ISA Yellow Sign Posting-New Date

[TimU]

Hello All,

 

We are going to put a date of Saturday April 29th on the books to try and get out and put up new ISA Yellow Conservations signs. Plan on meeting at 9am.

 

The plan is to have two meeting points, one to the south and one to the north. Jim B will be spearheading the run south(Fox, Dupage, Kankakee) and I will be coordinating the run north(Fox, Kishwaukee). We have also talked about hitting places along the Illinois River, this will depend on the number of volunteers and their locations.

 

What we need from members:

 

1. Volunteers - We are going to try and make this as quick and painless as possible, by having the two meeting locations we hope to save as much driving time for volunteers as possible. We will try to centralize the meeting points as best as possible based volunteer location and sign posting location. Even if you can only give an hour or two please come out and help the cause.

 

2. Locations - Our members are our eyes and ears on this one. Please send a PM to Jim B or myself if you know a location that needs a sign. Again, we are not looking for your honey hole, just any forest preserve, park or access point that has enough fishing traffic to warrant the need of a sign. Even if you can't volunteer to put up the sign, please send locations. This is the key to making this as easy and time efficient as possible. If anyone has a list of existing sign locations that would be helpful as well, if not, I will create a spreadsheet based on locations this year and continue to update it as locations come in.

 

3. Tools and Materials - This is my first year doing this so I'm not sure what we have in inventory as far as materials go, can someone please let me know what we have and where they are located? From talking with Jim B., I know we need more post pounders. I'm assuming we can wrangle up enough sockets and ratchets for each team to be able to attach the signs to the posts.

 

Please post here if you can volunteer, we will arrange the meeting points as we get closer to the date and have a better idea of the number of volunteers and the locations.

 

Of course you will be more than welcome to wet a line while your out posting signs, but please keep safety as your top priority. Depending on snow/rain in the coming weeks you can expect high, fast and cold water.

 

Any other tips or suggestion are welcome!

[Jim J]

Fast response....

 

I have a data base with locations. I will e-mail it to you.

 

I have one post pounder. We will come up with all needed stuff.

 

I will get this copied an into our Blowout bags and maybe into a PowerPoint slide that runs throughout the Blowout.

[Scott Ferguson]

I'm glad you are taking the lead and handling this project. I don't know if any body else has any signs in their possession but I have only 26. If I had had more notice I could have gotten some more made. I can try and see if I can have more printed by the 19th. I don't know. There may be some posts leftover from last year, I don't have any.

 

We usually go to Menards to buy the posts. 7 footers are best. I keep buying post pounders and they keep disappearing. Maybe someone who has one will post here so we can get them together. For hardware, use 2", #8 x 32 galvanized screws, washers and nuts. Sockets aren't usually needed, a screwdriver and a pair of pliers works fine.

 

If you buy the posts, pounders, and hardware get me the receipts, and I'll reimburse you.

 

I'll keep you informed about getting more signs.

[Scott Ferguson]

The company who makes the signs for us has been contacted, just waiting for them to get back to me on when they will be ready. I'm sure they have to order the materials.

 

We will probably need someone to go to Elk Grove to pick them up when they are ready which will save us a lot in shipping costs.

[Mike Clifford]

We will need to inform the Kankakee River State Park site superintendent that we will be updating the signs on that date.

I'll make the call.

 

Thanks guys!

[eugene f collins]

I have a stake pounder from last year i will bring to blowout. Unless im able to get some signs. I will look at the posts and signs in some of the areas we placed last year, see what we need.

Try to have that answer in a couple (3) days if thats cool. Let me know.

[TimU]

Scott,

 

I am in Schaumburg so it is no problem for me to pick the signs up. Let me know when they will be ready and what info I need to pick them up.

 

 

Mike,

Thanks for making the call!

 

Eugene,

I will be at the Blowout so I can pick up the post pounder. Also, I look forward to meeting you, I hear we share a friend in Steve Hartzos.

 

Thanks All,

Tim

[jude]

In the past, we've not had any luck getting permission in Forest preserves up here. I'll contact Winnebago and Boone counties and see if we can improve our luck.

[Scott Ferguson]

Jude, if you need a copy of the sign that you can print on a sheet of paper to show them, let me know.

[jude]

Good idea, Scott. I have one sign in my basement.

[Terry Dodge]

Good idea, Scott. I have one sign in my basement.

 

Does your basement flood?

[Terry Eck]

Tim, I will help with the sign postings. I am flexible on either location based on where you need the help.

[Norm M]

As far as the Kankakee River State Park goes the only place that needs one is Davis Creek. It will need a post and sign. Some old ugly dude and a long haired teenager took care of them last year. There is not a sign anywhere I could find in the Des Plaines Conservation Area. Wilmington is without signs except for by the broken dam. We have had a about a dozen signs over the years by the Wilmington Dam, they just don't last very long. Is it worth it?

 

Tim, the spot by the pavillion in Bourbonnais is another place where the signs don't last long. It's a hang out for local kids, they prolly tear them down just because.

[TimU]

Hi All,

 

I only have 1 response for volunteers so far. Please let me know if you can make it as soon as possible so we can put a plan together on meeting places and sign posting areas.

 

The idea behind doing the posting this early is to get the signs up before the Catch and Release ONLY season begins on April 1st.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

Thanks,

Tim

[eugene f collins]

Tim

I wont be able to help on this date. But if you save me some signs or we can meet up early. I could take some signs and cover some of the fox river area.

Between Elgin and St. Charles.

[jim bielecki]

Do we have an update on if the signs will be ready?

[Scott Ferguson]

Not yet.

[Norm M]

Tim

 

It looks like i can get a vacation day for the 19th. Zach will prolly be game as well.

[TimU]

We are going to postpone this outting. We are waiting for additional signs to be finished by the supplier and will reschedule towards the end of April.

 

I have a couple of signs(5) and Scott F. has a few more. If you are aware of a place that just needs a sign and no post, please contact one of us and we will work to get you some signs.

 

I will work on a new date this week and post it by Friday.

 

Thanks,

Tim

[Guest rich mc]

i will need 3 signs for the kish in dekalb i have the posts .i picked them up off the bank in the fall. rich

[ron]

I have 9 signs and 3 posts from last year. also think i have one pounder for the posts.

[TimU]

The rescheduled date for the sign posting will be Saturday, April 30th. We will still plan on having two meeting places, one north and one south and will look to start @ 9am.

 

Please post if you can make it, or if you are aware of any locations that need signs.

 

Post here or PM me with any questions.

 

Thanks,

Tim

[Scott Ferguson]

I'm going to try and make it. Putting up the yellow signs was the first project/outing I ever did with the ISA. I was new to fishing the rivers of Northern Illinois and I figured it would be a great opportunity to learn something about them. I was right. We did the project over a couple of weekends and I partnered up with guys who knew all the spots and they showed me access points and locations on the Fox, Kankakee and the DuPage. In two days I learned what what would have taken me years to learn on my own. The work is easy and the rewards are high. You should come out and help if you can.

[Jim J]

I will try and be there also.

[Norm M]

I should be able to get the day off work.