Where are all the Illinois Guys ?

[OG Crankster]

New Lenox has some good ponds.

[Eric 26]

@UmairF I appreciate the thoughts on catching tanks. Unfortunately I haven’t had much time this year to get out so when I do it’s to one of my favorite retention ponds which are mostly filled with dinks but they’re willing biters? @OG Crankster I’m not sure if you’re willing to share that pond information but beautiful fish ??

[OG Crankster]

That one is across the street from Tractor Supply Co.

[TheBaitMonkey]

On 8/8/2023 at 8:21 PM, slonezp said:

2 days of salmon fishing in Sturgeon Bay

 

Looks like a hell of a time!

[TheBaitMonkey]

Anyone here fish up on Lake Geneva in the fall? I’m making a trip up there next week and I’ve never been fishing there before, was thinking of starting in Williams Bay. Any tips would be much appreciated!

[slonezp]

It's been some time. The water is probably still pretty warm. I'd be fishing deep weed lines off of points. Geneva has some underwater points you'd need mapping to find. You can get the general gist of things from the Navionics web app. I'd be focusing on the 15-30ft range. Tick the top of the weeds in the 15ft range with moving baits and finesse on the drops to 30. 

 

If you have difficulty with artificials, catch yourself some small to medium sized perch and fish deep with a Wolf River rig

[cadman]

I fish there quite often. Fall is prime smallmouth time. If you can find them usually in 20 to 30 feet. Small minnows and crawlers work really well on drop shot. If you want some spots PM me.

[TheBaitMonkey]

13 hours ago, slonezp said:

It's been some time. The water is probably still pretty warm. I'd be fishing deep weed lines off of points. Geneva has some underwater points you'd need mapping to find. You can get the general gist of things from the Navionics web app. I'd be focusing on the 15-30ft range. Tick the top of the weeds in the 15ft range with moving baits and finesse on the drops to 30. 

 

If you have difficulty with artificials, catch yourself some small to medium sized perch and fish deep with a Wolf River rig

 

1 hour ago, cadman said:

I fish there quite often. Fall is prime smallmouth time. If you can find them usually in 20 to 30 feet. Small minnows and crawlers work really well on drop shot. If you want some spots PM me.

 

 

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it! 

[TheBaitMonkey]

Got a solid one out there today, 54 degree water temps. Got it on a squarebill running over the top of the grass in 10’ of water -

[slonezp]

Somewhat of a late post. I bought and filled out raffle entries at the Schaumburg fishing show back in January. I get contacted on Sept 12th that I won 1st place. I picked up a check a few weeks ago. Illinois BASS Nation and Make A Wish paired up for this. Never won anything in my life until this. 

 

 

[Eric 26]

@slonezp The suspense is killing me 🤔😬 What exactly did you win? Are we talking “I’m buying a Ranger boat”money or “ I’m treating me and the grandson to Culver’s tonight” money? The exact amount doesn’t need to be disclosed. Either way congratulations 😉👍🏻🎉😃

[slonezp]

8 hours ago, Eric 26 said:

@slonezp The suspense is killing me 🤔😬 What exactly did you win? Are we talking “I’m buying a Ranger boat”money or “ I’m treating me and the grandson to Culver’s tonight” money? The exact amount doesn’t need to be disclosed. Either way congratulations 😉👍🏻🎉😃

Got tires and a tune up on the SuperDuty and enough left over to pay the taxes on the winnings

[slonezp]

For you guys that don't check out the other threads...

 

[MidwestBassAttack]

Killed it out at Clinton Lake yesterday. 16 LM total. Made the 2.5 hour trek from Schaumburg and it was so worth it. Sticking close to home today out at Deep Quary.

[BigAngus752]

11 hours ago, MidwestBassAttack said:

Killed it out at Clinton Lake yesterday. 16 LM total. Made the 2.5 hour trek from Schaumburg and it was so worth it. Sticking close to home today out at Deep Quary.

That's something to be proud of.  Clinton has great bass but it can be tough to fish.  Nicely done.

[dgkasper58]

The weather could be cooperating to get out early up near Chicagoland!

[Jig Rookie]

I got out today--been planning this one for about a week.  Finally got a couple nights of (semi)warm weather so the water temps were able to stay up a bit.  Found two over 20" in less than 2ft of water on the north (windblown) shoreline.  Bluegill-colored chatterbait got it done, 20mph gusts.  70 degrees while I was out there, CRASHING to the low 20s tonight after this storm runs through.  My first open-water fish of the season!

[Bdnoble84]

Boy oh boy, it’s starting on the Rock

[UmairF]

Thinking about hitting some ponds tomorrow. Supposed to be in the high 50s/low60s tomorrow. You guys think the fish are in prespawn right now with this abnormally warm winter we’ve had? Not sure what the water temps are close to… one day it’s 40 the next 60 lol.

 

Also, what areas are you guys targeting right now? Trying to figure out if the bass are gonna start coming up shallow soon. Really wanna start throwing a glidebait but worried I’ll be throwing it in areas without fish.

 

My thoughts are that they're still slowly coming out of their deep wintering holes halfway to the bank. Not sure if any are willing to commit yet. Any other ideas?

 

Thanks!

Umair

 

 

[slonezp]

I was out once and didn't have a bite. My son got one bite on Island Lake last weekend. 

 

[Bdnoble84]

On 3/2/2024 at 1:11 PM, UmairF said:

Thinking about hitting some ponds tomorrow. Supposed to be in the high 50s/low60s tomorrow. You guys think the fish are in prespawn right now with this abnormally warm winter we’ve had? Not sure what the water temps are close to… one day it’s 40 the next 60 lol.

 

Also, what areas are you guys targeting right now? Trying to figure out if the bass are gonna start coming up shallow soon. Really wanna start throwing a glidebait but worried I’ll be throwing it in areas without fish.

 

My thoughts are that they're still slowly coming out of their deep wintering holes halfway to the bank. Not sure if any are willing to commit yet. Any other ideas?

 

Thanks!

Umair

 

 

Rock river is in the upper 40’s. Ponds might be slightly warmer. I would say no, but this warmup could definitely get them movin. 

[Jig Rookie]

Kinda rough weather in northern IL today but I've been on this 3-day weather pattern the last couple weeks (fishing the 3rd day of warm day/warmish night trend) and today is the target day. I decided to send this Jackall Gantarel knockoff (it's a super-slow sink, not a floater) and got lucky with my new PB! Went 20.75" and 5.77lbs. Water's less than 2ft visibility in this pond right now, off-and-on drizzle with 10-20mph NNE winds. I was using a moderate retrieve with pauses every three handle turns or so (reel, reel, reel, pause...let it glide off to the side and stall a couple seconds, then reel, reel...) She hit it right when I started reeling after a pause. She didn't TANK it, but it was a good double-tap.

Thanks for reading! God is great!!!

[gim]

Way to go @Jig Rookie.  New PB fish are the bomb.

[BigAngus752]

1 hour ago, Jig Rookie said:

Kinda rough weather in northern IL today but I've been on this 3-day weather pattern the last couple weeks (fishing the 3rd day of warm day/warmish night trend) and today is the target day. I decided to send this Jackall Gantarel knockoff (it's a super-slow sink, not a floater) and got lucky with my new PB! Went 20.75" and 5.77lbs. Water's less than 2ft visibility in this pond right now, off-and-on drizzle with 10-20mph NNE winds. I was using a moderate retrieve with pauses every three handle turns or so (reel, reel, reel, pause...let it glide off to the side and stall a couple seconds, then reel, reel...) She hit it right when I started reeling after a pause. She didn't TANK it, but it was a good double-tap.

Thanks for reading! God is great!!!

Hanging out with the big girls!!!

I had to come back and look at this thing again.  That is a battleship. 

[Jig Rookie]

1 hour ago, BigAngus752 said:

Hanging out with the big girls!!!

I had to come back and look at this thing again.  That is a battleship. 

Thanks, man I could not believe the build on this fish when I pulled her outta this litle pond. I"ve always called that build a "tank," but "battleship" is SO much better and of course apropos. I'll use that from now on!

 

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

Way to go @Jig Rookie.  New PB fish are the bomb.

They are! My last PB was a few ounces smaller, April of 2019. Took me almost five years to stick a bigger one, feels great.