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.
