BROOKVILLE LAKE
Just below Indianapolis, but on the far eastern side of the state, is Brookville Lake. At over 5,200 acres, Brookville is big. It’s also an extraordinary fishery. Known primarily as a black bass, walleye and striped bass venue, Brookville’s crappie fishing potential shouldn’t be overlooked.

Crappies between 9 and 11 inches are common, with true slabs being realistic possibilities as well. The problem is, however, this body of water is hard to fish. The water is clear, much of the structure rock and the crappies -- the ones we want to catch anyway -- stay deep most of the time. That makes for tough fishing conditions. But tough is tough, not impossible.

Once they find a school of papermouths, they’ll hover over it until the bite slows. Then it’s time to repeat the process over again.

Begin fishing Brookville with a sense of what clear water means to a fish -- danger. Approach each spot slowly, carefully and without making any noise, if possible. Watch the sun; keep your shadow off the water. If you can see it, so can the fish. And don’t stand up in the boat. All that does is announce your presence.

Next, pick a line that’s suitable to the task. For Brookville that usually means 6- or 8-pound-test fluorocarbon. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s also invisible. That’s what you need here, something that will handle the fish but not scare them off. Light fluorocarbon will do both of those things.

And never forget that crappies are sight feeders. They can see your bait from a long ways off in clear water. On most days, you won’t need bright, flashy colors or attractors to get their attention. If they’re hungry, they’ll come soon enough.

You will, however, need to fish the right spots. That almost always means a foot or so above the fish and at a slight angle out in front of them whenever possible. You can tell which way they’re facing by how they bite. If you present your minnow north of the school and the bite is slow, but south of the school, it’s fast, then it’s reasonable to think they’re facing south.

And remember to always keep the bait above the fish. A crappie will move up to feed but not down. Presenting a bait or lure below its head is a waste of time.

During most of the year, Brookville crappies will be found between 10 and 20 feet deep, sometimes even deeper than that. Their favorite haunts on Brookville include the ends of long, sloping rock points and deep channel cuts. There are hundreds of such places on this lake and they all hold good crappie numbers from time to time.

Every now and then, however, especially early in the morning or just before dark, good white crappie fishing can be found around the marinas. Minnows on a slip rig will work best here.

For last-minute information on Brookville fishing conditions, contact District 5 at (765) 342-5527.

Any of these five lakes should produce good papermouth action this spring. Pick one near where you live and have at it. You never know how long the good fishing will last. Most times, it’s intense fishing that burns out quickly. Don’t miss out!