Where are all the Illinois Guys ?

[Nice_Bass]

I would be in for that.

just 2 hours south of Chicago afterall.

[slonezp]

I can't see this link. Can everyone else? Maybe I'm blocked out at work. Will have to check when I get home

He's just busting our balls. It is a link to the central thread where the Wisconsin reports should be. 

[cadman]

very...not only am I not fishing WI but I am also not fishing IL the last 3 weeks either.

Used to fish the Chippewa flowage every year with a buddy who's family has had a cabin on it for the last 80 years.  He moved to vegas for work and I have not been back in 3-4 years.  Scary big musky up there.

Nice_bass,

    Back in '92 I used to go up there every year for 5 years straight. Back then I used to fish for muskie and walleye. Couple times on the flowage, I would be reeling in with a crankbait and I would see these big musky follow my lure many times to the boat. Would, make the hair on my neck stand up. My biggest (not so big) musky ever was on Little St. Germaine it was 36 ".

 

   4 years ago, my wIfe and I were fishing for walleye on "The Chain" in IL.  We were on Lake Marie fishing the sandbar. We both had on a 3/8 oz ball jig and a fathead minnow bouncing it off the bottom. My wife gets this hit and she tells me she's snagged. So I go to pull the line so she doesn't break the rod, and I feel it moving. Anyway I told her she had on a fish. She brought it boat side and I saw the musky as it took two more runs. Third time she brought it in and measured it it was 44". 48" is minimum. Took some pics and let her go. Following week went back to the same spot and a repeat performance, only this time the fish spooled her reel as she couldn't stop it. Never saw the fish.

[slonezp]

Nice_bass,

    Back in '92 I used to go up there every year for 5 years straight. Back then I used to fish for muskie and walleye. Couple times on the flowage, I would be reeling in with a crankbait and I would see these big musky follow my lure many times to the boat. Would, make the hair on my neck stand up. My biggest (not so big) musky ever was on Little St. Germaine it was 36 ".

 

   4 years ago, my wIfe and I were fishing for walleye on "The Chain" in IL.  We were on Lake Marie fishing the sandbar. We both had on a 3/8 oz ball jig and a fathead minnow bouncing it off the bottom. My wife gets this hit and she tells me she's snagged. So I go to pull the line so she doesn't break the rod, and I feel it moving. Anyway I told her she had on a fish. She brought it boat side and I saw the musky as it took two more runs. Third time she brought it in and measured it it was 44". 48" is minimum. Took some pics and let her go. Following week went back to the same spot and a repeat performance, only this time the fish spooled her reel as she couldn't stop it. Never saw the fish.

If you hit the Chain in early spring before the water clouds up, You will see a ton of musky sunning themselves in the shallows on Channel Lake. I've had follows of fish I'm sure are over 50"

[cadman]

I don't fish the Chain that often anymore, but I have a friend that musky fishes it, and he said it is better than it has ever been. Since they stocked it, he also said that he's seen many 50"+ fish out there. Also he mentioned that Channel and Catherine again by the sand bar where it kind of separates the two lakes is where he looks for them. Scares you to think all the kids that swim in that lake. I know that the fish are more scared of the people than the other way around.

[cadman]

Any of you guys in IL ice fish?

[coryn h. fishowl]

Sorry for the crappy pics. You'd think a woman could use a camera  We hit the Upper Dells instead of the lower. There was a walleye tourney going on and frankly, we didn't want to deal with the crowd, Water temps at 61* fish were caught fishing ledges in current areas. Everything on jigs and Gulp minnows. Ended up with a few each keeper bass and eater sized walleyes and a bunch of short fish.

Maybe she used one of the special features on a smartphone camera that I've never been able to find a use for

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Maybe she used one of the special features on a smartphone camera that I've never been able to find a use for

 

Those pics are in 3d just put on some red/blue shaded glasses and those fish POP out of the screen

[slonezp]

Any of you guys in IL ice fish?

Not me. I'm scared of going thru. I've had invites for years but can't drum up enough nerve. I did it once. I took an ice fishing class a long time ago put on by the DNR in  Dupage County, thinking I might want to do it. Haven't been on the ice since. My son used to go on Bangs with a buddy from high school. He went thru when he was 16yo, and thank God was able to get out. He hasn't been on the ice since. There is a winter bass trail on the Des Plaines at Big Basin. First tourney is tomorrow. 8 total between tomorrow and March. There's a chance I may hit a tourney or two. We'll see how it plays out

[slonezp]

Maybe she used one of the special features on a smartphone camera that I've never been able to find a use for

These are from a new Sony camera. Camera worked fine before and after she touched it. Shortly after she took the pics, she wanted to look something up on the phone and somehow messed up the ringtone. She hands the phone back and says "I think I screwed up your phone" Took me an hour to figure out how to get it working again.

[Nice_Bass]

Any of you guys in IL ice fish?

too thin down here for my liking- did it once in MN- drank more beer than fished, and had a good time.

[MarkH024]

Any of you guys in IL ice fish?

Not me. Not really my thing but if I got on a hole with a lot of walleye/perch for dinner I'd stick it out for a day or two. 

 

Sad day for me yesterday, winterized my boat and put her away until spring.

[cadman]

 

Sad day for me yesterday, winterized my boat and put her away until spring.

 

I did the same with my boat this weekend. All washed up,cleaned and winterized. All I have to do is to give it a good wax job then take out the batteries. I have another foot pedal I'm buying from a guy and I need to try it out to make sure it works.

 

Can't wait till Spring.

[cadman]

too thin down here for my liking- did it once in MN- drank more beer than fished, and had a good time.

 

Use to do that when I was younger (drink that is on the ice) with my friends while ice fishing. Now with the new laws and all, can't see myself with a DUI, and not being able to fish in my boat, or relying on someone to drive me everywhere. That would suck big time.

[Texas bassman]

I'm in Texas now but moving to Chicago in December

so your from austin? why are u moving to chicago?

[slonezp]

Hit the Chain for some crappie fishing this morning. Air temp at 30. Water temp at 44. Warmed up nicely today. 

[Nice_Bass]

hit a small 900 acre lake yesterday, may be one of the last trips of the year for bass after yesterday.  1 16.5 inch fish in 4 hours fishing. 

tough lake to fish though, electric only and no real way to put a patter together at that pace.

[MarkH024]

I went to a local lake yesterday for a few hours of bank fishing and brought only a drop shot rod......not even a sniff. This was my first skunk of the year. Glad you guys at least had a bit of action.

[cadman]

Slonezp and Nice_Bass,

      At least you guys got on the water. I hear its supposed to be in the mid 50's this weekend. I guess I should have waited in winterizing my boat.

 

Slonezp,

     I don't fish "The Chain", so can you tell me your secret spot where you got your fish this weekend?

 

There is a lake by my house about 50 acres, that I  start shore fishing in fall. Will be there this weekend and let you guys know how I do. I usually fish it, until the water starts to get skim ice. Last year Thanksgiving Day, I fished for about 4 hours and got a fat 16" bass.

[slonezp]

Slonezp and Nice_Bass,

      At least you guys got on the water. i hear its supposed to be in the mid 50's this weekend. I guess I should have waited in winterizing my boat.

 

Slonezp,

     I don't fish "The Chain", so can you tell me your secret spot where you got your fish this weekend?

LOL. No secret. There was about 8 boats at my secret spot when I left. None when I arrived. I got them in what's known as the T channel, which is off Pistakee. I was there 2 hours or so before I moved elsewhere. I saw bait busting the surface, picked up a couple nice crappie, and a bunch of small whites. As soon as the whites left, the crappies turned on. The school was mostly 9-10 1/2 inchers. I ran into a guy I know from another forum and we pulled all the crappies out of there by 10:00. Probably close to 60 in the school. I went to another area and picked up the occasional crappie and the bass. The key to pan fishing the Chain is to keep moving until you find them. I throw my bait at a dock or tree like you would for bass. Toss it to a couple key spots on each dock and if I don't get a bite in a couple seconds, I move until I find them. Fish of similar sizes school together and if I'm catching small ones I'll leave because there's no sense in wasting bait. I see a lot of guys who will sit and wait or sort thru the small ones for an occasional keeper. "Ain't nobody got time for that"

 

I think I'm going to hit the Dells this coming weekend for the last trip of the year. I've got to get the boat emptied out and back to the dealer before the snow starts. They're going to ship it back to Lund to repaint the hull.

[Nice_Bass]

"Slonezp and Nice_Bass,

      At least you guys got on the water. I hear its supposed to be in the mid 50's this weekend. I guess I should have waited in winterizing my boat."

 

it could have been a better day- marked a lot of crappie and most likely just should have fished for them but all I had was musky and bass gear in the boat.  water was 54 by the time I left- 2pm.  Cant really say I fished any prime time yesterday. 

[cadman]

LOL. No secret. There was about 8 boats at my secret spot when I left. None when I arrived. I got them in what's known as the T channel, which is off Pistakee. I was there 2 hours or so before I moved elsewhere. I saw bait busting the surface, picked up a couple nice crappie, and a bunch of small whites. As soon as the whites left, the crappies turned on. The school was mostly 9-10 1/2 inchers. I ran into a guy I know from another forum and we pulled all the crappies out of there by 10:00. Probably close to 60 in the school. I went to another area and picked up the occasional crappie and the bass. The key to pan fishing the Chain is to keep moving until you find them. I throw my bait at a dock or tree like you would for bass. Toss it to a couple key spots on each dock and if I don't get a bite in a couple seconds, I move until I find them. Fish of similar sizes school together and if I'm catching small ones I'll leave because there's no sense in wasting bait. I see a lot of guys who will sit and wait or sort thru the small ones for an occasional keeper. "Ain't nobody got time for that"

 

I think I'm going to hit the Dells this coming weekend for the last trip of the year. I've got to get the boat emptied out and back to the dealer before the snow starts. They're going to ship it back to Lund to repaint the hull.

 

Well looks like you guys done good with the crappie and white bass

 

"Slonezp and Nice_Bass,

      At least you guys got on the water. I hear its supposed to be in the mid 50's this weekend. I guess I should have waited in winterizing my boat."

 

it could have been a better day- marked a lot of crappie and most likely just should have fished for them but all I had was musky and bass gear in the boat.  water was 54 by the time I left- 2pm.  Cant really say I fished any prime time yesterday. 

 

Well,it's still better to be on the water looking for fish than at home cleaning a boat and thinking about it. it's going to be a long winter and we haven't even gotten snow yet.

[bwell]

hit a small 900 acre lake yesterday, may be one of the last trips of the year for bass after yesterday.  1 16.5 inch fish in 4 hours fishing. 

tough lake to fish though, electric only and no real way to put a patter together at that pace.

 

What the lake you are talking about, is it near Havana IL?

[Nice_Bass]

What the lake you are talking about, is it near Havana IL?

I guess I misspoke a tad.  It is actually a lake that only allows up to a 9.9hp, so for me...electric only.  Evergreen lake.

It is only 10 minutes from me, and used to be a great multispecies lake- not so much any longer these last couple of years and this was only my second or third time this year.   

[bwell]

I guess I misspoke a tad.  It is actually a lake that only allows up to a 9.9hp, so for me...electric only.  Evergreen lake.

It is only 10 minutes from me, and used to be a great multispecies lake- not so much any longer these last couple of years and this was only my second or third time this year.   

 

Got ya, I have never fished that lake before but heard it can be good at times.