Scott Ferguson

I'll be there. Are we doing a cookout?

If you'd like to submit an article, story or some pictures for the next newsletter, the deadline is July 15. You can send your stuff to me at; isalliance@sbcglobal.net. Text should just be in the body of an email, photos should be high resolution versions only. You can send via regular mail to; ISA Newsletter 1506 Roth Dr Joliet, Il 60431 You can send trip reports, product reviews, fly fishing articles, scenic photos or just pictures of that big bass you got. Maybe that pretty picture you took will wind up on the color cover! Scott

The forced perspective does make it look big. Notice how his fist looks as big as his head. Sadly, the only way it could become a state record is that it had to die. There was a picture of a little girl next to a largemouth bass she had caught in our local paper the other day. The fish was being held by dad (only his hand was visible) with the girl standing behind. The fish looked as long as she was. I don't think it was 3 feet long!

Those are nice fish, but can't ANYONE ever take a picture without shoving the fish at the camera to make it look bigger?

If you haven't gotten your newsletter by now, your local post office probably isn't going to send it. Send me an email with your address, and I'll make sure you get one. (As long as your dues are paid up!) isalliance@sbcglobal.net

I don't feel the sport is in trouble, but those who make their living from it are going to have a tougher time of it.

To take the biggest shortcut on learning where to catch smallies, show up at one of the many outings like the one on the Fox River on the 24th of June.

I've had the same problem for a few years now. I found a pair of flip up reading glasses that attach to my sunglasses. Not the most stylish option I'll grant you, but quite a bit less expensive than the Costa Del Mar option. Down mode Flipped up

Kevin, I wish you the best.

Although we got the newsletter to the printer early enough, he was apparently pretty busy and was late getting it turned around. Add the fact that the US Postal Service does not put a high priority on mail that is not sent first class, and it means that our newsletter which should have been in your hands 2 weeks ago is just arriving now. If you haven't gotten yours yet, be patient, it will be there any day.

Those Parasite clips are the best. Bass Pro in Bolingbrook was out of the small size the last time I was there. (I bought them out!) My wife actually has almost nothing to do with the newsletter. Aside from my own regular piece and the occasional other article I do, nearly all of the other stuff is sent to me by others. I drop it all in, make it fit, and send it to the printer. The real credit goes to all of those who send me article they've written and Jim Jozwiak for digging around for good pieces. By the way, I'm always in need of good photos. Scenic shots, like the one on the cover, big bass or just something interesting, send them to me. High resolution pics are a must. Send them to; isalliance@sbcglobal.net or hard copies can be sent to ISA 1506 Roth Dr Joliet, Il 60431

During the last round of sign installation we bought a few post pounders. Anybody know where they are or who has them? The posts themselves are available at Home Depot.

This is not the exact sign (It's very close) that we've been putting up for the last several years but it will be the one we use in the future.

Simms has a "First repair is on us" warranty. They said I damaged them so this was my "first" one. During the first 30 days, you can return them. I didn't even fish for 40 days after I got mine so that warranty expired before they even came out of the box. I didn't even scratch my butt while wearing them the first time out. They must be pretty fragile. I could not find a mark anywhere on them where they were leaking. I had a pair of Orvis waders for several months that I tore a big hole in the neoprene sock. Orvis sent me a new pair, no questions asked. Those were $139. ALL waders will leak if you poke a hole in them. Why spend 3 times as much for Simms if they'll tear as easily as any other? What good is the warranty if they just blame you for anything that goes wrong? I learned my lesson the hard way.

In an effort to find a decent set of waders that would hold up better than what I had been getting, I bit the bullet and spent just shy of $400 on a set of Simms. Big mistake. They leaked right from the git-go. I sent them back and they told me it was my fault. It sure was my fault for wasting big bucks on a product that was no better than anything else around. My advice to those wanting new waders. Save your money and buy 3 pair of Bass Pro, Cabela's or whatever brand of boots you like. It just proves my point. There are 2 kinds of waders. Those that leak, and those that are going to leak. $400 waders aren't bullet, hook or thorn proof. It just hurts that much more when they do leak.

The next issue went to the printer today. It should be in homes (depending on your local post office) around the first of June.

No way will I use "fishing glue". I have a hard enough time tying baits standing in the river while holding on to my fishing rod. Trying to put a single drop of superglue on my hook is just trouble waiting to happen. What happens when you want to change baits? Will there be a piece of plastic permanently attached to the hook where you'd like to attach a new bait? I also found that the medium size parasite clips will work with slider head jigs and whatever plastic you like to use with them.

If you like to fish plastics like senkos but hate it when they slide down, ball up on the hook, and fall off way too quickly, there is a new product that will make your day. They are called Parasite worm clips and worm weights. Click on the link below and you can see a short video on how they work. I've been using them for the last few days and have averaged over a dozen bass on ONE Yamamoto Senko! I could have kept using it but it was a little beat up. My previous average was probably 3 fish per bait. The only place I have seen them is at Bass Pro. The one in Springfield Missouri that is. I know they have them online, but I don't know if Bolingbrook has them or not yet. I know I'll never fish a Senko again without them. www.parasiteweights.com/index.html

If you look at the 30 day graph on the USGS web site, you can see that the last 2 times the rains came it took about 4 days to come back down to fishable levels. With this last rain raising the level so much higher than before, I'd say we're looking at least at next Wednesday before the river will be wadeable again. To get to 500, it could be as long as Friday, IF we don't get anymore rain. The forecast is calling for more wet stuff by Tuesday.

I've tried several different styles. I wore a TALS pack for a while, but I'm not crazy about chest packs. I think they get in my way. Right now I'm using a pack from Fish Pond that goes over the shoulder. I can swing it in front of me when I need to get in it, and then swing it around to my back when I'm done. It's got lots of pockets and loops to hang tools from. It wasn't cheap, but it is very well built. I also like a vest at times. The problem with vests and fanny packs is that when you wade into deeper water, they get wet. No one pack is best for everyone. You may have to try a couple of different options and see what works best for you. Even if you don't fly fish, check out fly shops like One More Cast in Countryside. They have all the best wading gear.

Mike Mladenik has his "Big Smallmouth.com hats available and has a smallmouth book called "A Guide's Secret Smallmouth Patterns" Just in time for the new season. http://www.mikemladenik.com/onlinecatalog.shtml

I think a racoon has a better chance of getting across I-55 alive during rush hour than we have of missing this latest front.

Jim always lived under a bridge. He just decided to make good use of his time there and learned to fish for smallies. The rest as they say, is history.

Did the guide fish?

Check out this website. http://animatedknots.com