Well if you want to get into fish in provern areas from this year, here they are.  1 Off the boat ramp from the wall to the first pilings east to west and about 50' north of wall out14-20' deep.  2 OUt the mouth of the marina 150-200' bearing slightly south east.  15-18' flat.  3 the road bed running directly north of boat ramp.  4 line camground point and snoopy dam.  Water tower east and big cove west.  This area is a long double hump one in 10-15'  and one in12-18'  Both have stumps and boulders scattered  Crappies with chance of eyes.  5 the north side of the dam parking lot all the way to the cove past the crabil house.  40-100 feet off band 10-20' depths.  6. Along the dam you'll catch crappies suspended and tip-ups have a chance at scoring an eye  These are areas I've personally fished and caught fish from so far this year.  If the snow hasn't messed them up you'll find previous holes from the past week.  If the snow has look for rough areas where holes were scooped out.  Electronics will be a major help when fishing.  You'll see the fish follow up from the bottom and sometimes you'll work the fish from 20' clear up till 8' before they bite.  Sometimes you'll move inches and they hit.  On bigger baits you'll feel a tap much like spring walleyes.  Sometimes you'll see alot of slack line or on your screen you'll see a fish rush 2'3' up above the bait fast.  They have swallowed the bait and are going up because they saw something else above it.  Use a a lift drop and settle holding baits inches to a foot from bottom unless your going after suspended fish.  Then jiggle the bait let it settle for a count of 15 then jiggle and slowly lift up. If you see fish on the screen watch the reaction.  If no electronics lift as high as you can reach, slowly and you can't climb to slow.  Keep a second rod in another hole rigged with micro jigs and spoons.  size #14 hooks are best.  Rig with spikes.  Keep two of hese on a line 8-10" apart and set a foot of bottom.  I lay it on my hole scoop handle and put my foot on it to jiggle it occasionally.  This sem-i dead-stick method produces many fish and it's good to use when fishing slows  The pattern most morning is tA few fish are taken before daylight sets in on tiny glow jigs.  Soon as daylight starts getting into the area switch to Jigging raps, large spoons and bladebaits.  Fiertiger, perch glow, and copper have been excellent producers.  When the hard bite slows around  noon switch back to micro and slowly work thm for the last few fish.  Come evening the reverse to morning.  The evening may start at 4 or as late as 6pm.  I've already had several days when you'll get a fish as fast as you can drop the bait for half an hour htn the bites slow.  Other times it's just waiting for schools to move thourugh.  You'll get 5or 6 fish then wait for ten or twenty mins.    If your going in the morning give a spot 30mins and move if not gitting bit.  You shouldn't have to move to many spots to find fish this year.  One other thing I've noticed is if your getting small fish most of that school will be small.  But don't move cause the next school may all be 12-13"rs.  You'll find a good mix of keepers comeing through.  more often than you'd think.  I've alo found that the areas where brush has been dropped the past couple of years holds mostly small fish but if you move a dozen yards you may find keppers roaming the bottom.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

wil be heading out on the main lake again Sunday.  Parking in Campground at beach entrance.  Should be there by 6:30am  may get there earlier and try for eyes.  Drive maroon GMC truck with cap and ladder racks.  Walk down big path to lake and angle right toward dam I'll be the furthest out.  May have a few friends with me anyones welcome to join.  Plenty of area out there throwing fish.

check my post from buck creek state park on the how.  If your son is younger you might try off the boat ramp.  Evening bite starts around 5pm.  Plenty of fish have been caught there.  Find 15-20 feet.  If you want a new spot go out of ramp and go left.  About 75 feet from the bend is a underwater point that doesn't show from bank but should be a good producer.  Haven't hit it yet but is on my list for this week, don't mind if someone else tries it though.  Park at top of parking area and be careful going down the ice is slick.  hopefully the snow remedies this.

should of stated I should be at bait house across from dam at 6:30  have a pickup in Indy and Chicago tomorrow but unless they have'nt cleaned up I should have no problem making it home Fri. night.

went exploring this morning.  Started at the bouy off the campground and caught 3 cats all 3-5lbs.  just sucked in my shadrap.  Went out to the deep railroad tracks out in 28' of water and caught over 20 crappies suspending at 15'  Hit two whitebass both 15+inches.  Noeyes this morning.  Found nice gill on diamond jigs on the way in in the trough just south of campground point.  Didn't last long was almost noon then.   Will be out Saturday if anyone wants to meet up and go let me know.  May be late friday night before I get back on line but I'll be at the bait shop at 6:30am (won't be open)  and will wait ten minuates before taking off.  If your going with me be ready for a long hike.  Most likely going back out a mile south off the campground again. 

    I know it's early to talk wild mushrooms but if your like me you still have some dehydrated from last year.  Bring these back by soaking a day in Whipping creme.  At the same time pull some fillets out of the freeze and thaw in fridge.  The next day the shrooms will be ready and the fillets should be 85% thawed.  Take a bag or two of saltine crackers and crush to a gritty powder.  Beat a few eggs and if you want spice add into the egg.   I don't add a thing neither needs it.  Get out a bowl of all purpose flour and dip fillets and shrooms in it.  The flour give the egg something to stick to.  No matter what you fry or batter you use this should always be your first step.  Next dip the floured pieces into the egg and hold up till most drips off.  Then last roll in the cracker crumbs.  Now fry in pan or deepfryer.  When they turn a light golden brown remove.  The color of a bale of straw is perfect.  They finish cooking after you pull them from the oil.  Enjoy.

I put two post on Buck Creek state park by mistake.  Only working Mon and Fri. for the past six weeks I've spent the rest of the days out on C.J.  Normally I make several trips to indian but have had so much success on C.J. that I haven't gone anywhere else.  My best day for eyes was last saturday.  Fishing on a 16 foot hump surrounded by 20+feet of water I caught 32 Crappies over 11" and five eyes between 21-26"  all eyes came on a clown glow jigging shadrap.  Most of my crappies have come on glow green, glow blue, glow clown and glow perch shadraps.  Jigging rapalas are catching them as well.  I've had many 50+ keeper crappie days since first ice.  If your not on the main lake your not going to catch many keepers as the marina has been worn out.  Not to say you won't find a good day there just a luck of the draw.  15' and deeper has been the key.  Brush piles are baby factories and I not bothering with them.  Did well on the main lake humps and deep railroad bed.  Also in areas around the Crabil house though that area had alot of 8"ers.  Late morning is good for suspended fish if you have electronics to look for them.  When they suspend I've had better luck with tiny glow jigs and spoons.  If you want to know more check my post on Buck Creek state park.  If you aren't catch fish 1/2 hour after daylight move.  Nothing to be caught betwwn noon and 5 at least not by me.