Striped bass and wiper fishermen in Indiana are cheering the recent changes in rules governing live gizzard shad, threadfin shad and alewives as bait, and the allowable size of cast nets. The new rule changes took effect March 22 and will make fishing for two of Indiana’s toughest trophy fish just a little easier.

The rules changes answered a request from striped bass and wiper anglers to be able to use gizzard shad as bait in selected waters, where striped bass and often wipers are prevalent and gizzard shad are present. However, the new rules stipulate gizzard shad cannot be moved from the waters in which they were caught. Shad collected anywhere else have to be killed immediately upon capture. The intent is to prevent the moving of shad to other waters.

Prior to the change, live shad could be used only at Brookville Lake. The rule dates back to when Brookville was Indiana’s only striped bass water body. With the changes, gizzard shad can now be collected from the designated waters, possessed while on the particular water body and used only on the particular water body.

Use of live shad as bait has been restricted previously because of concerns it would lead to establishment of shad populations in lakes where the shad would compete with and harm existing sport fisheries. Since then, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has stocked and created new striped bass and hybrid striped bass fisheries at several other places.

The changes also standardize cast net regulations statewide and allow larger mesh for taking shad. The rule also allows use of the lookalike smaller cousin of gizzard shad, the threadfin shad, at the selected waters, and the collection and use of live alewives as bait on Lake Michigan.

The rule changes are summarized as follows:

•Live gizzard shad and threadfin shad may be collected, possessed and used on the following waters only, but may not be transported away from these waters: Brookville Reservoir, Cecil M. Harden Reservoir, Monroe Reservoir, Patoka Reservoir, Lake Freeman, Lake Shafer, Hardy Lake, and the Ohio River mainstem, excluding all embayments

•Any unused shad must be killed while at these water bodies

•Live gizzard shad or threadfin shad collected at other water bodies will need to be killed immediately upon capture and cannot be possessed live
•Live alewives may be collected, possessed and used on Lake Michigan only, and may not be transported away from Lake Michigan. Any unused alewives must be killed. A person must immediately kill alewives collected from waters other than Lake Michigan

•The maximum cast net diameter is increased to 20 feet for both the Ohio River and the rest of the state. Mesh size remains at 3/4-inch stretch mesh for normal minnow/crayfish collection statewide; however, cast nets used at the eight named live shad water bodies listed above will be able to have a maximum mesh size of 2 inches stretch mesh. Stretch mesh is the distance between two opposite knots of a net mesh when the net is stretched tight. The change will allow for more practical use in collecting live gizzard shad, threadfin shad or alewives, which school in open water.

Walleye peak in Sylvan and Winona lakes

Anglers may catch more walleyes than ever before at two northeastern Indiana lakes this spring.

According to the DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), Sylvan Lake in Rome City and Winona Lake in Warsaw contain two of the highest walleye densities in the region.

During fish sampling last fall, DNR biologists using shocker boats captured more than 77 walleyes per hour of electro-fishing at Sylvan, a 669-acre impoundment in Noble County. At Winona, a 562-acre natural lake in Kosciusko County, they captured 47 walleyes per hour.

Although biologists don’t know the actual number of walleyes in each lake, electro-fishing catch rates provide a way to compare walleye abundance from lake to lake. In lakes where walleyes are abundant, walleye populations typically provide electro-fishing catch rates of 20-30 per hour.

“We now have some of the densest walleye populations we’ve ever seen at Sylvan and Winona lakes,” said Jed Pearson, DNR biologist.

“Based on our data, fishermen can expect to catch plenty of walleyes at either lake this year.”

While walleye numbers are high at both lakes, larger walleyes are present in Winona than Sylvan. Walleyes captured during sampling last fall at Winona ranged from 8.5-26.5 inches long. Peaks in the size range occurred at 11.5, 15 and 18 inches.

More than 60 percent were at or larger than the 14-inch minimum size limit required before they can be taken home by anglers.

At Sylvan, walleyes ranged in length from 10.5-19.5 inches. Most were 12.5-13.5 inches long and were too small to be kept by anglers; however, 32 percent were 14 inches or larger.

Although legal-size walleyes make up a small percentage of the overall population at Sylvan, it contains about the same number of legal-size walleyes as Winona.

“Our catch rate of 14-inch and larger walleyes last fall at Sylvan Lake was 25 per hour of sampling,” Pear-son said.

“At Winona Lake, our catch rate of legal-size walleyes was 28 per hour.”
Walleye populations in both lakes have been developed by stocking 6- to 8-inch fingerling walleyes each year since 2001. So far the DNR has released 126,000 fingerlings in Sylvan and 106,000 fingerlings in Winona.

Patoka Lake cleanup day

Volunteers will have the opportunity to pitch in and help clean up Patoka Lake on April 9. Participants will meet at Hoosier Hills Marina at 8 a.m. for the lake cleanup effort coordinated by DNR’s Patoka Lake.

The cleanup will conclude around noon.

Once a year, in partnership with Indiana DNR and Hoosier Hills Marina, the Patoka Lake Watershed Steering Committee organizes a morning to give Patoka Lake its own spring cleaning. Church groups, school clubs, scouts, sailing clubs, hunting clubs, boating enthusiasts, neighbors and other concerned citizens are welcome to volunteer for the cleanup and enjoy Mother Nature after a long winter.

Bags, gloves, refreshments and other supplies will be provided. Wearing boots is recommended. If you have questions, call Patoka Lake Regional Water and Sewer District at 812-678-5781 or visit www.plrws.net

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Jack Spaulding may contact him by e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.