I'm in so. Indiana and I'm starting my first native tank,
only a 10g with a few plants and gravel from my creek. There are a few fish that I'm gonna check out today, I'm not sure what kind they are- I didn't have a net with me when I collected rock.
It's a little hard to find plants in my creek, the water level is low. When you collect do you just go anywhere? Any good places in Indiana you can share?
If I can find the time there are a few rivers nearby that would be neat to check out.

Thanks!

I'm in Bloomington and originally from Bedford Indiana. Not to sound creepy, but where are you located? If you're not too far away and if you want someone to help drag a seine or something shoot me a pm. I'm far from an expert on IDs or collection methods, but I like to dabble none the less.

What and what size specifically are you trying to collect?

I've had really good luck with small darters in a lot of smooth bottom sections of Leatherwood Creek in the Bedford area. In the shallow areas they seem to hide in the little rock ledges near the banks and seem to be pretty easy to spot and catch with a dipnet. For me it has been mostly Rainbow and Johnny darters. There have been a few I wasn't sure on the ID of, so I released them. Indiana has a few species of endangered or threatened darters and I didn't want to chance it.

I've found lots of very nicely colored longear sunfish in both the Lost River in Orleans and Leatherwood Creek in Bedford. They were generally caught on hook and line though, so might be larger than you are looking for. I've caught some really nice bass in the Lost River as well as crappie and some good sized creek chubs on hook and line.

If you're looking for small sunfish(3" or less) and happen to be near Bloomington, the little spillway near Griffey Lake has swarms of them trapped down there. If you've got dogs bring them along. The spillway is right in the middle of the dog park. They seem to be mostly bluegill and longears from what I can tell, but telling one sunfish from another is not my strong point especially when it comes to juveniles. Got a little guy in a tank that I'm pretty sure is a Gambusia, but I need to post a decent picture for an ID. Whatever it is they are quite thick in the same spillway area.

Spring Mill state park has a little lake that is or at least used to be quite shallow in places and completely overgrown with vegetation. I've never tried it, but I imagine running a dipnet through there would net you some interesting finds. That plant cover is probably full of little fish and inverts as well. Griffey has some nice plant growth near the banks that you could pull some samples from. I grabbed a sample of some plant I found near the spillway and it seems to really like my tank. It's turning a really nice red color and looks really nice. I need to get some pictures of that as well for an ID.

Edited by Clayton, 31 October 2008 - 02:17 PM.

Hi and welcome Im from Terre Haute, and also just started in native fish keeping, but im also up for helping anyway i can, Also i might ask what is your location?? Im more into sunnys at this point and have accumulated a few nice species, mostly from Paul at sachs aquaculture, and some blue spots from Brian at Zimmermans, both great vendors with quality fish and great helpful attitudes. Around here i find mostly Greens, bluegill, longear, and redear. I havent really concentrated on anything else yet except a few mosquito fish i got from a friend cleaning out his garden pond, I gonna take this hobby in steps and work all the way through. I guess the MOST important advice i could give is talk to the DNR, and the local agents where you fish, dip, seine or whatever to make sure what youre taking is legal. And talk to me if you want to check out this area... Oh and not to leave anyone out take a look at Jonahs, KSI and BT Darters, great sites friendly people and NANFA members

Edited by jimv8673, 31 October 2008 - 07:30 PM.

I'm a little south of Petersburg,IN (really small town)
I'm familiar with Terre Haute and Bloomington though it's a bit of a drive.
It'll be nice to have some people who live in Indiana to talk with, today I found a few snails I'm checking out what kind they are right now, one only measured in at 1/8th of an inch. I'm just looking at the minnows in my creek right now, they're probably from 1 1/2-2 inches that is probably the ideal size for my tank, I set a homemade trap so we'll see how that goes. I'd catch them by hand but the leaves are so thick they're in the way, I can't wait to see if my diy minnow trap worked, my guess is that it didn't... we'll see.

I'm a little south of Petersburg,IN (really small town)
I'm familiar with Terre Haute and Bloomington though it's a bit of a drive.
It'll be nice to have some people who live in Indiana to talk with, today I found a few snails I'm checking out what kind they are right now, one only measured in at 1/8th of an inch. I'm just looking at the minnows in my creek right now, they're probably from 1 1/2-2 inches that is probably the ideal size for my tank, I set a homemade trap so we'll see how that goes. I'd catch them by hand but the leaves are so thick they're in the way, I can't wait to see if my diy minnow trap worked, my guess is that it didn't... we'll see.

I am originally from your area (Dale, IN) and have been in your drainages quite a bit. The White River drainage has good diversity and many easy to sample locations. I bet your minnow trap will catch something. Try a larger aquarium dip net. Fish in cold water of fall will hide in the leaves and actually be easier to catch. For plants, try and get down to the areas around Snaky Point, just north east of Oakland City. Fish diversity in that swamp / marsh is excellent.

Edited by centrarchid, 01 November 2008 - 07:43 AM.

I'm a little south of Petersburg,IN (really small town)
I'm familiar with Terre Haute and Bloomington though it's a bit of a drive.
It'll be nice to have some people who live in Indiana to talk with, today I found a few snails I'm checking out what kind they are right now, one only measured in at 1/8th of an inch. I'm just looking at the minnows in my creek right now, they're probably from 1 1/2-2 inches that is probably the ideal size for my tank, I set a homemade trap so we'll see how that goes. I'd catch them by hand but the leaves are so thick they're in the way, I can't wait to see if my diy minnow trap worked, my guess is that it didn't... we'll see.

Hey! Is this the Petersburg near Columbus? I'm from Columbus originally. My mother currently lives near the Otter Creek Golf Course. I'm leaving to visit her in a couple of hours as a matter of fact. (unfortunately she has an inoperable brain tumor, and is not expected to survive past 8 weeks) You can expect to find several darter species in Haw Creek and it's tributaries, as well as Mottled Sculpins, Northern Studfish, and other interesting species. I haven't really sampled Clifty Creek or its tribs. as yet. I need to get over there some time to hit more of that creek. PM me, we may know some of the same peeps!

-Thom Ruf

Hey! Is this the Petersburg near Columbus? I'm from Columbus originally. My mother currently lives near the Otter Creek Golf Course. I'm leaving to visit her in a couple of hours as a matter of fact. (unfortunately she has an inoperable brain tumor, and is not expected to survive past 8 weeks) You can expect to find several darter species in Haw Creek and it's tributaries, as well as Mottled Sculpins, Northern Studfish, and other interesting species. I haven't really sampled Clifty Creek or its tribs. as yet. I need to get over there some time to hit more of that creek. PM me, we may know some of the same peeps!

-Thom Ruf

Ha! oops, I'm a big dummy. (that's D-U-M-M-Y-uh-period) I was thinking of Petersville!

lol, it happens to me all the time
My minnow trap was a flop, I misunderstood the DIY instructions I didn't understand how just a bottle with bait would catch fish
I'm going to try again, but with a mason jar type trap with mesh wire.
I'll report back once its been afloat!

About what kind of fish I want to keep,
I'm thinking about some kind of darter but am still unsure.

lol, it happens to me all the time
My minnow trap was a flop, I misunderstood the DIY instructions I didn't understand how just a bottle with bait would catch fish
I'm going to try again, but with a mason jar type trap with mesh wire.
I'll report back once its been afloat!

About what kind of fish I want to keep,
I'm thinking about some kind of darter but am still unsure.

Hello and glad to see we are finally getting more members from Indiana. I am from Mooresville, In and up until this rain was wanting to get out again. Sorry I haven't answered sooner, but sometimes things get hectic. I have never been collecting in Southern Indiana, yet. Wanted to get down there this summer but the summer went by to fast. Maybe we all can get together next spring.

Bill Flowers

I'm not that far from Indiana and I have family in Louisville...I'd be glad to come up for a day of collecting if the conditions were right.

lol, it happens to me all the time
My minnow trap was a flop, I misunderstood the DIY instructions I didn't understand how just a bottle with bait would catch fish
I'm going to try again, but with a mason jar type trap with mesh wire.
I'll report back once its been afloat!

About what kind of fish I want to keep,
I'm thinking about some kind of darter but am still unsure.

Hiya,
Have you found any good places around B-town? I'm in your area occasionally, but have never had much success collecting there. (I'm an IU guy, from Columbus, IN) I think you said you went to Lake Griffey, or something(?) in another post??? Have you found any nice creeks? Have you tried Salt Creek East of town off of 46, or any of the creeks that drain into it? How about any creeks around Yellowwood, or through Brown County? If you are interested in Northern Studfish, I can direct you to a place about 1 hour away. I need to get over to Bloomington again this spring also, if not before.

Hello; I to am a Hoosier. I am in Logansport, 70 miles north of Indy. My son lives in Bloomington (2.5 hour drive) and we've been to Lake Griffey. It has a large population of gambusia. Not much more than game fishes. I had gone to Columbus a few years ago and found Northern studfish at their river side park. they are a beautiful fish. Up here, fundulus are a star head and the black stripe topminnows. The gambusias are starting to show up in Lake Manitou.
I have made my own nets, drag nets for foods, large dip net, and trying to make an umberilla net now.
I Have bluefin killies and the Least livebearer from my lfs. Some of those gambsia, and a 2" longear sunfish. I had purchased some Everglade pgymy sunfish on-line and some time would like go to southern Indiana to look for the banded pygmy sunfish, or just look. Good to know there are a few from Indiana. Randy

Hello; I to am a Hoosier. I am in Logansport, 70 miles north of Indy. My son lives in Bloomington (2.5 hour drive) and we've been to Lake Griffey. It has a large population of gambusia. Not much more than game fishes. I had gone to Columbus a few years ago and found Northern studfish at their river side park. they are a beautiful fish. Up here, fundulus are a star head and the black stripe topminnows. The gambusias are starting to show up in Lake Manitou.
I have made my own nets, drag nets for foods, large dip net, and trying to make an umberilla net now.
I Have bluefin killies and the Least livebearer from my lfs. Some of those gambsia, and a 2" longear sunfish. I had purchased some Everglade pgymy sunfish on-line and some time would like go to southern Indiana to look for the banded pygmy sunfish, or just look. Good to know there are a few from Indiana. Randy

Hi randy. those studfish certainly are beautys, hope to aquire some of those someday, in the meantime im keeping mainly sunfish, obesus, blackbanded, dollars, 1 lonley orange spot. and a few im not sure of yet, also just started a 15 gal darter tank, hope to add to that species soon.

Back when I used to live in Bloomington, I'd get over to Lake Lemon pretty regularly and it was chock full of plants of a variety of species. That might be a good place to check out. I never collected there, so can't comment on the fish species .

I expect to be in Indianapolis in early July of 2009 and hope to do some collecting. In particular, I'd like to get some northern studfish.
Mark