Likes: 
Thanks: 
HaHa: 
Patoka?
Reply With Quote
Push or pull,,Painter creek,,west of highway bridge..I do best fishing south side all the way to mouth of Painter,,over the weed beds when its high like it is now. I troll Bandits as well as jigs, RR's with chartreuse and nibbles, about anything will work, Also at arm of Painter is the 3-4 arms on north side,,all have timber in them, I catch em there, If you go to lick fork,,easiest I can say about it, if you go south of bridge, hit the concrete of the bridge and also the Piers of the power lines,,concrete warms and draws fish,but everybody hits those,,you can at Lick fork, hit the bays 3 on west side and opposite on East side, pick of fish in the timber..work from deep to shallow in spring,, Above 145 and Osborne Ramp..go across from the island, in the standing timber, Hit each sparse tree stickup,,working each one,,and you can find fish sometimes one here one there, and catch em that way all the way up I like south side working up mile marker 9,,and above it, check your map for the tight bend in creek channel on other side, kinda a submerged island that will hold fish right at the edge of timber,,,opposite of mile marker 10,,on south bank,,that whole longish point,,has deep water at edge of timber,,near river channel all the way to south bank,,along it you will find a school or 2 always,,you have to work that large area to find them but they are there..as patoka goes south just before you get to walls boat ramp,,both sides will hold fish in timber,,search and destroy them is the action,,across from Walls,,I pick up off the south east point,,its shallow,,but out near the channel,,crappies and walleyes off that point. about half way between mile marker 11 and point of Dumplin,,there is a submerged island next to channel,,that has timber under water,,that island on south side before the little branch that fingers south before Dumplin,,I have found schooled crappies all the time,,but you have to sort the small ones from the biggies. I like the working the east side of Dumplin and at the very south point on east side of the 2 arms is good for a good fish,,not many but you always pick up a couple of keepers. the north side of the island out at the mouth of Dumplin,,I get crappies all the way to the point on the east side,,then bounce straight across, and following the edge of the channel as it runs true north on the west side next to timber,,crappies straggled all along that channel in timber up to mile 12 and past all the way to 13,,the point at 13,,last year on Bandits,,at that point north of 13,,both sides,,I circled from side to point,,and picked up lots of big fish in 12-16 ft of water criss crossing back and forth quite a few days in a row there,,its a good spot. It gets alittle tougher in the wide big bay before 14...I have caught fish scattered in that big bay as timber is scattered, and the creek channel winds around to mile 14,,straight east of 14, small point on east side with standing timber leading into smallish bay that runs north east..I dont do good in the back of the bay,,too shallow for my style of fishing,,but the point has timber on it, and you will find fish there,,...You will find crappies everywhere on Patoka,,I find them even in the bays and arms off the main body of the lake, around the islands, I have caught them off the swimming beach on both sides,,and on west side of largest bay north of swimiing beach even..there isn't anywhere you can't catch crappies.. good luck, One more spot that is a fav of mine in Painter Creek on the map its area 32 on the south side of the arm,,look at the map,,humpy area,,about 50-75 yds out from the bank,,on the humps is also grass beds sparced out between the shallow and deep humps,,females stack up there, I shouldn't even tell ya about that one..its good,,and right next to very deep water of Painter Creek. In my opinion,,above 145 up Patoka River,,warms first, Painter second,,Lick fork 3rd,,dam and main lake last. those are the 4 areas I fish,,all the way up Patoka to Kings Bridge,,I don't go beyond it,,but people catch fish above it even and lots when its right. Between now and your tourney,,the fishing is only going to get better..you should have a very good tourney and catch lots of fish,,good luck.
Originally Posted by Ken Kinser
