White River East Fork?

[funfishers]

The East Fork of the WR begins right here in my home (the past 6 years) of Columbus. My wife and I have fished from sand bars at Mill Race Park several times with varying results and while we would love catching the "premier" fish we also aren't picky.
We catch and release and just enjoy the catching or attempting to do so.
I've never been a river fisherman though I lived very close to the Wabash most of my life.
Do any of you have any river fishing tips particular to this area? Again, just sport, nothing for the table.

Were I younger and when the river is lower I would love getting out there on a canoe or kayak but for now will stay on terre firma.
Any tips or thoughts will be appreciated.

Alan

[cevans]

You can dip a minnow below a cork, around brush or wood and catch various fish. Look for the quiet pools or eddies to throw small crank baits, jigs, small spinners, and use small baits as they are more productive. Fish will mostly be facing upstream as to feeding. It’s productive small mouth and you will catch ky spotted bass in streams as well as a few lg mouths, I know the Asian Carp down below Seymour and Bedford are slowly having their effect on blue gill and crappie, catfish, as well as sauger and bass from local boys complaining a lot in the changing fisheries and it’s a matter of time as they will and are all the way up where you are at. One thing you will find, you’re liable to have it all to yourself for a enjoyable experience as it’s not overrun by the masses.

Some of my fav. baits, small square billed cranks in crawdad colors especially deep red, small spinners if you can find them anymore or supplement with beetle spin or crappie size Road runners, any plastic, but don’t overlook Curley tails, small. 6-8 in worms Texas rigged or drop shot style, black or black/blue rubber skirted jigs 1/4 oz, with pork rind or plastic small crawl tipe dressed on it. Summer time,, even top water baits of all kinds including buzz baits, the reliable rapala stick baits even, River fishing has its hidden surprises and can be super fun and doesn’t take a lot of water to support fish. Good luck.

[jpdawg]

I am from the Taylorsville area just North of Cbus. I have fished Flatrock, Clifty Creek and Driftwood for smallmouth all my life but have never really pursued crappie on them.

All of these rivers have great smallmouth fishing from a canoe/flatbottom but it is really hard to find good fishing from the bank. Two places that come to mind are on Driftwood. Heflin Park is west of US31 and I-65 Intersection. Lots of good bank fishing there. The other is underneath Tanneyhill bridge (650N and Driftwood) on the East side of the river. Jigs tipped with minnows and small white spinner baits always caught a few smallies in those 2 locations.

Good luck and if you catch some post them up.

[funfishers]

I am from the Taylorsville area just North of Cbus. I have fished Flatrock, Clifty Creek and Driftwood for smallmouth all my life but have never really pursued crappie on them.

All of these rivers have great smallmouth fishing from a canoe/flatbottom but it is really hard to find good fishing from the bank. Two places that come to mind are on Driftwood. Heflin Park is west of US31 and I-65 Intersection. Lots of good bank fishing there. The other is underneath Tanneyhill bridge (650N and Driftwood) on the East side of the river. Jigs tipped with minnows and small white spinner baits always caught a few smallies in those 2 locations.

Good luck and if you catch some post them up.

I don't target crappie,though I love catching them.
Any fish are fun to catch.
Thank you for the info.

Alan

[INDyak]

Alan I've always had better luck specifically targeting one species. Just a thought