Thanks Patrick!

[treepotato]

Hey Patrick,
Thanks for the info , I too love roadrunners and did very well with them on Little Barbee last spring. I will try your suggestions here in the next few days when I get a chance to get out again. You mentioned black/chart, what type body do you perfer ( twisters, asassins, grubs) on your roadrunner jigs and what weight do like when casting? I have,nt fished Mt.Hope but only once this year. I was fishing the deep cove across from it earlier and as I was heading back I pulled up into the cove right next to the ramp at Mt Hope. The fish were hitting around every bit of structure I found there but at that time they were running a little smaller than recently. If you go to the DNR office at Lost Bridge east they will give you a copy of 44 GPS sites where the DNR has placed fish attracters and I noticed several pretty close to the Mt. Hope ramp. You're right about yesterday being my day. Or at least it almost was, I got to within 25 yards of a really nice buck in the corn only to have the wind betray me and send him off flying across a bean field. He looked like he would make Pope & Young and appeared to have a drop tine on his left side. Oh well, just like fishing some days you win and some days you lose but everyday hunting or fishing is a unique blessing in itself! Thanks for your suggestions , they are much appreciated..........treepotato

[Patrick Vowell]

Hey treepotato,

Sorry about your luck yesterday. I am biting at the bit to get in my stand, but responsibility has taken the upper hand. I've got a tourney on Patoka in a week and have some house and boat work to do. Once that tourney is out of the way , I will be ready to go.. I also just lost my wallet this last week and it had my lifetime liscense in it. I have to go downtown Indy to get a new one.

On my roadrunners I use umbrella tubes, which are a little larger than the standard ones. I have also started using a alot of maribou this year. Blakemore makes this style also. EVen a plain old maribou works great. When I lived in oklahoma that is all we used to use was Maribou jigs. For some reason I started using more tubes these last few years but have since seen the light. I tell ya' at salamonie alot of times just a plain ole minnow will outproduce any color.. This only seems to be true when slow trolling though. There are a couple of spots I bobber fish but it usually isn't productive for larger fish, but my kids love it, and so do my customers when out on guide trips. What weight you also asked ? I don't really know, But I want to say 1/16 to 1/8. but it depends on your terminal tackle as to what it can handle. 1/16 oz. would be the realistic choice. That will get your bait down a little quicker. If fishing shallow water , fish with a 6.5 to 7 foot rod and hold it up to keep the bait off the bottom or to keep it bouncing right on the bottom

So do you hunt around salamonie ?

[treepotato]

Hey treepotato,

Sorry about your luck yesterday. I am biting at the bit to get in my stand, but responsibility has taken the upper hand. I've got a tourney on Patoka in a week and have some house and boat work to do. Once that tourney is out of the way , I will be ready to go.. I also just lost my wallet this last week and it had my lifetime liscense in it. I have to go downtown Indy to get a new one.

On my roadrunners I use umbrella tubes, which are a little larger than the standard ones. I have also started using a alot of maribou this year. Blakemore makes this style also. EVen a plain old maribou works great. When I lived in oklahoma that is all we used to use was Maribou jigs. For some reason I started using more tubes these last few years but have since seen the light. I tell ya' at salamonie alot of times just a plain ole minnow will outproduce any color.. This only seems to be true when slow trolling though. There are a couple of spots I bobber fish but it usually isn't productive for larger fish, but my kids love it, and so do my customers when out on guide trips. What weight you also asked ? I don't really know, But I want to say 1/16 to 1/8. but it depends on your terminal tackle as to what it can handle. 1/16 oz. would be the realistic choice. That will get your bait down a little quicker. If fishing shallow water , fish with a 6.5 to 7 foot rod and hold it up to keep the bait off the bottom or to keep it bouncing right on the bottom

So do you hunt around salamonie ?

Patrick,
I do hunt some salamonie and mississenwa properties but mainly just archery. Due to all the crazies walking around these properties during firearms season I try to concentrate my efforts on private property when the guns start booming!! If you know what I mean. I have some umbrella tubes but rarely use them. I never thought about dressing a roadrunner with one but I think that would be a pretty good looking combination! I will hafta try that. I have never seen you post anything about guiding before . That is sooo kool! I have been kicking around that idea myself and I can't imagine the satisfaction and excitment that would come along with that endeaver. I have developed a system along with alot of sunkun structure that for the first time this year I feel confident that I can get on nice crappie 90% of the time I go out. I take alot of friends and co-workers out on trips and we have a great time every time. Do you do alot of guiding professionally ? It seems like my schedule now a days is pretty hecktic but someday when things slow down a little I can see myself doing that sort of thing. I think when it comes to things like that when you are outfitted and ready you just have to take a deep breath and jump in and do it!
Sorry to hear about your wallet! I have lost mine before and theres not many feelings worse that I have experienced . Hope you find it and all works out, Hmmmm ... lifetime license ... wish I would have done that years ago. Good luck at your tournament on Patoka, I hope you do well and have a great time, keep us posted on how you do..............treepotato