All Time Indiana Winter Slay Day 2-28-26

Took my kayak out for some last ditch winter fishing, mainly threw a jerkbait. Bite was pretty hot with a long pause and proper dive depth. I got 51 smallmouth bass, 3 three Kentucky spotted bass, a walleye, sauger, Asian carp, 2 Quillback. Water was 41 F at 8:00 in the morning and got up to about 43. Which is about perfect to throw that Rerange jerkbait. Meanwhile MegaBass 110 hasn't landed a fish all year. They just don't cast into the wind well and are fragile. When it gets cold, I know exactly where they are and prefer to dangle a hair jig beneath a float. 51 SMB 5-19"-19.75, 3-18.5"-18.75", 7-17"-17.75", 5-16", 6-15".

Another 20"er to Hand 2-21-2026

Finally got out to fish after all this ice. Did not disappoint. 17smb 20",18.5", 17.5", 3-15".The 28th 20" SMB in the last 365 days.

Float and Fly 1-15-26

Got out in the cold and wind with the kayak again on the river. No luck on jerkbaits with water in upper 30's, like I've been hammering them all year on. Dead sticking a ned rig when I hung on a log. After a while, a smallmouth bass took it off the log and came to hand. I then knew what I needed to do. Float and Fly! Dead bobbering about 7' deep I was able to catch 3 or so bass each time. Then I'd get in the kayak, motor up and spy bait snag some 15lbs buffalo fish. Come back, catch 3-4 more bass. Wind made casts of more than 30' unpredictable and sometimes impossible. Going to bring dropshot next time. 11 SMB 19.75", 3-17-17.75", 3-16-16.5". 26.5", 24" Buffaloes, crappie. Apparently spy baits are only good for efficiently snagging rough fish.

Jerking Quality Smallmouth 1-10-16

Braved the rain, snow, and high winds in the kayak for a few hours today. Nothing super huge,

but fun jerkbait action. Got 18 SMB 18.75", 18.5", 18", 17.5", 17", 2-16", 3-15".

Numbers and Pigs on Jerkbaits 12-28-26

Fishing stayed hot. 28 SMB 2-19.5", 18.75", 7-17-17.75", 3-16, 2-15. Fun.

Christmas Cold Smallmouth Bassing 12-25-25

Xmas bassing for the win. 15 SMB -20.75", 19.25", 18.75", 18.5", 17.75", 17.25", 17", 3-16", 2-15", 5 shad, 28" bigmouth buffalo fish. 1 24" smallmouth buffalo fish, 2 bighead Asian carp.

Year of Madness 2025 Update

 Through no real planning, I decided to cut my Indiana fishing this year and fish one pattern in Indiana this year to prove a biological point. Because of the extreme downturn on plus sized fish in many streams, I consolidated to a few stretches of a few streams this year. It paid of handsomely I'm happy to say. So, I've had my best year ever, while ignoring 90% of stretches on rivers and creeks that WERE incredible fisheries and have become...not. Great, but still worrisome.

The other tactic I fell on was because of my remote work status. I can work from anywhere as a BI developer. But have basically never done before. In July, I worked from hotels in the UP of Michigan and Northern Wisconsin for 22 days. In October, I spent 9 days on vacation and remote work in the Susquehanna river valley in Pennsylvania. I had never travelled out of state due to a strange idea on exploring Indiana rivers FULLY. That. Was. A. Mistake. I went to WI 3 times and PA once. 37 of my 77 fishing outings were out of state. Since many of those days I had to work, the average day has been just over 5 hours fished. I also found on those huge rivers, being alone in a kayak meant I couldn't do 8 mile floats as I had to return to launch (even with Newport motor). Up or down a couple of miles was about it.

There are wonders across our beautiful country. I really am turned on mentally by exploring rivers for smallmouth bass (Pike and Musky too). Indiana had become stagnant and because of the two major issues of otter population explosion and cast netting all fish in our creeks. These issues had become a detriment to my mental health while trying to enjoy being the best I can be. So I resigned as President of Indiana Smallmouth Alliance after 2 years of reestablishing that organization. Bryce Clendenning is leading going forward.

So numbers for 2025. Last three trips have added 20's to the totals. 

Wisconsin and MI time was insane. One in 3 bass were at least 18". I caught close to 60 pike and musky. The scenery and exploration was beyond. 87 SMB over 18 and 11 over 20". 21.5", 2-21", 2-20.5", 2-20.25", 3- 20".

21" Whopper Plopper 75 WI

21.5"

20.25" Wake Crank WI

21" Weighted fluke WI

20" Whopper Plopper WI

20" Fluke WI

20.25" Whopper Plopper 75 WI

21" Whopper Plopper MI

31" first Musky WP WI

                                       

31" Northen Pike WI 

                                               

The time following the Indiana pattern has been the best here. A 22", 21.75", 3-20.5", 7-20" in about 200 hours fished here. 10 20"+ caught a 20.5 and 18.75 on one lure!

21.75" Sammy 100 Indiana

                                                     

20.5" Mini Buzzbait Indiana

20" Crankbait Indiana

20" Choppo 105 Indiana Wabash

20.5" Trace Swimbait, double with 18.75" Wabash

22" Big TRD Indiana

20.5" Nikko Ned Indiana

20.5" Crankbait Indiana

20" Took Whopper Plopper off another bass Indiana

20" Crankbait Indiana

PA was terrible conditions in October, I got an infected tick bite, winds were up to 30 mph on at least 3 days, grass was often all throughout the water column, I felt anxiety I should be doing better. Loved both of those rivers in every way. Again fishing alone limited the amount of distance from the ramp I could cover with low fast water making some riffles drag over miles of unproductive water  proposition.

I did catch a couple of nice thick Susky 20's, Juniata was cool too. So dynamic of a fishery. A million words would not describe it. Didn't match WI, but not the same time of year.

20" Whopper Plopper PA

20" Nikko craw PA

                                                   

Double 20.5" and 18.75" on One Lure. Epic 10-28-25

Epic day on the river

. Got this 20.5 and 18.75" on one cast on a Trace. Netted them quick. Got 17 overall. 20.5", 3-18-18.75", 17.5, 5-16", a spot and a couple white bass.

Great Wade on an Old Friend 9-20-25

Highlights, sight finesse fished this 20.5", 19.5, 19.75", and lost a third of similar size due to bent hook top. Wearing camo helped? Later hook a gar with fresh hook through the snout. A huge SMB chases and grabs at the ned for like 20 seconds as the gar plays running back to his defensive back When I get the gar off and throw out to the big fish... UNINTERESTED. After 3 I finally found fish aggressive shallow. Bomb casted a 19.75" in 1' water. Then a 17.5 and 16.75. Good to see some of the last few years spawn hitting the 11-13* range. 43 SMB 20.5, 19.75, 19.5, 17.5, 16.75, 15.5. Had an Indiana at shot over 100" today, 2 mouths were on baits that would have done it. Amazed. What a year of cool eats, crazy events, variety, and lots of big bass.

Back in Indiana and it is If I was still in WI 9-7-25

I can't ask for more, can I? Trips north double emphasized precision and covering ground. I realized using old braid was saving me 15$ a year and costing me precesion and lowering my spook zone. Today topwater revealed the hidehomes on a stretch i hadn't fished in 17 years. Shakey head killers once pattern revealed in wood Lost a couple 18* on jumps, still managed 43 19.5, 2-18.5, 18, 16, 4-15.