Thread: Extended weekend/need help

Looking for some where down in the southern part of the state to fish this weekend.I have from fri. til tues.Green Sullivan pits I'm somewhat familiar w/, anyone have suggestions?Need either a rustic campsite or reasonable hotel rates.We have snow coming up here possibly Sun. or Mon. and I'm not quite ready!Hear alot about this racoon lake but I'm only traveling w/ a 5 horse and a trolling motor.A 12 footer shoved in the back of my truck.The pits are perfect anyone know what's the best for a few days? Would appreciate any info.

Thanks!!!

I would be going to Catract if I where you... heard the 15"-17" inchers are biting...LOL Okay, I'll stop kicking a dead horse. In all honesty, I would be going to Catract, I camped there this summer (tent), the lake is pretty narrow so you can get out of the wind, and it has a good number of 10-12 inch crappies. I didn't know to many spots, so I trolled frenze shad until I found a school, then started throwing tubes if I was consistantly hitting them on each pass I never went more than a 1/2 mile from the ramp either. It is very peaceful, nice water quality, and is scenic as an added bonus. It also has a cleaning station, which is a nice bonus. Might even find a sheephead mushroom or two in the hard woods, if your a mushroom hunter. Good Luck.

You'd probably want to stay away from the Raccoon Lake/Rockville area (Parke County) for the next couple weekends. The annual covered bridge festival starts Friday and they're already getting busy with vendors setting up shops. Attendance over the 10 days or so is supposedly 2 million plus visitors according to the local reports. Waveland Lake to the north is a nice little reservoir but the crappie fishing isn't the greatest. Lots of nice bass, gills and cats though. Nice little campground area though I'd call first just to double check.

Beyond that you'd want to skirt on further south. May even want to avoid the whole US59 corridor unless you're moving through at an off hour. Lake Lemon to the south central would be another good one for a small craft, plus their crappie fishing is pretty decent from what I hear. Could stay in Bloomington just 10-15 minutes away.

-T9

Weather folks are calling for heavy rain on thurs and fri.... 2 - 4 inches and possible flooding. You may want to take that into consideration.

Thanks for the info,Was checking out cataract on line,looks like a nice lake.Is the whole lake system state park?Is it a trolling motor only lake?Up here potato creek state park is trolling motor only.Are there white and black crappie?I'll have to keep checking the weather as well alot of crap coming our way,especially today and tomorrow.Hopefully there will be a break so I can come down and load up on those 15" to 17"ers,that reminds me I need to buy a bigger skillet(LOL) Thought I'de kick that dead horse 1 more time.Don't have much freezer space left though,I'll hopefuuly have a decent couple of days and have a fish fry for the buddies when I get back.Looks like there's plenty of scenery for the little woman to watch as her bobber is going under too.I'll take any info,which ramp will put me closer to the best structure? I won't have a locator w/ me so I'll be blind hunting,and w/ all the rain coming will the lake get very murky.I don't know the surrounding area or what kind of flowage they have going through as far as opening the dam and such.

It is a big motor lake, however you can catch tons of fish within site of the state park fishing ramp... and can easily get to productive areas with your trolling motor only from there. I've seen guys catching crappie within 50 yrds of the ramp. You of course won't be hitting all of the lake with just a TM... but lots of fishable water close to your camping spot in the park. Will be cool and in the 50's after the rain. You won't be bothered by water skiers I don't think .

The info I got said it has 2 ramps,which one will be the best.I'll also have a 5 horse w/ me.Is the structure standing timber,bushes or weed beds or all the above?Bottom content sand gravel,muck or clay?Up here I use twister style swim jigs in open water along the weed edges.Sounds like down there you're using more tubes in a vertical presentation.I've got the bait store info from a earlier post.I'm sure having live bait will be a plus.Charteuese is the go to color up here,should I have some shad and darker colors along w/ me?I also use 2# mono in the open water.If it's timber and bushes I'll need to upscale my line.Also is the tent camping in the park or of of it somewhere?I'm having a difficult time finding ph#'s for campsites.

Originally Posted by blackspecks

The info I got said it has 2 ramps,which one will be the best.I'll also have a 5 horse w/ me.Is the structure standing timber,bushes or weed beds or all the above?Bottom content sand gravel,muck or clay?Up here I use twister style swim jigs in open water along the weed edges.Sounds like down there you're using more tubes in a vertical presentation.I've got the bait store info from a earlier post.I'm sure having live bait will be a plus.Charteuese is the go to color up here,should I have some shad and darker colors along w/ me?I also use 2# mono in the open water.If it's timber and bushes I'll need to upscale my line.Also is the tent camping in the park or of of it somewhere?I'm having a difficult time finding ph#'s for campsites.

One thing you'll need to check before leaving is the water level. Cataract is notorious for quickly flooding in heavy rains, like 10'+ water level rises in a short amount of time. Lake will get muddy quick, but it will start on the upper end and take a while for it to move downlake in most cases.

Cover is very limited at first glance. A few laydowns and beaver dams, but it is primarily stumps and brushpiles along the bottom of the lake. No vegetation. All of this is subject to change with a big water level rise that will flood the shoreline bushes and trees.

Bottom content is mostly clay with some rock. Chartreuse is a strong color on this lake in combination with most any secondary color you might like to combine. Camping is in the park which makes the state park ramp the first option for launching. If the lake comes up more than 11'-12', the ramp and parking lot will get flooded out. You'd have to park and launch along the road at that point or drive to Cunot ramp that has two levels of launching. Not sure at what level the high ramp submerges over there as I always use the state park ramp.

Camping and phone info is at the following: DNR: Cagles Mill Lake (Lieber SRA)

You'll also need to purchase a $20 DNR permit sticker for the boat if you don't laready have one. You can get them at the park gate when you go in.

-T9

Thanks for the info.We're waiting to see what the rains will do down there.Even if we don't get there this weekend,a trip is still intended at some time.The info will go into the fishermans knowledge vault.Looks like really heavy rains for that area today and tomorrow,going by what this system has been dropping already.The little saw pics of the falls and wants to go at some time,and it sounds like a real good fishery. Could it hold some smallies as well?