriver that i wanted to try yesterday. Sure enough the big eddy was just loaded with crappie. Started out with bobber and jig and caught 10 or so and then it slowed. I then switched to cast and retrieve and it was fish on every cast till we left at 8. Huge crappies too...i had 6 over 13 inches and the biggest at 14.5. Several 11 inch fish. I threw back a ton of fish because i didnt wanna spend all night cleaning em. Brought home 15 which is more then enough for us. More rain forecasted tomorrow so wanted to get out while i could. Glad we did.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: Daybreak on Apr 11, 2021, 07:39 AM
Glad to hear they are still where you figured they'd be.  That gives the rest of us hope that our spots should produce when we get out in our boats.  Thanks for the report.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: indianahooker on Apr 11, 2021, 09:01 AM
we must have been fishing the same eddy!!!!!  but i must have fished it first.  every crappie i caught out of there was over 13"+.  a fish every cast just like you said.  filled my bucket with a limit and headed out.  had 12 over 13", 8 over 14", 4 over 15" and 1 that was just short of 17".  the egg sack alone filled my hand when butchered.  she mite have went 3pounds!  there were two guys down the way in kayaks catching fish too.  picked up half a bucket of bottles and cans on the way out.  couldn't carry it all, still more to get next trip.   
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: bherr24 on Apr 11, 2021, 05:16 PM
Hit it again today...kept 20 that were 11 to 12 inches. No monsters for me today just good eaters. My buddies got a couple big ones though close to 14 inches. Busy schedule all week im probably done till next sunday.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: bigr on Apr 12, 2021, 05:36 AM
Fished yesterday afternoon and water hasn't been effected by the rains. Fish are filling all the slack areas and are moving upstream fast. The flats ,hogsback and 688 will all be giving up fish as well as the ones we've been fishing up to now. Crappie were not as far up as the reenactment area yet. That will take alittle higher water conditions. White bass in current and crappie in slack areas. Sally will see fish showing upstream this week also. From what I've seen you'll have a better chance at real big fish there.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: tater140 on Apr 12, 2021, 03:52 PM
Sounds like I'm going to have to do a spot check to see if their telling the truth.  I know how to post pictures too.  I fished the Sally 105 bridge a couple weeks back and caught probably 20-25 fish, and came home with 5 that were all barely keepers.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: fishinator on Apr 12, 2021, 03:54 PM
we must have been fishing the same eddy!!!!!  but i must have fished it first.  every crappie i caught out of there was over 13"+.  a fish every cast just like you said.  filled my bucket with a limit and headed out.  had 12 over 13", 8 over 14", 4 over 15" and 1 that was just short of 17".  the egg sack alone filled my hand when butchered.  she mite have went 3pounds!  there were two guys down the way in kayaks catching fish too.  picked up half a bucket of bottles and cans on the way out.  couldn't carry it all, still more to get next trip.
that's a pretty epic day. No pics?
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: bherr24 on Apr 13, 2021, 10:25 AM
(https://i.postimg.cc/t101mq2m/20210410-182930-Film3.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/t101mq2m)

(https://i.postimg.cc/94GD66kX/20210410-185234-Film3-2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/94GD66kX)

(https://i.postimg.cc/XpmXpNS7/20210410-211636-Film3.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/XpmXpNS7)

Couple pics from this weekend for the naysayers. The fish are there if you know where to look and are willing to walk the extra mile and away from the popular spots.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: bigr on Apr 14, 2021, 05:52 AM
You are right. Fish are there and willing. Size has been good so far with bigger fish filling the holes right now. These cold nights might slow things down alittle but it's on til rain or spawn changes things.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: bigr on Apr 15, 2021, 08:45 AM
Corp site finally updated. Missy up 9+ Sally up 8+ from winter pool. What that means to me and others that fish the resi's is you'll find fish up around management(flats) area and hogs back. Soon they will show up as far as 688. This is Missy. On sally you'll find fish up around Mt edna and soon as far as hinny's bend. Not sure what effect the cold nights are having as far as morning bite is concerned but the evening bite is good. Take a walk looking for a slack area and keep your eyes peeled for shrooms.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: bigr on Apr 15, 2021, 11:22 AM
those are some nice fish bherr24 wtg!  too bad those tourney guys cant catch fish that size from there.  i think they only bring in sacks around 4-5pounds from those reservoirs.  sack of those there would weigh more than that.

The slabmasters tourney two weekends ago had a winning weight for seven fish right at nine lbs. I expected as much as 11lbs. Guys in those big fancy boats with all the high tech onboard just wont make the trip up river in fear of damage.Can't hardly blame them. Most don't know how to fish unless their spider rigging never holding their poles to feel the snap of a bite. Other than this time of year if you don't have all the latest and greatest you don't stand a chance. As far as I'm concerned it takes the fishing ability out of it and that's why I no longer fish the tourney trail. I would consider getting back in if they only allowed one pole. Never happen anymore.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: Piggyn on Apr 16, 2021, 10:22 AM
looked back in past tourney results and didnt see any weights near that.  ill have to look harder.

Here you go... winning weight was 8.62 lbs.

https://www.indianaslabmasters.com/1-%20Missy%20Sally%20Choice%204-10-21.pdf (https://www.indianaslabmasters.com/1-%20Missy%20Sally%20Choice%204-10-21.pdf)
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: 2LMKR2 on Apr 27, 2021, 08:28 PM
I went to Mississinewa today and had a great time! Didn't find any crappie, but found several smallmouth, the 2 largest were 13” and 14”. One largemouth 13”, lots of small white bass every where I went, the 2 largest were 12” and 13”. The one that was the most fun was a drum that was a little over 24”, thought sure it would break me off with some of the runs it took. Didn't find lots of big fish ….. but it was sure a beautiful day to be out wadding in the river!!!

(https://i.postimg.cc/GHpnw1SZ/20210427-140705.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/GHpnw1SZ)
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: techja on Apr 29, 2021, 10:22 AM
Any thoughts on the how the rain will impact the crappie run and the bite?
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: bigr on Apr 29, 2021, 11:10 AM
I don't think very much. Watch the river in Marion. If it goes way up which I doubt or gets muddy it will effect the river portion of the spring bite. Very dry conditions.
Title: Re: Resi's Report
Post by: techja on May 12, 2021, 02:28 PM
Anyone finding/catching crappie at any of the area reservoirs with the high water?