Fishing America

Paul Hale

STATE # 30 - INDIANA AUGUST 2018 - MONROE LAKE

SPECIES CAUGHT - Hybrid Stiped Bass (Wiper)

The first time somebody mentioned Wiper to me in regards to fishing, it struck me funny. What a curious name for a fish. This fish is a hybrid with a White Bass for a father and a Striped Bass for a mother.

So, the hybrid’s nickname was taken from its father’s real name and its mama’s nickname, striper.

So, try not to picture a windshield wiper swimming along trying to get hooked up. These things are some serious hard-fighting fish. I have caught them in several states now with mixed results on size. All of them have been awesome fighters.

I experienced a first and only in all of my guided trips on my first stop in Indiana. I was stood up cold by a guide in Sunman. This was the day after driving from Michigan where I had a week of non-stop day and night binge fishing with multiple guides and locations.

Although I didn’t like being stood up, if it was going to happen it happened the right day. I was so worn out from the Michigan excitement that I asked the desk clerk at my Batesville hotel if I could check out late. So, with permission to sleep late, I did. Glad it was Batesville and not Bates. I just wasn’t in the mood to deal with Norman that morning.

But I didn’t get stood up at my next stop. I met Tim Hudson, owner of Skamaniac Charters of Danville, at Monroe Lake where we targeted wiper and the target is all I caught. The easy relaxed pace of trolling with down-riggers was exactly how I needed to end up my twostate trip.

Limiting on those big wipers was the other exact way to end a trip. Like stripers, these things are what grills are made for.

The trolling back and forth and around this reservoir just waiting for one of the set rods to go off and visiting with a new friend set my tone of peacefully catching some good fish to add to my coolers.

Monroe Lake is the largest reservoir in Indiana at about 10,000 acres lying just southeast of Bloomington.

The beautifully clear water is surrounded by hardwood hills making the perfect setting for this easy-going fishing trip with a new easy-going friend.

With the rods set and only a little hook setting assistance needed from me, it wasn’t much work or stress while the trolling of all territory found them.

Once hooked, the wipers made it fun showing their angry attitude about being a weird-named stepchild.

After a few hours of this and limiting on these delicious critters, we headed to the boat ramp where Tim filleted my fish for me. I headed south to Texas and feasted with several friends for several days on assorted fish from two states.

After a stand-up that for all I know might have been a comedian that certainly didn’t want to fish near Batesville, I had a wonderful next day, relaxing where the only standing up was to pull in a wiper while fishing and visiting with Tim Hudson.

Tim only offers his services on Saturdays and Sundays. He works as the mid-west regional manager of Orange Bakery the other five days of the week. He guides for wipers in Monroe Lake and stripers in Raccoon Lake.

If you want to book a trip with him, you might have to do so early because of being limited to two days a week total fishing time.

He has a nice boat purposefully designed for these two fish that he targets.

Ironically, this guy from the baking business gave me a homemade recipe for a sauce to bake the wipers in. Since then I have taken that recipe and spun off a few of my own. One of those gourmet sauces that I now make gets Billie Jo interested in eating baked fish occasionally.

I count Tim Hudson as one of my new and very good friends that comes as a result of my trips around our nation Fishing America. I recommend Tim’s charter service. He is on Facebook in his name personally and on the internet at www.skamaniaccharters.com