I know what you think, warm weather and clear water! Indiana Gravel and Strip pit fishing.

Fishing in these pits can be very frustrating and sometimes almost impossible. We’ve all been robbed at one point or another. I will provide you with what I have learned from fishing in these areas.

First you need to learn the design of a well. The strip wells have very direct slopes and high vertical banks from where they exploited the land. Most of these have been recovered and fish spawning areas (shallow water) have been added. In these pits, they only took a large shovel after blasting and loaded the coal onto trucks. Sometimes an old roadbed can be found where loaded trucks entered and exited the shaft.

Anything different can contain fish. Underwater structure, tips, pockets in the undergrowth.

Gravel pits are often deep (they can be shallow), and if you look around you, you can probably guess where the paths of these pits went down and exited. These old road beds are the main structure for the great lowlands of Indiana. Don’t forget that spots, weed lines, and pockets are good areas too. Keep these areas in mind when fishing these wells.

To get on with the basics. All the pros will tell you to downsize your lures and use the lightest line you can get by. That’s fine if you want to catch a lot of small fish, but if you’re looking for quality fish, use Muskie-size lures! Sure, you won’t catch as many fish, but the ones you will catch will be quality fish rather than all the dinks.

Sound and vibrations can make a difference in the offer. One night fishing for bass while fishing a spinnerbait for over an hour, I hung it from a tree and lost the leaf. Being lazy to walk back in search of a new bait, I started throwing it without the blade and the fish loved it! I have never caught a bass in a spinnerbait on that lake.

Try night bass fishing. At night you can use floating baits like the Rapala and be very successful. If you catch a lot of little ones, switch to bigger baits. At night I will be prowling the banks in search of active fish. Crazy style pre-assembled worms make great baits. I’ll also use a 6 to 12-inch rigged Texas worm with the plumb bob attached to throw it onto trees, branches, and other obvious structures. Remember to hit the old roadbeds, the bass will use them as a highway when they have a need to feed.

Basically the only two lure colors I use at night are black or white, whichever fish like best. Crappie and pan fishing in gravel pits and Indiana fringes. Crappie disperses after spawning and can be found along weed lines and downed structure. You really have to be sneaky, as all fish in crystal clear waters are very easily scared. The best bait to use is a bobber and minnows.

Live bait is an excellent bait option for all fish. Use minnows for bluegill and bass, shiners for bass, small live bluegill or goldfish for flathead catfish and live shad, brook chubs for Muskie. Muskrs are stored in some lakes.

Night fishing is a bonus and uses great baits. No matter what it is, use great baits for Muskie!

In general, fishing at night can improve your chances of catching Indiana large bass, Indiana large Muskie, large Indiana walleye, large bluegill, and slab crappie. Just remember that fish can get spooked very easily in clear water! If you fish on shore, walk gently and keep a low profile!

That’s my style of fishing and it’s not for everyone! Hope you enjoyed the article and hope you catch more and more fish!