Patoka Lake is an excellent crappie-fishing hotspot in the spring, but it is also a favorite destination for crappie anglers year "round. Last September, the 2005 Crappie USA Classic was held on Patoka. More than 400 anglers descended on the lake and competed in this popular crappie tournament. The first-place team (semi-pro division) won with a two-day total of 13.8 pounds, and the second-place team weighed in with 12.11 pounds. The winning team in the amateur division had a two-day total of 12.6 pounds.

Many large crappies were caught during the tournament, ranging in size from 1.5 to nearly 2 pounds. The Big Fish award went to an angler who successfully boated a crappie that weighed 2.03 pounds. That's a bragging-sized papermouth in anyone's book!

For more information about Patoka Lake or to find accommodations and boat rentals, contact Patoka Lake Marina & Lodging at (888) 819-6916. If you prefer, check out their Web site at www.patokalakemarina.net.

JONES LAKE
Jones Lake in Noble County's West Lakes Chain is located just west of Rome City and is part of the Elkhart River watershed. Although it only covers 114 acres and is not characterized by a good deal of flooded timber like some of the reservoirs in the southern half of the state, Jones Lake is nevertheless a very good crappie hole.

Boat access to the lake is via a navigable channel from neighboring Waldron Lake (also in the West Lakes Chain), where there is a boat ramp and public access at Dukes Bridge. Fishermen can then travel down the channel between Waldron and Jones and find a likely spot to fish in the upper lake. It is the shallowest lake in the chain, with a maximum depth of 28 feet and an average dept of 8.5 feet.

According to District 3 fisheries biologist Jed Pearson, Jones Lake is a good choice for early-season fishermen. "It has a history of being a good crappie lake," he said. "The shallower, weedier lakes seem to hold the most crappies in this region, and Jones Lake has a good deal of aquatic weeds. It also has stained (greenish) water, like you see in many good crappie lakes," he continued.

Both black and white crappies inhabit Jones Lake, but the black crappies are the most numerous species. In the last lake survey, black crappies ranked second in relative abundance (only bluegills were more abundant). Crappies up to nearly 12 inches were recorded, and their growth rates were comparable to fish from other lakes in the district.

As far as where to fish here, Pearson suggested fishing the shallow water along the north shore in the early spring. In lakes with dark muck bottoms (like Jones), the shallow water along the north shore will usually warm first in the springtime. Crappies are traditionally one of the first species to move into these warmer areas to begin feeding before their spawning run.

Although some anglers find it difficult to properly distinguish white crappies from black crappies, it's really quite simple. Don't try to identify them by color. In the spring, males of both species tend to turn very black. Instead, count the sharp spines on the dorsal fin (the fin on top of the back). If the fish has only five or six sharp dorsal spines, it is definitely a white crappie. If it has seven or eight sharp dorsal spines, it can only be a black crappie.

Don't worry too much about which kind of crappies you are catching, though. The daily bag limit is 25 fish, regardless of which type of crappies you catch. And once they hit the frying pan, you won't be able to tell the difference!