Meet me and Stream Stalker Saturday

This Saturday at 3:30 pm two of the Prairiestateoutdoors bloggers will be at Indian Creek High School beginnng at 3:30 pm.

Jonn “The Stream Stalker” Graham will be speaking on this 4 favorite stream smallie presentations

“For this seminar I am going to talk about 4 of my most productive techniques for river smallies,” states Graham.

The four techniques that Graham will be focusing on are as follows:
1) swim jig

2) sammy 100

3) versatile uses of a slider head

4) the floating fly

Graham’s reputation as a great angler precedes him. I am going to be there and will listen in on his presentation.

One other person of interest that you might want to check out is Jim “Crappie Professor” Kopjo. He is without a doubt the most knowledgeable crappie angler I have ever met.

Denny Sands and I will be rounding out the evening with the “Shabbona Lake by the numbers” presentation. This slideshow will include photos of the lake before it was flooded. If you have ever thought about fishing this lake or are a seasoned Shabbona angler, you will not want to miss this informative presentation.

I will have a table set up there that I will be sitting at when the other presenters are speaking. Please feel free to stop by and say hi!

Jay

Walleyes stocked at Shabbona Lake

I have some good news. On Tuesday, November 10th, 1,725 walleyes were stocked into Shabbona Lake. These walleyes were stocked in addition to the walleyes that the IDNR stocks annualy.

The walleyes ranged between 6 and 10 inches in lenght. I have talked to fisheries biologists about the survival rate of larger fish and they have told me that they expect somewhere around 50% of them to survive the first year.

I can tell you that when the Shabbona Sportsmans club used to stock fish of this size on an annual basis we had some fantastic walleye fishing. Then, when we stopped the additional stockings the walleye population diminished.

I would like to thank Denny Sands, the Shabbona Sportsmans Club, Shabbona’s Lakeside Bait and Tackle as well as everyone who donated to the walleye restocking fund. The fishery at Shabbona Lake is incredible because so many people care!

All Shabbona Show Nov. 14

SHABBONA LAKE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB
PRESENTS

“The All Shabbona Show”

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2009

at Indian Creek High School
Shabbona, Illinois

Door opens at 3:30 p.m.

Raffles, Vendors, Booths by: SLSC, ISA, Quad County Hawg Hunters, D.R.I.F.T.

Tackle by - C.B. Lures, Warrior Jigs, Lakeside Bait and Tackle

Guides – Jim Kopjo, Jonn Graham, Jay Angel

Old Lure Appraisals - by Dan Basore

Concessions

$10 Entry Fee $5 Students

Fishing seminars

3:45 – 4:15 p.m. Musky Fishing by Aaron Sands

4:20 - 4:50 Riggin Plastics by Bill Ballenger

5:00 - 5:30 Smallmouth Tactics by Jonn Graham

5:40 - 6:10 Ice Fishing Shabbona Lake by Jim Kopjo

6:15 - 6:40 Raffles

6:45 – 8:00 Shabbona Lake Slideshow by Denny Sands and Jay Angel (Photo’s of Lake before it was filled and fishing tips)

Evergreen Lake crappie fantastic

The crappie fishing is fantastic at Evergreen Lake right now because they are in tightly packed schools and relating to the deep brush that is found just off of the rustic campground shoreline. For best results use small bobbers and crappie sized minnows.

A great bite on the Illinois

Illinois River:
Henry IL:
Water temperatures were in the low ‘50’s.
On a tip from Jim Lukancic that the saugers were biting by the mouth of Lake Senachwhine I hooked up the boat and went out. We caught fish from the very first pass to the very last. I didn’t count the dinks, but we caught a 19.5, a 17, four 16’s and a couple of 14’s.

It has been years since I have had a day like this on the Illinois River. i have almost given up on it. But my buddy Jim L told me that the mouth of Senachwhine was on fire, so I decided to give it a try. I can’t tell you how excited I was when I laid into the first big sauger. I set the hook and this fish just kind of stayed there and then it shook its head. That head shake sent shivers up my spine.

Most of the nice sized saugers that I have caught in recent years have succumbed to trolling, but this was a jigging bite. That made it all the sweeter! I love it! A great jigging bite on the Illinois. You have got to get out there and take advantage of this because things can change in a second on the river!