Most people find my blog as a product of the desire to fish more for a game fish close to home. In the state of Indiana, we have many, many opportunities to fish for smallmouth bass. Indiana smallouth bass fishing does not require an expensive boat, you don't need advertising patches on your shirt*. It's relatively cheap.
*I am open to be bought, if you have a great product. Lucky Craft, I'm talking to you. Where's the love?
There are myriad opportunities across the state from North to South, East to West. Lakes in the nothern part of the state contain smallmouth, but I have little interest in lakes, lest they be the Great Ones. I know only what I have read or heard from the mouths of those that do fish lakes. I fish rivers and creeks.
Rivers are different. What do you want, a woman with bends, curves and exciting secrets places, or a woman that is round, boring, and bowl shaped? Answer for most is A, but most are only willing to go for the easy B. Nothing wrong with close and available. I do submit, remote and senic is worth an hour's drive.
Often, the best fishing is DEEP in the BUSH. Some years the river smallmouth population fluctuate, meaning there will be easy-to-catch bridge or ramp fish. Other years, you will have to go a half mile or more before you see a dink bass.
Two things hold you back from bragging on many fish and big smallmouth bass.
1.You can't be lazy. Be aware! You will spend far more calories on your riverine fishboy/girl triathalon journeys than conventional anglers. You carry your sustenance on your back. Heat, weird bugs, stank mud, rock, nasal blocking allergines, sore rashes, itchy bites, tripping in the dark, sore muscles, burned skin all become a well known acquaintance. If you want to get down with the big-brown-girls, catch a lot of fish consistently, you have to haul your ass. This riverine world is no place for those quick to turn back, those who don't like mud, the well coiffed. Get dirt under your finger nails, lacerations on your hands, sweat salt in your eyes, cobwebs in your hair, sand in your boots, pray you brushed your teeth!
2. The more of an observant nature ninja you are, the better you will do.Stealth, ability to notice and pattern, patience coupled with sense of urgency, and extreme hand eye coordination lead to more and bigger smallmouth bass.
If none of that scared you and somehow are still strangely reading... You sir, are a "RIVER WARRIOR". Too old for adult softball? Cougar hunting a part-time job? Great work ethic or maybe just out of work? Single minded determination or maybe just a single cell in your mind? Desire for long hours with hourly payoffs in bass to hand ego-gratis?
If I still haven't scared you off yet, I do plan on almost answering the title question. WHERE DO I FISH FOR SMALLMOUTH BASS IN INDIANA BT? Often repeated. Nothing makes a river smallmouth lover cringe more than to have bass location secrets hastily thrown about carelessly. Like revealing the names of undercover CIA agents. You. Just. Don't. Do. It. "BUT...", I hear you say in your collective heads. Ok, an answer is due. Fish here:
You may ignore the Southwest portion of the state, as it is a channelized muck hole. Otherwise, get your ass to the fishing. Remember, hard work pays off, but so does the hand that disciplines itself. Lastly, DO NOT wear cotton underpants.
Remember, there are only so many of these fish. It is strictly a numbers game, the fish will lose if you have loose lips on river locations. Keeping them alive and catchable is YOUR responsibility. Keeping no trespassing signs away is YOUR responsibility. Watching and protecting the resource is YOUR responsibility. So much more important than inflating your momentary ego with GPS locations of your fish on Facebook. You'll need inflating again and again. 100 people catching your 18"er does not lend it to living to 20"! Please practice catch and release.
*I am open to be bought, if you have a great product. Lucky Craft, I'm talking to you. Where's the love?
There are myriad opportunities across the state from North to South, East to West. Lakes in the nothern part of the state contain smallmouth, but I have little interest in lakes, lest they be the Great Ones. I know only what I have read or heard from the mouths of those that do fish lakes. I fish rivers and creeks.
Rivers are different. What do you want, a woman with bends, curves and exciting secrets places, or a woman that is round, boring, and bowl shaped? Answer for most is A, but most are only willing to go for the easy B. Nothing wrong with close and available. I do submit, remote and senic is worth an hour's drive.
Often, the best fishing is DEEP in the BUSH. Some years the river smallmouth population fluctuate, meaning there will be easy-to-catch bridge or ramp fish. Other years, you will have to go a half mile or more before you see a dink bass.
Two things hold you back from bragging on many fish and big smallmouth bass.
1.You can't be lazy. Be aware! You will spend far more calories on your riverine fishboy/girl triathalon journeys than conventional anglers. You carry your sustenance on your back. Heat, weird bugs, stank mud, rock, nasal blocking allergines, sore rashes, itchy bites, tripping in the dark, sore muscles, burned skin all become a well known acquaintance. If you want to get down with the big-brown-girls, catch a lot of fish consistently, you have to haul your ass. This riverine world is no place for those quick to turn back, those who don't like mud, the well coiffed. Get dirt under your finger nails, lacerations on your hands, sweat salt in your eyes, cobwebs in your hair, sand in your boots, pray you brushed your teeth!
2. The more of an observant nature ninja you are, the better you will do.Stealth, ability to notice and pattern, patience coupled with sense of urgency, and extreme hand eye coordination lead to more and bigger smallmouth bass.
If none of that scared you and somehow are still strangely reading... You sir, are a "RIVER WARRIOR". Too old for adult softball? Cougar hunting a part-time job? Great work ethic or maybe just out of work? Single minded determination or maybe just a single cell in your mind? Desire for long hours with hourly payoffs in bass to hand ego-gratis?
Remember, there are only so many of these fish. It is strictly a numbers game, the fish will lose if you have loose lips on river locations. Keeping them alive and catchable is YOUR responsibility. Keeping no trespassing signs away is YOUR responsibility. Watching and protecting the resource is YOUR responsibility. So much more important than inflating your momentary ego with GPS locations of your fish on Facebook. You'll need inflating again and again. 100 people catching your 18"er does not lend it to living to 20"! Please practice catch and release.
As a Smallmouth fiend myself, I loved this write up! Your description of locating the fish and the trials involved was right on the money. Strangely enough, I've found in the past couple of years these bronze beauties can even be found in an urban setting. Albeit not the easiest spot to get to in Indy, I've caught smallmouth by the light of the downtown Indianapolis skyline.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the thoughts, Ben! Safe to say, if there is any kind of gradient and flowing water, there wil be smallmouth bass.
ReplyDeleteI live in north central Indiana. I spent 6 hrs wading yesterday, most of it in a chilly drizzle rain, for 3 smallies. They were all less 12 inches and I loved every minute of it. I have some nice, itchy knots on my lower legs from something that thought I was tasty. I spent 5 hrs in the same creek Friday for one 13 inch fish, which for me is decent sized. My personal best is a modest 15 in. I only recently began to target smallmouth. The search/exploration is half the fun.
ReplyDeleteCatch and release. Don't wear cotton. Amen brother.
Thanks for the comments and stopping in Ken. It's a hard hobby to leave alone. I've been after the smallmouth since 2004 in Indiana. You really can push yourself as far into it as you dare. One thing about the fishing reports themselves, they are not always written for anyone but myself. If you take a look at 'articles' you'll find my attempts at explaining things past just recording what generally happened on a wade or float. Don't worry, you'll soon get the hang, as long as you keep going, going, going.
ReplyDeleteDude is correct the farther i go from people kayaks and boat ramps the better. Smallies arent stupid they know where the pressure is and stops
ReplyDeleteDude is correct farther i wade from civilization the better smallies know where not to go
ReplyDeleteAs timely as it ever was. Probably need to add a section on picking up your trash or losing access. And yell at the faceboook and youtube location revealers, "fish yellow creek under the burger king sign with sphaghetti and meatball baited on the hook for 5lbsers."
ReplyDeleteSt Joe River from Elkhart to Michigan border has great Smallmouth fishng. A boat can be launched from several ramps at zero cost. Jig with a hard craw is my favorite rig on an ultralight pole with spincast reel (4lb test). They all go back to be caught another time.
ReplyDeleteGotta add yell, "Let's go!!!!" at every 14"er caught.
ReplyDelete