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Eric

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    Baitcasting for big bronze.

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  1. If that distance is a rule, every birder / photographer that once viewed the eagles nesting in the dead tree at Mooseheart in Batavia would’ve been in violation.
  2. There was a foam fire retardant from a malfunction within an industrial building that spilled into Mahoney Creek, located northeast of Glenwood Forest Preserve in Batavia. Don't think it reached the Fox River. Agencies are cleaning it up. The creek is around 2 miles and runs northeast of Glenwood FP and is mainly through residential and industrial properties. Let’s hope for the best! https://bataviail.gov/mahoneyfoam *This is not the creek that runs through the Glenwood FP property.
  3. What's the remedy? Trapping / killing of otters to reduce their population? Not sure of their protection status or how permits for trapping might work on public and private lands in Indiana. What have you learned thus far?
  4. Eric

    mepps

    An in-line spinner is a good search lure for unfamiliar waters (rivers and streams in particular) to get a rhythm going and help boost confidence. They can also lead to flirting with disaster. Large river smallmouth seem naturally adept at throwing an inline spinner with a mighty headshake. So if you want your heart broken, it's a great choice of lure. Edit: LOL! I wrote this before I read Scott's post. I agree 100%! 😄 Rich, bass professionals don't typically throw in-lines because they fish deeper and/or in cover.
  5. Paul’s info is spot-on. I was gonna say low light + topwater seem to be cheat codes for big smallmouth. Fish that same area when nights get into the 50s consistently. Sounds like you found a cherry of a spot!
  6. A free event from the Kane County Forest Preserves. Good for kids to learn about local ecology. At two locations along the Fox River. See flyer below: https://kaneforest.com/upload/RUSTYrodeo_2023_flyer_printpdf.pdf
  7. Friend and central Illinois river smallmouth guide Jonn Graham clued me in on this neat lure from Jackall Lures that he and his guide clients have been having lots of success on. Now if Jonn is gonna recommend it, I know it's gonna be a good one! I ordered some online, and last Saturday was the first time I fished it ... on the Fox River, of course! I caught 31 smallmouth on it that outing. 😮 While topwater prop lures have been all the rage in bass fishing due to the success of the Whopper Plopper, a few things stood out on this lure that I really liked: 1. The hooks are thin wire and nicely proportioned. Not too big, not too small. They pin the fish nicely but don't trash them. 2. The overall proportions of the lure don't seem to easily snag bass in the eye, gills, and pectoral fins like a lot of topwater lures do. (*Although it will still happen on occasion.) It probably helps that this lure only has two treble hooks. The lure lays on its side, with one hook off the back and one off the side. 3. The oversized prop spins or rocks freely with very minimal current. This means when you pause the lure, it still has some subtle action from the prop and really looks like it's still struggling a bit. This drew some ferocious strikes. 4. The lure didn't require any extra tuning. It fished just as well for the 31st bass as it did for the 1st bass. The fact that river smallmouth didn't trash it speaks volumes. 5. I fished it on 15 lb PowerPro braid and it didn't have much body roll at fast retrieves, and I didn't notice any line twist. Although Jonn might disagree, because he recommends fishing it on a few feet of heavier mono leader and another barrel swivel. He felt it did cause some line twist throughout the course of a day on the water. He also felt that braid wrapped around the hardware on the front of the lure if it tumbled on splashdown. I didn't have too many issues with it slinging low with a baitcaster. 6. It has a unique "bloop" sound. I think it's just different enough to get the fish curious. Perhaps something different than the Whopper Plopper and other prop baits they've become accustomed to. It's fun to experiment with various methods and cadences. Steady retrieve, burning it, gurgle, twitch-pause, rip-pause, etc. It would occasionally get hit upon splashdown. I think this lure is a winner! If you like topwater, don't sleep on this one. Jackall Chop Cut Jr. BIG THANKS to Jonn Graham for the recommendation on this! 👊
  8. Sounds like a northern hogsucker. Google it.
  9. Well great. Just had what I’m fairly certain was my first otter sighting on the Fox River a few nights ago! Mark, if you hadn’t linked to that article, I’d have thought that pic was the worst Photoshop job ever!
  10. Tom, just a note that all your "swing" fly fishing technique articles over the years have helped me improve my river jerkbait fishing game immensely! Thank you!
  11. The hard question is -- what's your "product" and why would people want to pay for it? You're competing with oodles of FREE online information.
  12. I use it for work on occasion. It’s great for creating variations in ad copy, sparking new directions and ideas. It’s fun to watch it compose on the fly. It can even write code. It’s snowballing day by day. Buckle-up, it’s gonna kill many jobs, and help to advance others. It will probably radically change education — which needs an overhaul anyway.
  13. I thought this was eye-opening!
  14. "Smallmouth Bass Christmas" Verse 1: It's Christmas time, the snow is falling The river's icy, but I'm still balling I bundle up and hit the water Gonna catch me a smallmouth, no matter what the weather Chorus: O Smallmouth Bass, o Smallmouth Bass I'm dreaming of you on this Christmas day O Smallmouth Bass, o Smallmouth Bass I'll catch you yet, in the most wonderful way Verse 2: I cast my line, I feel the tug It's a smallmouth, I feel the snug I reel it in, it's a beauty to see The perfect gift, under the Christmas tree Chorus: O Smallmouth Bass, o Smallmouth Bass I'm dreaming of you on this Christmas day O Smallmouth Bass, o Smallmouth Bass I'll catch you yet, in the most wonderful way Bridge: It's not about the presents, or the lights on the tree It's about the feeling, of the smallmouth on my line, you see I'll cherish this moment, for all of eternity Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good fishy Chorus: O Smallmouth Bass, o Smallmouth Bass I'm dreaming of you on this Christmas day O Smallmouth Bass, o Smallmouth Bass I'll catch you yet, in the most wonderful way
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