Monroe Lake

**johnsoninc86** · 03-17-2009, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by Hoosier Hog Daddy

I went to Monroe today to check it out. Haven't been down there fishing for several years. Only 10,000 + acres to look at...so how much can you cover in a day? I put in at Cutright, and worked blow downs and stumps thruout the saddle creek area and some toward pine grove. I also spent a little time in Moores creek...hitting blow downs. I caught a gazillion crappie...but none were over 6-7 inches. Found them just about everywhere...just no size to them. Even went out in middle where north fork saltcreek meets middle fork and caught crappie there...but no size to them either. When I started this morning it was 49.5 deg water temps...and got up to 55 by the time I left. I saw a couple guys catching them right by cutright boat ramp.... they were similar to what I was catching.

I also got a fishing report from J & R Guide service....here's what he had to say:

"Monroe water temp. is 49 degrees to 53 degrees . We tried a little crappie fishing today and caught 20 crappie none over 6 inches , in the Pine Grove area on jigs and minnows in 7 feet of water on the channel edge . Water is muddy from middle fork up. Clear down around the Dam . We also tried trolling with no luck . It will change within the next two weeks or sooner for the better "

HHD

This is the exact reason that I quit fishing Monroe for crappies. I occasionally hear of guys getting some big ones out of there, but they had to go through 7 dozen minnows and 6 hours on the water to sort through the dinks and get three or four sizeable crappies. Why work that hard when you can drive 45 minutes the other direction and get on Cataract (Cagles Mill) and catch a whole lot more really nice crappie. Or go to the strip pits and catch a whole mixed back of big crappie, bass, and bluegill. I always read these reports for Monroe, just because I live so close, but I have yet to come out of there with a stringer of big crappie. Now, 10-15 years ago, it was a different story... the size just isn't there anymore. Its still a decent lake for bass, walleye, and hybrid stripes though.

**wannabecrappieking** · 03-17-2009, 02:46 PM

well there is your problem, your using minnows. Its to early to start useing minnows. This time of year they bite so soft that you cant hardly tell they are there and all u end up doing is feeding them. Over the last 2 years ive learned to use tubes versus live bait and my catch has been bigger and more if u work them right. If u miss a crappie useing minnows all u are doing is feeding them and 80% of the time u get a bite your minnow is done for anyways, and with a tube and jig head its there till its ripped or tore up, and u can fish brush more effectively with it cause u wont lose a jig like u would a minnow. They are there u just got to pattern them

**PapermouthLegend** · 03-18-2009, 06:51 AM

I would agree that the minnows make it harder to fish cover. Minnows tend to swim around on the laydowns and tangle the line. On lakes that tend to have a lot of small crappie, I will use a 1/32-1/16 oz jighead and a tube. The only time I use minnows is when I am spider rigging, the I can control where that minnow is going a little better. I might also try casting a 1/16 oz hooktail grub to try to get the bait deeper before the smaller fish can grab it. If you see the smaller fish on your electronics, try to find the outside (& deeper) edges of these schools. I really like spider rigging the channel ledges deep. The bite can be slower, but better fish. I have always had to fight the dinks at Monroe. Patoka is the same way. Nice fishing on both lakes, but you have to fight the dinks.

**Bob # 1** · 03-18-2009, 08:12 AM

Envey you guys that have lakes in your backyards....

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