Wawasee,Barbee Chain, Webster, Tippy

[fishinpo1e1]

All I see discussed here about local (NE Indiana) fishing reports are about the impoundments. We have a lot of large and small lakes up here about which I would appreciate reading your opinions .
Are the crappie done spawning? I cleaned 6 females with eggs but the eggs were not fully developed or plentiful.
Got checked by a very polite conservation officer last Thursday. We discussed the Amish and others possibly overfishing a lake.
He said he checks them and others regularly and that the bluegill situation won't be clear until we define limits where needed. I paraquoted the officer. Not his exact words so don't go calling the state.
I do know the gills are bedding and that the crappies on some lakes are still bedding. When do the crappies end spawning and where do they go afterward?

[wallydiven]

I had over 200 beds in front of my house cleaned out in less than 2 days. I'm on one of the lakes you mentioned.  My niece and nephew look forward to me fishing with them on our seawall every year. They were out this weekend but the fish were already taken. Such a shame.

[LundProv]

I live on a lake a bit west of you in Valparaiso and there are beds scattered everywhere.  Bluegills are on these beds and a few people exploit this but for the most part, there are a lot of fish to be had.  I sat on my pier tonight and was using a northland chartruese flu flu jig tipped with a bee moth about 18" below a weight bobber and throwing it out as far as I could.  With a very slow retrieve, I had constant action.  I caught and released several bluegills and a few crappies and both species appeared to have fat, swollen stomachs.  Such a beautiful evening to be out on a quiet pier just taking it all in and being grateful...

[gilldan]

The crappies are running two weeks late this year due to the cold temps.   I've got about 150 gill beds around my pier.  Most are hidden by the weeds.  I will not clean the weeds out until the spawn is over.  If the boats floating by can't see them, then they won't strip them clean.  Bass and gills are on time now.  Brother in law was on a lake near Warsaw a week ago and he had a field day on the bass with a couple of 2 1/2# walleye.  He released all the fish.  He didn't know what the size limit on the walleye was.  He does now after I chewed him out for not calling me.  Oh well they'll get bigger.

[taxid]

Gentlemen this is why you need to send your comments to the rule change proposal to create a 25 fish bag limit on bluegills. And in addition you need to attend a meeting where your voice can be heard. If not we will be doomed once again to be the only state in the midwest with no limit on bluegills.

Add a daily bag limit of 25 for bluegill statewide. (312 IAC 9-7-14)

Bluegill are one of the most important sportfish in Indiana that draw anglers from a wide variety of backgrounds and demographics. The majority of anglers report bluegill as a top targeted species, and almost half of angler days reported within the state are targeted toward bluegill. Improvement of technology and rapid exchange of information through social media and message boards can result in more intense levels of harvest. A bag limit would prevent very intense harvest during times where potential impacts to the population are highest, such as ice fishing season or when fish are bedding. Studies of angling preferences and habits have shown that relatively few anglers would be impacted by the bag limit, and the majority of anglers were supportive of a bag limit for bluegill. The possession limit for bluegill would also be amended to allow for up to three (3) times the daily bag limit. A possession limit would not apply to individuals at their permanent residence when fish are processed in accordance with other laws. Vacationers and others fishing away from their home would be able to possess 75 bluegill in addition to other species of fish that can be legally harvested, like redear sunfish, crappie, and green sunfish.


https://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/2362.htm

[taxid]

The interesting thing is according to research by Illinois Natural History, by removing the mature male bluegills off the beds, we're reducing the overall size of the bluegills. If we want large bluegills we are our own worst enemy. If I managed a pond for large bluegills I would only remove females

I have a book of a survey of the fauna of Maxinkuckee Lake -- that was taken at the turn of the 20th century -- that claims bluegills up to 14 inches were present. Very hard to believe but it was done by biologists (Not the INDNR as it didn't exist back then), and I've posted the excerpt here before. I can post it again if anyone wants to see it.

[Spooled85]

The thing that gets me the most about all this is ..... That people have been fishing beds with out limits for over a century . And I've seen pictures of piles of fish my great great grandparents and uncle's used to catch and all the stories my grandfather had told me over the years of all the fish they used to catch . But yet today 2019 they are still there and seem to be ever yr as they have for many years .  Just my two cents on this subject

[taxid]

The thing that gets me the most about all this is ..... That people have been fishing beds with out limits for over a century . And I've seen pictures of piles of fish my great great grandparents and uncle's used to catch and all the stories my grandfather had told me over the years of all the fish they used to catch . But yet today 2019 they are still there and seem to be ever yr as they have for many years .  Just my two cents on this subject

Good point. But have you ever fished where the bluegills are more protected with a bag limit or where they are rarely fish for? I can tell you from experience the difference is astounding and contrary to popular belief they aren't stunted due an a overabundance. In fact one area of the country I fish where most people don't fish for bluegills, the bass are also larger. I believe this is related to the reduced exploitation of the bluegills that fit the mouth gape size of the extra large bass.

[Spooled85]

Yeah Willow slough has it's limit regulations and the gills don't seem to be bigger or more plentiful then the next lake . And I know what you mean about lakes that people don't necessarily Target bluegills I have buddies that go to a couple lakes in Minnesota every year and they catch 11 inch bluegill on a regular with beetle spins.but even with regulations here I don't ever seeing us having that here in Indiana unless you cut everybody off from fishing for years. Those lakes in Minnesota are beautiful lakes and I'm sure have a lot cleaner water and a lot better resources than ours do

[taxid]

Yeah Willow slough has it's limit regulations and the gills don't seem to be bigger or more plentiful then the next lake . And I know what you mean about lakes that people don't necessarily Target bluegills I have buddies that go to a couple lakes in Minnesota every year and they catch 11 inch bluegill on a regular with beetle spins.but even with regulations here I don't ever seeing us having that here in Indiana unless you cut everybody off from fishing for years. Those lakes in Minnesota are beautiful lakes and I'm sure have a lot cleaner water and a lot better resources than ours do

Not sure if the 25 fish bag limit makes that much of a differnce in a lake like the Slough that gets hit as hard as it does do you? I've never been there but from what I hear it gets really hammered in the spring.

I see the 25 fish bag limit helping in other lakes where a couple of anglers take 2 to 3 hundred bluegills off the beds in a few hours. And then they give the away because they are too lazy to clean them. That's what really irks me. I know beacause I've seen it with my own eyes.

That said, a pontoon boat with 6 or 8 people at a 25 fish bag limit can take a lot of bluegills too. I've seen that with crappies. A pontoon boat loaded with people nailing every crappie they can out of the bullrushes around an entire small lake. When. did a creel survey on Norman Lake at the Chain of Lakes State Park I saw a boat come in with more than 100 crappies on more than one occasion.

[taxid]

BTW think about this: As hard as the Slough gets hammered how good do you think the fishing would be if there was no bag limit?

[Spooled85]

Oh I agree 100% with you on people wasting ! And regardless of a 25 fish limit Willow Slough gets enough pressure probably more than any other lake I know of and it is not that big but yet still produces yr after yr .

[northrn-duck-assassin]

Well, truthfully. The slough only gets hit hard during may, and then the ice fishing season.

Spring is too cold and windy for 90% of the crowd. From early june and on, place is plump full of weeds burning up motors. And all fall its closed down to waterfowl hunting.

So if you trully sit back and think about the amount of pressure it gets compared with the limits in place... most of the time, limits can be difficult to come by anyways, the slough gill population really doesnt get affected that much.

Remember, its a 1,300 acre lake. Filled to the brim with weeds....

[northrn-duck-assassin]

The interesting thing is according to research by Illinois Natural History, by removing the mature male bluegills off the beds, we're reducing the overall size of the bluegills. If we want large bluegills we are our own worst enemy. If I managed a pond for large bluegills I would only remove females

I have a book of a survey of the fauna of Maxinkuckee Lake -- that was taken at the turn of the 20th century -- that claims bluegills up to 14 inches were present. Very hard to believe but it was done by biologists (Not the INDNR as it didn't exist back then), and I've posted the excerpt here before. I can post it again if anyone wants to see it.

I would enjoy reading this information you have available for maxi with the biologists.

[taxid]

I would enjoy reading this information you have available for maxi with the biologists.

If I get a chance soon I will dig it up again. The book is over 100 years old and is falling apart.