Author Topic: Sally and Missy report (Read 4938 times)

bigr · « **on:** Jan 16, 2020, 07:28 AM »

The upper resi's are all in a slow decent back to winter pool. If we can stay somewhat dry levels should be fishable again in a couple weeks and with some cold air mover in it may be possible to do alittle ice fishing yet this season. I fished four days back in December and had a good time. Fished open water on both sally and missy the past few weeks and found the fish on the missy to be a much better avg but largest fish came from the sally. Stay tuned for updates.

RobertFitz · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 16, 2020, 08:55 AM »

Thanks for the report big. Ice fished the 105 back when it iced up and did well. Would love to do it again this year

RoeBoat · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 16, 2020, 10:16 AM »

It's really too bad we don't get more time on the ice down there. Does anyone still fish the monument island area through the ice? Many years ago there would be a make shift parking lot on the lake bed.

bigr · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 16, 2020, 11:45 AM »

That area no longer holds enough water due to silt filling in. Where we fished many years ago no longer even has water. The access road that we used to drive down to the flats is pretty much broke apart and gone and also the state closed that road because some dumb historian idiots claimed to find old artifacts. Pieces of junk from when the old town of monument was there. The foundations of the old house from the move the state made the people make when they put the resi's in. Someone with no knowledge about the area or why it's the way it is had enough pull with someone in the dept of resource to prohibit any access to the flats. That area can be good for shore fishing as the water level drops or rises but we just can't get to it by car or without a very long walk. That's why the fishing is being done in the 105 area but even there it's filling in and we'll all be moving closer to the beach area in not so many years. It's filled in the 105 area acouple feet in just the last could years. I live in a 100 year old farm house. Hope some pancy doesn't metal detect in my yard and find a square nail. I wouldn't be allowed to put in a garden. P.S If you can't tell from my opinion comment, not being able to get out and either hunt, fish or explore because of the weather is killing me.

RoeBoat · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 16, 2020, 03:52 PM »

It's amazing how things change. Can't remember the last time I was down there but you are right there wasn't much water then except in the main channel. Lots of current at the old bridge abutments. Use to get some decent gills in just a couple feet of water just off the flat everyone parked on. Good thing they are saving what's buried on the bottom of the resi!!!!!

bigr · « **Reply #5 on:** Jan 17, 2020, 05:22 AM »

It's filled in so bad now that the river doesn't even run between the old bridge abutments. It's carved a new flow closer to the south shore.

drine_11 · « **Reply #6 on:** Jan 17, 2020, 11:01 AM »

well here we go again!!! Just looked at the extended forecast & now it shows after Tues the 21st we will not have any day temps below freezing thru the end of the month

Hopefully they are way off & temps will dip back down, otherwise we may be close to calling this season a bust....we just cannot catch a break this winter.

RoeBoat · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 17, 2020, 02:23 PM »

Gotta love it!!! Better get out and fish next week.

river_scum · « **Reply #8 on:** Jan 18, 2020, 06:35 AM »

pretty much mud for a month id say. we are soaked down around here. lol

walleyedan · « **Reply #9 on:** Jan 18, 2020, 03:51 PM »

Feeling everybody's pain also but I've been getting out with the long poles and doing really well most days. The fish have been in the shallows (2' average) and having a ball. Last Monday buddy and I managed 80. Kept a few and put the rest back. Tues. on a different pond and managed 30 in two hours. Wed he went to a real muddy pond and only got 4. we had been doing pretty good there. Since it's not making safe ice might as well get out there and enjoy it when the ice goes off. Should hit good again like it did three weeks ago when the ice came and went. It's just like end of March fishing. They bite now just the same as when you are on the ice. Just got to pay attention.

Bowtech83 · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 21, 2020, 08:19 AM »

Just curious if anyone has been to the 105 today, 1-21-20....I was really wanting to hit the 105 tomorrow morning if it's got enough ice. Will it be safe enough for 1-22-20?

bigr · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 21, 2020, 08:44 AM »

No Ice fishing. Water dropping fast. Resi fishing is probable done for this year. I see this was your first post. We only ice fish when the levels on the resi's are at or very near winter pool. Check the Corp of Eng website for daily levels and continue to watch for reports on boards like this one. Your on the right track for learning a lot about our sport. The ice conditions are just good enough for experienced folks and even they must know the early places and use extreme caution. Don't know how much you've ice fish but from your question I suspect you have not done a lot on the resi's. They are flood control bodies of water and go up and down after every rain or snow melt. You did the right thing asking. Saves you a trip and also educates you. Welcome to the site.

SK8TNPIGEZ · « **Reply #12 on:** Jan 21, 2020, 08:45 AM »

17ft above winter pool

rivereddy · « **Reply #13 on:** Jan 21, 2020, 09:14 AM »

An added perspective: As mentioned above, these reservoirs were built to help minimize
flooding in the Wabash river valley. Water is held back or released according to the need
to minimize flooding downstream. A couple of weeks ago both Missy and Sallie were at low
winter pool, then Indiana got 3+ inches of rain and the resis filled to hold back the potential
floodwaters. Now that the Wabash has dropped, the USACE is dumping water back into
the Mississinewa and Salamonie rivers. In other words:

1 The dams at both lakes are dumping water
and the tailraces are high, fast, and muddy
2 Both lakes are dropping at the rate of a little
more than 1 foot/day and...

Rapidly fluctuating water levels are not conducive to ice formation

tater140 · « **Reply #14 on:** Jan 21, 2020, 09:15 AM »

https://www.lrl-wc.usace.army.mil/reports/lkreport.html
Here is a link you can watch the water levels from your computer... Also helps to save a trip down there when trying to time the various fluctuations on the resi's. Also good to watch when planning a spring or summer trip when your not sure of the conditions.

rivereddy · « **Reply #15 on:** Jan 21, 2020, 09:28 AM »

Here's another:

Google up "NOAA water" then find the "rivers" section. It will lead you to a map of the US
showing all of the flow gages. You can isolate Indiana and get a pretty good idea of what's
going on in any watershed. The sites also include an "upstream" button which will show
the lake levels above the dam for a particular stream. I must have about 30 of them bookmarked
and stored in a fishing folder...

fish on,

rivereddy

RoeBoat · « **Reply #16 on:** Jan 27, 2020, 09:57 AM »

Any update down there on actual conditions? TiA

bigr · « **Reply #17 on:** Jan 27, 2020, 11:30 AM »

Water is coming into resi's muddy still but levels are dropping fast. If we stay dry they should be at a fishable level as early as this weekend. Conditions wont be great but you might pick a few up. I would start on 105 on sally and red bridge area on missy. If we don't get anymore ice cover I expect a very good early run on both lakes from shore.

RoeBoat · « **Reply #18 on:** Jan 27, 2020, 12:44 PM »

Is there any ice cover, I assume not?

Ace in the Hole · « **Reply #19 on:** Jan 28, 2020, 05:07 AM »

I live 5 miles from Salamonie res and fished it for 40+ years, actually watched them build the dam when I was a kid. Ive won many a bass tournament there back when it still had stumps littering every breakline. Over the years of raising and lowering the water most all the stumps have floated away. Locals around here call it the mudhole....cause most of the time its mud stained water. Even in summer its up and down a lot. If you want to catch buckets full of crappies (remember 25 is the limit) got up river in early spring and fish the tree tops of blow downs. Action is usually fast and all day long. Biggest crappie Ive caught at Sal is right at 15". My biggest crappies come right after they start draw down. I found a place big crappies stack in during that time and very easy to catch. Three years ago the state did some grading on a point to make it deeper for boat traffic.....this point was my best walleye hole on the res. Now they dont hold there because the big rocks are gone. Real bummer....Ive caught many limits of eyes there.

Salamonie has silted in big time since its construction. The 105 bridge and causeway created a dam in the middle of the res. Poor farming practices up river allow soil run off into the river and all this sediment settles before the 105 bridge. All the creek channels around Monument island are silted in. Salamonie reservoir is not the place it use to be but still produces at times.

RoeBoat · « **Reply #20 on:** Jan 28, 2020, 06:21 AM »

Great story, sounds like the reservoir has provided a lifetime of memories for you! Thanks for sharing. No doubt about it, everything thing changes, some more than others.

TeacherPreacher · « **Reply #21 on:** Jan 28, 2020, 08:32 AM »

Great report and info. I've never fished it but always heard about the crappie fishing. Ran my beagles there a number of times. Use to have lots of rabbits.
Teach

RobertFitz · « **Reply #22 on:** Jan 28, 2020, 09:18 AM »

The river is the main area I fish every year. There is a lot of lay downs that become visible when they let the water out. Last year in October I went out and went to the opposite bank and vertical jigged in between branches and was pulling them up almost every drop. The main resi I dont have a big boat or a motor so never really get on
It. Great place for crappie for sure.

bigr · « **Reply #23 on:** Feb 03, 2020, 05:36 AM »

Bite is back on in both resi's. Water is decent color for crappies. Should be much better conditions since the high winds yesterday.

river_scum · « **Reply #24 on:** Feb 03, 2020, 06:01 AM »

post up the piles!

ramps froze up here.

bigr · « **Reply #25 on:** Feb 03, 2020, 08:47 AM »

Red bridge ramp is good but I don't think any ramps on sally are in water. This is all shore fishing but there was atleast three boats on ramp at missy. I don't make piles, only keep what I'm going to eat in the next day or so. It was 10 yesterday. I didn't take any pictures, nothing to be to proud about. Biggest was 13 1/4.

river_scum · « **Reply #26 on:** Feb 03, 2020, 11:09 AM »

oh well, maybe next time youll catch one big enough to be picture worthy. haha

hell I haven't even put my hands on a fish since before xmas. any fish pics thrill me about now. lol

RoeBoat · « **Reply #27 on:** Feb 03, 2020, 07:37 PM »

All I got for ya RS, not from the resi's

river_scum · « **Reply #28 on:** Feb 04, 2020, 06:32 AM »

I can almost smellum roaboat. thx

mornings like that I make some killer fish stew or fish cakes for lunch.

bigr · « **Reply #29 on:** Feb 04, 2020, 06:46 AM »

Quote from: river_scum on Feb 04, 2020, 06:32 AM

I can almost smellum roaboat. thx

mornings like that I make some killer fish stew or fish cakes for lunch.

Do you have a recipe for fish cakes. I want to try something different from the deep fry I usually do. You think crappie or maybe Northern pike. I have a big Bag of them from my fall trip in MN.

News:

Author Topic: Sally and Missy report (Read 4938 times)