Joe R

Likely heading to sugar River Saturday. If sugar is super stained or pea soup I will revert back to rockton and start a float from the dam. Hoping I wouldn't see or smell anything negative in the water. But my understanding there is already confirmed materials falling in river hopefully not much chemicals. Good thing it has large volume it will flush easier.

My fishing grounds October through March. Glad I heard they won't pour more water on it.

I waded fox Thursday around dundee where water is always fast lots of biting dinks in fast shallow rocky water. Canoe time between Belvidere and cherry valley this morning everything fine there. But on way home I waded near .Marengo it's a bad situation there. Previous couple years good fishing now it's terrible brown water and all the small rain events just add more silt over sand and gravel. Never seen so much silt. Need high water events to flush. I seen 2 dead suckers and 2 swimming sideways neither will last. There's a lot of seasonal fish movement on rivers that are not dammed and since I like to get upriver and skinny I definitely see much more fish upriver all year if springs bring flood events

Haven't been fishing Fox but it's pretty sad on what I'm seeing way farther upriver on the kish. North branch fo example. Not a clear flow I would normally expect in low rain periods but as you mention more stagnant brownish water and in eddies yes foamy cottonwood swirls. Besides that more silt over areas that in past was cleaner gravel. Rains and higher water will help flush lousy water and silt. Normally I'd expect more fish farther upriver towards Marengo as fish move up from winter areas with high water rains. No dams but low water downed trees fish could not do a typical spring and early summer move on rain heightened river. Colder water species like pike and walleye will be primary risk for fish kill. At the southern limit of natural range hot rivers they are stressed as is but once caught need immediate release.

Well if there is a bunch of cicadas around may just jam one through a bare 2/0 hook and toss it into an eddy with a UL rod. Mono leader.

I hike and carry too much gear as it is front pack and backpack. But if i have a stupid river crossing or sketchy section i just look for a stout branch. Test if first make sure it doesnt break. Something caveman cool about using a big ass stick as a staff. When done toss it down and reuse on the way back. If you want you can use a heavy beast and it really plants good in the water.

Do I have to show vaccination card and ID proof? Since I listen to music on my bluetooth speaker when I float I have caveat no Cheap Trick requests.

When i retire in a few years and leave Illinois it will have nothing to do with the corrupt politics, super high taxes, dismal financial state massive debt, etc it will be because of the archaic stupid non navigable river laws, over channelized waters, and less protective fishing laws. Lack of public acess on the more rural waters is one thing that is understandable but the trespass law is archaeic and i doubt that will change in my lifetime.

He did ask me to come to back of his car he popped the trunk. It was just NED rigs and jerk baits I felt safe.

Yep open thanks ran into a guy named Paul T coercing smallies dragging NEDe

Any of you fine folks been by the kish recently and know if its mostly open please share As in no major ice bergs....thinking about a paddle sunday or monday. Typically ice upriver skinny but farther downstream maybe okay

I missed blowout but I will give this a go....first timer

Go up to door county they have close in wrecks with clearer water there have done a fair amount of swimming up there when water is warmer say from mid July through early September have seen countless smallies that is when you understand the concept of schooling hooligan bass who roam. They cover a lot of water.

Let the countdown begin...

Crazy still rising.

I will be family camping at sugar river county park with in laws for a few nights starting Saturday , location influenced by my selfish desire to fish sugar and rock. Couldn't imagine fishing there though will be a serious river blowout anything originating way north Illinois or Wisconsin. Crazy I recently fished turtle creek in Wisconsin at about 130 cfs and now it's like 3000 cfs

Boone county Fair with wife is current plans. I fished south branch today upriver. Wow very very low could use some rain. Lots of dead moss coming up from bottom now floating on top very irratating.

Nice. Guess I missed this one, was traveling anyways. That stained thing seems to be going on with some other streams longer then usual.

I sized up bought a 11 instead of 10. Used them for first time this evening not very good in mud but I'm going to love them for the right scenarios since super light and comfy and will be good for hot weather. They will dry very quickly.

Rivers and lakes for pike and largemouth I always carry a few bladed chatter jigs with large grub or swimbait trailers. Especially if water is stained or there is weeds present. Smallies fishing I never throw bladed jigs, there are better options. Something about that blade thumping can really trigger reaction strikes though....

I just tossed a pair of my wading boots in garbage yesterday falling apart not fixable. How is the sizing on these boots just right or size up or down?

I bought a Sportrack SR 1002 roof rack to toss on my older Corolla. Its not Aero but its all metal and its solid and most importantly grabs the car so well there is no way it can come off. For SOTs they are flat top for the most part all I do is flip the yak over so hull is up and I lay it on top of cross bars. I have rubber wrapped around the cross bars. I use good yakima straps and a good method of strapping the yak down I could drive 80mph into a 20mph wind no worries. Rock solid. No way I would pay $450 dollars for a yakima or thule roof rack plus 100-200 for a kayak holder, its not necessary. The SportracK crossbars I bought was $120 at the time. https://www.walmart.com/ip/SportRack-SR1002-Square-Crossbar-Bare-Roof-Rack-System-50-5-Inches-Black/23578463

I use simple cheap and super light mesh lumbar back supports in my kayaks. Not fantastic but I find it does help. https://www.walmart.com/ip/2-Cool-Vent-Cushion-Mesh-Back-Lumber-Support-Car-Office-Chair-Truck-Seat-Black/185116845?athcpid=185116845&athpgid=athenaItemPage&athcgid=null&athznid=PWVAV&athieid=v0&athstid=CS020&athguid=7b3ccc2d-aae-16afc11f8ae136&athena=true

Rather odd rivers that I fish mainly like Kish and Des plaines, and tribs, can go to summer time levels in winter. They can get very low which in skinnier parts can be a challenge to fish in harshest winters. Looking at long term graphs for V this doesn't seem to be the case. Just odd. Like you said looking at this more you have to be careful with refercing median for V it's such a seasonal river certainly not the norm for northern Illinois rivers. It's not like there are gates holding water back like on the fox where they may drain down the chain of lakes seasonally.

Manny do you know why the vermilion varies so much? All local rivers vary seasonally do but why vermilion more so? Usually you can associate gradient to faster draining rivers. Last two fall trips passing through to and from Iowa i waded leonore gauge at 3.8ft other time was 4.4ft both were manageable. Another time when I was passing through it was close to 6ft and I didn't bother to stop for that.