Big fish on the table for Hoosier Division at Lake Monroe
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Hoosier Division of the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is set to kick off the 2023 season with the first stop at Lake Monroe in Bloomington, Indiana, on April 22. Anglers will be targeting prespawn bass and fishing shallow as largemouth stage near spawning areas. Anglers can count on quality bags at Monroe, as large kicker fish will no doubt come into play when tournament time rolls around.
Tournament details
Lake Monroe
Bloomington, Indiana
April 22, 2023
About the fishery
Lake Monroe is Indiana’s largest lake and is considered by many anglers to be the state’s best place to catch a bass over 8 pounds. Monroe, which is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and managed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, boasts more than 10,000 acres of fishing habitat in five counties including Monroe, Brown, Lawrence, Jackson and Bartholomew. Monroe features healthy populations of bluegill, largemouth and yellow bass, walleye, black and white crappie, channel and flathead catfish, and bullhead & hybrid stripers.
In 2018-19, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources employed the help of volunteers to create more than 200 artificial fish structures in the lake to enhance 17 acres.
A veteran of BFL competition, Doug Ruster expects a good event.
What to expect
Gizzard shad are the primary forage fish for largemouth bass on Lake Monroe, and Doug Ruster of New Palestine, Indiana, said anglers will want to imitate the shad. Ruster is no stranger to Lake Monroe and has chalked up three top-10 finishes in BFL competition. He said that water levels will dictate how anglers will approach the event.
“If the water is up and stable and they’re not pulling water it could be a very big weight because that lake does have a lot of very big fish in it,” Ruster said. “And the tournament is scheduled for prime-time fishing.”
Healthy vegetation, plenty of fish habitat and the gizzard shad population all contribute to Lake Monroe’s quality bass reputation.
“The quality of fish in Lake Monroe is above average,” Ruster said. “You’re not going to catch 25 keepers, but it’s got a bunch of 5- to 7-pound fish in it. It’s just a very healthy body of water. I would say it will take 17 to 21 pounds to win the event. Monroe produced a 30-pound five-fish limit in a team tournament last year. I’ve seen some very awesome things happen there in April over the years.”
Ruster added that Monroe has featured a lot of vegetation in it the last couple of years, especially on the main body of water. He pointed out the main lake holds more plant life than the idle zone section (up-lake from the Highway 446 causeway).
Baits and techniques
As previously mentioned, Monroe bass have a healthy buffet of gizzard shad to gorge on, and anglers will tend toward baits that “match the hatch.” Traditional Monroe baits include anything resembling the gizzard shad – silver and black or gold and black and plenty of flash. Any bait that looks injured is just icing on the cake.
“Right now, the lake is about 6 feet high, and with the projected rain it’s very possible the water level could be up a few feet for the BFL. If that’s the case, anglers will want to flip flooded bushes and trees.” Ruster said. “It will be a standard shallow-water deal – buzzbaits, spinnerbaits and [vibrating jigs].”