the tiny little catfish are bullheads, commonly called yellow bellies. They never get much bigger than 5lb and they do well in cold water. You can catch them in Minnesota, Iowa and the upper midwest.
Those are Black Bullheads, MO state record is 2lbs 13 oz., new world record caught in LA is 11 lbs 3 oz. Both caught in 2021. I have caught them on tube & curly tail jigs in ponds & creeks.
I love your honest enthusiasm. Some one here are, quietly, "oh, it's 12lbs, put it back" and it sounds like no fun, but I'm sure that it's huge fun to fish with you. As someone who almost never gets to fish at all, thank you so much for brightening a lousy day. Thank you.
Looks like you had a good time in Indiana. I chuckle when I hear you say, " Dude, it's a fish !!! " with such a surprise in your voice. I enjoy the fact that you have such an adventurous spirit, and that you take us along with you. Be safe on I-75. RKB
I'm from Indiana. My dad and I fished lots of creeks and ponds. Walked miles. Mom always cooked what we caught. It was fun hearing the wind and watching you fish every good spot. Good 🤞
Lived in northwest Indiana till I was 70 years, always caught fish retired to Norris lake in Tennessee beautiful clean water but the fish don’t bite, the area you are in we used to fish all those ditches flow into the Kankakee river great video
THIS JUST MADE MY DAY! I live by this and I drive past it often and I’ve ALWAYS wanted to fish there but never got the chance to yet. I find it crazy how it’s such a small world that my favorite TH-cam is fishing in a spot I’ve always wanted to and close to where I live. Hey now I know that there’s fish there😂
I live less then 10 minutes from that spot and fish the Kankakee FWA/ 10 mile road more then any other place. I consider it my "home turf". Its pretty well known by the locals and even has a small Facebook group for it. It can be a tough area to learn but once you know the water, its incredibly rewarding. The vast majority of the fish I catch were pulled from the Kankakee FWA/ 10 mile road and the surrounding ditches
That area is where the waterfowlers hunt ducks and geese during the winter season. The Yellow River and Kankakee River merge there, and the Kankakee FWA manages the property. During waterfowl season, the area at the crossroads is considered the waterfowl resting area, and the property puts in duck blinds and goose pits after they flood the corn fields. Waterfowlers from all around enter a daily draw for open blinds around 4am, and then rush out to those areas (where the property stages johnboats) to set up their decoy spreads before sunrise. It's actually quite a spectacular sight on the days when there are over a hundred parties drawing for around 30 open blinds/pits, sometimes more but also sometimes less. Really cool seeing you fishing my old stomping grounds from my younger days.
Thanks for the inspiration. I stopped at a ditch in the middle of nowhere and caught several largemouth. The largest was almost 4lbs... in a ditch, crazy!
Nobody expects any good fishes in there, so nobody fishes there. I most always had a small 3 parted rod in my car to check spots like small rivers or ditches. But when your hair turns grey, your fishing blood cools down and your women doesnt like to have that stuff in the back of the car... 😉
@@robertjanko6709 lol. Thats true, but I hope my fishing blood never cools down. I'm 56 now and fishing is a big part of my retirement plan. As far as the wife, I just pat her on the rear and explan ,'if one pole has to go. .they all go"!
@@robbaker629 Amen! I soon turn 57. I am also working on my retirement plan. Will partly take place in sweden and partly in germany. ;o) Greets from germany and tight lines brother!
I love that you're traveling and highlighting spots most people will never think to fish. I draw a lot of inspiration in where I try to fish from you -- anywhere and everywhere.
I went to a nukyardjunkyard and saw a tiny ditch that had minnows. A ditch at a public park in town that's not even a foot deep has some little brim. My dad owns land that has a tiny creek going through the middle of it, and it dries up sometimes, but I saw a whole school or either minnows or other baby fish. The creek dried up and they all died, but a couple of months later it happened yet again. If there's consistent water there, even a little puddle, there's going to be some fish eventually.
Hey John. Great video. I love how fishing new spots brings out the little boy in you. Your enthusiasm is infectious. Now, although I have a lot of work to do today on my house and yard, I just have to make some time to cast a line in my local creek or river. Love your videos buddy.
Great to see you venture up in the Kankakee River State Wildlife area. A little further north and west and you'd meet up with us next weekend. Going smallmouth chasing on a bigger stretch of the K3 in IL. Never fished a buzzbait much but they're getting a whopper Plopper into next week, temperature has been mild this year. Some largemouth bass out of a ditch..why not. You're fire...thanks for sharing brother
Those ditches serve two purposes. They drain water off for crop planting and serve as irrigation water when needed. The ponds with all the algae had alot of fertilizer runoff in them.
Classic Jon on Creek Fishing Adventures, "Fish anywhere, fish everywhere."!!! That is my kind of fishing...and I'd rather fish from the shore. Thanks for taking us along! God Bless! How many people drive by and see John fishing? Some day I'll probably see him fishing in a ditch in Oklahoma.
Welcome to the Hoosier state. I live close to the Wabash river. Every once in a while someone will pull a 60 pound or more flathead out of there. The water's muddy as can be and they probably just catch and release.
I live about 3 mins south of your first stop at the intersection. 10 mile game preserve has lots of good fishing in it. Your second stop at the bridge north of there is another bridge great rock bass spot. You were right in my back yard and stomping grounds. Lots of good ditch fishing
Just came across this video this morning.. I have been watching your videos since I got into fishing a month ago. I have learn a lot and still learning. I like the kind of fishing you do because it’s adventurous. I can’t believe you came to Indiana to fish. I’m in central Indiana . Cass county actually. I fish in the Wabash river mostly. Been meaning to hit a few creeks but it’s so hard to find access points for those. I definitely need to do some more scouting .. I hope you comeback.
I have seen those little black Catfish at Lake Wallenpaupak (PA) in a group about the size of a volleyball with "tentacles" of the fish extending from the main "ball" during a shore walk..I think they do it up there so together they look like something too big for other fish to eat, but I could reach down and scoop up handfuls of them! When I tossed them back in, they immediately rejoined the main ball of catfish...Ingenius what some little fish like that can come up with! Glad you got to see a small group like that!
That is 10 mile road. Highway 39 and old highway 8 In Knox Indiana. That’s my hometown lol. There’s tons of dogfish, bass, catfish and a lot more in those creeks and swap areas. Good to see it isn’t flooded
When I was youngster, I saw bullhead fry schools. Caught a couple with a net & raised them in an aquarium til they reached about 8inches, then released into home waters.
I was visiting with a friend in Tennessee many years ago. They took me fishing on the Tennessee river. I was enjoying myself a lot. They told me to only fish the rapid water areas along the river, because that is where are all the fish are. Anyway, as I was heading down to another rapid area, I came across a calm pool area and something just told me to throw my line in there. I did and caught a very large Brown Trout, from what they told me it was. I could see they were a bit shocked, because this novice caught a bigger fish that day then they did. I call it my beginners luck. That is why I really enjoy your channel, because you go against what everyone else thumbs their nose at, but sometimes you get lucky that way. Just don't fish out any dead bodies, that could ruin your fishing day. Lol. True story, I swear.
In Wisconsin, I'd visit my relatives on the farm (on Cty A in Oconto County), and in the right season, the ditches along the county road would get a foot of water, and we'd catch pike and pickerel one to two feet long like nothin. Go up the embankment five or six feet, and you could pick wild asparagus. Those were simpler days. :)
Wow that's crazy! I live about an hour and a half South of here give or take. We took a family vacation to Chicago last summer and drove right past this. I said to my wife I wonder if people fish this it looks great. Come to find out it's a honey hole 🤷🏾♂️ awesome. I may decide to take a trip up that way to adventure myself 🙏👍🏾
Flat land been there like a foot of fall in 4 miles going towards the Kankakee River ! Next you need to head to NE Corner of IN or NW Corner of OH the Southern edge of MI all kinds of creeks,rivers and lakes around here. The creek thru my farm is called Fish creek they say cleanest waterway in OH.
John, welcome to FLAT Indiana! It’s definitely different from your part of the world or here in Southern Indiana where you last visited. The wind gets worse in the winter. That is why there are wind turbine farms there.
I'm 52. When I was a kid, my grandparents lived in Wanatah, Indiana, at RT 30 & RT 421. My grandfather and I used to go down to Le Crosse on 421, to a place called Horseshoe Bend, which comes off the Kankakee River and back into it. It was always good fishing down there. I caught a five foot Water Moccasin on a 3" Rapala there once. Where were you?
I live in western pa an hour north of Pittsburgh. I used to only fish ponds and the local lake near me. You inspired me to go fishing in creeks and rivers now I’m hooked. You should come fishing up my way with me sometime. There is a creek near me with big musky.
i grew up fishing little creeks and ditches like this in noble county, in. i grew up on big lake at the head of the wabash river that flows all of the way to the mississippi, and the head of the elkhart river that flows to lake michigan is less than two miles away. you'd be surprised what swims from lake to lake in these little creeks.
Welcome to Indiana you have know idea how many lakes,ponds,creeks & spillway's there are in northern Indiana great video wish I would've known would have joined you.
They ARE little baby catfish! I just saw my first ever baby catfish [schools] that were that tiny a cpl months ago in a local creek. They were sooo cute! I picked a cpl up and was so intrigued abt how stinkin' cute they were... Just like the big versions that we're used to catching, only, about the size of macaroni noodles. Years back, an oriental gentleman pointed out catfish that were in the sandbar at a local park pond. There were Hundreds of babies, it seemed, and they hover above the momma's body, wherever she goes. (I'm assuming it's the female and not the male). My guess is they stay with her for protection until they're the size of the ones you just saw. Took my whole life to see them so tiny! Lol
The cab of your truck looks like mine! During the summer my fishing gear and rods just live in the backseat so they are with me wherever I am. I learned that lesson a long time ago, when I would pass by someplace I wanted to stop and fish but I didn't have any gear with me.
This is right down the road from me! I just moved to this area last year and have been wanting to try these little spots. Couple more days of warmer weather and I’m hitting the water.
The tiny ones were either dog fish or bullheads. Sure, wish I had known you were within 20 miles of us. You gotta get to Lake Michigan next year! Big Smallmouth on the lake love the hellgrammite
I don't think we have Black Bullheads here in New Hampshire but we do have Brown Bullheads, we call them horned pout, they are pretty fun to catch and are really aggressive for their size.
Your channel is fun because of the exploration. Catching fish (whatever) in strange off the beat places. Good vicarious fun, watching somebody put a line into water that has never seen a fisherman….
I was really surprised that you have so many not only huge fields but small ponds and ponds (this is very like as if I were in Japanese bass ponds)! Moreover, Maestro's clear, easy-to-understand explanations were so polite! Maestro, I have a question. I, myself, too, use strong line for my spinning tuckle, how many pounds of your line do you usually use? You use buzz bait, so it seems you're using strong line. If you use 14 lb in IGFA reguration, Lines in Japan are made under the tests if how many pounds the lines are broken. Maybe Japanese 20 lb lines equals to US 14 lb or 15 lb tested line, for IGFA is regulated any we 14 poundered fishes can catch with ease under the test before start selling, isn't it? I really want to say thank you for your great preaentations and explanation, I really appreciated! Thank you so much!
That’s a real prime fishing Area after a big rain. A lot of the fish’s come out of the main river (Kankakee) to move into the creeks and Ditches. I fish that whole stretch of river from the Indiana side in Newton County all the way to Illinois in will county. And you Name it. It’s in that water. I would like to see you explore more of it.
Right by my neck of the woods brother. Try the grand Kankakee marsh! As well as the yellow river.. great fishing out this way! Let me know if you want to get on some big flatheads!!! Great video
The Kankakee fish and wildlife area is all that’s left of the the Grand Kankakee Marsh. It stretched from South Bend to the Illinois state line and was the largest marsh north of the Everglades. They in fact called it the Everglades of the north. The two rivers there used to snake and wind creating a huge swamp that was said to contain millions of water foul, prairie chickens, and giant herds of deer. The rivers were dredged and straightened to dry up the marsh so that farmland could be obtained. The ditches were also made to be able to divert water for the fields. They said that when it was drained it killed off as much as 1/3 of the migratory waterfowl in North America. It’s truly a sad decision made by the people of Indiana. The wildlife area is flooded every fall to attract ducks and via a draw, you can win a spot in one of their hunting blinds for duck hunting.
@@steveaw5895 and I suppose we also decided to turn the Kankakee River in to a barge canal? That why armed Illinois Citizens stopped the workers at the state line and the travesty was never completed.
Yes those are baby Bullheads, even Yellow bullheads are black then. I netted a few because I thought they were Pollywogs but were Bullheads. There are Northerns(small) in that creek. That circling mass makes it hard to pick out one to eat.
i live just south of louisville... i grew up in that northern indiana area and most of my family lives there... i can't wait for another year or so when i will be moving back up there, i will miss the kentucky mountains tho. glad to see you do some fishing up there
Honestly man you are my favorite fisherman by far. You have inspired many of us and I am one of them I have learned a lot from you and have gotten better and better💯🙏 thank you for all your great videos!!
Anything in the river will move into those ditches. Northerns will come up them early spring to spawn. I have even seen people limit out on walleyes in them. I am not far from the spot you started in and fish rrhe ditches more than the river. Under the incomming pupes will be scoured out holes and you can find random dams to fish. Water moves up and down a ton and will even switch directions according to the needs of the surrounding farms .
I wish I new you were in starke county I would of shown you a better smallmouth river. You were only about 2 miles from it. The Kankakee where you were fishing runs into the yellow river down stream a bit. Its alot shallower but holds more fish. I caught my pb smallmouth wading it 4.11. Awesome seeing u fish the same rivers as I do. I grew up on the Tippecanoe. God bless John
that was a common snapping turtle. In our small wet weather creek my son will hand catch bluegill and cats. In the spring there are LOADS of baby bullheads.
Damn man. Next time you are in Indiana,Id love to go fishing with you. Love your channel and love creek fishing as well. Im in the South central area,south of Indy.
So funny when you call a 13 inch Smallie " A NICE FISH ", but for the size of the creek and the tackle used it most certainly is A VERY NICE FISH !!!! A 5 pound Smallie would eat everything for 500 yards and eventually starve. Keep up the great videos
I fish the illinois side of the Kankakee river...good river for small mouth with some good creeks along that dump into the river, those small cats are bullheads they dont get very big
I've never caught a smallmouth bass over 14 inches in Northern Illinois in 47 years,it's like they stop at that length because of invironmental reasons.
That school of black catfish looking fish was probably a school of bullheads. I have seen several of those schools in the upper midwest. They don't get very large, and many people consider them a trash fish, but as a kid, I caught and ate hundreds.
the tiny little catfish are bullheads, commonly called yellow bellies. They never get much bigger than 5lb and they do well in cold water. You can catch them in Minnesota, Iowa and the upper midwest.
Those are Black Bullheads, MO state record is 2lbs 13 oz., new world record caught in LA is 11 lbs 3 oz. Both caught in 2021. I have caught them on tube & curly tail jigs in ponds & creeks.
Those are black bullhead catfish I have 6 myself
Yup, good id. We have them in our urban creek here in SoCal.
Here in Ga. a lot of us call em butter cats becuase of their yellow belly's.
@@terrywebb3340 haha, I haven’t heard that in a while. Since like my granddaddy.
I love your honest enthusiasm. Some one here are, quietly, "oh, it's 12lbs, put it back" and it sounds like no fun, but I'm sure that it's huge fun to fish with you. As someone who almost never gets to fish at all, thank you so much for brightening a lousy day. Thank you.
12lbs would be a personal best anything for me. In my 48 years of living I've landed 1 catfish and 1 (stocked) rainbow trout right at the 10lb mark.
You should try and fish more often Paul. Good luck.
Looks like you had a good time in Indiana. I chuckle when I hear you say, " Dude, it's a fish !!! " with such a surprise in your voice. I enjoy the fact that you have such an adventurous spirit, and that you take us along with you. Be safe on I-75. RKB
Yep Those were catfish, most likely bullheads. Your about 80 miles north of me. I'm in Bloomington Indiana good fishing down this way too.✌️
Was just telling him about Elkhart area near you too. Great fishing
It is that small catfish with stings ther rearly go bigger then 1 pound
They could be madtoms too. They don’t get as big as bullheads.
Richmond indiana here
As the crow flies, he's about 150 miles from you. He's in Laporte county
Man, I've been fishing here since I was a teenager. Lots of bowfin and wildlife, love it here!!
I'm from Indiana. My dad and I fished lots of creeks and ponds. Walked miles. Mom always cooked what we caught. It was fun hearing the wind and watching you fish every good spot. Good 🤞
Lived in northwest Indiana till I was 70 years, always caught fish retired to Norris lake in Tennessee beautiful clean water but the fish don’t bite, the area you are in we used to fish all those ditches flow into the Kankakee river great video
THIS JUST MADE MY DAY! I live by this and I drive past it often and I’ve ALWAYS wanted to fish there but never got the chance to yet. I find it crazy how it’s such a small world that my favorite TH-cam is fishing in a spot I’ve always wanted to and close to where I live. Hey now I know that there’s fish there😂
Oh that’s cool
Lol same this is my place, rlly cool to him fish my spots that I catch them from when I watch him all the time
Where is he fishing? I live in Kankakee so just looking for new places to go
@@chadpreston6780 corner of SR 8 and 39; Starke County, Indiana
What the location of this place
I live less then 10 minutes from that spot and fish the Kankakee FWA/ 10 mile road more then any other place. I consider it my "home turf". Its pretty well known by the locals and even has a small Facebook group for it.
It can be a tough area to learn but once you know the water, its incredibly rewarding. The vast majority of the fish I catch were pulled from the Kankakee FWA/ 10 mile road and the surrounding ditches
When I look it up, it says it’s in Illinois. Where’s this at?
Those tiny fish are bullheads good luck fishing
Yep, good diagnosis. If John has scooped some up they would look exactly like miniature versions of the adults.
For sure!!!!!!
I remember the first time I saw a giant school of baby bullheads, I was amazed!
They are madtoms
If they are little kitties mom and dad should have been nearby.
That area is where the waterfowlers hunt ducks and geese during the winter season. The Yellow River and Kankakee River merge there, and the Kankakee FWA manages the property. During waterfowl season, the area at the crossroads is considered the waterfowl resting area, and the property puts in duck blinds and goose pits after they flood the corn fields. Waterfowlers from all around enter a daily draw for open blinds around 4am, and then rush out to those areas (where the property stages johnboats) to set up their decoy spreads before sunrise. It's actually quite a spectacular sight on the days when there are over a hundred parties drawing for around 30 open blinds/pits, sometimes more but also sometimes less. Really cool seeing you fishing my old stomping grounds from my younger days.
Oh that’s cool
Thanks for the inspiration. I stopped at a ditch in the middle of nowhere and caught several largemouth. The largest was almost 4lbs... in a ditch, crazy!
Nobody expects any good fishes in there, so nobody fishes there. I most always had a small 3 parted rod in my car to check spots like small rivers or ditches. But when your hair turns grey, your fishing blood cools down and your women doesnt like to have that stuff in the back of the car... 😉
@@robertjanko6709 lol. Thats true, but I hope my fishing blood never cools down. I'm 56 now and fishing is a big part of my retirement plan. As far as the wife, I just pat her on the rear and explan ,'if one pole has to go. .they all go"!
@@robbaker629 Amen! I soon turn 57. I am also working on my retirement plan. Will partly take place in sweden and partly in germany. ;o) Greets from germany and tight lines brother!
@@robertjanko6709get rid of her
I love that you're traveling and highlighting spots most people will never think to fish. I draw a lot of inspiration in where I try to fish from you -- anywhere and everywhere.
I went to a nukyardjunkyard and saw a tiny ditch that had minnows. A ditch at a public park in town that's not even a foot deep has some little brim. My dad owns land that has a tiny creek going through the middle of it, and it dries up sometimes, but I saw a whole school or either minnows or other baby fish. The creek dried up and they all died, but a couple of months later it happened yet again. If there's consistent water there, even a little puddle, there's going to be some fish eventually.
There’s a DOPE rockwall and worm tunnel at this place. I have a picture of my 10 year old brother jumping from a 30ft cliff into the creek.
Hey John. Great video. I love how fishing new spots brings out the little boy in you. Your enthusiasm is infectious. Now, although I have a lot of work to do today on my house and yard, I just have to make some time to cast a line in my local creek or river. Love your videos buddy.
Nice video! Good to see areas like Indiana being fished, also looking at the comments from Indiana fishermen. Go Hoosiers!!!
Great to see you venture up in the Kankakee River State Wildlife area. A little further north and west and you'd meet up with us next weekend. Going smallmouth chasing on a bigger stretch of the K3 in IL. Never fished a buzzbait much but they're getting a whopper Plopper into next week, temperature has been mild this year. Some largemouth bass out of a ditch..why not. You're fire...thanks for sharing brother
Those ditches serve two purposes. They drain water off for crop planting and serve as irrigation water when needed. The ponds with all the algae had alot of fertilizer runoff in them.
Classic Jon on Creek Fishing Adventures, "Fish anywhere, fish everywhere."!!! That is my kind of fishing...and I'd rather fish from the shore. Thanks for taking us along! God Bless! How many people drive by and see John fishing? Some day I'll probably see him fishing in a ditch in Oklahoma.
It's always a joy to catch fish where no one else would even try
Welcome to the Hoosier state. I live close to the Wabash river. Every once in a while someone will pull a 60 pound or more flathead out of there. The water's muddy as can be and they probably just catch and release.
Glad to see you still keep a few of the old Trout Magnets around.
Trout magnets will catch anything
I live about 3 mins south of your first stop at the intersection. 10 mile game preserve has lots of good fishing in it. Your second stop at the bridge north of there is another bridge great rock bass spot. You were right in my back yard and stomping grounds. Lots of good ditch fishing
10 mile road in Starke county is a cool place and I live nearby in Knox so cool to see you fishing in this area
Just came across this video this morning.. I have been watching your videos since I got into fishing a month ago. I have learn a lot and still learning. I like the kind of fishing you do because it’s adventurous. I can’t believe you came to Indiana to fish. I’m in central Indiana . Cass county actually. I fish in the Wabash river mostly. Been meaning to hit a few creeks but it’s so hard to find access points for those. I definitely need to do some more scouting .. I hope you comeback.
The farm creek by our house had Pickerel Pike in it. I always had a blast fishing there, always reeled something in.
You are like the "fish whisperer" you can find fish anyplace. Fun video & interesting spots, thank you & take care 🐟
They are Philly Lu bird fish. They sit in a pepper path all day and fly backwards at night to cool their tails.
I have seen those little black Catfish at Lake Wallenpaupak (PA) in a group about the size of a volleyball with "tentacles" of the fish extending from the main "ball" during a shore walk..I think they do it up there so together they look like something too big for other fish to eat, but I could reach down and scoop up handfuls of them! When I tossed them back in, they immediately rejoined the main ball of catfish...Ingenius what some little fish like that can come up with! Glad you got to see a small group like that!
That is 10 mile road. Highway 39 and old highway 8 In Knox Indiana. That’s my hometown lol. There’s tons of dogfish, bass, catfish and a lot more in those creeks and swap areas. Good to see it isn’t flooded
Welcome to the Everglades of the North! 5 minutes from my house. Glad you came out!!!
When I was youngster, I saw bullhead fry schools. Caught a couple with a net & raised them in an aquarium til they reached about 8inches, then released into home waters.
That was interesting, I fished that place 50 years ago, but it was through the ice.
Hi 👋
I was visiting with a friend in Tennessee many years ago. They took me fishing on the Tennessee river. I was enjoying myself a lot. They told me to only fish the rapid water areas along the river, because that is where are all the fish are. Anyway, as I was heading down to another rapid area, I came across a calm pool area and something just told me to throw my line in there. I did and caught a very large Brown Trout, from what they told me it was. I could see they were a bit shocked, because this novice caught a bigger fish that day then they did. I call it my beginners luck. That is why I really enjoy your channel, because you go against what everyone else thumbs their nose at, but sometimes you get lucky that way. Just don't fish out any dead bodies, that could ruin your fishing day. Lol. True story, I swear.
In Wisconsin, I'd visit my relatives on the farm (on Cty A in Oconto County), and in the right season, the ditches along the county road would get a foot of water, and we'd catch pike and pickerel one to two feet long like nothin. Go up the embankment five or six feet, and you could pick wild asparagus. Those were simpler days. :)
Wow that's crazy! I live about an hour and a half South of here give or take. We took a family vacation to Chicago last summer and drove right past this. I said to my wife I wonder if people fish this it looks great. Come to find out it's a honey hole 🤷🏾♂️ awesome. I may decide to take a trip up that way to adventure myself 🙏👍🏾
I wish you would come fish some creeks in Oregon. We have such natural splendor here.
Indianas full of smallmouth. I love being able to drive just a few minutes in any direction to get them.
Flat land been there like a foot of fall in 4 miles going towards the Kankakee River ! Next you need to head to NE Corner of IN or NW Corner of OH the Southern edge of MI all kinds of creeks,rivers and lakes around here. The creek thru my farm is called Fish creek they say cleanest waterway in OH.
John, welcome to FLAT Indiana! It’s definitely different from your part of the world or here in Southern Indiana where you last visited. The wind gets worse in the winter. That is why there are wind turbine farms there.
The catfish were more than likely bullheads. I grew up calling them mud cats and yellow bellies.
It's amazing what you can catch in these roadside spillways.
I'm 52. When I was a kid, my grandparents lived in Wanatah, Indiana, at RT 30 & RT 421. My grandfather and I used to go down to Le Crosse on 421, to a place called Horseshoe Bend, which comes off the Kankakee River and back into it. It was always good fishing down there. I caught a five foot Water Moccasin on a 3" Rapala there once.
Where were you?
we dont have any moccasins here.
Welcome 🙏 to Indiana John, wish it would have been a little bit better for ya my brother, I’ll see ya back at home 🏡..
Never thought I'd see a creator I watch go to a spot I regularly fish. Small world
I live in western pa an hour north of Pittsburgh. I used to only fish ponds and the local lake near me. You inspired me to go fishing in creeks and rivers now I’m hooked. You should come fishing up my way with me sometime. There is a creek near me with big musky.
That bass was THICK! I ❤️ INDIANA. Use to live there, it has a place in my heart.
Love Kankakee... I used to live in Georgetown Illinois .... Good fishing in the river too ...
i grew up fishing little creeks and ditches like this in noble county, in. i grew up on big lake at the head of the wabash river that flows all of the way to the mississippi, and the head of the elkhart river that flows to lake michigan is less than two miles away. you'd be surprised what swims from lake to lake in these little creeks.
Welcome to Indiana you have know idea how many lakes,ponds,creeks & spillway's there are in northern Indiana great video wish I would've known would have joined you.
That first spot was one of the first places I learned to fish as a kid. Lots of memories of my dad taking me down there!
They ARE little baby catfish! I just saw my first ever baby catfish [schools] that were that tiny a cpl months ago in a local creek. They were sooo cute! I picked a cpl up and was so intrigued abt how stinkin' cute they were... Just like the big versions that we're used to catching, only, about the size of macaroni noodles. Years back, an oriental gentleman pointed out catfish that were in the sandbar at a local park pond. There were Hundreds of babies, it seemed, and they hover above the momma's body, wherever she goes. (I'm assuming it's the female and not the male). My guess is they stay with her for protection until they're the size of the ones you just saw. Took my whole life to see them so tiny! Lol
There's small lakes all around Johnson County park IN, with great bass and crappie. My PB bass is from those lakes. Perfect for kayak fishing.
The cab of your truck looks like mine! During the summer my fishing gear and rods just live in the backseat so they are with me wherever I am. I learned that lesson a long time ago, when I would pass by someplace I wanted to stop and fish but I didn't have any gear with me.
This is right down the road from me! I just moved to this area last year and have been wanting to try these little spots. Couple more days of warmer weather and I’m hitting the water.
The tiny ones were either dog fish or bullheads.
Sure, wish I had known you were within 20 miles of us.
You gotta get to Lake Michigan next year!
Big Smallmouth on the lake love the hellgrammite
Would love to see more Indiana fishing....
Dude, the blow up in that current break was insane! Nice cast.
I thought it was too far off the bank by that point but it definitely wanted that buzzbait
Northeast Indiana is extremely underated when it coming to fishing . Imo
I don't think we have Black Bullheads here in New Hampshire but we do have Brown Bullheads, we call them horned pout, they are pretty fun to catch and are really aggressive for their size.
Catfish at 3:08 I've caught them with a bucket when they're still in a school.
I live right down the road where your fishing. All the ditches around that area hold fish smallmouthand pike.
That school of tiny fish is a clutch of bullhead catfish that all hatched from the same "lay" of eggs. I see them a lot here in the midwest.
Your channel is fun because of the exploration. Catching fish (whatever) in strange off the beat places. Good vicarious fun, watching somebody put a line into water that has never seen a fisherman….
I was really surprised that you have so many not only huge fields but small ponds and ponds (this is very like as if I were in Japanese bass ponds)!
Moreover, Maestro's clear, easy-to-understand explanations were so polite!
Maestro, I have a question. I, myself, too, use strong line for my spinning tuckle, how many pounds of your line do you usually use? You use buzz bait, so it seems you're using strong line. If you use 14 lb in IGFA reguration, Lines in Japan are made under the tests if how many pounds the lines are broken. Maybe Japanese 20 lb lines equals to US 14 lb or 15 lb tested line, for IGFA is regulated any we 14 poundered fishes can catch with ease under the test before start selling, isn't it?
I really want to say thank you for your great preaentations and explanation, I really appreciated! Thank you so much!
I’m happy you’re catching fish in this state, everywhere within an hour of me is over fished and idk where else to look😂
That’s a real prime fishing Area after a big rain. A lot of the fish’s come out of the main river (Kankakee) to move into the creeks and Ditches. I fish that whole stretch of river from the Indiana side in Newton County all the way to Illinois in will county. And you Name it. It’s in that water. I would like to see you explore more of it.
Alot of good little rivers in northeast Indiana. The eel and elkhart.
My kids love the area, non stop catching for them.
Great Sunset
Right by my neck of the woods brother. Try the grand Kankakee marsh! As well as the yellow river.. great fishing out this way! Let me know if you want to get on some big flatheads!!! Great video
Tippecanoe river also! Great fisheries for smallmouth and pike
Yes the Tippecanoe river has about everything that swims around here in it.
The Kankakee fish and wildlife area is all that’s left of the the Grand Kankakee Marsh. It stretched from South Bend to the Illinois state line and was the largest marsh north of the Everglades. They in fact called it the Everglades of the north. The two rivers there used to snake and wind creating a huge swamp that was said to contain millions of water foul, prairie chickens, and giant herds of deer. The rivers were dredged and straightened to dry up the marsh so that farmland could be obtained. The ditches were also made to be able to divert water for the fields. They said that when it was drained it killed off as much as 1/3 of the migratory waterfowl in North America. It’s truly a sad decision made by the people of Indiana. The wildlife area is flooded every fall to attract ducks and via a draw, you can win a spot in one of their hunting blinds for duck hunting.
Man that’s crazy
Native American hunting grounds......
We also lost one Indiana's largest lakes(if not the largest) in the process. Beaver Lake. RTE 41 now "passes through" it
It wasn't the people of Indiana.
It was the money people of Illinois.
Investors from Illinois Started it to to be able
to farm the rich river lands'
@@steveaw5895 and I suppose we also decided to turn the Kankakee River in to a barge canal? That why armed Illinois Citizens stopped the workers at the state line and the travesty was never completed.
Them are either chubheads (what we call bullheads in the south) or as tiny as they are they could be "madtoms" which are a shad sized catfish
Yes those are baby Bullheads, even Yellow bullheads are black then. I netted a few because I thought they were Pollywogs but were Bullheads. There are Northerns(small) in that creek. That circling mass makes it hard to pick out one to eat.
Grew up in those climes, yes baby catfish. They like springfed creeks.
Man, that's the kind of wind I have to deal with almost daily here in southern Oklahoma. 🙄 Cool video John. Smallmouth on topwater is awesome!
I bet it gets annoying
i live just south of louisville... i grew up in that northern indiana area and most of my family lives there... i can't wait for another year or so when i will be moving back up there, i will miss the kentucky mountains tho. glad to see you do some fishing up there
Where you are is where I grew up. I fished in just about every puddle that had water in it back then
Thank you for the nice video John.
Just a few miles south of me. I go down there every chance I get. Need to hit Trail Creek by Michigan City some time.
Awesome video man, I love fishing places like this. Looks like a heck of a good time. Keep up the great work!!
love this video, definetly try and explore and fish around like this next time I'm traveling long distance
Looks like a spot I’d definitely try to catfish!!!
Glad you enjoy fishing in my homeland.
Honestly man you are my favorite fisherman by far. You have inspired many of us and I am one of them I have learned a lot from you and have gotten better and better💯🙏 thank you for all your great videos!!
Anything in the river will move into those ditches. Northerns will come up them early spring to spawn. I have even seen people limit out on walleyes in them. I am not far from the spot you started in and fish rrhe ditches more than the river. Under the incomming pupes will be scoured out holes and you can find random dams to fish. Water moves up and down a ton and will even switch directions according to the needs of the surrounding farms .
I wish I new you were in starke county I would of shown you a better smallmouth river. You were only about 2 miles from it. The Kankakee where you were fishing runs into the yellow river down stream a bit. Its alot shallower but holds more fish. I caught my pb smallmouth wading it 4.11. Awesome seeing u fish the same rivers as I do. I grew up on the Tippecanoe. God bless John
that was a common snapping turtle. In our small wet weather creek my son will hand catch bluegill and cats. In the spring there are LOADS of baby bullheads.
Damn man. Next time you are in Indiana,Id love to go fishing with you. Love your channel and love creek fishing as well. Im in the South central area,south of Indy.
I love urban fishing man!! God bless you bro and everyone! Jesus loves you all! Repent and Believe in Him! 🤙🏾🙏🏾🔥
This is the intersection of 8 and 39 in Laporte county at the beginning. About 10 minutes from where I went to school in Lacrosse, IN.
Great job , once again . And Thank You for none of that stupid music that so many fishing shows for some reason think that people want included !
So funny when you call a 13 inch Smallie " A NICE FISH ", but for the size of the creek and the tackle used it most certainly is A VERY NICE FISH !!!! A 5 pound Smallie would eat everything for 500 yards and eventually starve. Keep up the great videos
I fish the illinois side of the Kankakee river...good river for small mouth with some good creeks along that dump into the river, those small cats are bullheads they dont get very big
The bullheads dont get bigger than a foot usually
That’s where I fish.big kank where the yellow and Kankakee comes together.
@ 11:24 "Headed for home" @ 11:25 gets out the tackle box and rod. I Like trips like that!
I'm over in Chicagoland. Trust me its easier to count the days the wind is NOT blowing hard than the other way around!
I've never caught a smallmouth bass over 14 inches in Northern Illinois in 47 years,it's like they stop at that length because of invironmental reasons.
You were fishing a lot for areas I fished growing up . Indiana I live in Georgia now . Wish you could come down here i would take you out fishing.
That school of black catfish looking fish was probably a school of bullheads. I have seen several of those schools in the upper midwest. They don't get very large, and many people consider them a trash fish, but as a kid, I caught and ate hundreds.
#220👍🏼🎣👀
John is expanding his puddle jumping via new highways and byways.