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Joe R

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Everything posted by Joe R

  1. I know of a nest that the was really close to a remote section of a river and the eagles abandoned it built a new one nearby farther off the bank. Eagles can relocate the next season if they are uncomfortable with man. If there is a 330 foot rule that is a good thing. I generally just paddle through when an eagle nest is nearby and they are sitting on eggs or have eaglets. Ive been tempted to get out and walk closer to take photos but would not do so of course. If there is a bird that I wouldn't want attacking me its an eagle.
  2. Kill all the otter and genetically modify them to create Otter variants that only want to eat Carp. That would be a good thing.
  3. Joe R

    mepps

    Smallies throwing Meps trebles would be more about the hook used by Meps. I throw a lot of inlines and don't have that problem with smallies shaking off but 99,99% of the time Im throwing inlines I make myself. I do so since I pike fish a lot and making my own inline with a skirt pattern I can make of my choice, weight, size, blade type, hook etc. Glad this topic was brought up Meps are such a deadly river multispecies catcher due and run so great in rivers. Plus they have such a variety of color patterns. They dont have much competition rooster tails are inferior, Blue Fox are quality but seem more targeted for trout and salmon in some respects.
  4. The fish looks the same but the fisherman looks different. 2 different guys. I caught a smallie on a crankbait, 2 minutes later I caught it again. It had a couple weird black blotches on it so it was a for sure thing. Crazy.
  5. Wow some great comments here from veteran anglers. With bluebird skies, clear water, the big fish 18" plus most always will be under cover of shade, under a log, under weeds, etc. If you have very fast water with rocks and holes just very dynamic water they may be up shallow in feeding positions and will bite in sunny bluebird sky. I get very particular on color selection with paddle tails depending on conditions. For clear running water using a paddletail that has some blue or purple tint with some sparkle can really trick the bigger fish into thinking they have a larger baitfish and they will chase. Also clearer water low I often fish going upstream walk the river tow yak. Its more side casting with some drift but you spook less fish.
  6. Yes spawn is long over but not logging into ISA often I intended to share some observations from spring at some point, by far compared to any other year, I had observed hundreds upon hundreds of spawning beds. Most of it in Door county but a lot in several rivers northern Illinois and southern Wisconsion. I havent read anything about spawn but these comments are based just on my observations. For rivers no revelations you most all know the story here, spawn beds are in protected areas, often may be very tight to shore, tucked behind rock, laydown, small land outjut with eddie, perhaps just 1 to 3 beds in a small area. What I did observe this year was aggressive male bed behavior. The male will aggreasively ram the largest of carp approaching the bed, same goes for pike, bullied away. As for Door County lake Michigan, which I have kayaked fished 30 years, I know its bays both lake side and bay sides very well. Because of potential of crashing waves all beds are in the most protected areas which may be man made dock areas, protected rip rap areas, etc. Some spawn areas are communal many beds. But most beds are in natural bays that have large flats of sea reeds thay may extend far from shore creating various channels hidden type bays where access is by kayak only since very shallow. The reeds create natural wave breaks and although mostly sand those areas with any exposed mixed sand gravel will certainly have beds. Seeing hundreds of beds in such areas Ive drawn my own conclusions right or worng -many males build beds that females wont spawn in. Nevertheless males maintain the bed. - those beds with eggs there are many eggs. Makes me wonder if multiple females may use a more limited number of beds in reality. - the best of all observations is viewing recently hatched (tight fry balls) in beds with male. First year I have observed this. A rare sight but with clear shallow water easily observable but certainly more fulfilling when just paddling around observing instead of fishing.
  7. What do you hang with...like bring a portable drill and wood screws?
  8. When you say clean up you mean cleanup on the smallies or do you mean cleanup as in pickup garbage and retreive Paul's lures from trees?
  9. Its concerning for small streams and river systems. I would think minimal impact on big rivers. Lets hope they are eating more carp and suckers than game fish. I'd imagine the very common mink has impact also but is less noticeable since would consumer smaller fish. The scat I have seen on the Pecatonica (was a dining area) - plenty of scales and chewed bones.
  10. Sounds like a case to find that private company that goes IPO route and keep an eye on the stock price.
  11. Crazy good AI. Wow. For the most parts the smallmouth and what to wear and boots is for the most part correct advice-wise. I fish a lot in fact I had fished the last 4 days. I like cold weather fishing. I have actually have 4 different wader boots none of them being felt. Instead of felt I have installed screw in lugs on 3 out of 4 of my boots. Helps in general slippery rocks, mud banks, or ice.
  12. Joe R

    Spots

    Most of my photos are from GOPRO but I have GPS turned off.
  13. Im out. Going to hit Musky Expo when it opens than fish the lower des plaines in aftenoon. Cherry Valley looks to be below freezing all day so heading south. I will see ISA FOLKS AT THE BLOWOUT instead.
  14. Going to try and make it. It will be iced guides but may hunt river pike after that.
  15. Joe R

    Spots

    My grey hair indicates Ive been fishing a long time. Large rivers spot sharing is of far less impact as compared to streams. Huge impact to streams when fish harvesters frequent skinny waters. As an example of an impacted river: the Des Plaines river in Lake county is what I would consider a small river. Simiilar to a upper branch of the Dupage for example. With the explosion of social media and forums its pike population has been decimated steadily over the last 10 years. By harvesters and by less skilled fisherman causing mortality in summer months due to poor handling. On the flip side though all of the dams have been removed and its been shocking to see how fast the smallies have migrates from southern cook and Will counties to upper cook and lake county. Many small bass went north. So a small river can change greatly by mans impact, in a relatively speaking short time period.
  16. Tom I will try and make it, Have some ginger in the house.
  17. Very nice fish. I was on Kankakee yesterday boy was it a floating grass nightmare where I was. Not sure if I will make the outing yet but hope that dupage grass stays glued to bottom.
  18. Kevin if it's too shallow going upstream i just walk up the river in those sections and have a rope tied to my canoe or yak. So I'm casting and walking up river while I'm towing the boat which is tied to my waist belt or waders. Works well for dealing with shallows going upriver
  19. Troopers! Thanks for carrying the ISA flag today guys. Nutty.
  20. Gear in car but I may be a fair weather fisherman game time decision based on forecast/radar.
  21. Well with excess heat you will have some bad stuff bloom and heat may kill some good weeds in shallow water also. On eddies that don't flush and keep spinning you will have a combo of cottonwood tree fuzz and algae slime. I don't bother casting in those spots.
  22. I'm a definite solid hard iffy maybe. You know me. I cooked on south branch Genoa area yesterday stained. North branch was stained also several days ago upriver. I'm still blaming things on last year's drought not allowing river flushes.
  23. Thanks for your efforts John. Very good observations. The urban nature and drainage from construction or residential areas is tough to combat. That quarry drain topic geez you would think that they could treat the water specifically with neutralizing chemicals before they drain the lake into river.
  24. Those funny ford transit vans with 4cyl motors and little tires are kinda the rage now in diy conversions. Of course those delivery vans have various sizes some big enough put that yak rught in.
  25. I've kept the date open however my rule of thumb starting last year was don't put waders on if air temps over 80 degrees. The heck with breathable waders that is crap. They are cookers unless you can keep yourself waist deep at least. I'm out.
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