tgoodmanii

Thanks again Terry. I had a great time Saturday. I ended up with 20-25 smallmouth. Nothing of any size with the two biggest at 14, a couple 12's, and the rest dinks. Mostly on soft plastics and a few with an inline spinner, and a few on top water. Great company and a nice stretch of the Kish made for a great outing. Definitely looking forward to the next one. Paul- OUCH! I thought I had it rough the other day when I lost 2 chug bugs in fifteen minutes to some branches. Glad to hear you made it out of there in one piece.

Congrats Ben!

How about Terry Dodge!

Still got the backpack?

I'm a wimp:) Just didn't want to get out there and be unprepared.

Count me in. It's been awhile since I've been on the Kish. Looking forward to it. What have the water temps been like? Too cold to wet wade?

Thanks to all the guys who came out for the tournament. Paddle and Trail did an excellent job once again hosting the tournament. Congratulations to Tom, Bart, and Frank. I had a good three mile wade on a small stream. Landed 31 smallmouth. Unfortunately I lost my biggest fish of the day which went 17-18 inches. It's tough to keep a feisty smallmouth still on a measuring board long enough to get a good picture. After it flopped off the board and got covered in sand I had to get him back in the water before another attempt at a pic. It did a strong head shake, I lost my grip, and the fish vanished before I even knew what happened. Oh well, that's fishing. Most of the fish were in the 9-13 inch range. I did get two 15's and a 15.5. Not even close to Tom's 3 fish. I was using 4" berkley power worms and Bass-ett Bait Craw TT both rigged on an 1/8th ounce slider head. Fish were caught in deeper holes on outside bends near logs and current. It was a fun day and great company at the results show. I'm looking forward to next year. I hope to see more of you out there and better river conditions.

I won't be able to make. I forgot a friend of mine is getting married that day.Hope you all have a good time.

We have 15 competitors registered for the tournament so far. 9 of them are ISA members and 2 are relatives of ISA members. With only three days left to register for the tournament, I want to encourage anyone who has been on the fence to come be part of a fun event. And your chances of wining the Coosa or one of the other prizes are pretty good. At the least you will have a great day fishing and join up with several ISA members and others to share stories and a good meal. I also have some lures from a local sponsor to give out for free to those who want them. And don't forget about the $10 discount on registration. Contact me for the discount code by PM or my email address above.

I might come if some other NW guys want to travel in together. Terry and Jude let me know.

Good news. The July 22 registration deadline has been extended to the day before the tournament July 27. But you will need to go to a Paddle and Trail during business hours or attend the pre-tournament meeting at the Aurora store in order to pick up the official measuring device.If you register on or before July 22nd they can still be shipped to you for a small fee. We are also offering a $10.00 registration discount for those who have not registered yet. Send me a PM if you would like this discount. Don't forget the grand prize is a new Coosa fishing kayak!

I had a great time with you guys and gal. The Apple is a great place to fish especially with a great group like we had. I'm looking forward to our next outing. I only took a couple pics. Paul and Deb I think

Looks like it was a fun event. Great pics Eric.

I'll be there

You're absolutely right Ralph.

I guess times are hard.

Mark your calenders! Paddle and Trail is hosting the River Bassin' Tournament on July 28, 2012. This eco-friendly tournament is driven by a unique conservation minded, catch-measure-photo-release format that promotes sustainability within the environment. Anglers can fish in rivers or streams in a large area of northern Illinois in kayaks, canoes, or other floatation devices. Shore fishing and wading is also encouraged if you desire to do so. This is a fun family oriented competition that promotes catch and release. Begin fishing at dawn the day of the tournament, and take a photo of your catch on a standard measuring board given to all anglers. Upon taking the photo anglers are to immediately release the fish back into the water for future generations to enjoy. If you haven't registered yet or need more info including the rules for the tournament and map visit http://riverbassin.eventbrite.com. If you have any other questions or comments about the tournament post them under this forum topic or contact me, Tim Goodman at tgoodmanii@gmail.com or call me at 815-222-9920. We need everyone to be registered by July 22. You can also check out the article in the last newsletter about the tournament. Flyers 2.pdf

I hit the south branch yesterday and was surprised by the water color/clarity. I did manage one 15 in smallie and several missed hits on top water. Last week the water was clear and I was sight fishing with ease.

Thanks Terry. We had a great time. Nice to meet all the ISA guys out there. I did bring three (3) of the boys I "produced" and they had a great time too. Especially when Jude went home and got his seine net and showed my boys how to catch minnows, crayfish, and a hellgrammite. I was surprised by how many crayfish we caught in such a small high traffic area of the Kish. Paul also shared a few of his favorite baits and techniques with us.

Confirmed. I will have boys with me. What time are we meeting and where?

Got mine on Tuesday. Enjoyed the articles and the new look very much. Thanks for the hard work of puting together a great mag/newsletter. A high quality publication by a high quality organization. Just another reason to be proud and thankful for the ISA. Thanks again guys! Terry, you can borrow mine. Ha!

Jude - your a funny guy! (funny ha ha not funny like the grown man you saw blowing bubbles) Terry - One of the smaller streams that you and I fish in our region is loaded with poison ivy. I'm surprised I haven't been affected by it. Maybe I'm immune

I'm planning on being there. I'll bring my yak.

Nice!

Tubers suck! That pretty much sums up my view and experience with them. Fines only work if there are officers on site to enforce them and I don't see that happening. They need to be educated and encouraged to respect and protect the Kish. Hopfully the FOTKR can come up with some good strategies to tackle these issues. And I hope they keep the South Branch in view.