TERRE HAUTE —
Water levels in the Wabash River continue to plummet, but its faithful fans remain.
Ronnie Belleu hauled his boat out of the water and onto a trailer hauled by his old Ford truck Sunday morning. Ready to leave the dock at Fairbanks Park, the commercial fisherman from West Terre Haute said he caught one fish all morning.
“It’s bad. It’s really low and the fish aren’t moving,” he said, adding he was done for the day by 10:30 a.m. “We’ve been catching a few flathead every now and then.”
But the docks were a little busier earlier in the morning, he said, adding there were nearly 25 canoes out before 7 a.m. Saturday.
“The whole boat dock was covered up this morning,” he said.
Later that afternoon, river enthusiast Brendan Kearns and his father, Jerry, were getting their own boat ready to launch.
“Today’s adventure is gathering driftwood,” Kearns laughed. “And we’ll drop magnets down into the water and see what we can pick up.”
“And sunken treasure,” his father chuckled.
Kearns said the low water levels have slowed down a lot of the recreational activities in the Wabash River, but “the die-hards” are still going out.
“I think it’s down because it’s too dangerous to be on it,” he said of the number of novice boaters. Pointing out across the water by the dock, he said a person could literally walk across the river now, as the deepest spots are only about 5 feet.
But for more experienced boaters, going out in the current conditions can be fun as they check out new sandbars and explore a little. Old junk cars and other items that have wound up in the river over the years are now easier to spot, he said.
“I like coming out when it’s really low,” he said.
Last week, Thomas Wakes was at one of his fishing spots, casting off near the far north end of Fairbanks Park.
The disabled Army veteran said he’s been fishing the Wabash River just about every day for the past 15 years. Armed with four fishing poles, each supported by Y-shaped sticks stuck in the mud of the bank of the river, he’d watch them for any sign a fish was taking the bait.
“At about 7 o’clock, they start hitting,” he said.
Traffic along the river has certainly slowed with the current, he admitted, but he’s still pulling out catfish and carp.
“Usually, there are people all down through here,” he said, pointing out where fisherman typically stand along the river. “Ever since it’s gotten so low, not as many people come here.”
According National Weather Service meteorologist Tara Dudzik, a 30 percent chance for rain remains in effect through this morning, but the systems continue to struggle with finding enough moisture to generate rain. Temperatures will be in the 90s today with a 20 percent chance for rain again tomorrow, and then no chance throughout the rest of the week.
Brian Boyce can be reached at 812-231-4253 or brian.boyce@tribstar.com.
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