Thread: Headed to Patoka Lake

Good luck! Got to work Saturday, while I would try and meet up with you.

Cool... its going to be HOT hopefully pushing CB in the creek channel around Walls and Little Patoka River will pay off. Maybe try the dam area if the boat traffic isn't to bad.

how did you do?

Sorry it took so long to respond.... but we ended up with 15 keepers 10" to 13" and caught about 40 or so fish. Most were typical Patoka crappie, paper thin and only 6" to 8" long. The weird thins is that the only color CB they would hit was a chrome/blue color! We caught two stripers 5lbs or so that was fun LOL.

Originally Posted by Wade2131

Sorry it took so long to respond.... but we ended up with 15 keepers 10" to 13" and caught about 40 or so fish. Most were typical Patoka crappie, paper thin and only 6" to 8" long. The weird thins is that the only color CB they would hit was a chrome/blue color! We caught two stripers 5lbs or so that was fun LOL.

I'm going to try to pull crankbaits for the first time this weekend at Patoka. As of right now, I'm going by myself so just be pulling 3 rods. I'm not familiar with the lake so if you have any tips, I'd greatly appreciate it. I have a contour map of the lake so any certain depth ranges to try?

bkhollan - I might be there Saturday as well if so we should hook up and swap stories . I have been launching out of Walls or little Patoka boat ramp, but next time I'm going out of painters creek ramp I think. I caught most of my fish out of painters creek going out toward the main lake, there is a good creek channel running through painters creek into the main lake. I stayed to the right side of painters creek all the way out. There is a huge flat at the opening to the main lake that averages 10' to 12' then drops to 20' to 25' most of the fish I found were on ledges in 15' FOW on the creek ledge. Your graph will show bait balls and scattered fish so I simply fished what the graph shows and moved on if I didn't hook up. Good luck to you. I pulled chrome and blue Bandit 200 it was the only color they would hit, also I replace the original hooks to a "red" color - I think it helps.

Originally Posted by Wade2131

bkhollan - I might be there Saturday as well if so we should hook up and swap stories . I have been launching out of Walls or little Patoka boat ramp, but next time I'm going out of painters creek ramp I think. I caught most of my fish out of painters creek going out toward the main lake, there is a good creek channel running through painters creek into the main lake. I stayed to the right side of painters creek all the way out. There is a huge flat at the opening to the main lake that averages 10' to 12' then drops to 20' to 25' most of the fish I found were on ledges in 15' FOW on the creek ledge. Your graph will show bait balls and scattered fish so I simply fished what the graph shows and moved on if I didn't hook up. Good luck to you. I pulled chrome and blue Bandit 200 it was the only color they would hit, also I replace the original hooks to a "red" color - I think it helps.

I appreciate the tips. I went to the local baitshop today and got a few Bandit 300 series. They had about 15 different colors, but not many of the colors I wanted to purchase based on reading this site. I bought Pearl (with red eyes), Brown Fall Craw, Mistake, Silver Minnow Sparkle, and Pearl Splatter Black. I tried to get a mixture of colors, but I want to see how I like trolling before investing $100-$200 in crankbaits.

Cool ... the mistake is a awesome color I wanted it in 300 series but haven't been able to locate one! The pearl is a good color too. Yea crank baits are $$$, I know the sinking feeling when I loose one you have good variety of colors - if you find a bright pink get it that color is good to ! Keep in touch and maybe we can fish Patoka at the same time.