|
1.
|
1/09/2004
Illinois River
Ottawa, IL
|
Partly Sunny
early then clouds and intermittent light to moderate
flurries. Air temps in the mid teen rising to the mid
20s. The wind was out of the Northeast around 5mph.
Water temp was 34.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
1 Sauger |
|
3 Shad |
| Partner: |
6 Shad |
|
Techniques:
|
| Vertical Jigging. |
All fish were released.
|
When we arrived
at the boat ramps we found the river to be partially
covered with skim ice. There was thicker ice at the
ramp but it was easily removed. After a couple barges
passed, most of the ice broke up and moved down river
making it much easier to fish. Fishing was slow although
we found a school of large, aggressive shad.
Pictures from today!
|
|
2.
|
1/11/2004
A Creek in Indiana
|
Clouds then bright Sunshine - Air Temp in the
upper 20s rising to the mid 30s with a Southwest wind
around 20mph.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
1 Steelhead |
| Partner: |
6 Steelhead |
| Partner: |
|
|
Techniques:
|
|
Worms, Wax Worms
|
All fish were released.
|
All the fish
we caught were very small. One of my fishing partners
hooked a big fish that jumped in front of him but he
lost it. The fact that the creek was frozen in some
of the spots we wanted to fish didn't help. |
|
3.
|
1/14/2004
A Creek in Indiana
|
Clouds with snow flurries and sleet - Air Temp in
the mid 30s with a Southwest wind around 20mph shifting
to the northwest and increasing to near 30mph with higher
gusts.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
19 Steelhead |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Worms, Wax Worms
|
All fish were released.
|
The areas that
we wanted to fish last time were all open today. I caught
a lot of little ones and hooked one very large fish.
He broke off as I was trying to grab him. |
|
4.
|
1/18/2004
A Creek in Indiana
|
Clouds with lake effect snow that varied from moderate
flurries to blizzard conditions - Air Temp in
the low teens with a North wind around 25mph with higher
gusts. Wind Chill was below zero.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
25 Steelhead |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Wax Worms
|
All fish were released.
|
Very rough conditions
at times. I caught a lot of small fish and tied into
another big one. Once again the fish broke off before
I could land it. The 6 layers of clothes I had on kept
me warm.
Pictures from today: 1
2
3
4
|
|
5.
|
1/26/2004
A Creek in Indiana
|
Cloudy with flurries - Air Temp in the low
20s with a Northeast wind around 15mph and decreasing.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
3 Steelhead |
| Partner: |
|
|
Techniques:
|
|
Wax Worms
|
All fish were released.
|
The area we wanted
to fish was frozen but we found an open spot closer
to Lake Michigan. There was a lot of slush and ice that
made it tough to get the wax worms through it without
having them stick on top of the slush at the surface.
We didn't stay out long at all. |
|
6.
|
2/09/2004
Powerton Lake
Manito, IL
|
Cloudy early with west winds around 25mph and gusts
beyond 35mph changing to Southwest around 15mph with
occasional 30mph gusts. Bright sunshine after noon.
Air temp was in the mid 30s.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
9 Freshwater Drum
|
|
3 Smallmouth Bass |
|
1 Channel Catfish |
|
3 Hybrid Striped
Bass |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits and Blade Baits
|
All fish were released.
|
After the sun
came out, the wind didn't feel as bad. The Smallmouth
fishing was disappointing but the other fish made up
for that. The lake still seems warm and the water level
was down about a foot from the last time I was there.
Pictures from today
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|
7.
|
2/16/2004
Powerton Lake
Manito, IL
|
High thin clouds with a southeast wind between 5
and 10 mph.
Air temp was in the low teens rising to about the
freezing mark.
Water temp was 60.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
4 Smallmouth Bass
|
|
3 Channel Catfish |
| Partner |
11 Smallmouth Bass |
|
1 Largemouth Bass |
|
6 Channel Catfish |
| Partner |
2 Smallmouth Bass |
|
1 Channel Catfish |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Plastics, and Blade Baits
|
All fish were released.
|
Even though the
day started out cold, the fishing made us forget about
it. Everyone caught nice fish today. My friend figured
out exactly what the fish wanted and how they wanted
it, and he wound up catching one of the nicest Largemouth
I've seen in a quite a while.
Pictures from today:
1
2
|
|
8.
|
2/25/2004
Powerton Lake
Manito, IL
|
Early clouds
then bright sunshine. East northeast wind around 15
mph with briefly higher gusts. Air temps started at
about the freezing mark then rose to the low 40s.
Water temp was 57 to 71
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
13 Smallmouth Bass |
|
6 Channel Catfish |
|
1 Largemouth Bass |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits and Plastics
|
All fish were released.
|
Very windy day
on the lake but the fishing was good. I caught a couple
real nice Smallmouth within a couple minutes of each
other but otherwise it was a fish here and a fish there..
Pictures from today
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|
9.
|
3/01/2004
Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area
Braidwood, IL
|
Cloudy with rain early, then decreasing clouds with
thunderstorms late. Air temp was 50 rising to the low
60s. Winds were out of the south between 25 and 30 mph
with gusts past 40mph.
Water temp was 62 to 75.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
4 Largemouth Bass |
|
9 Channel Catfish |
|
1 Shad |
| Partner : |
3 Largemouth Bass |
|
9 Channel Catfish |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Spinners, and Plastics
|
All fish were released.
|
We fished the
opening day at Braidwood and did pretty good despite
the high winds. Both of us caught nice fish. We would
have done better if we would have been able to fish
slower, and hit all the places we would have liked,
but the wind made that next to impossible.
Pictures from today:
1
2
|
|
10.
|
3/04/2004
Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area
Braidwood, IL
|
Thick Fog and light drizzle early then rain gradually
increasing in intensity. Air temps were in the mid 40s
and the wind was out of the northwest around 10mph.
Water temp was 63 to 83.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
5 Largemouth Bass |
|
23 Channel Catfish |
|
1 Shad |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits
|
All fish were released.
|
I fished the
rip rap on the hot side of the lake and caught nothing
but catfish and a big shad. The fog was pretty thick
so I idled to a spot where I had caught bass in the
past and began looking for something other than catfish.
I stuck it out in the rain for a couple hours and it
paid off. I wound up catching 2 real nice Largemouth
and 3 smaller ones.
Pictures from today!
|
|
11.
|
3/08/2004
Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area
Braidwood, IL
|
Mostly cloudy, then thickening clouds. Air temps
started around 30 and rose to the low 40s. Variable
west wind around 10mph.
Water temp was 54 to 78.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
5 Largemouth Bass |
|
4 Channel Catfish |
|
2 Shad |
|
1 Bluegill |
| Partner: |
1 Largemouth Bass |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Spinners, and Plastics
|
All fish were released.
|
We fished the
same areas where I had success last week but there weren't
many fish around. The fact that the water temps dropped
about 20 degrees in 4 days probably had something to
do with that. We went exploring other areas and wound
up catching a few nice fish.
Pictures from today!
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|
12.
|
3/15/2004
Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area
Braidwood, IL
|
Sunny, then thickening clouds, then snow. Air temps
in the mid 30s. Northeast wind around 10mph but briefly
higher at times.
Water temp was 52 to 72.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
1 Largemouth Bass |
|
2 Channel Catfish |
|
1 Bluegill |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits and Plastics
|
All fish were released.
|
The main purpose
of today's trip was to test my trolling motor after
having it repaired last week. It worked fine. Fishing
was slow along the rip rap so I did some more exploring
and caught a
3lb 14oz Largemouth. The water needs to warm up another
8 to 10 degrees before the fishing will improve dramatically
but there are still a few good fish out there if you're
willing to hunt for them.
Pictures from today!
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|
13.
|
3/17/2004
LaSalle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Marseilles, IL
|
Clouds, snow, and thick fog. Air temps around 30
then rising to the upper 30s after the sun made a brief
appearance late in the day. The wind started out of
the south around 10mph and then shifted around from
the Northwest around 8mph.
Water temp was 52 to 83.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
9 Largemouth Bass |
|
7 Smallmouth Bass |
|
1 Blue Catfish |
|
3 Channel Catfish |
|
3 Freshwater Drum |
|
1 Hybrid Striped
Bass |
|
1 Yellow Bass |
| Partner |
2 Smallmouth Bass |
|
25 Channel Catfish |
|
1 White Bass |
|
1 Yellow Bass |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Jigs, and Blades.
|
All fish were released.
|
Despite the snow
and thick fog, this was the best trip of the year so
far. We were able to get around without being able to
see a thing by using a GPS. Almost all of the fish we
caught during this trip were good sized fish...and we
caught a lot of them. That's not counting the ones we
hooked and failed to land. My partner hooked and lost
a huge Largemouth late in the day. I was able to catch
fish on every lure I used, and my partner was able to
catch catfish after catfish using tube jigs.
Pictures from today:
1
2
|
|
14.
|
3/24/2004
LaSalle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Marseilles, IL
|
Rain then partial clearing. South wind around 10
mph then shifting out of the southwest and increasing
to 20mph with higher gusts. Air temp started in the
low 40s and rose to the mid 60s once the sun came out.
Water temp was 56 to 72
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
3 Smallmouth Bass |
|
1 Freshwater Drum |
|
1 Channel Catfish |
| Partner |
2 Smallmouth Bass |
|
3 Channel Catfish |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits and Spinners.
|
All fish were released.
|
After we put
the boat in the water we still had a half hour of light
rain to put up with. We caught all but two fish during
this time. Once the rain stopped the wind really picked
up. This made it too difficult to fish where we wanted
so we moved to safer water and picked up 2 more fish
before calling it a day. We weren't out very long but
caught a couple nice fish anyway.
Pictures from today!
|
|
15.
|
4/01/2004
LaSalle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Marseilles, IL
|
Cloudy then mostly sunny. Winds out of the North
Northeast 8 to 15mph. Air temps started in the high
30s and rose to the high 40s.
Water temp was 66 to 84
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
8 Smallmouth Bass |
|
8 Largemouth Bass |
|
3 Channel Catfish |
| Partner |
2 Smallmouth Bass |
|
2 Largemouth Bass |
|
12 Channel Catfish |
|
1 Bluegill |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Blades, and Plastics.
|
All fish were released.
|
It took some
work to find fish today but we did it. They did not
seem to be concentrated in any one area. My guess is
the weather had a lot to do with that. We had to cover
a lot of water but we caught some nice fish.
Pictures from today!
|
|
16.
|
4/06/2004
Heidecke Lake State
Fish and Wildlife Area
Morris, IL
|
Mostly sunny with a brief light rain shower. Winds
out of the Southwest 10 to 20 mph. Air temps started
in the low 40s and rose to the mid 70s.
Water temp was 53 to 56
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
2 Smallmouth Bass |
|
3 Hybrid Striped
Bass |
|
1 Yellow Bass |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits and Plastics.
|
All fish were released.
|
Fishing was slow
again. I lost as many fish as I caught including another
big Smallmouth and a nice Musky. Very windy day out
there but boat control wasn't a problem because of the
direction the wind was blowing. The highlight of the
trip was seeing 3 White Pelicans fly over my head and
land on the other side of the lake.
Pictures from today!
|
|
17.
|
04/10/2004
Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area
Braidwood, IL
|
Mostly Cloudy, air temps in the mid 40s with winds
out of the northeast around 10mph.
Water temp was 70 to 83.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
1 Channel Catfish |
| Partner: |
1 Channel Catfish |
| Partner: |
17 Channel Catfish |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits
|
All fish were released.
|
My brother and
I took my nephew out on the boat for the first time
and he proved to be quite a fisherman. He caught more
fish than we did. It was a fun trip. |
|
18.
|
4/11/2004
LaSalle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Marseilles, IL
|
Bright Sunshine,
air temps started around 30 and rose to the mid 40s.
Northeast wind around 10 mph.
Water temp was 72 to 81
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
1 Freshwater Drum |
|
1 Hybrid Striped
Bass |
|
1 Channel Catfish |
|
6 Largemouth Bass |
|
1 Smallmouth Bass |
|
Techniques:
|
|
|
All fish were released.
|
I had to fish
fast because I only had a couple hours. I didn't catch
any real big fish but I did ok for the time I spent
out there. |
|
19.
|
4/12/2004
Heidecke Lake State
Fish and Wildlife Area
Morris, IL
|
Bright sunshine with developing haze late. Cloud
cover by evening. Air temp started out in the high 30's
and rose to the mid 40s. The wind was out of the northeast
east at 20 to 25 mph.
Water temp was 53 to 55
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
1 White Bass |
|
1 Walleye |
| Partner |
1 Hybrid Striped
Bass |
| Partner |
1 Yellow Bass |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Plastics, Minnows, and Spinners
|
All fish were released.
|
I took my brother
and nephew out again. The conditions were pretty brutal
with the wind blowing out of the northeast as hard as
it was. We wanted to go to LaSalle but I called them
and was told they were closed to boats due to the high
winds. When we got to the lake there were only two other
boats out and only one when we left. Fishing was slow
but we stuck it out until all of us had a fish in the
boat. All the fish we caught were nice fish but the
Striper my brother caught was the best fish of the day.
Pictures from today!
|
|
20.
|
4/20/2004
Heidecke Lake State
Fish and Wildlife Area
Morris, IL
|
Mostly cloudy with steady moderate rain developing.
Wind was out of the Northeast shifting around to southeast
around 18mph gusting beyond 25mph. Air temp was in the
mid 40s rising to the mid 50s.
Water temp was 58 to 51
The water level was in the green marker at the bridge.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
1 White Bass |
|
1 Smallmouth Bass |
|
1 Largemouth Bass |
|
1 Carp |
|
4 Yellow Bass |
| Partner |
1 Hybrid Striped
Bass |
|
1 White Bass |
|
1 Shad |
|
4 Yellow Bass |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Plastics, and Spinners
|
All fish were released.
|
It was another tough day at Heidecke. The weather
sure didn't help. The water is still fairly cold although
the Yellow Bass were moving up on the bank in better
numbers. The bigger fish are usually not too far behind
them. I caught a good Smallmouth and lost a real nice
Walleye at the boat.
Pictures from today!
|
|
21.
|
4/27/2004
LaSalle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Marseilles, IL
|
Bright Sunshine. Air temp started in the mid 30s
and rose to the low 50s. West Northwest wind around
15 mph with higher gusts.
Water temp was 58 to 87
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
4 Smallmouth Bass |
|
9 Largemouth Bass |
|
3 Channel Catfish |
|
1 Bluegill |
|
2 Freshwater Drum |
|
1 Shad |
| Partner |
4 Smallmouth Bass |
|
5 Largemouth Bass |
|
9 Channel Catfish |
|
5 Yellow Bass |
|
3 Freshwater Drum |
|
1 Shad |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Spinners, Blades, and Plastics.
|
All fish were released.
|
Today was more
like early March than late April. It was cold out there
in the wind and it didn't seem to warm up until it was
about time to go. We picked the wrong bank to start
fishing but my partner managed to catch a huge Drum
from there anyway. After we moved, the fishing
improved to the point where it was actually pretty good.
Both of us caught a few real nice fish. I went back
out for almost 2 more hours after my partner had to
leave and he still caught 7 more fish than I did. Even
though it was cold and windy, it wound up being a good
day on the water.
Pictures from today!
|
|
22.
|
5/11/2004
Heidecke Lake State
Fish and Wildlife Area
Morris, IL
|
Mostly cloudy and foggy with intermittent light rain
early. Wind was out of the East around 5 mph shifting
around to South and increasing to 15mph, then bright
sunshine. Air temp was in the mid 60s rising to the
upper 70s.
Water temp was 64 to 59
The water level was in the green marker at the bridge.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
16 White Bass |
|
3 Smallmouth Bass |
|
1 Carp |
|
3 Yellow Bass |
|
9 Hybrid Striped
Bass |
|
2 Walleye |
|
1 Bluegill |
|
4 Yellow Bass |
|
1 Freshwater Drum |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Plastics, and Top
water
|
All fish were released.
|
Fishing was fantastic! 3 of the Stripers were good
ones and all the White Bass were decent. One of the
Smallmouth was 18 inches and the other two were 15 and
16. I even had one big Bluegill hit a crank bait. I
lost a monster Striper after fighting it for a good
two minutes when it finally broke the line. I couldn't
budge the thing but it did come close enough to get
a good look. It was nice to catch fish no matter where
I tried to fish. I just with I would have had more time
out there.
Pictures from today!
|
|
23.
|
5/25/2004
Heidecke Lake State
Fish and Wildlife Area
Morris, IL
|
Cloudy with a light mist for a time. Wind was fairly
calm out of the Northeast then out of the South between
5 and 10 mph. Air temp was in the mid 60s.
Water temp was 69
The water level was in the yellow marker at the bridge.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
1 White Bass |
|
7 Smallmouth Bass |
|
1 Channel Catfish |
|
1 Yellow Bass |
|
1 Hybrid Striped
Bass |
|
1 Bluegill |
|
8 Freshwater Drum |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Plastics, and Top
water
|
All fish were released.
|
Fishing was a little slower than last time and I
did not catch as many big fish. A couple of the Smallmouth
and Drum were nice fish, and I got a 7 lb catfish into
the boat. I lost a much larger catfish after fighting
it for several minutes. I was able to get a good look
at it before it got away. The White Bass I caught was
also a nice fish but the Striper I caught was tiny.
Pictures from today!
|
|
24.
|
6/02/2004
Heidecke Lake State
Fish and Wildlife Area
Morris, IL
|
Partly Cloudy then intermittent rain - some of it
was heavy at times. Wind was fairly calm out of the
Northeast then out of the West between 5 and 10 mph.
Air temp was in the mid to upper 60s.
Water temp was 68.
The water level was in the yellow marker at the bridge.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
1 White Bass |
|
8 Smallmouth Bass |
|
1 Walleye |
|
7 Freshwater Drum |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits and Plastics
|
All fish were released.
|
It took a little while to figure out what lure the
fish wanted, but after that they cooperated. I accidentally
kicked a very expensive rod/reel combo over the side
in 9 feet of water when I turned to grab the net, but
I was able to get it back. I also lost a couple more
big fish. One was a big Smallmouth and I wasn't able
to get a look at the others.
Pictures from today!
|
|
25.
|
6/08/2004
Heidecke Lake State
Fish and Wildlife Area
Morris, IL
|
Bright Sunshine with Southwest winds around 15-20
mph. Air temp was in the mid 90s. Very humid.
Water temp was 72 to 77.
The water level was in the green marker at the bridge.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
1 Bluegill |
|
2 Smallmouth Bass |
|
2 Largemouth Bass |
|
3 Freshwater Drum |
| Partner |
1 Smallmouth Bass |
|
1 Largemouth Bass |
|
1 Freshwater Drum |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Spinners, and Plastics
|
All fish were released.
|
Fishing was pretty slow with the bright sunshine.
We looked but we couldn't find a concentration of fish
along the rip rap or off the bank. I caught a big Bluegill
and a 4 lb Largemouth, but nothing else was really worth
mentioning.
|
|
26.
|
6/15/2004
Mazonia State Fish and Wildlife Area
Braceville, IL
|
Bright Sunshine with calm variable winds. Air temp
was around 80. Very humid. Rain and thunder developing
and moving away.
Water temp was 77.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
3 Largemouth Bass |
|
1 Crappie |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Spinners, top water,
Plastics, etc..
|
All fish were released.
|
New Lake, new learning curve. I'm looking forward
to fishing more of this place.
Pictures from today!
|
|
27.
|
6/19/2004
Heidecke Lake State
Fish and Wildlife Area
Morris, IL
|
Mostly Sunny with North Northeast winds around 15-20
mph. Air temp was in the upper 60s.
Water temp was 77 to 80.
The water level was in the green marker at the bridge.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
2 Smallmouth Bass |
|
1 Channel Catfish |
|
Crank Baits
|
All fish were released.
|
I hit Heidecke for a very short time this afternoon
and managed to catch a couple fish. I managed to raise
a nice Musky and he took the lure right off the end
of the line. I also lost 4 other fish before I changed
the hook on the lure I was using.
|
|
28.
|
6/22/2004
Heidecke Lake State
Fish and Wildlife Area
Morris, IL
|
Sunny with winds variable Northwest to Southwest
winds around 10-15 mph. Air temp was in the mid 70s.
Water temp was 72 to 77.
The water level was in the green marker at the bridge.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
3 Smallmouth Bass |
|
1 Musky |
|
3 Freshwater Drum |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Spinners, Plastics
|
All fish were released.
|
The cloud cover was departing as I put the boat in
the water so I knew things would be slow. The water
temp was also a little cooler. I still managed to catch
a musky, and he managed to catch my thumb pretty good
as I was releasing him. I lost 3 other good bass.
Pictures from today!
|
|
29.
|
6/27/2004
LaSalle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Marseilles, IL
|
Thickening Clouds with west winds around 10 mph.
Air temp was in the low 80s.
Water temp was 85 and warmer.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
2 Smallmouth Bass |
|
1 Channel Catfish |
|
1 Bluegill |
|
2 Freshwater Drum |
| Partner |
12 Channel Catfish |
| Partner |
3 Channel Catfish |
|
1 Smallmouth Bass |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Night crawlers
|
All fish were released.
|
We took my nephew
out to LaSalle for the first time. I was hoping the
water would have been a little cooler with the recent
cool evenings. We put the boat in and found that the
water was 85 at the ramps. We caught quite a few fish
but nothing real big. |
|
30.
|
6/29/2004
Heidecke Lake State
Fish and Wildlife Area
Morris, IL
|
Sunny with West winds around 10 mph. Air temp
was in the mid 80s.
Water temp was 72 to 77.
The water level was in the green marker at the bridge.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
8 Smallmouth Bass |
|
1 White Bass |
|
2 Hybrid Striped
Bass |
|
8 Freshwater Drum |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Plastics
|
All fish were released.
|
The sun was already shining brightly when I put the
boat in. I decided to try something a little different
today and it paid off. I caught several nice fish.
Pictures from today!
|
|
31.
|
7/07/2004
Heidecke Lake State
Fish and Wildlife Area
Morris, IL
|
Sunny then cloudy with West winds around 20 mph diminishing
to around 10 mph. Air temp was in the upper 60s.
Water temp was 75 to 77.
The water level was in the green marker at the bridge
but the chop made it impossible to get under it without
hitting the underside.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
2 Smallmouth Bass |
|
1 Musky |
|
12 Freshwater Drum |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Plastics
|
All fish were released.
|
I think fishing would have been better had the clouds
rolled in a couple hours earlier. I hooked 3 muskies
including one real big one and only got one of them
in the boat.
Pictures from today!
|
|
32.
|
7/13/2004
Heidecke Lake State
Fish and Wildlife Area
Morris, IL
|
Nearby storms and light rain, then sun, then approaching
severe storms. Southwest winds around 5 to 15 mph. Air
temp was in the upper 80s.
Water temp was 76 to 82.
The water level was in the green marker at the bridge
but the chop made it impossible to get under it without
hitting the underside.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
2 Smallmouth Bass |
|
2 Channel Catfish |
|
1 Freshwater Drum |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Plastics
|
All fish were released.
|
I started out wearing the rain gear, then the sun
came out and the temp shot up to the upper 80s, then
my NOAA radio went off indicating a tornado warning
1 county over. That meant it was time to leave. At least
I caught a few fish including a couple nice Smallmouth.
Pictures from today!
|
|
33.
|
7/15/2004
Heidecke Lake State
Fish and Wildlife Area
Morris, IL
|
Bright Sunshine. West wind around 10mph. Air temp
in the mid 80s.
Water temp was 78 to 84.
The water level was in the green marker at the bridge.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
1 Hybrid Striped
Bass |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Plastics
|
All fish were released.
|
My wife and I
took the boat out for a very short time in the late
afternoon and I managed to catch a very small Striper.
|
|
34.
|
7/22/2004
Heidecke Lake State
Fish and Wildlife Area
Morris, IL
|
Bright Sunshine then strong Thunderstorms. Southwest
wind around 5 mph and increasing before the storms.
Air temp in the upper 80s.
Water temp was 78 to 84.
The water level was in the green marker at the bridge.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
1 Smallmouth Bass |
|
5 Freshwater Drum |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Plastics
|
All fish were released.
|
It was a slow
uneventful day before I decided to beat the storms.
Baitfish are everywhere.
Pictures from today!
|
|
35.
|
7/26/2004
Busse Lake
Elk Grove Village, IL
|
Partly Cloudy then Mostly Cloudy. Northeast winds
around 10 mph. Air temp in the low 70s.
Water temp was 75.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
8 Largemouth Bass |
|
2 Channel Catfish |
|
1 Yellow Bass |
|
1 Walleye |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Plastics
|
All fish were released.
|
It was a very
pleasant day on the lake. The rain that was in the area
missed me until I was on my way back home. I caught
a couple nice fish.
Pictures from today!
|
|
36.
|
7/29/2004
Un-named Pond
Cook County Forest Preserve
|
Partly Cloudy. South winds around 10 mph. Air temp
in the upper 70s.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
Nothing |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Plastics
|
All fish were released.
|
I had about two
hours to walk the bank of a pond I haven't fish in a
long time. I saw one guy catch a very small Largemouth
but that was it. I didn't get a hit other than what
might have been a crayfish that grabbed the plastic
I was throwing. |
| 37. |
8/03/2004
Illinois River
LaSalle County, IL
|
Bright Sunshine.
Air temps in the mid 80s rising to the low 90s. The
wind was out of the southwest around 5mph. |
|
Results
|
| Me : |
2 Sauger |
|
1 Shad |
|
2 Smallmouth Bass |
|
15 White Bass |
|
1 Mooneye |
|
3 Drum |
|
1 Carp |
| Partner: |
1 Shad |
|
25 White Bass |
|
10 Sauger |
|
2 Largemouth Bass |
|
1 Catfish |
|
Techniques:
|
| Crank Baits, Blade baits, Spinners,
Plastics, etc... |
All fish were released.
|
I was invited
to fish some new water today and it was a great trip.
We caught several different species including
several nice sized fish.
Pictures from today!
|
|
38.
|
8/06/2004
Heidecke Lake State
Fish and Wildlife Area
Morris, IL
|
Bright Sunshine with light and variable winds from
the Northeast. Air temp in the low 60s rising to the
mid 70s
Water temp was 70 to 77.
The water level was in the green marker at the bridge.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
1 Smallmouth Bass |
|
1 Freshwater Drum |
|
3 Carp |
| Partner: |
1 Smallmouth Bass |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits
|
All fish were released.
|
Fishing was very
slow with bright sunshine, very little wind, and a fresh
crop of bait fish. Even the carp were up at the surface
hitting small shad. I caught 3 good sized carp on a
small crank bait.
Pictures from today!
|
|
39.
|
8/11/2004
Monee Reservoir
Will County, IL
|
Bright Sunshine then Clouds. Variable west winds
10 to 25 mph. Light rain late in the day. Air temp was
in the upper 50s.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
1 Northern Pike |
|
18 Largemouth Bass |
|
2 Channel Catfish |
| Partner: |
Deserves some credit
for most of the fish noted below |
| Partner: |
1 Largemouth Bass |
| Partner: |
3 Largemouth Bass |
|
1 Channel Catfish |
|
2 Bluegills |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, plastics, top waters, night
crawlers, minnows
|
All fish were released.
|
I got to the
lake and fished for 3 hours before my brother brought
his family to fish with me. We took the kids out with
some live bait and everyone caught fish. The kids are
very good fishermen. Before they got there I caught
a nice Northern Pike and saw a lot wildlife along the
banks of the lake. The weather wasn't great but I went
back out after they left and caught a few more before
calling it a day. My nephew wanted to catch one bass
and it was a good one. My niece caught several fish.
Pictures from today!
|
|
40.
|
8/19/2004
Heidecke Lake State
Fish and Wildlife Area
Morris, IL
|
Mostly cloudy with decreasing clouds late. Air temp
in the low 60s rising to the mid 70s. The wind was out
of the North Northeast 5 to 10 mph.
Water temp was 70 to 73.
The water level was in the green marker at the bridge.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
4 Smallmouth Bass |
|
4 Freshwater Drum |
|
3 Carp |
|
2 Walleye |
|
1 Channel Catfish |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits
|
All fish were released.
|
You could walk
across all the bait fish that were present. Fishing
was a little better than last time. The two walleyes
I caught were small but all the other fish I caught
were good ones.
Pictures from today!
|
|
41.
|
8/27/2004
Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area
Braidwood, IL
|
Light Rain then mostly cloudy. Air temp approaching
90 and very humid. South west wind 5 to 10 mph.
Water temp was 87.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
1 Largemouth Bass |
|
2 Channel Catfish |
|
1 Carp |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits and Plastics
|
All fish were released.
|
I fished around
the islands across from the north boat ramp. I caught
a nice Largemouth on my second cast and hooked 4 others
within the first 15 minutes. After the drizzle stopped
the fishing slowed.
Pictures from today!
|
|
42.
|
9/02/2004
Heidecke Lake State
Fish and Wildlife Area
Morris, IL
|
Bright Sunshine with south winds shifting from the
southeast around 10mph.
Water temp was 74 to 79.
The water level was way up in the yellow marker at
the bridge. Very few boats able to get through.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
12 Smallmouth Bass |
|
1 Walleye |
|
1 Channel Catfish |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Blade Baits, Plastics
|
All fish were released.
|
There were not
as many baitfish today. I caught a couple nice fish
and a bunch of mediocre ones. I lost two smaller walleyes
at the boat but got the biggest one. I saw a lot of
game fish but could not get them to hit anything.
Pictures from today!
|
|
43.
|
9/10/2004
LaSalle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Marseilles, IL
|
No clouds anywhere - bright sunshine. Air temp in
the upper 70s. Light southeast breeze around 5 mph.
Water temp was 77 to 102.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
5 Smallmouth Bass |
|
5 Channel Catfish |
|
1 Largemouth Bass |
|
1 Freshwater Drum |
|
1 Yellow Bass |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Plastics, Blade baits
|
All fish were released.
|
No big fish today.
With the exception of a 22 inch Drum, every fish I caught
was very small. I saw one big Smallmouth as he slowly
swam past the boat. Carp were everywhere along the bank
in the rocks. No sign of any fish kill this year.
|
|
44.
|
9/16/2004
Powerton Lake
Manito, IL
|
Bright Sunshine with northerly winds around 10mph.
Air temp started in the mid 60s and made it to the low
80s.
Water temp ranged from 80 at the intake canal to
99 at the other end of the lake. Ramp temp was 92.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
6 Freshwater Drum
|
|
1 Largemouth Bass |
|
33 Smallmouth Bass |
|
5 Channel Catfish |
|
6 Smallmouth Buffalo |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits and Blade Baits
|
All fish were released.
|
I caught a lot
of fish today. Many of the Smallmouth were caught in
the same spot. One of the catfish was about 12 lbs but
he shook free of my grip and I dropped him into the
water before I could snap the picture. The Largemouth
was a good 5 lbs and a couple of the buffalo were in
the 5 to 8 lb range. There were hundreds of Northern
Water Snakes all along the shoreline. On the way home
the boat got hit by another vehicle so no boat trips
for a while.
Pictures from today!
|
|
45
|
9/21/2004
Monee Reservoir
Will County, IL
|
Bright Sunshine with no Clouds anywhere. South winds
around 10 mph. Air temp was in the mid 80s.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
5 Largemouth Bass |
|
1 Bluegill |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Plastics, Top Waters
|
All fish were released.
|
Fishing was rather
slow. I caught 1 fish per hour and half of them were
nice fish. As I was fishing I found myself within 3
feet of a beehive but since I ignored them, they ignored
me.
Pictures from today!
|
|
46.
|
10/01/2004
Powerton Lake
Manito, IL
|
Increasing Clouds with southerly winds around 10mph.
Air temp started in the mid 50s and made it to the mid
70s.
Water temp was 77 at the intake canal.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
1 Freshwater Drum
|
|
53 Smallmouth Bass |
|
1 Carp |
|
1 Smallmouth Buffalo |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits and Blade Baits
|
All fish were released.
|
This was the
best Smallmouth day I've ever had. I caught a big Buffalo
on my first cast and caught Smallmouth every few casts.
I even left early.
Pictures from today!
|
|
47.
|
11/13/2004
Lake Michigan
Indiana
|
Clear skies. East wind around 7mph switching to southeast.
Night time fishing trip.
Water temp was 50 .
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
2 Gobies |
| Partner: |
0 |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Spoons, Plastics, and Blade
Baits
|
All fish were released.
|
We hooked 5 fish
but didn't land any. I wound up with two Gobies in the
boat. |
|
48.
|
11/26/2004
Lake Michigan
Indiana
|
Cloudy. South wind around 15mph. Air temp was in
the low 40s
Water temp was 48 .
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
0 |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Plastics, and Blade
Baits
|
All fish were released.
|
I hooked 1 fish
but didn't land it. I also had a couple Gobies tugging
on the tubes I was throwing but I didn't get any of
those in the boat either. I only saw one fish come up.
The water was fairly calm since the wind was straight
off the bank. |
|
49.
|
12/09/2004
Lake Michigan
Indiana
|
Partly Cloudy. South wind around 10mph. Air temp
was in the upper 40s
Water temp was 46 .
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
30 Perch |
| |
5 Gobies |
| |
5 Shad |
| |
1 ??? |
| |
2 Brown Trout |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits, Plastics, and Blade
Baits
|
All fish were released.
|
I got lucky and
found a school of Perch. Others were out fishing me
using live bait but most of the ones I caught were nice
ones. Later, a school of shad surfaced and I hooked
several large fish but only landed a ?? and two Brown
Trout. Pictures from today!
More Pictures from today:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
|
|
50.
|
12/27/2004
Powerton Lake
Manito, IL
|
Mostly Sunny with south winds around 10mph. Air temp
started around 20 and made it to the mid 30s.
|
|
Results
|
| Me : |
1 Freshwater Drum
|
|
2 White Bass |
|
1Shad |
| Partner: |
1 Smallmouth Buffalo |
|
Techniques:
|
|
Crank Baits and Blade Baits
|
All fish were released.
|
I wound up with
3 fish but I had to put in a lot more time than my partner
to catch them. He caught a nice Smallmouth and had to
leave around noon. I saw several nice catfish caught.
Pictures from today!
|
|
|
|
|
|
