Eric

Time to fish under the ripe mulberry trees and enjoy the bonanza of catfish and carp.

A unique online tournament that’s River smallmouth-only and runs June 7 to June 30. Allows shore, wade, kayak, canoe fishing. Read full rules here: https://tourneyx.com/app/lib/rules/1559321554_SS_June_2019_Rules_.pdf 5 biggest river smallies scored make your catch total (inches), and you can cull along the way. $25 entry fee. Uses the TourneyX app. If interested, register here: https://tourneyx.com/app/tourney/river-runners-smallmouth-showdown This is a good one for smallmouth enthusiasts who want to dip their toe into tourney fishing and it’s very unique in that it’s river smallmouth-only!

I use USGS Naperville and consider a stream flow of 200 CFS or lower good for wade or kayak fishing. When I take my kids, I prefer a lower flow — 120 CFS or less.

Excellent!

I wonder if the man entering the river at or near the dam was some type of angry stunt or suicide attempt, and then the woman went in after him. I haven’t found an article yet that states a motive for him being in the river. Too cold for swimming. Didn’t say they were fishing or boating. A really odd set of circumstances for this tragedy for sure. You pretty much have to TRY to drown in the Dupe at this flow and they found perhaps the one area of maximum danger. Once again on dam removals, too little, too late! The great (broke) State of Illinois!

The Fox Chain 'O Lakes draw-down is usually in November. I think it normally goes for a week or two, depending on how much water they want to release. I agree that a higher flow rate is starting to feel like the new normal on the Fox! It certainly has been an odd fall and winter. I've been following the USGS graph religiously and never saw a window of opportunity to get out and wade. The flow has remained beyond my comfort level. Looking forward to warmer days and kayaking.

I've seen Mike a few times on the Fox and he has always given me a wide birth and a friendly wave. Sometimes he stops and we trade info on numbers caught and techniques used. I'm sure we fish a lot of the same water. He has always been courteous. I think the Fox is more accommodating to that type of activity. Lots more room to move around. Of course, there are the dams, so you're somewhat limited from pool to pool. I understand what the original poster is saying about the Dupe. Excellent points made. Not sure if Mike is posting on here much these days, but would be interesting in hearing his thoughts on it and if anything will be done differently this year. I'm kinda surprised anyone would want a guide on the Dupe. Being a small river with a plentiful population of smallies, it's a pretty easy river to fish. An inexpensive kayak and a free afternoon for a float trip will provide plenty of opportunity.

I admire the risk taking and business savvy of these young YouTubers. In addition to $$$ they make off their channels, they’re teaming up with Mystery Tackle Box, etc. on licensing deals, promotions, etc. They are having a big influence on a whole new generation of anglers and adventure seekers. No doubt they are putting the time and effort in!

They have to consistently publish content and work to build up a large subscriber base. Their videos are monetized, so they are getting paid from YouTube based on the #of views (#of ads shown). I imagine a lot of people are living vicariously through the YouTube anglers, especially over the winter months. I agree about the investment in quality gear and learning all the editing tools. Some of these guys have amazing artistic skills, and the tenacity to get multiple, interesting angles and add visual and audio effects to polish it off. Add in drones and cool underwater shots and it takes it to a whole new level. Jon B. seems to have set the bar for this. I really enjoyed his trip to South America with Alex Peric. I also enjoyed Alex’s trip to Lake of the Woods. There’s so much amazing content out there these days. It’s fun to follow their antics and adventurers versus the old-school “teach techniques and pimp products” that we’ve been spoon-fed since fishing shows first aired on TV. Great variety out there on YouTube!

That was neat to watch. Wow that guy has skills!

I’m 10 lb on my son’s caster so he can get more distance. I’m 14 on mine ‘cause I like to short-leash and horse big bass. Ain’t 14 gettin’ broke.

Beauty of a report! Those numbers are “died-and-gone-to-heaven” smallie fishing! Thumbs-up!

Buyer beware! IMHO, the majority of the PFDs promoted by big names in the “kayak fishing” industry are over-engineered, bulky, hot and uncomfortable. They are promoting them because they are sponsored by the manufacturer and get them for free, or severely discounted. I highly recommend you try them on and see what feels best for you. I went to a reputable paddle store and tried them on. I got one with a thin back and without a bunch of pockets and crap. The only thing I added was a whistle, attached to the zipper. Be sure the PFDs rating and intended use are for paddling.

“Where the hell did I leave the dam?”

As far as catching smallies, you’d be better off eating, heading home and taking a nap, then wading the Dupe after 6 PM to catch the evening bite. Fox is gonna be a straight-up grind in the low water and especially on a weekend. Anything over 12” would be impressive.

I use that specific gage for water temp in the late fall. Temp is discontinued when things ice up.

Generally, to RSVP for an outing, you private message the event organizer (whoever posted the event to the calendar). Sometimes, like in the case of the Apple River outing, the event organizer makes a post and includes a phone # or email for RSVP purposes. Good luck!

FYI, the Fox is perfect for float fishing right now (July 9). Last check of the Montgomery gage shows a mere 1,440 CFS and trending downward. With the warm weather, early and late are topwater time! Even shady areas in the afternoon can be incredibly productive. *No Aurora or Elgin jokes please!

Thanks for the recap Bart. That does sound like a tough one!

How did it go? Would love to hear what was working, where (river) and about the winners...

Skip the kayak and be careful around the banks. It’s crazy high & fast. https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=05543500 Unfortunately, I have a feeling that our local rivers will be handing out some Darwin Awards to the unwary.

Hi Sean. Was nice to meet you too! I totally missed the correlation between your name and your ISA tourney post. Sorry about that!

Thanks. The rising, muddy river proved challenging early. Fishing improved as the day wore on. Loaded up and relocated five times over four different towns. Overall, fairly quiet on the river. Only ran into competitors at one location. My original plan was topwater, but laying awake all night and listening to that nasty thunderstorm had me rethinking everything. Despite giving topwater a shot at select locations, caught everything on a swim jig. KBL runs a tight tournament and Rocktown Adventures in Aurora were gracious hosts. Thanks to Kip O. for bringing some frosty beverages. Hopefully there are more Fox (or local) kayak fishing tournaments in the future and they can attract a larger field of competitors. We ended up with 17 signed up, so they were able to raffle off a $999 NuCanoe "Flint" fishing kayak! Kudos to all that participated. It was a fun venue.

Bump. Tournament fast approaching ... June 10! Need more competition.

Looks super fun and I like your logo! Nice to see more local tournaments being hosted. The South Moon BBQ location for the headquarters is a nice idea. Steep entry fee, so should be neat to see who you attract and what the final scores (and prizes!) are. Good luck with it!!!