Ditto on Sauger from the Tippecanoe River, but we fished below the dam in Carroll County.

I moved down here from Lafayette to south central Indiana in 2013, so it was circa 2009-2010 when we were using #4 Panther Martin spinners to catch 1-2 lb max Sauger and some 7-8" Rock Bass.

IMO the Sauger is just as good eating as Walleye.

Most definitely.

Here are a couple more lists, again that may not be entirely accurate. It's a place to start.

Rods
https://allamerican.org/lists/fishing-rods/

Reels
https://www.slo-fishing.si/recommended-fishing-gear/529-fishing-reels-made-in-usa

I don't know how accurate this is, but I found a list of USA lure manufacturers online:

https://www.ackinc.com/collections/made-in-usa?page=1

It has become increasingly difficult to buy American products. Most of the time, I just do my best to avoid buying anything  manufactured in China, but even this is harder these days. I won't buy Made in China unless I absolutely have to.

Products made by American companies in Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, Turkey and in South American countries are becoming more prevalent. Some of the best reels are manufactured by Japanese companies, and even they sub out low end product line to China. I feel very fortunate if I can find U.S. goods of any kind, much less fishing gear, made domestically.

So, count me in. How are we going to get around buying our fishing gear from China. I think St. Croix rods are born here. We still have some lure companies here in North America, and some of the fishing electronics (Marcum and Vexilar) may still be made in the States.

Can we put together an updated list?

It is the one on the south side of the highway. There is another bait shop about a 1/4 mile further on the road to the park, but it wasn't open when we were scouting.

I have not. We planned to go once the ice was on but Mother Nature's being a bitch again this year.

We visited the local shop, Gittin Jiggy with it Bait & Tackle, in December. The owner was helpful and gave us some current information on the lake. He said they were catching some nice eaters there in the Fall. The shop also had topo maps with the known haunts of the various species indicated on it for $2.

A quick trip through the park and the lake looked really nice. It has Perch and Crappie as well. We were looking forward to getting on the ice there, but the warm trend has all but guaranteed that we will have to further north.

That's about all I know. Fingers crossed for a February cold snap!

Rich

Walleyes in Summit Lake. Central Indiana.

Also the Whitewater River above Brookville.

Sorry, not to my knowledge.

Rich

I thought as much. Maybe we'll get another cold snap yet.

Thanks,
Rich

Way too warm in southern Indiana again this year. The almanac blew it for January so far.

Anyone on ice up north?

Thanks in advance

Rich

Agree.

In terms of being edible, I'm not sure that crayfish live long enough to be compromised by pollution, but you may find less of them in bad water. Check with IN DNR.

45-50 years ago, we used to use them as catfish bait on trot lines. Two of us could sein them in the pools of clean shallow streams and it was not difficult at all to catch 50-60 in a few hours. I have even gone back to the same creek downstream 50 yards and caught just as many. We usually caught as many or more crawdads than minnows.

I can't speak to the present, but they were prolific in the small creeks and shallow rivers of northern Illinois back in the 70s. Conditions may be different today.

In the Lafayette area, I'd try Wildcat Creek too.

Good Luck,

Rich

Thanks! Looking forward to ice!

It has been almost 3 decades since we ice fished Walleyes in Minnesota. Back then, we usually used 1.5" spoons tipped with a minnow head. In the second hole just a split shot, hook, and minnow. Results were typically about 50-50.

I'm wondering how Hoosiers are succesfully getting Walleyes through the ice in Indiana these days?

Thanks in advance for the conversation.

Rich