Eric

Mike, what can the average angler do to assist with the siltation problem in the Kankakee River?

Yikes! I hope they clean it up quickly and effects are not long lasting. Found this, lots of info: http://www.kankakeeroute113release.com http://www.kankakeehealth.org/files/FINAL%20Kankakee%20IL%20162-163%20Pipeline%20Incident%20Resident%20Handout%203-15-14%20-%205pm.pdf

Congrats on the new canoe Ed. Hope you have many happy outings with it.

Additional photos and follow-up on the ISA's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/illinoissmallmouthalliance

Setup in the hall ISA President & Executive Officer Jim Jozwiak Tasty 20th anniversary cakes (3) - a great idea by Scott Ferguson A GoPro HERO3+ silent auction item Al Agnew smallmouth print, 'flying fish,' Jackson Kayak Coosa The ISA display booth that's normally used at larger tradeshows ISA President & Executive Officer Jim Jozwiak New products donated by Plano Prize table lead by the Jackson Kayak Coosa Box of swim jigs donated by Jonn Graham Float-n-fly kit donated by Jonn Graham Al Agnew framed smallmouth print A close-up of our new vertical banner

South Barrington or Skokie location?

Silent auction trip tables Flies donated to the raffle 'Flies of the ISA' raffle prize New Chicagoland Region Coordinator, Bart Durham Mike Clifford's Conservation Station Attendee name badges and check-in table Jim Jozwiak, President & Executive Officer and Rich McElligott, Executive Officer Setup at the hall Fly Fishing Director & Executive Officer John Loebach and Northwest Region Coordinator Terry Dodge Donated Jackson Kayak Coosa silent auction item Member Jeff Tallis and his '10 for the 20th' custom rod raffle donation A packed hall during Denny Sands' Shabbona Lake presentation Guest speaker Denny Sands speaks about Shabbona Lake and its hotspots Featured speaker Dan Basore and his historical tackle collection Chicago Region Coordinator Eugene Collins and member Bruce Olson Old blue-eyes himself, Jim Sinatra and Northwest Region Coordinator Paul Trybul working the raffle Member Pat Hirschtick and her fishing calendar prize Member Jeff Tallis and the winners of the '10 for the 20th' custom rod raffle

In addition to the tremendous pride I have for the ISA, it's great to know we've got members like Dan Basore. A true gem and proof that the greatest fishing IS often the closest to home!

Thanks to all who purchased tickets. Online ticket sales are now closed. We'll be setting up for the event shortly. No ticket sales at the door. See you at 3 PM today!

The only premium ($20+) Japanese hard baits I own were gifts from Joz. One is a topwater prop, one is a topwater popper. Randy and Jim are the premium bait aficionados... Nice post Randy. Thanks for the heads-up.

I can't wait to wash the garage floor.

No doubt the state will go deeper in debt to fund a "special investigation" to look into this matter.

Too broke to say "no." It's disheartening that our state government is allowing hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on Illinois land. This "money grab" disguised as an effort to lessen America's reliance on foreign oil, IMHO, is a cancer to the air, earth and water -- wherever it is done. I had hoped that Illinois would not get caught up in this mess. You can view our state's oil and gas drilling logs here: http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/OilandGas/Pages/Hydraulicfracturing.aspx

20.07 inches, +/- a quarter of an inch. I estimate the width of the visible portion of the fish's eyeball to be 17mm, slightly larger than the fingernail on his middle finger. (Mine is 15mm.) It takes 30 eyeballs to go from the tip of the mouth to the tip of the tail. That's 510mm, or 20.07 inches. If you increase the eyeball width estimate by just 1mm and recalculate, the total length estimate becomes 21.25". But I think a 21" is in a whole different class visually. Gordon, with all the photos you have of smallies in similar poses, surely you've got one that's very close and that you have a measurement on.

Nice colors Jonn. Love the big hooks on those jigs too!

What's funny is to think of all the waders, boots, tackle etc. we've all bought over the past 20 years! LOTS!

I learned of the ISA through Mark K., who I had become friends with on CLF. Mark told tales of past breakfast meetings and other, where he'd BS with ISA members for hours after the meeting had officially ended. I'll never forget him saying, "these guys sleep with their marked gazatteers! Real die-hard river fishermen!" I have to admit, I was intimidated. Most of my fishing experience was with largemouth, but late in my college years I started joining my brother-in-law on his excursions to the Kishwaukee River. He showed me the ropes. Wet wading in summer, tossing a handful of lures with ultralight spinning gear, and busting smallies. I was hooked! My pops and I used to drive from Darien to Geneva and he'd sit on a bench and watch me wade below the dam. That was my first experience fishing the Fox. Didn't know where else to go, and the much bigger Fox (compared to the Kish) seemed very intimidating! I didn't know anything about gauge height or CFS. Had no clue what "normal" conditions were at any given time. I watched Joz assemble the first ISA web site in 2002. That's when I volunteered to help and join the club. It was right after I lost my dad. My first son was only 2 years old and I worked from home. Got a lot done in between his naps! Ah, simpler times! A few things stand out in my mind when thinking back: > Our evening meetings at Pal Joey's in West Chicago were great! Pizza and beer, and some smallie talk. What more could you want? > Joz's bridge-fishing presentation was stellar > Meeting Jonn Graham for the first time -- I was a bit star-struck! > Joz taking me to the Dupe and catching my first Dupe smallie on a buzzbait > Meeting Joz and Scott at Starbucks in Wheaton and planning the Blowout (my first one) > Randy Dunlap being auctioneer at that Blowout > Steve Quinn of In-Fisherman as guest speaker at the Blowout > Winning the 50/50 raffle at the Blowout after having bought the first ticket and only spending $1 > Awesome cast & compare outings > Amazing water willow plantings with our dedicated members (my hands were shot!) > Trash cleanups, both solo and as part of the ISA > Catching my first 20" smallie on the Fox > Meeting Creekyknees (Norm) and him sending my son some train stuff Kind of a long story, but involved a trash cleanup the ISA hosted in Batavia. I was wading and picking up trash with Gary Lang. We found a backpack in the water. Had school books in it and some gym clothes. Also had a wallet containing cash and an NIU student ID. We both got a creepy feeling like, "When are we going to find the body?" I wrote down the woman's name off the ID and when I got home, called the NIU operator and tried to contact her. Turns out, she was listed and lived in an apartment. I phoned the apartment and asked for her. I said I had found her backpack in the Fox River. The voice on the other end of the phone sounded very worried. It was the woman's twin sister! She explained that her sis' car had gotten stolen a few months back, and that the thieves must have just tossed the backpack as they were joy-riding. But she was safe and sound, and ultimately picked up her backpack at the local police office. A few days later she called me back and thanked me for finding it. Oh yeah, that same trash cleanup we found a XXX magazine and tucked it under the seat of Mark K's truck (he also volunteered at the cleanup). He didn't realize it was there until he was driving some co-workers to lunch and took a turn, and it slid out from under the seat!

Can you eat the lakers or keep and donate them? Would think that littering fish carcasses would be illegal or at least frowned upon. I had this vision of you trout guys whispering a quiet "I'm sorry" to the fishes upon a gentle and healthy release...

This is on again, WYIN Chicago PBS. Wednesday, January 15 @ 6:30 PM. http://lakeshorepublicmedia.org/programs/everglades-of-the-north-the-story-of-the-grand-kankakee-marsh/

Decent flick. Everyone wore Costa sunglasses. No surprise to see they were a sponsor in the credits, along with Simms. Liked the music and didn't know smallies and carp were in there.

Watching now. @ 13:55: "We've got some new threats... a lot of the banks of the Yellowstone have been leased for natural gas drilling between Livingston and Big Timber." Scott Bosse American Rivers BUMMER!!!

It's on iTunes and on my watch list this weekend if all goes well.

Yeah that's early for me to be putting the roof rack on the car and getting the kayak out! I might make it to the take out or meet if you guys hit a restaurant afterward to thaw out. March 7 last year on the Fox...

Sounds neat. Thanks for the heads-up.

I like blue and white or chartreuse and white. Jonn Graham's flies always have a little touch of red in them and/or crystal flash. I order the same pattern year after year.