TourPT Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 WOW! Good looking fish, I too was throwing the rattle baits today, nothing to show for it though. I'm fishin mostly St. Charles and there are only a few ponds that have skim ice in certain corners of the pond. Otherwise all open water! That's only 25 minutes form me. Hey would you know if the main pond over at Fermilab is still heated? I lived in Batavia a few years back and Fermi had one pond that you could fish all year long back then. I heard the fishing has gone down hill over there over the last few years, but at this point I'll take whatever open water I can get. Also have you been over to Pratt's Woods in Wanye? Just wondering If that's still ice or not. Thanks in advance for any info you may have. Sorry for not staying on topic to the original poster. I heard open water and got all excited. It's been a long winter. Quote
CSimon2 Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 Thanks Huntnfish and Locked! It was nice to get the first one of the year. Going out again tomorow to another pond I fish and saw it had no ice. I had some good luck there in the summer, so let's see how it is in the early spring. Quote
ChiCityBasser Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 Nice catches guys and I'm in Calumet City and will get out this evening to one of the local ponds. I have a shallow running crankbait on one rod to initially try and a black and blue jig/pig on another rod to give it a try. Quote
Huntnfish Posted March 17, 2011 Author Posted March 17, 2011 TourPT: From what I have heard, fermi still heats the pond. I haven't been over there this year though, might be something to try out! Also, I have heard of Pratt Wayne, have not fished it though, so sorry I have no information on that except that my buddy fished it over the summer and said it gets hit pretty hard, very pressured. Good luck! Quote
aceman387 Posted March 17, 2011 Posted March 17, 2011 I have been out fishing at two different locations.The first place was a cemetery retention pond that i told has bass. (no luck) The second place i tried was a cook county forest preserve lake.(no luck) At the forest preserve lake there were a few others fishing so i walked along and chatted with them, all of us got skunked.I tried lipless cranks,black & blue jig,and a Berkly swim bait. Quote
ChiCityBasser Posted March 18, 2011 Posted March 18, 2011 I have been out fishing at two different locations.The first place was a cemetery retention pond that i told has bass. (no luck) The second place i tried was a cook county forest preserve lake.(no luck) At the forest preserve lake there were a few others fishing so i walked along and chatted with them, all of us got skunked.I tried lipless cranks,black & blue jig,and a Berkly swim bait. I got out today to a little pond and tried a shallow running crank but no luck for me either. Which forest preserve lakes? Quote
Pharticus Posted March 18, 2011 Posted March 18, 2011 I'm out west on the UT/ID border. I went out and broke up the ice on my pond a week and a half ago. It's all melted now. I've fished in my pond and fished in a local reservoir that's thawed (because of the river's flow) - struck out both times. I tried everything. No luck. Not even with nightcrawlers. Here's hoping it improves quickly. Quote
TourPT Posted March 18, 2011 Posted March 18, 2011 TourPT: From what I have heard, fermi still heats the pond. I haven't been over there this year though, might be something to try out! Also, I have heard of Pratt Wayne, have not fished it though, so sorry I have no information on that except that my buddy fished it over the summer and said it gets hit pretty hard, very pressured. Good luck! Thanks for the update. Water finally opened up some here today. I did not have time to fish but I was rather surprised to see plenty of blue gill and some small bass swimming the shoreline. Part of the pond still had a thin sheet of ice on it. Will be out there tomorrow to see if I can't get a bite. Even if I don't I don't care, just being out there after a long winter is good enough for me. Quote
bassking1976 Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 I am fishing in northern illinois in a lot of residential ponds, most of which have just lost their ice, some even have a little bit left in certain areas of the water. I went out today and boy was it nice to get out finally, but no fish to show for it. Anyone have any tips for such a scenario? Thanks!! WTH! i thought it was cold in a place like Illinois?! I'm in northern PA and our lakes and ponds are still completely froze around here! i mean froze solid right to the banks, its not even starting to thaw away from shore! i just need to get out and at least cast for a while Im in the WTH department too on this. Im in Rockford IL and there is a 26 acre lake 2 miles from me. I checked it yesterday at 3:30pn and its still iced over. i too am from rockford area ice still on alot of lakes which lake u by quake? Quote
bassking1976 Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 hey tourPT been to pratt wayne a couple times its highly pressured so bass tough to catch prob been there before but in the same area is bass lake right off of army trail rd havent been there in a while but definitely had some nice bass and seem to hook up every time out Quote
bassking1976 Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 well gonna head out in a little bit figures it was really cold last night and little colder then it has been during week 40's compared to 60's should be tough but gonna give it a go Quote
TourPT Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 hey tourPT been to pratt wayne a couple times its highly pressured so bass tough to catch prob been there before but in the same area is bass lake right off of army trail rd havent been there in a while but definitely had some nice bass and seem to hook up every time out Bass Lake? Is that the one near Army Trail And Smith Road? Pratt's has been that way since I started fishing there way back in the early 80's, however one day 2 years ago I was hammering them on a frog out there. I only fish it once or twice a year now, but if you hit that frog bite just right, it can be a blast out there. I actually had a dentist appointment in St Charles at 11am, so I hit Pratt's early and ended up missing my dentist appointment for the frog bite was on. LOL Good luck out there today. I went out for a couple hours at a pond close to home here in Sycamore, did not get a bite but it sure felt good wetting a line. Tried a Jig & Craw, Crankbait, Rattle Trap and A Senko with no luck. Quote
bassking1976 Posted March 19, 2011 Posted March 19, 2011 yeah bass lake is off army trail rd right next to deep qurry lake used to be able to park on army trail but they dont let u anymore Quote
ChiCityBasser Posted March 20, 2011 Posted March 20, 2011 yeah bass lake is off army trail rd right next to deep qurry lake used to be able to park on army trail but they dont let u anymore I've been to both bass lake and deep quarry and no they don't let you park on army trail anymore and have to do as we did last time out and park at deep quarry and walk over to bass lake. I got out yesterday to a little park district lake in indiana but no luck on jerkbait but chance to get a feel for a couple of rods and it just felt good being out. Quote
laus Posted March 20, 2011 Posted March 20, 2011 Froze over everywhere here! One of our pulp mills on the Androscoggin has open water 50% or so below dam, and there I'll go tomorrow. But when there's a break in the ice more than 5' on my home lake (Thompson....smallie city) I'll be in my kayak like a shot with spinnerbaits and cranks Quote
laus Posted March 20, 2011 Posted March 20, 2011 Last year, anyhow! d**n. Gotta have hope in Maine... Quote
Super User QUAKEnSHAKE Posted March 23, 2011 Super User Posted March 23, 2011 I am fishing in northern illinois in a lot of residential ponds, most of which have just lost their ice, some even have a little bit left in certain areas of the water. I went out today and boy was it nice to get out finally, but no fish to show for it. Anyone have any tips for such a scenario? Thanks!! WTH! i thought it was cold in a place like Illinois?! I'm in northern PA and our lakes and ponds are still completely froze around here! i mean froze solid right to the banks, its not even starting to thaw away from shore! i just need to get out and at least cast for a while Im in the WTH department too on this. Im in Rockford IL and there is a 26 acre lake 2 miles from me. I checked it yesterday at 3:30pn and its still iced over. i too am from rockford area ice still on alot of lakes which lake u by quake? Cherry Valley Lake I did get out last Friday to test my new rods&reels ice was still within casting distance. Caught nothing but did see a grayfish move out from rocks about 10 feet. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.