ChrisC

Just to add... on this particular Saturday, from our launch at Hickory Bill's, we did not encounter a single other soul until reaching the State St. bridge before the park in Cherry Valley.

Don't forget to factor in all the time spent paddling against the current in order to retrieve baits snagged in brush and submerged timber. There were a number of times we got out and waded, also - and a few times we just floated with the current without casting. I hope to see some of you guys out there this year, too! It's not terribly far from home, but not nearly as close as the Fox, and not easy for me to get out there on weekdays. Maybe I can make it for the wade trip in June. Thanks again for the advice fellas.

We floated from Belvidere to Cherry Valley, launching at 6am. The river was in excellent condition for paddling, although the fishing was a little tough, as Jude predicted. My buddy caught 2-3 smallies, none bigger than about 10". I caught 2 smallies, a 9" and a 14". He also landed a decent sized pike, and I caught a surprisingly large catfish that put up a tremendous fight against my 6lb test, towing my boat around as well! The catfish was caught on a grub and the rest of the catching was on topwater. I have only fished that section of the Kish twice now, the first time being about a year ago exactly, when we bumped into Jude and the ISA outing. I think the river was a bit higher this time than the last, and it was a pretty tough day for fishing. The weather was overcast giving way to some sun, and despite slow fishing, it was a great way to spend a Saturday. I think we took out in Cherry Valley around 3 pm. For the most part, we fished at the river's pace, but there were a couple times we got out and waded with kayaks tethered. With some more experience on that stretch, or if I get a chance to fish it in lower flow conditions, hopefully I can start to hone in on some of the more productive spots, or spots more likely to hold fish. I really enjoy that peaceful stretch of water though, and look forward to coming back.

Thanks a bunch Terry. Earlier today I was checking your blog, which also proved a useful source of info regarding the gages. Still, I appreciate the specific tip you just mentioned. I'll keep an eye on the PRY12 gage overnight and make a judgement call tomorrow morning. Thanks again sir! Hope you enjoy the weekend. Chris

I know this is an old thread, but one of the young lads you're referring to here is me! I am headed out tomorrow morning with the same buddy of mine to float Belvidere - Cherry Valley. I came to the forum just now to snoop around looking for some insight on what BLVD gage levels should be for a safe float on that stretch.

Hi everyone, this is my first post here. A buddy and myself were kayak fishing on the Kish on the day of this trip, from Belvidere to Distillery Rd. That trip is only about half the distance to Cherry Valley, but we were on a time crunch and only had until about 1pm to fish. We started at about 5:30am and did a combination of wading and kayaking, while fishing with topwater baits, tubes, and swimbaits. Our luck looked very promising at first, each of us hooking into a fish before we even launched our boats. Unfortunately the bite slowed down and we ended the day with a little over a half dozen fish, with the largest being around 14" - 15". One of the other results of the day was that a little before noon, we got caught up by Jude and a couple other members of the ISA, who stopped to chat with us for a bit. He told us about the ISA, which honestly neither of us had heard of before but immediately sounded like a club we'd fit in well with. Lots of like-minded people interested in conservation, stewardship, outdoor recreation, and the wonderful smallmouth bass of course. Although we didn't stay and fish among the group, it was nice to meet some people out on the water doing exactly the same thing we were already doing ourselves. After getting home and putting the gear away, the next thing I did was log on, research a bit into the ISA, and within a few minutes, I was ready to join. Just a bit more about myself, I am 32 years old from Elgin, IL and I grew up fishing on the Fox River as well as taking vacations to northern Wisconsin to lakes in Mercer, Manitowish Waters, and Minocqua. I have been kayaking for about 3 years, but just recently got more serious about fishing from one. Try to get out and fish in my local stretches of the Fox as often as I can, which is sometimes more productive than others. I'm also looking to explore some more areas, such as stretches of the Kish, Apple River, Pecatonica, Nippersink, Vermillion, and anywhere else I can try. Looking forward to surfing the forum and seeing what else the ISA has to offer! Chris