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White River in Muncie

7.8K views 16 replies 6 participants last post by  chuck luck  
#1 ·
Hey everyone I was doing a little smallmouth fishing today down at the White River down by Tillitson today and saw some cats jumping out of the water in a big hole there. I was just courious if anyone has fished down there at all and have any idea how the fishing is down there.
 
#2 ·
In case there is anyone interested in this thread I went back to that spot to try and catch some kitties. Sadly with my limited supplies being at school I decided to buy some premade catfish dough bait. I have used some of this in lakes and small water ways like the White river. NOTHING EVEN TRIED TO TAKE A BITE. My buddy threw out a nightcrawler and had some decent hits on it but they would hit it long enough to set the hook on. After watching this happen in two different areas I also switched to nightcrawlers and had one decent bounch on my rod but that was it. But to give myself a little break from finals this week I am going back and trying for them again and trying for the carp that were jumping all over the place this morn.
 
#4 ·
I might try that next time...I also thought about trying those preserved shad which I would much rather use fresh ones. What big fish kill are you talking about? I know it's not the cleanest river in the world but I hadn't heard about a big kill off.
 
#5 ·
From the Indianapolis Star:
In mid-December 1999, fish began to die by the thousands in White River in Madison County. An unknown pollutant had passed through the Anderson wastewater treatment plant and entered the river, causing one of the state's worst environmental disasters.

The pollution spread for 50 miles into three counties. By Spring 2000 cleanup crews had hauled away 117 tons of dead fish. A state report later estimated the total loss at 187 tons, or 4.6 million fish, and that the river was "a total kill zone" from from Anderson to northern Marion county.

On Dec. 28, 1999, Lori Kaplan, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Management, said her department believed the contamination originated at Guide Corp., an automotive parts manufacturer and the second largest employer in Anderson.

On Jan. 11, 2000, Indiana Gov. Frank O'Bannon said he would seek a federal investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies into whether there were violations of the Clean Water Act.

The next day, state environmental inspectors used a court-issued warrant to search the Guide Corp. premises, looking for evidence related to the discharge. In February the state brought in a former Justice Department attorney, Linda L. Pence, to assist in the investigation.

On April 27, 2000, the state of Indiana and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency filed separate lawsuits against Guide and an Ohio-based company that had served as a consultant to Guide.

The suits alleged that Guide employees, in a rush to meet a deadline closing a wastewater treatment plant, discharged massive amounts of the chemical HMP-2000 into city sewers to the Anderson wastewater treatment plant, corrupting the process there and spewing out a blanket of toxic foam.
 
#6 ·
Holy crap.....that sounds like a nasty mess. Well there are some fish there anyways and it gives me somethign to do when i need a study break. Do you happen to know of any places close to here that might be a good oprotunity for some nice fishing. I know summit Resivoir..but that thing is busy busy busy, so i was looking for some other little places I could hit.
 
#8 ·
Thanks for rubbing it in max. I know that the ohio is full of fish and that my pond is too...so let's just get home so we can do some real fishing. You and keif are going to have to come up to the farm and try and catch some of those big cats out of there.
 
#11 ·
Went back to the White River again this afternoon..but this time I was going after them carp that have been jumping. Took out some corn since it was the easiest thing to use in a hurry. My buddy caught his first carp ever at about 3-5lb range. It put up one heck of a fight on our light bass tackle. Sadly we are both idiots and forgot his digital camara was sitting right there beside us and forgot to get a pic.
 
#12 ·
eean i take it you are getting a buddy into fishing? good for you bro.!

is the river big enough for a 12ft boat around muncie? if so then how far up stream can you go in a boat?
 
#13 ·
river scum said:
eean i take it you are getting a buddy into fishing? good for you bro.!

is the river big enough for a 12ft boat around muncie? if so then how far up stream can you go in a boat?
He claims to be a "bass fisher" but what I have seen he is more talk then he is walk. He never has gone catfishing or carpfishing so I have been trying to get him into that. As far as taking a boat up it, you could take a john boat up it but you would have to get out and drag it through rapids quite a bit. Through most of town there is a levee that the Corps Of Engineers built back in about the 50's, and they created a small flood plane/park all along the bottom of it. All along the levee it is mowed and gives you about 25-30 yards of flat ground to work around and just kick back and relax while you fish. The river in this strecth is less then 50 yards wide so you can cast all of the way across it. It is like this for a several miles of the river as it goes through town. If you need anymore information I am sure I could set you up.
 
#17 ·
You are up river of the spill that killed all the fish in White River. It was on the south side of Anderson. I know the Muncie section of the river was pretty nasty years ago. Don't know about now though. Let me know if you have any luck up there. Might have to come over and check it out.. I'm in Alexandria, so it's not very far for me. Have a good one, Chuck.