BIRDSEYE, Ind. — People always knew they were in the fishery, but smallmouth were hardly ever a thing in Lake Patoka.
Well, they sure are now. And with stable water conditions and fish staging to spawn, figuring out the brown fish as well as the green could be a winning ticket for the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine Hoosier Division event slated for May 16.
What to expect
There was one, dominant trend for the majority of last year on Patoka – high water.
“I think the water stayed high from spring all the way through September,” said Clint Bissonett, who won a BFL on Patoka around this time in 2022.
Fortunately, while the weather temperatures have been up and down all spring, the water levels have stayed relatively stable. And stable water around the spawn should make for far better fishing.
Bissonett said Patoka’s bass started spawning a week or two ago. How many will still be spawning come this event, he’s unsure. But he knows it will be a player.
“Some tournaments this time of year, it’s widespread,” Bissonett said. “I’m not sure that will be this year, where every bank you go down they’ll be spawning. But I bet someone will find a pocket or two like that.”
Doing so will be a way to catch some big fish in a hurry.
Then again, so, too, will be using forward-facing sonar on staging points for fat, prespawn fish. And that’s where the smallmouth come into play.
Bissonett says almost every tournament nowadays has at least one angler who makes the top five with smallmouth, as they’ve gotten to be the same size as the largemouth in the fishery. It’s just a matter of knowing where to target them.
“Everyone knows they’re towards the dam in the clear water,” Bissonett said. “They’re in relatively the same areas as the largemouth, but just on slightly different stuff. You might stop on one point to focus on catching smallmouth. And then go to another point 100 yards away looking for largemouth.
“Either way, they’ll be something a pro is probably going to want to work into their pattern.”
Baits to bring
With sight fishing being a serious potential player, anglers best have their favorite arsenal of soft-plastics handy. Same goes for jerkbaits and shaky heads for those using forward-facing sonar on staging points.
Then there’s an Indiana staple Bissonett said not to leave without.
“All Indiana guys love a stupid tube,” he said, “and it’s really effective on Patoka.”
What will it take?
Bissonett said there are plenty of 4- and 5-pounders of both species swimming in Patoka. That said, unless the tournament is a full-blown bed-fishing derby or someone stumbles upon a perfect school, it’s a hard lake to put a bag full of them together.
Thus, he figures somewhere in the 17- or 18-pound range should take home the win, with mid teens contending for the top 10.