Catch and release period

[JimR]

What would you guys think if the DNR instituted a catch and release only season on smallmouths during the spring spawn? Personally it wouldn't affect me if they were always catch and release. Do you think that the kish has the habitat and forage to hold and grow that many big smallies if it was all catch and release? Perhaps that's the reason why the Kish is so full of dinks now (however fun those dinks may be), and those 3-5 pound smallies are so rare.

[Frank Macikas]

I thinkthey already do; isn't that what all the yellow ISA signs say?

[Mike Clifford]

http://illinoissmallmouthalliance.net/html/conservation/isa_idnr.html

[Gary L]

Mike, What ever happen to Bob Putrich and Bill Calhoon I don't think I have heard anything related to them in a long while?

[JimR]

Thanks for the info. That's awesome, I can only see the fishing on the Kishwaukee getting better.

[Guest airbornemike]

I say close the season for bedding LM and SMB, cathing fish off them beds just aint any sort of sport. What about a smallie stamp?

[Scott Ferguson]

What about a smallie stamp?

 

Because salmon don't reproduce in Lake Michigan, they must be stocked. The stamps people buy help pay for the stocking. Smallmouth reproduce pretty well on their own without the need for stocking. The state spends very little on smallmouth so any money brought in from a "smallie stamp" would probably not be spent on smallies so I don't think there is any reason to have one.

[Mike Clifford]

....and with the exception of the support we provided to the Kaskaskia stocking efforts (that were also tied into habitat restoration efforts), I'm not a fan of stocking smallmouth anywhere that hasn't had habitat issues addressed before consideration. It's bad science any way we look at it.

[Terry Dodge]

What would you guys think if the DNR instituted a catch and release only season on smallmouths during the spring spawn? Personally it wouldn't affect me if they were always catch and release. Do you think that the kish has the habitat and forage to hold and grow that many big smallies if it was all catch and release? Perhaps that's the reason why the Kish is so full of dinks now (however fun those dinks may be), and those 3-5 pound smallies are so rare.

 

I must say, and I ask anyone else that fishes the Kish on a regular basis to chime in, I hardly ever see anyone fishing the Kish.

I've noticed this the last few years, and the people I do see fishing either practice catch and release or just don't catch anything.

I think a lot of you know by now that I hit the Kish 3 to 4 times a week and when ever I see someone fishing (which isn't often)

I always ask how they are doing. In most of those "not too often" cases it's a wade-fisherman that answers with the normal Kishwaukee River response, "Just a few dinks." Anyone else is fishing from the bank and always replies with..."carp","sucker" or "nothing." I can honestly tell you that I can not recall the last time I saw anyone with a stringer and some, or even just one, fish on it. I can probably count on my fingers and toes how many people I've seen fishing the Kish this year and still have a few toes left. So, I don't think the Kish receiving a lot of fishing pressure is the reason it's full of dinks. There's something else going on here with the foliage or something. Maybe some water-willow planting might help.

[jim bielecki]

Dinks are actually a good sign! It indicates that there have been successful spawns the last few years. It also indicates that there are mature smallies present, doing the spawning. As far as numbers of larger fish...they are often difficult to find. With Fall approaching, keep at it and you will find a few larger fish. Also keep in mind, that the size of the body of water will designate the size of the fish. A smaller river like the Kish will have large fish but they will be spread out due to competitive reasons for food and habitat. 15 inch plus fish are hard to come by on smaller rivers...there are too many places for them to go. They also got big because they know how to survive, avoid predation, and find food. This time of year, use larger baits...you will hook less dinks, recieve less action, but may hook into a bruiser! I catch a lot of smaller fish, but I also use smaller baits. Recently, I switched to a larger presentation and have had some luck on larger fish. Hope this helps. No doubt that the Kish can use some conservation....every river does. I don't dispute your observations...take a closer look at the forage...if there is an abundance of minnows and crayfish, the fish have a better chance of growing larger. If they have to work at finding food, you will no doubt see many more smaller fish.

[Paul Trybul]

Terry you know I fish the Kish a lot and I do see quite a few people out fishing but mostly on the weekends. I also see alot of footprints in the sand so I know most places see some type of pressure. Maybe all those footprints are yours Terry. I rarely see anyone keeping smallmouth bass. I can only recall once this year and it was like March 30th and this guy had about a 17" smallmouth on a stringer at Henchcliff. What can you do it was a legal fish?

 

As far as stocking goes, I think that is only neccessary after a fish kill like what happened to the Rock River last year and Kishwaukee back in the late 80's. Otherwise I think habitat restoration would go alot farther than throwing more little smallmouth in that could alter the ntural genetic strains of that river.

[Guest airbornemike]

I'm still in favor of closing the season, other states have closed season because they know the resource is at risk during this time period. If you live near bedding water in Illinois you know the vulnerability of bedding bass, It could be done in zones through out the state.

[asherman]

I think that the reason that the reason the Kishwaukee river has so many dinks compared to larger fish is due to habitat as much or more so than angling pressure. I run into other bass fishermen occasionally and I have never seen a wading angler on the Kish with bass on a stringer.

 

Much of the Kish is a slow moving, shallow river that has long sections of sand or mud stream bottom. There are not a lot of strong current areas or big riffle areas that help dissolve oxygen into the water. There are not a lot of big, deep pools that hold lots of big fish. That adds up to a less than ideal habitat when compared to the Kankakee River. I have had similar experiences when I fished the Apple river. Lots of small fish but only a few big ones.

 

If you know where to fish in the Kish, there are places where you can catch larger bass. You just have to put in your time.

[JimR]

I also think that the main reason for the smaller fish is habitat. Also forage. I have never seen more crayfish in my life as I have in some parts of the Kish. That is a difficult prey to digest for a low protein content as compared to bait fish such as killy fish, fingerlings, chubs, shad etc. I read in an In-Fisherman article that once a fish reaches about 1.5-2 pounds it actually loses weight eating crayfish if that is the bulk of it's diet. I've also however seen huge schools of fingerlings swimming up stream. And caught plenty of 3-4 inch LM on my spinners.

[ronk]

I believe that rivers with good populations of panfish,b'gills,warmouths,rockbass etc. as the main forage,ie the Dupe, will produce bigger average size gamefish than those with minnows/crawfish as the main forage,ie the Kank.