Paul Trybul

My daughter raises chickens. When she hatches them they typically end up being 50/50 roosters to hens. You only need one rooster for every 10 hens or so which makes the extra roosters expendable. Since I'm not a fly fisherman, I just throw the feathers away after I butcher and pluck. My daughter was telling me that sometimes there are requests from fisherman for chicken feathers on her chicken forum. Yes, just like our forum chicken breeders have a forum too. Should I be savings these feathers? If I brought some to outings or meetings would any of you guys want any?

Thanks for the tips, I'll have to check them out. You won't want to soak them in gulp for your Sylvania trip since they have pretty strict rules on not using scented baits up there. You shouldn't need to. I have found the Sylvania bass to be not as picky as Geneva bass.

Are we gonna have a <u>Man Law</u> card ready for next year's Blowout? You know.... kind'a like the yellow contact cards? <img src="http://illinoissmallmouthalliance.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="blink.gif" />

I hate to bring back such an old post but something happened to me today that jogged a memory. I was walking in downtown Rockford on my way to an appointment when I was approached by a man. He extended out his hand and said please take one of these as he handed me a card. I looked at the card and this is what I saw:

ROCKFORDECOPY_LDAPMAIL_06212011-124422.pdf

Jim Kast your quaestion has been answered. Man Cards are now in full production. Now we just need to get our man laws printed on the back. Four punches and your man card is revoked.

Dave,

I wont' be able to help out with this outing due to a family camping trip I have planned that weekend. If you get rained out and need to reschedule, my region is having an outing there on July 16th.

Pike do seem to be taking over in the upper, skinnier reaches of the Kish. They are just flat out dominating the smallouth for the best habitat. I've fished the Kish for over 30 years and I have yet to unlock the high water mystery. Unlike some other rivers, the Kish is just not a good river to fish in high water. I've fished with a lot of guys and I have yet to see anyone else solve the high water mystery.

Appears to be good timing to head for Wisconsin and fish for other varieties.

I 2nd that idea. I will be dropping the $50 for a Wiconsin License this Saturday. Everything should still be pre-spawn and I hope I get my money's worth.

Karen emailed me back and they do not have a schedule made up at this time. They are looking at shocking the Ksihwaukee River basin around the middle/late July. They are looking at shocking some central IL streams the first few weeks in August. I'll keep you posted as I gather more information.

I sent an email to Karen and we'll see what comes back. They usually start the smaller streams in June/July time frame.It is really a fun and rewarding experience of you have never done it before. Karen can teach you most of the little baitfish that are native to the area streams. Its very good information for those who like to match the hatch.

if the spin fisherman starts to buy Lucky Craft Jerk baits that cost twelve to fifteen dollars. I use both spinning tackle and fly rods, but I wouldn't spend fifteen dollars for jerk bait that I could lose in a flash any more than I would spend $700 for a fly rod.

Where do you find lucky craft jerkbaits for twelve dollars?

I'm looking forward to the morel season. I figure I'm still 2 weeks away here in the northern most part of our state. Depends on the weather.

Thank you for finding that Eric. I tried to google it. The DNR webpage still has the old one for the main download. The only change I saw was the DNR's option to allow exemption permits for bass tournaments during the C&R season.

I was trying to get my hands on the 2011 IL fishing regs at the fishing shows and all they had was the old one. I went to the IL DNR website and the download is still 2010 to March 31st 2011. The new fishing season with any new regs will start in less that 2 weeks. Anyone know where I can view a copy? At this point I don't even know if they are continuing the spring C&R season or changing any size regulations.

I think I know that guy. He's the same one that fishes the push button Zebco reel with several snap swivels clipped together and a big fat nightcrawler. He keeps telling me about all the five pound smallmouth he catches as he spaces his hands 15" apart to demonstrate the sizes.

West of Monroe center would be Kilbuck or Stillman Creek. Both are pretty small water in the summer when water levels are normal. Anything that's in the Rock River can swim up the creeks.

I did help my father get a treble hook out after a small thrashing northern pike got it lodged in his hand. It stuck in the fleshy part between the thumb and index finger. It wasn't really in a spot where it made sense to push it all the way through and cut it off. I was surprised how hard I had to pull and how far the skin stretched before it pulled free. It sure makes you think about going barbless.

I did check out the point 65 site. Leaking shouldn't be a problem since they are self bailing sit on tops. Each section is its own air filled chamber that snaps together. Now my only concern is bouncing into a mid-stream boulder and my kayak splitting in 1/2. I still don't think I could fit one in the trunk of my Honda Civic. If I could, it would be awesome for lunch break fishing or short trips after work without the need to stop at home and get geared up.

I am looking at a kayak from Point 65 North (that is the company). They make kayaks that you buy in pieces. Two pieces is a solo kayak, add a third piece for tandem. At end of day, take the pieces apart and put them in the trunk.

Gregg

Interesting concept. I would worry about leaking.

If you are staying on Crooked, I wouldn't even worry about a water purification system. You don't have to portage to the campsite, so I would just bring several gallons of water. You can cook and clean with lake water as long as you boil it first. The water is pretty clean and clear up there although Crooked is the most fertile of the lakes. Loon lake is unbelievably clear. We usually end up going into town or taking showers 1/2 way through the trip and refill our water gallons then. Depending on how long you are staying, your son may appreciate a small break back to some form of civilization 1/2 way through the trip. Its not like Quetico or the Boundary waters where you could be days away from any roads or civilization.

It looks like a pretty nice solo watercraft to me. For a watercraft designed specifically for the fisherman I don't think you can do much better for the price. I would think the ability to stand up and fish would be a huge advantage for the flyfisherman. 63 pounds is pretty heavy if you have to portage it any kind of distance. I'd rather have a Old Town pack at 33 pounds if I had to portage a solo craft.

I'm not really a big fan of tournament fishing but I do respect KVD and what he has been able to acomplish. It doesn't matter if its catching smallmouth in the 3 rivers area of Pennsylvania or the Lousiana delta, he finds a way to come out on top. I'm definately not a Mike Iaconelli fan. I have my reasons but mainly because of the way he disrepectfully handles his fish.

The hearing impaired deserve to know the mystique behind the dancin eel too.

I was doing some online shopping and I came across this.

I thought you might be interested since you used to sign the praises of its power. Look out of 60+ reviews it got 4 stars out of 5

We a drew a duck hunting blind out of Blandings landing one year. We went up during late summer to work on the blind and did some fishing afterwords. That area was mostly backwaters with largemouth bass, panfish and the ever present drum. Its been years but what I remember most about the Mississippi in northern IL is the IL side is mostly backwater largemouth/panfish fishing. Most of the good current, riprap, wingdam, smallmouth type habitat was on the Iowa side of the river. Tons of water with a lot of potential but other species seemed to be more prevalent than smallmouth bass. I hear the upper Mississippi is outstanding smallmouth water but I've never fished it up in Minnesota.

I'm pretty sure the Galena river runs through Galena not the Apple river. I would say no to a bass boat on either river. There are large sections of both rivers that are barely or not navigable by canoe or kayak during low summer flows. There is a Lake Galena that would accomodate a bass boat but it is private so you would have to know someone. Pretty much the same deal with 90% of the Apple or Galena rivers too.

There is a good chance I can help you out either Saturday or Sunday. Where is the show located this year?