Jump to content

Dick G

Registrants
  • Posts

    825
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Dick G

  1. I'll be there with my drill-screwdriver. I've got about 2 miles of extension cords-that should reach to the nearest houses along the river.
  2. I picked shallow. Last Friday, after a talk with Phil F., I went out and caught some smallies in shallow eddies right next to shore. My best fish was caught when I cast up onto the bank and let the Crawbug quietly slide into the water. The eddy was not only shallow, it was clear, sunny, bordered with rock and adjacent to deeper water. So maybe what I was really looking for was warmer water. I have caught many pond largemouth bass in March with ice still on some of the water by fishing right next to the bank in less than 2 feet of water.
  3. Breakfast for moi aussi, s'il vous plait. I think that means yes!
  4. I worked the Rosemont show on Friday with Ed L, Ed B, and Gregg S. We signed up 4 new members and got one renewal. Also Ed L (The Closer) got some interest from the Shimano booth in perhaps coming up with something for the Blowout. The weekend guys should follow up on this lead.
  5. New date sounds good. I'll be there.
  6. Tim check your pms. I'm available for one shift.
  7. Does any one have any information on a tanker truck spill near Champaign the day after Christmas. 10,000gallons of fuel were being carried when the truck over turned. Some of it did flow into Copper Slough, that empties into the Kaskaskia. I saw a picture of a dead fish in the local paper, but I did not hear about the results of clean up efforts. Tim S. do you have an update?
  8. Sounds like great idea. I like the fact this lake will be devoid of largemouth and bluegill. The smallmouth should end up being king of the hill. Since Don Labrose is going to be a speaker at the Blowout, we should show up in numbers. I will be there.
  9. Paul, I had envisioned using this rig on some areas accessible by kayak. Situated close to the faster water, perhaps an underhand-sidearm flip would lessen the prospects of line tangle. Maybe just a Carolina rigging would do the trick. The key is to get the bait to remain somewhat stationary in the current about mid level in the water column. I have caught several smallies in fast water when my bait has reached the end of its drift, and just before reeling the line back in. One day Don and I were goofing around and catching fish after fish behind our backs using this method.
  10. The new issue of Bassmaster magazine features a great technique for fast water smallmouth.Tie a triple swivel to your line. On one of the other swivels attach a 12" leader to a 1/4 oz bell sinker. On the remaining swivel tie on an 18 to 24" leader and attach to a 2/0 to 5/0 hook. Bait the hook with a senko, grub, fluke or tube. Cast into fast water. Let the weight settle to the bottom and retrieve very slowly- if at all. The current will keep the bait in the strike zone. The bait will be hovering above rocks, weeds and moss. Use a light line to the sinker. If the weight gets trapped on the bottom, break it off and reel in your plastic lure and attach a new line and sinker. Sounds like a good summer presentation. The largest smallmouth I ever encountered on the Fox was mid day in July. I hooked the fish in ridiculously fast water that I was trying to cross to get to a "good spot". I was dragging a large Hula Grub - more for balance than actual fishing- and was totally surprised when I found myself fighting a huge smallie. It really wasn't a fight. The fish jumped and threw the bait while I tried to maintain my balance in the current. That's the type of water I'm looking for next summer to try this catfish rig!
  11. Jim, I noticed at Bass Pro in Bolingbrook they display huge logos of conservation groups on the wall above the exit doors. They have Ducks Unlimited, The Conservation Fund, Issack Walton, etc. Is there any chance of getting an ISA sign up there?
  12. I,d consult Jim J on this one. He could set it up in his back yard and practice his bridge casting techniques.
  13. Jim, The SOT kayak is not going to win any races. My Tarpon (Wilderness Systems) takes a while to get up to speed going upstream. I don't even like fishing from a canoe or kayak, but it sure gets you to the good spots! I fished the Dupage and went to one spot that would have been an hour wade, mostly in unproductive water. I got there in about 15 minutes and caught 4 fish. Fishing all the way back to my put in point, I had only one more bite. The one spot where I got the fish, I got out and waded. Just put the kayak aground or tie it to your belt and float it with you as you wade. In these smaller waters its all about access.
  14. Hey, don't say I don't get right on things. I finally put my Tarpon in the water today. Got a wet butt and caught my first smallies with the yak. Little fish from a little stream- but big fun.
  15. Steve Jordan and I helped drain a rearing pond around Farmer City on Thursday October 18th. Trent Thomas and crew from the DNR worked their tails off all day to retrieve the large brood stock as well as the smallmouth offspring from nets full of writhing, muddy crayfish, baby crappie, sun fish and tadpoles. The adult smallmouth produced 141 little guys that were returned to the Kaskaskia River on Friday, the 19th. Some of the young smallies were minnow sized, while others were 6" fish after only one season in the pond. Apparently some of the larger smallmouth dined on their own siblings as well as the thousands of tiny sun fish and crappie. On Friday I was joined at the Shelbyville spillway by ISA members Jack Thompson and Dave Franklin for the fin clipping. Each fish had a fin clipped for future identification. Half were released below Lake Shelbyville and half above the lake. There will be another pond draining at Lake Shelbyville Friday, October 26th. There should be a thousand smallmouth in this pond. These fish will be released into the lake itself.The DNR could use help on this project also. I hope some ISA members will be able to get down there and give a hand. I will write a more extensive article for the Bronzeback Bulletin about all our exciting adventures.
  16. The smallmouth was 21" and 5 1/4 lbs. The fish was 5 lbs when it was put into the rearing pond last spring. Thirteen breeders were put in the pond and 12 were captured to be released into the Kaskaskia. So that's a Mooneye! It really smacked that Senko. I have never seen anything like it.
  17. I will report further on the pond draining and fin clipping at the Kaskaskia spillway when I get back in town on Monday. Here are two pictures and two questions. How big is that smallie that Trent Thomas is holding? Both length and weight. This fish was recorded on equipment purchased by the ISA for the DNR, so I know the exact size. The second picture is of a fish I caught in the Embarras River on a Senko. What is this fish. I have no Idea. 1.jp g]
  18. This is really great news. No longer will I have to smear my face with mud,crawl on my belly like a reptile and dive into clumps of stinging nettles every time I hear or see someone approaching. Perhaps we could work with the county by giving them river condition reports (log jams, illegal dumping,wildlife sightings). Also, is there any possibility of discussing access points, fishermen parking and canoe launches? Great job ISA! One more thought. Do we keep this news quiet in the fishing community, or do we crow about it ?
  19. Tim, I can do the 18th, but not the 5th. I'll get details from you.
  20. This is a question for Tim or anyone who has info. I would like to help survey the smallmouth from the Kaskaskia River. Is this going to be done this fall? Or did I already miss it? I know one year Gary L. went down south and helped count some fish and clip some fins. I would like to help out.
  21. There were several confirmed sightings of an ISA hat in Europe this summer. The hat was usually seen near a glass of beer.
  22. Area#7 parking lot on the 3K- yellow sign has been torn down.
  23. The big one was closer to 16. Twelve hours of fishing and that was the only quality fish I caught Saturday! The litlle guy goes at least 3 and 15/16 ths".
  24. Not only did I catch the smallest smallmouth on the Dupage system Saturday, but I believe I also caught the largest smallmouth. When all you sissies went home after the clean up, I fished the West Branch in Naperville for a few hours before setting out on a real fishing trip on the main branch until sundown. This fish is more typical of what I catch!
×
×
  • Create New...