There are a good number of tributaries in this pool, too. Tributaries can be great catfishing locations at certain times of the year. Some of these tributaries are located right in the bend of the river, which multiplies the attractiveness of the areas to catfish.

Public ramps at Leavenworth and Alton are the most popular access points on the Indiana side of the river. Some people will also reach the pool through the Salt River public access point. By crossing the river, anglers can enter the river from the ramps at Brandenburg and Cloverport in Kentucky.

McALPINE POOL
The water gets shallower and the river is not as wide in the McAlpine Pool. Nonetheless, Lange still refers to it as a very good pool. Channel cats are numerous in the pool. For those targeting big cats, flathead catfish seem to outnumber blue catfish in this stretch of the river.

Biologists believe blue catfish begin to taper down in both number and size in this part of the Ohio River. That follows the tendency of blue cats to prefer bigger water. Even so, there are still good numbers of catfish caught at this pool every year. Tournament results from a couple of years ago at the McAlpine Pool yielded some really heavy creel weights.

Near downtown Louisville, Kentucky, is a "very good" location for catfish, according to Lange. The area around Cox Park is extremely rewarding to anglers looking for decent-sized whiskerfish.

There are bridges above the McAlpine Locks and Dam that harbor some tremendous catfishing locations. There are plenty of different types of habitat that attract all three species of catfish. There are many ledges and humps as well as some good sections of deep water.

The most popular access point is the ramp at Vevay, just below the Markland Locks and Dam. Another good ramp for Hoosiers is located at Madison. Many anglers also cross into Kentucky and launch at the ramps in Carrolton and at Cox Park in Louisville.

MARKLAND POOL
The Markland Pool is the last one in Indiana. It is situated along Indiana's southeastern border and continues on into Ohio. This is one of Lange's favorite pools along the Ohio River. He has taken some great flathead cats from this pool.

Markland is mainly considered a flathead fishery, according to those who are targeting big catfish. Lange said the pool does have some blue cats, but most people looking for really large fish don't target them much. Flatheads are much easier to locate at Markland and some of these fish are really huge. As with all the other pools along the Ohio, the Markland Pool is great for some tremendous channel cat angling.

Lange usually launches at the ramp in Lawrenceburg in the Tanners Creek area. He referred to the river near Lawrenceburg as "a really awesome area." He said there are numerous good catfishing locations in the area and some portions of the pool where the river widens out as well. He works the entire pool as far as 20 to 25 miles downriver.

Another favorite area is near Aurora. Lange said there is a big bend in the river there, which can offer up numerous great cats at certain times.

In addition to the ramp at Lawrenceburg, there is also a ramp at Arnolds Creek, which is just below Rising Sun. On the Kentucky side of the river, anglers can reach the pool via the Big Bone Creek Access Area.

Regulations and Tactics
A reciprocal agreement between Indiana and Kentucky allows Hoosiers to fish from either bank of the river or by boat anywhere in the main stem of the river. The agreement does not apply to tributaries. Anglers must hold a license for the state in which the tributary is located before fishing there.

Currently, there are no creel or length limits for catfish taken in the Ohio River. Biologists from both states are discussing implementing a future regulation to protect big fish in the river and to maintain the quality of the fishery for the coming years.

To catch channel cats in the river, a variety of baits will work. Most anything that has a pungent smell will attract channel cats. Anglers typically use cut bait, night crawlers, shrimp, dough balls and liver, as well as commercial "stink baits" and blood baits.

Blue cats can often be caught on some of the same baits, but most people targeting big blues will opt for live or cut shad or skipjack. Flatheads are predominately taken on live bait as well.