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Boating on rivers


Jeff Nevenner

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Guest rich mc

you have two issues one is the depth of water , the other is the power of a 9.9.the boat should work ok on the kank but in fast water it may take a while to go upstream. i have a 9.9 on my 18ft jonn. it is a slow go on a river like the rock, i would not take it on the miss. you will notice a big difference when you add a few buddies to the boat. great boat for shabbona lake. rich

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My Dad and I used to fish the Kankakee in a 12' V-hull with a 9.9 on it and never had a problem going upstream, at times we would even be loaded down with camping gear and firewood...during low water there was an occasion or two that I would have to get out and drag the boat. Depending on where you are going to launch from,(we used to launch from the public launch down river from the state park, on the south side of the river. There is a number to it, I'm sure Norm could provide it in one creek of the knee) the Kankakee has a pretty decent channel that if you stay in the channel you shouldn't have any problems with a 15' jonn boat. It should only take a trip or two and a decent depth finder to learn where the channel is, go slow to save the prop until you get a good idea of where you need to be. From the recent pictures I've seen on here it looks like visibility is pretty good on the Kank and that should help if you have a spotter up front to help guide your way.

 

I would say the Dupe is a no go with a boat of that size, but it would also work well on the Fox.

 

If your ever looking for a partner, I would love to fish the K3 from a boat again and would be more than willing to show you a few spots.

Tim

 

 

 

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Guest airbornemike

I think there a HP restriction on K3, above the state park I believe. If anyone knows please chime in, I had trouble finding the regs.

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Years ago I know Matt Mullady used a large jonn boat and a huge trolling motor. It worked well so I assume if a trolling motor worked for guiding all year a 9.9 would be much more powerful

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Rte 113 between Areas 9 and 10 west of Warner Bridge Road. That combo would work, bring spare props and shear pins as you learn the routes to take. Lots of new sand makes for new hazards, it gets shallow real quick on rock bars/humps as well.

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I just bought a 15' jon boat with a 9.9 hp outboard. I was wondering if it would be a good boat to go on the Dupe, or Kankakee with since I have never been to these two rivers. Any information would be appreciated.

Outboards on the Dupage? What's next jet skies?Aesthetically speaking,the Dupage is too small & intimate for anything more than a trolling motor if that.Practically speaking, the outboard wash would cause shoreline erosion.That river's suffered enuf in recent years from the infusion of silt & phosphate pollution. Let's not as fishermen add to its problems

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My Dad and I used to fish the Kankakee in a 12' V-hull with a 9.9 on it and never had a problem going upstream, at times we would even be loaded down with camping gear and firewood...during low water there was an occasion or two that I would have to get out and drag the boat. Depending on where you are going to launch from,(we used to launch from the public launch down river from the state park, on the south side of the river. There is a number to it, I'm sure Norm could provide it in one creek of the knee) the Kankakee has a pretty decent channel that if you stay in the channel you shouldn't have any problems with a 15' jonn boat. It should only take a trip or two and a decent depth finder to learn where the channel is, go slow to save the prop until you get a good idea of where you need to be. From the recent pictures I've seen on here it looks like visibility is pretty good on the Kank and that should help if you have a spotter up front to help guide your way.

 

I would say the Dupe is a no go with a boat of that size, but it would also work well on the Fox.

 

If your ever looking for a partner, I would love to fish the K3 from a boat again and would be more than willing to show you a few spots.

Tim

Thanks for the information Tim. Sure you can go with me and I would appreciate all of the information that you would give me on the trip. It won't be until September when I go out since I am real busy with work, school, and kids. I also would like to get some extra parts. Just in case. ;)

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Memories....

 

Used to boat the Kankakee with a 14' Jon and 3 hp every weekend.

We launched quite a bit from 4th avenue public launch in Momence and headed upstream. Downstream is asking for trouble...which we found the hard way....once.

Snapped off a shear pin and had to walk 2 miles back to my truck, only to find out later the motor came with extra pins tucked underneath.

 

The thing is, the Momence stretch is practically devoid of fish.

It took us an entire summer to get convinced of this.

Glorydale resort has a nice bar that you can boat up to, and it opens at 11 a.m. on Sundays.

After a fishless morning on the river, it's a welcome sight on the way back to the launch.

Ed and Vera ran it, then Ed passed away a few years ago.

Should still be in business.

You can also launch in Momence from the old "River Isle", which is owned by the state now.

Free launch, where it used to cost $7 when it was a privately owned campground.

Upstream from there is some inviting rip-rap and bends.

Should be full of smallies.

Remarkably, it hasn't held them in years.

 

The mouth of Trim Creek can be good if the conditions are right, but going up the creek itself will find a nice hole not far from the mouth as well.

Beware of the cattle hanging out in the Trim (an especially mean bunch)....legend tells that they've managed to swamp and drown the unsuspecting.

Hey, I tell it as I hear it.

 

Finding the difficult to reach "old river channel" will find some bonus fishing in a seemingly prehistoric setting.

This is the original river channel that ran through here.

Beware of the giant dogfish and mosquitoes that are bigger than your boat.

Don't take my word for it. Just do it.

 

 

Granted, I did catch my biggest pike, catfish and walleye from some brush piles on a bend out there....but overall it's simply a nice scenic boat ride.

Thank the folks in Indiana for ruining a smallmouth and wildlife paradise.

 

Geno Altiery had an article in a local publication speaking about the islands around the Des Plaines Conservation area as being "fish factories". Had tournament anglers in my boat and other boats that would dispute that theory. Going to the confluence and boating up the Des Plaines is where the smallies can be found.

 

Launching in Aroma Park and going downstream towards the Iroquois, and further downstream from the mouth is not a bad way to go. Check a map for the "Chicken Hole". Last time I was there, I couldn't find the chicken as a marker...think it is gone now.

Head up into the Iroquois for some of the best catfish waters in northern IL.

Seriously.

Go at night, bring a cooler and enjoy the harvest back at home.

Guaranteed to fill the boat.

(Live golden roaches, none of that kids catfish stink crap).

 

Slipping quietly into the Aroma Park Bayou will yield some nice crappies in Spring.

Upstream from that launch will have you grounded at the "old dam" spot.

Get out and wade the small islands for phenomenal smallie fishing.

 

The stretch upstream from Aroma all the way to Momence is mostly shallow and full of sand.

They call it "Sandbar Road" for a reason!

One guy guides it in a pontoon and swears to it's bounty.....he would know better than I.

What I looked at was classifications of water quality and avoided it, save for a few uneventful efforts.

 

I boated this river long before I ever even considered wading it.

Probably fished most every stretch from a boat, and at one time wanted to do a float of the entire 59 miles in IL and film it.

The problem is the lack of portage (it's illegal in Wilmington).

If the latest Dam Safety bill passes we can't portage much of anything regardless.

 

Any member that brings a map to an event that I'm attending will get some of my favorite "holes by boat" locations marked. Just ask me.

Since raising a family, I've had little time to wade, and sold the boat long ago....but I used to launch on this river every weekend for years as long as it wasn't frozen solid.

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