Author Topic: Bass Lake  (Read 5158 times)

Offline Nwifisher

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Bass Lake
« on: Feb 11, 2019, 10:29 PM »
Are there any fish left in Bass lake?  I used to fish it often catching a little bit of everything.  Even pulled a few walleye limits a few years ago. Last few times I've been out it's been beyond dead.  Anyone seen any signs of life out there lately?

Offline Spooled85

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #1 on: Feb 12, 2019, 05:56 AM »
It's Ben Nick named the dead sea I wouldn't waste your time . You have probably noticed when your out there it isn't getting much attention ?

Offline stephen20

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #2 on: Feb 12, 2019, 06:54 AM »
I did good out there this summer, multiple times. Fishes it once this winter and caught some nice crappie.

Offline abishop

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #3 on: Feb 12, 2019, 07:39 AM »
I did good out there this summer, multiple times. Fishes it once this winter and caught some nice crappie.
How many eyes did u get???? I probably have been there six times the past 3 years and only caught 1 walleye. True, I have caught many limits of eyes in years past. THE DEAD SEA....

Offline TeacherPreacher

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #4 on: Feb 12, 2019, 08:15 AM »
SouthBend Tribune- What's Going On In Bass Lake. DNR did study in 2018.
Teach
Teacher Preacher
Life is short! Do all that you love to do as often as you can with those that you love!

Offline abishop

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #5 on: Feb 12, 2019, 08:32 AM »
OXYGEN LEVELS AND CLARITY ARE TERRIBLE. Biologists are trying to get the lake back in check, but are predicting it will be a few more years before it is a good fishery.

Offline stephen20

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #6 on: Feb 12, 2019, 09:02 AM »
I got quite a few eyes out of there. Nothing huge but good number of them. Fished a tourney the bait shop had and did well. There is pics up in the bait shop of the biggest fish.

Offline bigr

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #7 on: Feb 12, 2019, 09:06 AM »
Have they stopped the stocking for now? If not I wish they would consider other options for the annual stockings until positive change is made. I suggest putting those fish into the Wabash below the Roush dam. That would seed the entire free flowing river from one end of the state to the other. So many more could benefit. Plenty of access, launches, most the other tributaries in the state  could see fish from the stocking which would cover even more of Indiana. The Wabash is a very good fishery but could be a real destination for out of state tourism. I know i'm getting off topic but the present stockings on our lakes are at best a put and take with not a lot of return for the majority of Hoosiers. The lakes that get the attention the most also have the worst problems with the home owners and parking. I think we should try something that will have the least amount of issues for all concerned and could benefit much more of the state.

Offline RoeBoat

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #8 on: Feb 12, 2019, 09:23 AM »
Our rivers seem to be much better (with respect to the eyes)  than they used to be.  I was born in 70 and grew up fishing the St. Mary's and I don't recall many or any walleye being caught.  Now there are guys pulling many limits from the same holes in the spring.  I know in general not everything is getting better but the eyes have done well.  Couldn't hurt to stock more.

Haven't fished on the wabash hardly at all compared to you Bigr.  My dad use to take me to the spillway at Roush and to the confluence of the wabash and the salamoni to fish for eyes and we would get smallmouth too.

Offline abishop

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #9 on: Feb 12, 2019, 10:37 AM »
I do know that they stocked fingerlings in the fall of 2017. I know they used to stock over a million fry every year. I do think by stocking the larger fish and not as many that the chances of survival are much better. I havent heard that they stopped the walleye stockings. If I hear something I will post.

Offline dfishman

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #10 on: Feb 12, 2019, 11:45 AM »
OXYGEN LEVELS AND CLARITY ARE TERRIBLE. Biologists are trying to get the lake back in check, but are predicting it will be a few more years before it is a good fishery.

Generally the government gets things wrong, so I am thinking next winter we will do well at Bass.

Offline Nwifisher

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #11 on: Feb 12, 2019, 12:05 PM »
Until they stop spraying the weeds and slow down the boaters. I don't see the oxygen or clarity levels getting any better. That place is a zoo from memorial day to labor day.

Offline stephen20

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #12 on: Feb 12, 2019, 05:47 PM »
From what I saw this summer, it’s not as bad as people think. Yes the water is murky, and yes, there’s not many weeds. But I was pleasantly surprised on how well I had done this summer. I’m going to head there this weekend and look for some eyes.

Offline abishop

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #13 on: Feb 12, 2019, 06:52 PM »
From what I saw this summer, it’s not as bad as people think. Yes the water is murky, and yes, there’s not many weeds. But I was pleasantly surprised on how well I had done this summer. I’m going to head there this weekend and look for some eyes.
Heard there is a green slime covering the bottom of the lake. This is killing the zooplankton and making the numbers being caught affected.. Curious as to how many eyes per trip do you consider doing good. Haven't heard a positive report from here in years. All I can say is I have been fishing this lake for about 30 years and when I can't get at least 1 per outing there is something drastically wrong. I do remember taking double limits quite often in the past. I have all but given up on Bass. Keeping my fingers crossed, maybe in a few more years it will start to rebound.

Offline Spooled85

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #14 on: Feb 12, 2019, 07:08 PM »
Well I say what I say about bass and that is what most others say about it . But I hear from the local bait shop that people have Ben doing good , and there is quit a few pictures there to prove it

Offline stephen20

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #15 on: Feb 12, 2019, 07:31 PM »
In the summer, one per outing for sure. Usually 3-4, with some nice crappie and channel cats as well. Granted I only fished it pry 5-6 times through the summer. I’ve heard about the stuff on the bottom. It’s not really slimy tho. It doesn’t make the sand feel funny or anything like that. I’m not sure what it is tho. I’ll see if I can dig some pics out from the summer.

I do know my expectations were much lower for fishing the lake when we got a lake house there. From what everyone has said for a couple years, it didn’t sound like it would be worth fishing. And the boat traffic does get a little crazy. But there are fish there.

Offline ice_mike

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #16 on: Feb 12, 2019, 07:37 PM »
From what I saw this summer, it’s not as bad as people think. Yes the water is murky, and yes, there’s not many weeds. But I was pleasantly surprised on how well I had done this summer. I’m going to head there this weekend and look for some eyes.
Take a camera.
Drill lots of holes while the suns up high.
Look for weeds, even 1 plant sticking up 1 or 2 feet off the bottom.
Put a tip up with a shiner right on the weed.
Wait,wait, wait til your tired of waiting.
If there hungry you’ll catch them.
We used to be on the ice at noon and leave at 3 or 4am.
4 guys and 2 gas augers drilling and checking a hundred holes in 4-6 foot of water.
Abishop has been with us many times when it was flags up every few minutes.
That’s how we walleye fish on the Bass lake Sahara

Offline river_scum

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #17 on: Feb 12, 2019, 08:29 PM »
bass cant be that bad of water quality or they would stop stocking.  when I hear conflicting stories about a lake, I wonder if some aren't trying to down play it to keep others away. haha  bass is one of those lakes it seems.

agreed our rivers are better than they used to be Roe.  big difference from even 15 yrs ago.  seen several pics of 25"ers out of our rivers.  tippy, Maumee, Wabash, st marys, stjoe, all sport fishable, if not healthy populations.

Bigr, I don't think they need to put them in the Wabash, if you have 50-60 fish days there, like you have posted. lol 

they could cut back stockings on the lakes that reproduce(like sylvan and crooked ), and stock more test lakes.  they don't seem to be detrimental impact, when they are stocked, so it couldn't hurt much to try.

real fishermen don't ask "where you catch those"

OANN the real story

- member here since -2003- IN.

Offline Spooled85

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #18 on: Feb 12, 2019, 08:43 PM »
bass cant be that bad of water quality or they would stop stocking.  when I hear conflicting stories about a lake, I wonder if some aren't trying to down play it to keep others away. haha  bass is one of those lakes it seems.

agreed our rivers are better than they used to be Roe.  big difference from even 15 yrs ago.  seen several pics of 25"ers out of our rivers.  tippy, Maumee, Wabash, st marys, stjoe, all sport fishable, if not healthy populations.

Bigr, I don't think they need to put them in the Wabash, if you have 50-60 fish days there, like you have posted. lol 

they could cut back stockings on the lakes that reproduce(like sylvan and crooked ), and stock more test lakes.  they don't seem to be detrimental impact, when they are stocked, so it couldn't hurt much to try.
[/quote
 
I had to chuckle when reading your first few sentences lol

Rkoomler

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #19 on: Feb 13, 2019, 11:41 AM »
I didn't know the walleye reproduced on sylvan and crooked.  Very cool!

Offline bigr

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #20 on: Feb 13, 2019, 01:30 PM »
Ice mike is giving the right advise. We drilled lots of holes and dropped a jigging rap and would take several had jerk to feel for the weeds. If we came up with weeds would setup on them. Since the weeds grew like small pods we would try to get an outline of the pod and set up all around it. Of course the bigger the pod the better. More fish would hold close to them. Only reason I haven't been back in a few years is we just couldn't locate any weeds. Might have to make a trip up yet this winter.

Offline RoeBoat

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #21 on: Feb 13, 2019, 01:33 PM »
I didn't know the walleye reproduced on sylvan and crooked.  Very cool!

Don't have any first hand experience on Crooked but Sylvan, Winona, and Big Turkey all seem to be doing pretty well!

Rkoomler

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #22 on: Feb 13, 2019, 02:36 PM »
So your seeing/catching walleye smaller than the advanced fingerlings that are stocked ?

Offline RoeBoat

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #23 on: Feb 13, 2019, 04:22 PM »
Sorry, wasn't speaking specifically about spawning, just how well the walleye are doing in those lakes.  I haven't looked at the specific stocking data and can't remember what the smallest size we've caught ice fishing on panfish jigs/flies

Offline river_scum

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #24 on: Feb 14, 2019, 07:39 AM »
So your seeing/catching walleye smaller than the advanced fingerlings that are stocked ?

yes, that's what my opinion is based on.
real fishermen don't ask "where you catch those"

OANN the real story

- member here since -2003- IN.

Offline Jig_Head

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #25 on: Feb 14, 2019, 11:25 AM »

 
I had to chuckle when reading your first few sentences lol
Same here
When hell freezes over ill ice fish there too!

Offline abishop

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #26 on: Feb 14, 2019, 02:58 PM »
Has anyone seen any shanties set up  on Bass on their way to Maxi. Figured there are still a few who need to try it... I know come spring I will be one of the few who will see if anything has changed. The last 4 years has been a total waste of time. Still keeping my fingers crossed.

Offline wallin

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #27 on: Feb 14, 2019, 10:50 PM »
only once, Al you ate all the walleye in Bass Lake lol.
Next time share with us lol.
Tom

Offline abishop

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #28 on: Feb 15, 2019, 08:22 AM »
only once, Al you ate all the walleye in Bass Lake lol.
Next time share with us lol.
Havent tasted walleye or perch in 3 years, just crappie and gills 4 me. I need to work on that this year lol.

Offline hookitNcookit

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Re: Bass Lake
« Reply #29 on: Feb 15, 2019, 11:39 AM »
Not sure if your just a straight ice fisherman or not, but the spring walleye spawn on lake erie is world class but you probably already knew that!
"It aint how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward."

 



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