Do We Need More Fishermen?

[Mark K]

My 1st fishing experience was when i was about 7 when my mom & aunt took me to Marquette Park.Catching a cane poll bluegill i fell in love with the sport that day.When he got out of the service my dad & uncle & I began panfishing on the Chain along with perch on the Lake. My 1st bass came in my early teens from Saganashkee Slough in the Cook Cty forest preserves on a hula popper surface lure.Wow!! When I got a car a few yrs later I started fishing Sag almost exclusively.That place was fishing heaven loaded with 2-4lb bass, 9"gills & for a few years big pike where boats were not allowed while wading & floattubing were. The result was that I & the few other buddies who floatubed had the entire 350 fish filled acres to ourselves. In winter we joined the scores of ice fishermen there. There was also very good bass fishing at Tampier Slough. For 10 yrs in the 60s & 70s the forest preserve lakes afforded me the best fishing of my life.After my parents moved to Indy in the late 60s I also fished central Indiana's stripits & newly formed impoundments for bass/gills along with its streams for smb primarily Sugar Creek & the Flat Rock River which was loaded with crawfish. I introduced my teen age brother 14yrs my junior on those trips teaching him to flyfish as well.

For a # of yrs I participated in TU's summer long events teaching ffing to various boy/girl scout troops and i continue to assist Orvis Lombard to do the same to newbies on summer weekends every year.Btw anyone interested should contact them for info about their classes which are free.

 

Dude, you aren't an InFisherman, you are a renaissance man!

[Steve S.]

There was also very good bass fishing at Tampier Slough.

Ron, did you tube the backwaters at Tampier? We used to try to wade somewhat in hip boots but couldn't really get back there other than ice fishing, which used to be great for crappies. I used to see a few guys coming out of there in their tubes and I'm guessing they did well bass fishing. I also saw nice pike back there in early spring.

[ronk]

Steve

I assume you mean the section north of 131st. We did float it but the main section produced more bass Tampier produced fast fishing in winter for small gills in midday.We'd than head over to Saganashkee to fish for the big ones near sunset.

[Mark K]

Steve

I assume you mean the section north of 131st. We did float it but the main section produced more bass Tampier produced fast fishing in winter for small gills in midday.We'd than head over to Saganashkee to fish for the big ones near sunset.

 

 

How about Sag Quarries?

[Norm M]

I grew up in Midlothian, rode the bike out to fish the cricks around Rubio and Conkley and to Turtlehead and Twin lakes. Fished Tampier and Sag with older kin until I got wheels of my own. I spent a lot of time out that way exploring all the CCFPD waters , once caught a smallmouth out of Tuma . Hiked and 4 wheeled at Lemont quarries as well . Biggest CCFPD greenie at Bullfrog, that place had some huge bass .

 

I used to fish out that way with Ed McCain from MikLurch back in the day, we went to school together .

 

I thought I was some punkins at catching fish from Maple until the winterkill in 78-79 showed me how wrong I was. I walked the shore with Dave McGinty the biologists counting the dead fish .

[Steve S.]

Norm, the Tuma Lake across from Joe's Pond? We used to hike back there to ice fish. I remember my Dad always having to lug everything back to the car because our hands would be "frozen" and we couldn't carry anything. Brats.

 

I also remember the winter kill 78-79. I especially recall driving by all the "no fishing" waters and seeing big bass just laying there rotting.

 

Used to catch some nice LMB at Sag Quarries too on black/gold floating Rapalas that always ended up in a tree somewhere.

 

My Dad took us some where nearly every weekend. We were lucky boys.

[Norm M]

Steve

 

Yes, the Tuma across from Joe's Pond . I figured it was from a free lance stocking .

 

Did any of you guys ever have any consistent success from Horsetail Lake , that thing generally left me frustrated .

[ronk]

Horsetail is where I 1st started ffing locally in the mid 60s. Waded it for big gills. In the 70s & 80s had many good years for both lmb & gills in both summer & winter at the quarries in Lemont particularly Consumers Quarry.As with Saganashkee I had it to myself floatubing either pounding the rocks with a bassbug or bouncing deep diving crankbaits along an offshore dropoff. These days the quarries are awash in algae most of the year and are much more heavily boat fished since the city of Lemont took them over. I've literally seen more guys boating there in a single day than I would've seen in an entire season in the "old days".Good memories.

[Mike G]

Do we really need more fishermen?

 

When I put up the link to the questioning article, I didn't expect so many great comments and stories. Thanks for your contributions.

 

Now I have my answer to the question, "No."

 

When it comes to numbers, we have enough. The USMC got it right with their recruiting slogan,"The Marines need a few good men!" Likewise we need good fishermen. As a recruiter I would look for recruits who appreciate the sport rather than the kill. A good fisherman is a lot more than a guy who can fill the bucket faster than anyone else. Certainly I appreciate those who excel in knowledge and the skills of using tackle, marine gear, and electronics to catch the most challenging fish, anything from a Carp to a Grayling. But that skill is nothing if there are not other lights on in the tower. One light is a Catch and Release ethic. A second is a generous desire to share the Sport with others. A third is Responsibility that leaves the fishing site cleaner than before. A fourth is willingness to take political action on environmental issues. And there are more, though I think these four are enough to qualify the candidate. Those lights become beacons for others. So let's have a few good fishermen.

 

PS my apologies to Terry, Tim, and the USMC if I have misrepresented the Corps in any way.

[John Gillio]

Do we really need more fishermen?

 

When I put up the link to the questioning article, I didn't expect so many great comments and stories. Thanks for your contributions.

 

Now I have my answer to the question, "No."

 

When it comes to numbers, we have enough. The USMC got it right with their recruiting slogan,"The Marines need a few good men!" Likewise we need good fishermen. As a recruiter I would look for recruits who appreciate the sport rather than the kill. A good fisherman is a lot more than a guy who can fill the bucket faster than anyone else. Certainly I appreciate those who excel in knowledge and the skills of using tackle, marine gear, and electronics to catch the most challenging fish, anything from a Carp to a Grayling. But that skill is nothing if there are not other lights on in the tower. One light is a Catch and Release ethic. A second is a generous desire to share the Sport with others. A third is Responsibility that leaves the fishing site cleaner than before. A fourth is willingness to take political action on environmental issues. And there are more, though I think these four are enough to qualify the candidate. Those lights become beacons for others. So let's have a few good fishermen.

 

PS my apologies to Terry, Tim, and the USMC if I have misrepresented the Corps in any way.

Well said Mike, though there is something to be said about a good selective harvest and a few fish on the table at times.