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Will be coming to Patoka Lake May 16-18.(Staying at the Winery) I am not bringing my boat but may rent a pontoon with the wife. Do I have any chance of catching some crappie on a pontoon that does not have a trolling motor! This is more of an anniversary trip than a fishing trip.
Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Going to be alittle tough with boat control especially if trying to fish standing timber. My suggestion is get a couple of anchors or rope and tie to stick ups. What you will find at Patoka,,you might catch 75-100 dinks before you catch a keeper. You might try long lineing jigs no more than 1 mph. You won’t be able to get a pontoon boat under Hwy 145 bridge to upper area of Patoka except at the Painter Creek Branch. Better to fish the Lick Fork arm and all of its branches or some small branches off main lake. Be careful of submerged standing timber. Also,,you might troll crankbaits especially evenings for walleye or pitch heavier jigs on north shore main points and around dam or troll even Painter Creek arm as they do occasionally catch nice walleye. Walleye can be snagged off points in Lick Fork arm using minnows but fish deep. Patoka lost all of its grass due to Corps holding water flooding the grass out and it drastically changed the fishing for crappie and even Bass so the fishing has undergone quite a change. Enjoy your weekend as it’s a beautiful lake.
Fish the deeper water, fish not on the banks other than dinks. Cold weather keeps the spawn delayed. I would pull jigs in 15’ to 20’ of water to find the schools then maybe vertical jig. Or troll crankbaits and fish them starting out running the cranks, 8 to 10’ down if you don’t have any electronics to locate fish. You can use the wind or the big motor off an on for adjusting your speed. Renting a pontoon,,you probably won’t have a trolling motor.
Good info. Good Luck Duke!
Thanks again. Yea their "fishing pontoons" do not have trolling motors. They are fishing because they have a live well. I am basically a vertical jig guy here in Illinois, but I'll bring some other stuff for trolling.