John Gillio

My wife got a kit for me a few years back. They worked great for largemouths. I used them almost exclusively at a couple local lakes that year and picked up the nickname "Banjo Minnow Guy", from a bunch of locals that fish the lakes regularly. I agree about the frogs too , quite under-rated. They were very productive lures all year.

Mike,I used to fish a clearwater pit that had all the same features except the deep water. It had ledges that dropped into it's deepest areas of about 10 ft. It changed over the years from strictly smallies to strictly largemouths. Three inch white twisters would catch smallies all day bounced near the bottom especially near a rocky island, run just over the weeds, or worked down the ledges to the bottom. As the lake changed over a few years to a largemouth lake, I found that the smallies hit the twister much more readily than the bigmouths. The skirted bass spinners, topwaters, and plugs caught mostly largemouths. It wasn't too long before the smallies were overtaken by the largemouths. Just my experience, but the twisters may be worth a try.

Matty,I like In-Fisherman for multi-species info. and techniques. Il. Game and Fish, is pretty good for what's biting when and where here in Il. It also covers techniques. I really like Eastern Fly Fishing. It covers the driftless area and the eastern states quite well. It's a nice looking magazine with good info on where, when, and how to fish specific streams. It's main focus is on trout and smallmouths but also hits on other species.

Nice looking fly Mike. Thanks for the post.

Sometimes I get a rush just heading to a favorite spot.I do it to rejuvenate. It can be relaxing too. Maybe not in a physical sense but definitely for my state of mind.If There is such a thing as a relaxing rush, it's wading a pretty stream, seeing and hearing the surroundig wildlife, the sound of running water, and the anticipation of what the next cast or river bend might bring. I do it because it makes me feel good.

I love the New Glarus wheat beers.Give Dancing Man Wheat a try.

Brad Paisley's "Catch All The Fish" from the"American Saturday Night" CD is a great tune."Water", is also on this CD."Five Pound Bass", by Robert Earl Keen,Jr. is quite good. I like the Dirt Band's "Fishin' In The Dark". You would have to include the theme song to the Andy Griffith Show. I think it's called " The Fishin' Hole".

We make a beer and cheese run up there at least twice a year. "Spotted Cow" and "Totally Naked" are our favorites.

A group out of Wisconsin, called Shad Rapp, has some CDs out that are mostly hunting, fishing,and drinking related. They're on Slimy Pike Productions,and they are a hoot. I have one CD called," Double Shot" that has all the tunes from their first two CDs. Great stuff ! Worlds Greatest Fishing Band, "Papa Was A Fishin' Man" 4 CD set, has one entire CD devoted to fly fishing. My favorite however is," When Tammy Does The Shimmy At The Fish Fry". Don Williams, "Currents" CD is a nice easy flowing set of songs with one that's called, "Catfish Bates" that is quite good. I have some good stuff that I'll have to look up to find the artists for. I'll post them later. One is a great bass fishing tune.

Jim,I take it that she was one of the violinists silhouetted behind the big screen on the left side of the stage? Nicely done. Tallented and good looking.

Congrats to you and your daughter. That is very cool.

I just opened a Cabela's Bargain Cave flyer that came in the mail today. It advertises a 7 1/2 ft. 4wt. outfit for $49.99 too. Rod only is $29.50. Cabela's toll free # 1-800-237-4444.

Ryan, Cabela's has a Redington Crosswater 9ft. 5wt. outfit in it's bargain bin right now for $49.00. I own one of the older models. It's a way great deal for rod, reel, and line. The rod alone is going for $39.00 in the bargain bin. I hear the Cabela's Three Forks rods are a good value too. The 4wt. usually runs $49.00. Good luck on your search.

I have fished at least 22 Illinois streams for smallies. There are still quite a few within 45-60 min drive that I have not touched. Last year,as in many of the past few years, I have focused on two of the closer streams because of time limitations. I am truely hoping to hit new waters this year. They may be new streams, new areas of old ones,or past favorites revisited after many years. Access is more of a problem these days, and many of my old spots are closed off, but this just gives more reason to explore if time permits.

Mine isn't in yet either. It must be on a fast drift down the Big Vermilion. It may never get here being the river is still closed. Sounds like it will be worth the wait.

Rob, I stopped at the park after work and saw 5 eagles hanging around the island. I hope you were able to see a few over the weekend and also enjoy a good sandwich.

Duffey's in Utica would be it. Canal port also has good food and a nice atmosphere. Actually, any of the eating establishments in town have good food. Hope you find some birds.Saw some along the river this morning on the way to Ottawa.

For the eagle watchers out there; the Illinois river is frozen over again. I'm guessing the eagles are gathering near the open water at the Starved Rock dam again. A call to the Starved Rock Lock and Dam Visitor Center could verify this.

Back in the early 80s our secretary,Betty, had a cabin on Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas. Bud Erhardt, the creator of the wrap around spiral guide casting rods, was her neighbor. She new him well. He owned a lodge on the lake at the time. Betty,introduced me to him and he took the time to take me for a spin on his bass boat. I don't recall the boat's maker or the size of the motor, but I had never been on a nicer faster boat. It was quite a thrill. Bud does not own the rod company anymore, but they kept his name Bud Erhardt Fishin Sticks. I believe they are now made here in Illinois.

There are bald eagles in the starved rock area year round, but only concentrations of them in the winter months, espesially when the river is frozen over. The river is open right now. The eagles are spread farther up and down stream from the lock and dam visitor center which is across from the park. There should still be some hanging around the dam. The best viewing is from the lock and dam visitor center. Check out the buffalo at Buffalo Rock too. It also has some nice trails.

Rob, it may be a posibility. I have not heard of one being caught, but I saw a couple dead ones on the shore over the years.

Too late. There is already a pool of drool on the computer desk below my lip.

Rob,from looking at the size of that longnose,I supose it could have been one. I didn't get a close look at it but it seemed to be broad from head to almost the tail. There are some huge Asian carp and cats in the river but I'm quite sure it wasn't one of either. It didn't sway like a carp or cat it just had a slow glide to it. I guess I'll never really know. I've only seen one sturgeon, and it was a shovelnose. They are much thinner near the tail. Did you arrow that longnose or hook and line him? It's huge.

Thanks for info. Mike. I was wading a lower stretch of the big vermilion a bout 3 years back with my wife. We were moving upstream toward an area of deeper water with shallows on the left. There seemed to be a log in the shallows that wasn't there a day earlier. I moved ahead toward the log and it slowly started drifting toward the deeper hole. It was quite wide and about 6 ft. long. It was in and out of shadows, so I didn't get a good look at it before it slipped into the hole. It was so big it kind of freeked me out a bit, so I got Sue up into the shallows. We fished the pool for some time but I didn't see it again. My best guess is that it was an alligator gar. My biggest gar caught from the river was 41". It's girth was nowhere near that of this thing.

I just saw a report that the alligator gar has been reintroduced into Il. waters. In Sept.of last year the DNR stocked 43 baby alligator gar into Hennepin-Hopper Lakes near Hennepin Il. They disapeared from Il. waters in the late 1960s. They can grow to 300 pounds and reach 10 ft. in length. They eat just about anything including waterfowl. That's all I have to say about that.