MARTINO: Wabash River becoming famous for catfish

By JOHN MARTINO
Tribune columnist

September 15, 2007 05:00 pm

— The Wabash River has always been Indiana’s most famous waterway, both in historical nature as well as fishing opportunities. Occupying the heartland of our state, the river is formidable, draining two-thirds of our 92 counties as it flows 475 miles to its confluence with the Ohio River just below Mount Vernon.
The name “Wabash” is the English spelling for “Ouabache” the name French Traders gave the river. These French traders named the river after the Miami Indian word, Wah-Bah-shik-ki, meaning “pure white.”
The Miami name reflected the clarity of the water as it coursed its way though Huntington County, where the river’s bottom is solid limestone. This is now a historical oddity since today the river’s bottom is no longer visible due to siltation and sedimentation brought on by intense agricultural land use.
What today is not a historical oddity are the fishing opportunities the river continues to provide. The Wabash gives up some of our states biggest catfish to those willing to ply its flowing waters. This is one reason why the DNR is interested in learning more about the catfish species and their relationship with the mighty Wabash.
The DNR’s big river biologists are now in the third year of a four-year study to determine the population status of blue, flathead and channel catfish in the Wabash River. To date, more than 2,000 catfish have been sampled to provide information on growth, age, movement and survival.
Preliminary results have proven that at 10 years of age, blue catfish average 27 inches, channel catfish average 19 inches and flathead catfish average 28 inches in length. The oldest fish observed was a 31 year old flathead catfish that measured 46 inches, weighing nearly 40 pounds.
Biologists found most of the catfish sampled from the Wabash River generally remained within one mile of the location where they were caught and released. However, one nomadic blue catfish tagged and released in 2005 moved 27 miles downstream, where it was recaptured earlier this summer.
Anglers have hooked only 5 percent of the catfish tagged by DNR biologists. If anglers catch a catfish with a green tag near the dorsal fin, they are asked to send the tag in for a reward to the Big Rivers Fisheries Program, Sugar Ridge FWA, 2310 E. SR364, Winslow, IN. 47598.
Tournament results
• Members of the popular Bullseye Outdoor Team Tournament Trail recently made the group’s final stop on Salamonie Reservoir. After weigh-in it was the team of Hink Hinkle and Dennis McKee that ran away from the rest of the field capturing a double win with seven bass dropping the electronic scales at 18.41 pounds. They also took the contest’s “big bass” honor with a largemouth tipping the scales at 5.07 pounds.
Todd Lowery and Jay McKinzie finished second with six fish totaling 10.20 pounds. Third place went to Sonny Kennedy and Martin Haughy with four fish weighing 7.33 pounds.
The end of the season Classic Tournament will be held at an undisclosed location on Sept. 23. The teams who qualified for this special event include:
Phil Reel/Greg Rude Todd Lowery/Jay McKinzie
Roby Ahnert/Jerry Pickett; Richard Hardebeck/Dave Werline; Brad Parsons/Ken Waisner; Rod Varnell/Carlos Padilla; Doug Pence/Dick Mugg; Mike Williams/Craig Reed; Shane Melton/Craig Musgrave; Lonnie Dewitt/Thomas Waldon; Davy and Billy Varnell; Bob Graham/Paul Crow; Wayne Eads/Tony Long; Bruce Doke/Larry Moore; Bob Lawson/Bob Childress; Don and Glenn Hinkle; Max Robertson/Bill Bass; Wes and Calvin Norris
• The Kokomo Bass Anglers staged their last scheduled event of the season on Lake Shafer. Wayne Eads came out on top with three largemouth bass totaling three pounds, 12 ounces. Second place and the tourney’s “big bass” honor went to Terry Robertson with one largemouth tipping the scales at three pounds, seven ounces. Max Kelly finished third after weighing in one bass dropping the scales at one pound, 12 ounces.
• Royce Cage and Ron Weigt left as double winners after Monday morning’s Kokomo Reservoir open team bass tourney after carrying five fish to the scales totaling 10 pounds, five ounces. They also took home the weekly “big bass” pot after boating a two pound, eight ounce fish. Second place went to Bob Rose and Terry Thor with three fish weighing five pounds, eight ounces.
• Jerry Pickett won Tuesday’s Delphi-Delco team tourney staged on Mississinewa Reservoir with two largemouth weighing four pounds, eight ounces. A two pound, eight ounce fish also gave him the weekly contest’s “big fish” honor. Second place went to Jim Huffer and Bob Taylor with one smallmouth tipping the scales at two pounds, two ounces. Keith Milburn and Ron Miller were third with a two pound, one ounce fish.
• Ralph Shackelford and John Rawlings came out on top after Wednesday evening’s Kokomo Reservoir open team bass tourney with five bass sporting a combined weight of eight pounds, nine ounces. Doug Pence took second and the “big fish” award with three bass weighing seven pounds, eight ounces. His biggest dropped the scales at four pounds, three ounces. Third place went to Dennis McKee with two fish going three pounds, eight ounces.
Tribune catches of the week
Bryant’s Outdoor Store: Jason Martell and Jarred Moore each caught and released their limits of five smallmouth bass with the two largest stretching 16 inches in length. The area anglers hooked their catch using artificial lures while plying the Tippecanoe County portion of Wildcat Creek.
Jack’s Tackle Center: Mark and Mike Morgan hauled in seven channel and blue catfish with their largest tipping the scales at five pounds, three ounces. The Morgan’s encountered their success using live bait while fishing the Wabash River.
Malone’s Nyona Lake Bait and Tackle: Dan Sokolowski cleaned 25 bluegills after a recent outing on Nyona Lake. The fish, with the largest measuring 10 inches, were taken on crickets and red wigglers.
Peoria Bait and Tackle: Ron Michael and Max Brown came off Mississinewa Reservoir last week with their limit of 50 crappie. The fish averaged 10 inches long and were taken on live bait.
Jeremy Brown and Keith Ambrose pulled in seven channel catfish sporting a combined weight of 17 pounds, with the largest tipping the scales at six pounds. The local anglers took their catch from the Mississinewa River on live bait.

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