http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/ Illinois' premier hunting, fishing and birding Web site en sjroutdoors@comcast.net Copyright 2013 Wed, 22 May 2013 23:47:28 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/fish_kill_on_lake_springfield_called_minor_natural The Illinois Department of Natural Resources fisheries division reports a recent fish kill on Lake Springfield involved hundreds of white bass. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News,
Dan Stephenson, asst. chief of the DNR fisheries division, said the kill is relatively minor and natural.

A handful of other species also were affected including largemouth bass, channel catfish, drum and common carp.

“It is hard to say what killed these fish, but I suspect it was a combination of several factors,” Stephenson said.

Rapid temperature changes over the past couple of weeks combined with weakened body condition due to spawning and the possibility of disease may have come together to cause the fish kill.

Many diseases and parasites are not species specific.

“But in this case since most were white bass, I suspect disease has much to do with it,” Stephenson said. “Regardless of what killed them, it was a natural kill and very minor, even though fishermen are seeing what they think is a lot of fish,”

Lake Springfield holds two to four million pounds of fish, Stephenson said.

About 200,000 to 400,000 pounds of fish die each year.

“This will have no effect on the sport fishery in the lake which overall is exceptional.”

Lake Decatur also experienced a similar fish kill in recent weeks.

Stephenson said he appreciates those who called to alert the DNR to the fish kill.

“It’s good to know we have a caring and educated public,” he said.
]]> Wed, 22 May 2013 23:47:28 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/catfish_crappie_fishing_still_excellent_at_rend_lake The Rend Lake fishing report has been pretty stable for the last three weeks or so. Fishing remains excellent for crappie and catfish. Largemouth bass, bluegill and white bass are rated good. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News, Fishing, State Fishing Reports, Rend Lake fishing report for May 21.

The Rend Lake fishing report has been pretty stable for the last three weeks or so. Fishing remains excellent for crappie and catfish. Largemouth bass, bluegill and white bass are rated good.

Largemouth bass

Fishing is good on worms, black and blue jigs and minnows.

Fish for bass in shallow bays near brush cover and bushes, around bridges and along the rocks. Fish are reportedly being caught around Jackie Branch and Sandusky cove.

There is a 14-inch minimum limit, six daily creel limit. In ponds, there is a one-fish daily creel limit with a 14-inch minimum length.

Crappie

Crappie fishing remains excellent.
Jigs are working well. Quarter-ounce pink and white tub jigs. Also small and medium minnows.

Fish are in flooded brushy areas. Set bait two-feet deep. Reports of fish being caught shallow in buck brush in any cover and also deep water around brush piles. From shore, fish near structures. Hot spot at the pond area off I57 North of Gun Creek.

There is a 25 fish daily creel limit with no more than 10 fish 10 inches or longer.

Bluegill

Fishing is good on crickets, worms, wax worms, red wigglers and minnows.

Fish in the back of necks in shallow water or along rocks. The hot spot is off the rocks under the sailboat harbor bridge in one to four feet of water.

There is a 10-fish daily creel limit in ponds.

Channel catfish

Fishing is excellent on Sonny’s stink bait, whole shad, shad gut, night crawlers, shrimp and leeches.

Fish in the back of necks in shallow water. Creeks running into the lake are hot spots after rain events. Set jugs in neck areas of the lake. Fish from the shore anywhere on the lake. Set line three to four feet from the shore over rocks.

Six-fish daily creel limit in ponds.

Jugs must be attended at all times while fishing.

White bass
Fishing is good on worms, black and blue jigs and minnows. Fish in shallow bays near brush cover and bushes. Fish around bridges and along the rocks. Reports of fish being caught around Jackie Branch and Sandusky Cove.

Twenty fish creel limit. No more than three fish 17-inches or longer daily.

Lake information as of May 21.

Lake level: 409.65

Average pool for this date: 407.97

Water temperature: 67 degrees

For more information, call Molly Rawlinson at (618) 724-2493.]]> Tue, 21 May 2013 19:36:00 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/walleye_expert_bruce_deshano_shares_his_secrets Hall of famer Ted Takasaki with a dandy big water walleye taken with the help of planer boards designed by trolling gear designer Bruce DeShano. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News,
He has another passion - the tactics he uses to pinpoint the location of monster walleyes on the big water of the Great Lakes.

He has a lead foot in the boat, too. He trolls fast until one of his Off Shore planer boards darts backward and throbs, signaling, “fish on!” After that first catch, he slows down just enough to entice more strikes from the school. But he keeps the speed up to cover as much water as he can.

“When the water is warm, you can’t take a bait away from a fish,” said DeShano, who spent 20 years as a charter captain and competed on professional walleye circuits. “They get fat chasing minnows. If they want your bait, they sure as heck can chase it down.”

DeShano’s approach to fishing is the same one he used in the early days of Off Shore Tackle when he could carry his company in a shirt pocket. He keeps things simple.

When he started Off Shore as a side business to his full time job as a powerhouse mechanic with an electric company, his first product was a clip to hold weights to take baits down deep for salmon and lake trout. Unlike downriggers on the market at that time, his clip release let fishermen see the rod load up when they had a hit.

He first thought he’d sell clips to companies that were already making downriggers and planer boards. But when they weren’t interested, he went it alone. He made his own boards, after walleye professionals Gary Parsons, Keith Kavajecz and Mark Romanak lent their expertise to the design. Al Lindner soon dubbed DeShano, “the chairman of the boards.”

DeShano added weighting systems for trolling to his product line as well. Off Shore’s mission evolved into helping anglers cover big water fast, from top to bottom and side to side. These are the keys to finding fish fast, so these tools arrived on the scene at the right time. Anglers were hungry for the right tools and the information on how to use them.

Fish Finding Secrets

DeShano’s method for finding fish begins before he launches the boat. He starts by sitting at the dinner table with a chart. He uses his knowledge of seasonal walleye movements and information to get a general sense for where fish might be. Fishing web sites are another great source of information.

He narrows the search by finding reasons for fish to be in a certain area – namely breaks and holes. Big waters like Lake Erie or Lake Huron are different than your neighborhood lakes, which may have breaks of several feet. Dropoffs in the Great Lakes may be extremely subtle. Even a foot or two is enough to hold fish. Electronic mapping coupled with GPS is a great tool to find and follow breaks in the middle of nowhere, far from shore.

Next, DeShano stops at bait shops on his way to the launch. He asks for the latest information on where fish are relative to shore and landmarks, such as islands. He asks how deep they are and what baits they’ve been hitting on. Popular baits give you a starting point, from which you can do your own experimenting. DeShano warns us not to live and die by this information. Sometimes, “something different” will trigger more strikes than old standbys.

He also urges us to find out what the main walleye food source is for the body of water. If it’s shiners, the fish will likely be closer to the surface. If it’s shad, more in the middle zone. If it’s suckers and creek chubs, you will usually do better getting baits close to bottom.

Once on the water, DeShano spends more time looking for balls of forage fish than the hooks which could be walleyes. Find the food, find the predators! He gets especially excited when he sees tight, round balls of baitfish on his sonar unit. The ultimate are balls of bait with gaps in them or holes. That usually indicates panicked bait, a clue that walleyes are in attack mode around that food source.

There is a need to be precise. What good does it do to catch a walleye if you don’t know how you did it? The two most important questions to answer after that first fish or two are: where was your lure, depth-wise, and how fast was it moving?

“The biggest mistake weekend fishermen make,” says DeShano, “is they don’t know where they caught the fish. You have to be able to repeat it.”

Getting to the Right Depth

Weighting systems are critical for accurately duplicating depth. Thanks to Off Shore, you need just two kinds in the boat most days, namely Guppy Weights and bottom bouncers.
Guppy Weights can be used as snap weights and/or as in-line weights. Start with the snap weights. First, let out your lure 50 feet (line counter reels are crucial for this). Then snap on a weight, let out 50 more feet, and finally connect an Off Shore planer board so your lure runs out to the side of the boat.

Repeat this process exactly, changing only the size weight. Employ 1-ounce, 1.5-ounce, 2- and 2.5-ounce weights in your spread. When you’re done, four baits are running at different depths. (Guppy weights also come in a half-ounce size, and up to 3 ounces. They’re made of zinc, a metal that allows Off Shore to be more precise about the weight. Lead tends to vary considerably.)

When DeShano gets a hit on one lure, he duplicates that weight on one of the other three lines. Two are now running at the depth that produced, while two are running at other depths. If he gets another strike at the productive depth, a third line is put at the productive depth.

He always reserves the fourth line to experiment. If the action slows, weights are adjusted to run four different depths again, until a new productive pattern emerges. For very deep fish, Off Shore’s Tadpole weights will get baits down 30 feet.


Dialing in the Bite

DeShano also experiments with lure color, but lure action and speed are the two most important variables. Once lines are set, DeShano puts the hammer down – not as fast as he does in that Mustang, but quick in trolling terms. In summer when the water is warm, he speeds along at 2.8 to 3.5 mph, making “S” turns, which speed up the outside boards and slow the inside ones, until he gets a strike. When that strike comes, he’ll know what depth and speed produced the fish so he can repeat the process precisely. The GPS and electronic mapping systems allow him to mark exactly where fish were caught so the boat can stay with active schools.

Snap weights are good when trolling spinners and ‘crawlers for suspended fish. Let the spinner back 5 to 50 feet behind the boat, then add a 2- or 3-ounce weight and let out a known length of line, say 30 or 50 feet. You can repeat the successful combination that way. Bottom bouncers are often used to take spinner rigs all the way down to the bottom.

Spinner blades come in different styles, shapes and colors, too. Use big Colorado or willow leaf blades. They have an erratic action that makes a minnow, leech or ‘crawler irresistible. Spinners work best down to 0.8 mph and up to 1.7 mph.

DeShano uses in-line weights when fish are consistently at the same depth over a long period. But weather can change that. When it does, he returns to snap weights. In-line weights also are good when walleyes are shallow. The baits can be run 10 to 12 feet back from the boards which allows for quicker turns.

The same concepts work on smaller lakes, too. Off Shore’s mini planer boards are perfect for local, small inland waters.

Big waters like the Great Lakes can churn up fast when a storm blows in. Make sure you keep an ear to the weather radio and an eye to the sky. Don’t venture out without a GPS to show you the way back to the launch if fog obscures shoreline details.

But don’t let big water scare you. A lot of fun and big fish are waiting, off shore.
]]> Mon, 20 May 2013 15:18:34 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/central_illinois_fishing_report_for_may_17 Fluctuating springtime weather has made fishing a struggle in many areas, but bluegills could be your best bet right now in farms ponds and strip mines. With water levels returning to near normal, the catfish bite has picked up on the Illinois River. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News, Fishing, State Fishing Reports, What’s biting

Fluctuating springtime weather has made fishing a struggle in many areas, but bluegills could be your best bet right now in farms ponds and strip mines. With water levels returning to near normal, the catfish bite has picked up on the Illinois River.

Honey holes

In Peoria County farm ponds and strip mines, crappie are moving up to shallows. Bluegills also moving up and taking waxworms or crickets.

Crappie are biting close to the banks on jigs or minnows at Clinton Lake. Channel cats are also being caught on dipbaits, shrimp or nightcrawlers. At the spillway, good-sized hybrid stripers taking swimbaits.

At Dawson Lake, crappie, catfish and walleye have been best. Crappie are taking minnows, and catfish going after stinkbaits or livers. Worms working for most everything else.

On the Illinois River, white bass striper have been biting on blade baits in Henry and Utica areas. Cats are also taking cheesebaits or cutbaits. Near Utica, drum and sheephead have also been good on nightcrawlers.

Bluegill are coming up to the shoreline at Spring Lake and biting on waxworms, redworms or tube jigs. Good-sized catfish are still biting on the south-end turnoffs.

Big crappie have been caught at Banner Marsh’s Shovel Lake using medium minnows.

At Snakeden Hollow, crappie and bass have been best. The two new state lakes and McMasters Lake are particularly good. Minnows and nightcrawlers are working for baits.

Wall hangers

Stan Smith of Peoria caught a 22-pound channel catfish on nitro crawlers Monday at Spring Lake.

Tip of the week

From larrysfishing hole.com: “Catfish eat day or night. They seem to feed best just as the sun cracks the horizon for 1-2 hours. Will feed heavily as storm front approaches until it passes and then start again — two days later they are back to normal. So monitor the weather for fronts, then be ready to hit the water when a combination of falling barometric reading and south to east winds indicate weather changes ahead.”
]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 12:14:26 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/crappie_fishing_still_excellent_at_rend_lake This week's Rend Lake fishing report is similar to last week's. Catfish and crappie fishing is excellent, while bass, bluegill and white bass are good. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News, Fishing, State Fishing Reports,
Largemouth bass

Fishing is good on worms, black and blue jigs and minnows.

Fish for bass in shallow bays near brush cover and bushes, around bridges and along the rocks. Fish are reportedly being caught around Jackie Branch and Sandusky cove.

There is a 14-inch minimum limit, six daily creel limit. In ponds, there is a one-fish daily creel limit with a 14-inch minimum length.

Crappie
Crappie fishing remains excellent.
Jigs are working well. Quarter-ounce pink and white tub jigs. Also small and medium minnows.

Fish are in flooded brushy areas. Set bait two-feet deep. Reports of fish being caught shallow in buck brush in any cover and also deep water around brush piles. From shore, fish near structures. Hot spot at the pond area off I57 North of Gun Creek.

There is a 25 fish daily creel limit with no more than 10 fish 10 inches or longer.

Bluegill

Fishing is good on crickets, worms, wax worms, red wigglers and minnows.

Fish in the back of necks in shallow water or along rocks. The hot spot is off the rocks under the sailboat harbor bridge in one to four feet of water.

There is a 10-fish daily creel limit in ponds.

Channel catfish

Fishing is excellent on Sonny’s stink bait, whole shad, shad gut, night crawlers, shrimp and leeches.

Fish in the back of necks in shallow water. Creeks running into the lake are hot spots after rain events. Set jugs in neck areas of the lake. Fish from the shore anywhere on the lake. Set line three to four feet from the shore over rocks.

Six-fish daily creel limit in ponds.

Jugs must be attended at all times while fishing.

White bass

Fishing is good on worms, black and blue jigs. Fish in shallow bays near brush cover and bushes. Fish around bridges and along the rocks. Reports of fish being caught around Jackie Branch and Sandusky Cove.

Twenty fish creel limit. No more than three fish 17-inches or longer daily.

Lake information:

Lake level: 409.98

Average pool for this date: 407.99

Water temperature: 65°F

Use of a minnow seine, cast net, or shad scoop for bait collecting within 1,000 yards downstream of the Rend Lake dam and spillway is prohibited.

Maps of the Fish Attractor tree locations along with GPS readings are available at the Rend Lake Corps of Engineers Project Office.

Contact Molly Rawlinson for more information at (618) 724-2493.

In order to maintain a cleaner recreation area, anglers and bow fishermen fishing below the dam are asked to return dead rough fish to the water.


]]> Tue, 14 May 2013 21:08:07 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/monitoring_for_asian_carp_to_increase_in_illinois Federal and Illinois officials said Thursday that they will intensify efforts to find Asian carp in Illinois waterways this year but cut back on DNA sampling that has scored positive hits without resulting in the discovery of the invasive fish. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News, CHICAGO (AP) — Federal and Illinois officials said Thursday that they will intensify efforts to find Asian carp in Illinois waterways this year but cut back on DNA sampling that has scored positive hits without resulting in the discovery of the invasive fish.

The $6.5 million plan released by the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee "will focus on actions that have achieved tangible results," including removing Asian carp from the Upper Illinois River and other waterways below a set of electric barriers meant to keep them from reaching Lake Michigan, Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Marc Miller said in a written statement.

"We believe removal efforts are working to reduce Asian carp populations in Illinois," Miller said.

The plan calls for intensive sampling of fish in waterways that connect the lake with the Mississippi River watershed to determine if any carp have breached those barriers, and two DNA sampling trips. But the discovery of environmental DNA will not automatically trigger a rapid response, as it has in the past.

Five response actions last year included 1,600 hours of surveillance over 27 miles of waterways with nets and "electrofishing," but no Asian carp were seen or captured above the electric barriers. Officials say they will forgo an automatic response until scientists can determine the significance of DNA discovery.

A federal study released in February found that Asian carp don't necessarily have to be present for their DNA to turn up in the environment. It is found in excrement, slime and scales from live fish, but also could be carried by storm sewers, fisheries sampling gear, fish-eating birds, dead fish carcasses, barges and sediments.

Scientists with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey are conducting a three-year study to try to answer questions raised by the repeated discovery of carp DNA in the Chicago area, hoping to refine how it's used for detecting the fish.

Officials say they also will test acoustic water guns that could scare away carp from crucial locations, and other control technologies this year.

Bighead and silver carp escaped into the Mississippi River from sewage treatment ponds and fish farms in the Deep South decades ago and have been migrating northward ever since.

Scientists fear that if the voracious eaters, which can reach 100 pounds, become established in the Great Lakes, they would out-compete native fish for food and threaten the lakes' $7 billion fishing industry.

Some state and local officials in the Great Lakes region want structures placed in the Chicago waterways to seal off Lake Michigan from the Mississippi watershed, although industry and local officials say that would hurt barge shipping in the Chicago area.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says that at the end of the year it will present options to Congress to prevent invasive species from traveling between the two watersheds.

___

Online: http://www.asiancarp.us


Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.]]> Mon, 13 May 2013 12:03:38 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/volunteers_busy_cleaning_up_flooded_hooked_on_fishing_facility Kids are going to have to wait to fish this summer as Hooked on Fishing, a local nonprofit that teaches kids to fish, rehabilitates its facilities due to flooding. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News,
Its four ponds and the main building where equipment is stored and children learn basic techniques were flooded. The building was nearly rendered a complete loss.

“We put sandbags around the building to try to save it from the water,” said Mike O’Reilly, who owns Hooked on Fishing. “We had about 18 inches of water in the facility. We are in the process of cleaning it up. I don’t know if its going to be usable anymore.”

The four ponds are routinely stocked with fish that are caught by children and subsequently released. Many of the fish are now gone, swept away by the flood.

“We have trout, we have catfish, we have bass,” said O’Reilly. “We buy these fish and raise them, and people catch them. I’m afraid most of our fish may be gone. The river came over the levy and some of the fish just swam and left.”





O’Reilly hopes to reopen as soon as he finishes rehabilitating the facilities — reopening their doors to school groups, scouts, park districts, community groups, churches, special needs groups, nursing homes and other organizations that provide services for kids, senior citizens or disabled individuals.

Hooked on Fishing provides the equipment and bait and teaches the ins and outs of fishing for free — from safety, how to use a rod and reel, baiting a hook, fishing techniques, landing the catch, handling the fish, removing hooks and fish identification.

Once the waters are restocked and the debris cleaned up, O’Reilly said he envisions reopening in June — continuing to provide children with that sense of accomplishment and pride that comes from catching a fish.

“If you do catch fish, it’s the world’s greatest thing,” he said.

Helen Zhao can be reached at 686-3196 or hzhao@pjstar.com. Follow her on Twitter @HelenJZhao.
]]> Sat, 11 May 2013 00:19:14 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/central_illinois_fishing_report_for_may_10 With most lakes reopening after flooding, crappie are the catch in several areas. Bass are in all phases of the spawn right now. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News, Fishing, State Fishing Reports, What’s biting

With most lakes reopening after flooding, crappie are the catch in several areas. Bass are in all phases of the spawn right now.

Honey holes

Bluegills are moving up in strip mines and farm ponds and taking waxworms or crickets. Spinners, jigs and plastics have been working for bass.

Banner Marsh reopened earlier in the week and has been a good spot for crappie and bass. Crappie are on spawning beds and taking medium minnow. Bass are in pre-spawn mode and biting on jig-n-pig.

“Crazy” amounts of crappie being caught on jigs or minnows in 4-5 feet of water at Dawson Lake, according to Depot Bait & Tackle. Catfish are also biting on chicken livers.

Spring Lake “going nuts” says Lee at Riverside Bait in Pekin. Crappie are biting on both north and south ends on medium minnows. Jig-n-pig working for bass, with 71/2- and 81/2-pounders caught in tournament over the weekend. Big channel cats biting on nitro worms or nightcrawlers on the second and third pull-offs on the south end. Bluegill also starting to turn on.

Lake Bloomington and Evergreen have been good for crappie using medium minnows.

On the Illinois River, catfish are biting on dipbaits in the Peoria area up creek and flooded willow areas. Around Utica, the water level has gone down some and anglers are starting to catch striper, drum and catfish on worms and blade baits. Cats also biting in backwaters near Henry.

At Snakeden Hollow, good-sized crappie biting on minnows in most lakes. Bluegill, about one pound in size, and bass in 6-pound range being hauled in on waxworms and redworms at McMasters and the two new lakes.

Tip of the week

From larrysfishinghole.com: Big blue catfish feed mainly at night by moving in shallow from deep water to feed on baitfish and crawfish.]]> Fri, 10 May 2013 11:51:43 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/moderate_fish_kill_occurring_on_lake_decatur Species affected include small freshwater drum and gizzard shad. Due to the limited number of species involved, the kill likely is disease-related, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News,
Species affected include small freshwater drum and gizzard shad.

Due to the limited number of species involved, the kill likely is disease-related, according to DNR.

Possible causes include bacteria, fungus or a virus.

Disease-caused fish kills have not been reported in recent years, but according to DNR, it is “not an unusual occurrence for lakes in central Illinois.”

This explanation is from a notice sent by e-mail from DNR spokesman Chris McCloud:

“Gizzard shad often do not survive prolonged winters, and may still be stressed due to the prolonged cold/cool spring weather. Young freshwater drum are often in poor condition, and are often the victim of naturally occurring disease outbreaks in spring and late summer.

"A combination of quickly warming water and heavy rains that have flushed large amounts of organic debris into water bodies can result in heavy bacteria loads that can stress fish, resulting in extensive fish kills.”

]]> Thu, 09 May 2013 22:32:54 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/ihsa_bass_fishing_state_finals_rescheduled_for_may_31-june_1 IHSA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials say water levels at Carlyle Lake should drop enough by the end of May to allow the finals to be held. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News,
The tournament, originally set for May 3-4, was postponed due to high water levels at Carlyle Lake.

“We share in the frustration of the qualifying anglers who want to get out and fish,” said IHSA Associate Executive Director Kurt Gibson. “However, we need to make sure that Carlyle Lake has the opportunity to properly lower its water levels before we conduct our state championship.

"We are confident that, in looking at both the long range weather models and also speaking with the Corps of Engineers, water levels will have dropped sufficiently by the end of the month and enable us to host the state finals at one of our state’s premier fishing venues.”

Several of the IHSA sectional tournaments, originally scheduled for April 19, were delayed due to weather.

All of the 22 sectional tournaments were completed by April 26.

Fifty-two boats qualified at the sectional level for the state final tournament and are slated to compete in the fifth annual tournament.
]]> Thu, 09 May 2013 19:01:58 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/rend_lake_fishing_report_crappie_fishing_remains_excellent This week's Rend Lake fishing report shows fishing excellent for crappie and channel catfish. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News, Fishing, State Fishing Reports, This week's Rend Lake fishing report shows fishing is excellent for crappie and channel catfish.

Largemouth bass

Fishing is good on worms, black and blue jigs.

Fish for bass in shallow bays near brush cover and bushes, around bridges and along the rocks. Fish are reportedly being caught around Jackie Branch and Sandusky cove.

There is a 14-inch minimum limit, six daily creel limit. In ponds, there is a one-fish daily creel limit with a 14-inch minimum length.

Crappie

Crappie fishing remains excellent.

Jigs are working well. Quarter-ounce pink and white tub jigs. Also small and medium minnows.

Fish are in flooded brushy areas. Set bait two-feet deep. Reports of fish being caught shallow in buck brush in any cover and also deep water around brush piles. From shore, fish near structures.

There is a 25 fish daily creel limit with no more than 10 fish 10 inches or longer.

Bluegill

Fishing is good on crickets, worms, wax worms and red wigglers.

Fish in the back of necks in shallow water or along rocks. The hot spot is off the rocks under the sailboat harbor bridge in one to four feet of water.

There is a 10-fish daily creel limit in ponds.

Channel catfish

Fishing is excellent on Sonny’s stink bait, whole shad, shad gut, night crawlers, shrimp and leeches.

Fish in the back of necks in shallow water. Creeks running into the lake are hot spots after rain events. Set jugs in neck areas of the lake. Fish from the shore anywhere on the lake. Set line three to four feet from the shore over rocks.

Six-fish daily creel limit in ponds.

Jugs must be attended at all times while fishing.

White bass

Fishing is good on worms, black and blue jigs. Fish in shallow bays near brush cover and bushes. Fish around bridges and along the rocks. Reports of fish being caught around Jackie Branch and Sandusky Cove.

Twenty fish creel limit. No more than three fish 17-inches or longer daily.

Rend Lake lake levels as of May 6:

Lake level: 410.32

Average pool for this date: 408.10

Water temperature: 60° F

Additional information:

Use of a minnow seine, cast net, or shad scoop for bait collecting within 1,000 yards downstream of the Rend Lake dam and spillway is prohibited.

Maps of the fish attractor tree locations along with GPS readings are available at the Rend Lake Corps of Engineers Project Office.

Call Molly Rawlinson for more information at (618) 724-2493.

In order to maintain a cleaner recreation area, anglers and bow fishermen fishing below the dam are asked to return dead rough fish to the water.

]]> Thu, 09 May 2013 12:25:18 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/hunting_fishing_license_sales_in_kentucky_total_7_million_set_april_record Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Budget Director Scott King says the mark broke the previous record by $140,000 and is $800,000 more than April's average. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News, Hunting News, Miscellaneous News, FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — This is no fish tale: Kentucky has set a record with April's sales of hunting and fishing licenses.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources says sales totaled more than $7 million, a record for the month.

Fish and Wildlife Budget Director Scott King says the mark broke the previous record by $140,000 and is $800,000 more than April's average.

The agency says it has been offering convenience and opportunity for customers. Among the projects are a mobile app that allows searching for nearby fishing holes with GPS-enabled smart phones and using smart phones to buy hunting permits, check deer or find season dates.

Fish and Wildlife's Internet site also offers information for outdoors enthusiasts, and the agency says it received 17 million hits last year.


Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
]]> Tue, 07 May 2013 03:05:10 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/rend_lake_fishing_report_for_may The crappie spawn is underway at Rend Lake. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News, Fishing, State Fishing Reports, Largemouth bass:

Fishing is slow.

Suggested baits are worms, rattle traps, jig and trailer, spinner baits, square bill crank baits.

Fish in shallow bays near brush cover and bushes.

Fish around bridges and along the rocks.

Fish at mouths of bays and shallow wood cover spots.

Limits: 14-inch minimum length limit, 6 daily creel limit. 1 fish daily creel limit in ponds 14-inch minimum length.

Crappie:

Fishing is excellent.

Jigs are working well. Quarter-ounce pink and white tub jigs. Small and medium minnows.

Fish are in flooded brushy areas.

The spawn has started.

Reports of fish being caught in 5 to 8 feet of water.

25 fish daily creel limit with no more than 10 fish 10 inches or longer.

Bluegill:

Fishing is slow.

Use crickets, worms, wax worms, red wigglers.

Fish in the back of necks in shallow water or along rocks.

Hot spot off the rocks under the sailboat harbor bridge in 1-4 feet of water.

10 fish daily creel limit in ponds.

Channel catfish:

Fishing is good on Sonny's stink bait, whole shad, shad gut, nightcrawlers and leeches.

Catfish have started feeding a lot with the recent rains.

Jig fish in shallow water with leeches. If fishing from a boat let your bait drift and drag the bottom.

6 fish daily creel limit in ponds.
Jugs must be attended at all times while fishing.
WHITE BASS Slow Spoon Lures. Jig and curly tail grubs. Vibrax spinner number 3, and crankbait. Fish in shallow bays near brush cover and bushes. Fish around bridges and along the rocks. Fish at mouths of bays and shallow wood cover spots. 20 fish creel limit.
No more than 3 fish 17” or longer daily
]]> Fri, 03 May 2013 03:11:21 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/central_illinois_fishing_report_for_may_2 With many lakes closed and the river still not fishable, area farm ponds and strip mines continue to be best for crappie, bluegill and bass. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News, Fishing, State Fishing Reports, What’s biting

With many lakes closed and the river still not fishable, area farm ponds and strip mines continue to be best for crappie, bluegill and bass.

Honey holes

Bluegill are starting to move up in area farm ponds and strip mines. Crickets and waxworms working. Crappie also biting on tube jigs or minnows. Bass are in both pre-spawn and spawn phases, with jig-n-pig, lizards, shallow crankbaits and spinners all working.

Clinton Lake is a hotbed for bass, with fish biting on just about any of the usual bass baits.

At Dawson Lake, crappie and some catfish are being caught. Crappie biting on minnows and jigs in 4 to 5 feet of water, catfish on chicken livers.

Dink’s in Lewistown reports anglers finding plenty of crappie north of Canton. Fish are biting toward the bank in 4 to 6 feet of water on tube jigs tipped with minnows using a slip bobber.

Crappie good at Evergreen Lake on minnows in about 6 feet of water. Bass are beginning to bite there on crankbaits and spinners.

Lake Wee-Ma-Tuk has been good for crappie on minnows.

At Snakeden Hollow, walleye and crappie have been biting good at Lake McMaster. Spinners, along with purple and white worms, have been good for bass. Leeches are working for walleye. Two new lakes opened for fishing just north of Illinois routes 180 and 167 have been “great” according to Depot Bait & Tackle, with bass, red ear, crappie all biting.

Bass are biting at Spring Lake on spinners, plastics, shallow crank baits, beaver style baits on both ends of the lake.

Wall hangers

Robert Mersman caught a 22-inch bass taken on jig-n-pig and a 14-inch crappie at Lake McMaster in April.

Tip of the week

Reminder: The annual stream smallmouth season is still going. The law states that from April 1 to June 15, all stream smallmouth must be immediately released.]]> Fri, 03 May 2013 03:03:16 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/updated_ihsa_state_bass_finals_postponed The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) announced on Monday that the 2013 IHSA Bass Fishing State Final Tournament, scheduled for May 3-4 at Carlyle Lake in Carlyle, has been postponed due to potentially dangerous water levels. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News,
The event will be rescheduled for later this spring at Carlyle.

The IHSA Board of Directors made the decision to postpone the finals based upon discussions with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who oversee Carlyle Lake.

IHSA staff members also visited the lake Sunday to assess the situation.

The IHSA postponed the tournament in 2011 when the Carlyle area was hit with storms that produced 10 inches of rain in a little over a week.

The tournament was held June 17-18, 2011.

IHSA executive director Marty Hickman said safety is the "number one priority."

Several of the IHSA sectional tournaments were delayed due to weather this season, as the 22 Sectionals originally scheduled for April 19 were ultimately completed on April 26.

Fifty-two boats qualified or the state final tournament.
]]> Tue, 30 Apr 2013 01:50:38 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/ihsa_complete_sectional_bass_tournaments_despite_high_water_weather_delays After weather delays and venue changes, the Illinois High School Association reports it completed the last of its 22 sectional bass fishing tournaments Friday. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News,
In all, 16 sectionals statewide had to be postponed from April 19 because of bad weather or high water.

Most were rescheduled for last Monday, but six had to be held Friday, some at alternate sites.

For those sectionals that were held on schedule, high school anglers found conditions difficult.

At two sites – Argyle Lake and Lake Shelbyville - no fish were brought to the scales and no teams from those sectionals qualified for the state tournament May 3-4 at Carlyle Lake.

The sectional originally scheduled for Banner Marsh was moved to Evergreen Lake due to high water at Banner. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has closed the site indefinitely due to the nearby Illinois River remaining at near-record levels.

At the Banner/Evergreen sectional today, Glasford Illini Bluffs took first place with the only five-fish limit of the day and a total weight of 6.17 pounds.

Peoria Notre Dame was second and East Peoria was third.

Several Peoria-area schools competed in the Evergreen Lake Sectional, and Morton High School took first place with a five-fish limit weighing 10.95 pounds.

Washington High School was second and Metamora Township High School was third.

Complete results can be found at the IHSA Website: http://center.ihsa.org/reports/bsf.htm.

In other central Illinois sectionals, Athens High School powered through muddy water conditions to take first place at Sangchris Lake Monday.

Even so, teams brought more than 133 pounds of fish to the scales, including two big bass contenders over five pounds each.

Gibson said the maximum number of boats advancing from 22 sectional tournaments would be 66, but two sectionals advanced no boats and a few advanced only one team.

“We know that we won’t reach that number this year,” he said.

Chris Young can be reached at (217) 788-1528. Follow him at twitter.com/ChrisYoungPSO.
]]> Sun, 28 Apr 2013 13:24:54 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/rend_lake_fishing_report_for_april_28 THis is the weekly Rend Lake fishing report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News, Fishing, State Fishing Reports, Largemouth Bass:

Fishing is slow.

Suggested baits are worms, rattle traps, jig and trailer, spinner baits, square bill crank baits.

Fish in shallow bays near brush cover and bushes. Fish around bridges and along the rocks. Fish at mouths of bays and shallow wood cover spots.

14-inch minimum length limit, 6 daily creel limit. 1 fish daily creel limit in ponds; 14-inch minimum length.

Crappie:

Fishing for crappie is good.

Suggested baits include jigs, quarter-ounce pink and white tub jigs, small and medium minnows.

Fish are in the flooded bushes. Spawn has started.

25 fish daily creel limit with no more than 10 fish 10 inches or longer

Bluegill

Fishing is slow

Use crickets, worms, wax worms, red wigglers.

Fish in the back of necks in shallow water or along rocks.

Hot spot off the rocks under the sailboat harbor bridge in 1-4 ft of water.

10 fish daily creel limit in ponds..

Channel catfish:

Fishing is good on Sonny’s stink bait, whole shad, shad gut, night crawlers, and leeches.

Catfish have started feeding a lot with the recent rains.

Jig fish in shallow water with leeches. If fishing from a boat let your bait drift and drag the bottom.

6 fish daily creel limit in ponds.

Jugs must be attended at all times while fishing.

White bass:

Fishing is slow.

Use spoon lures, Jig and curly tail grubs, Vibrax spinner number 3, and crankbait.

Fish in shallow bays near brush cover and bushes.

Fish around bridges and along the rocks. Fish at mouths of bays and shallow wood cover spots.

20 fish creel limit.

No more than 3 fish 17” or longer daily
]]> Sun, 28 Apr 2013 12:39:16 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/central_illinois_fishing_report_for_april_28 Flooding biggest concern for many in lake and river areas, so farm ponds and strip mines may be your best bet to snag decent bluegill and crappie. Local bait shops say everything biting well in certain areas. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News, Fishing, State Fishing Reports, What’s biting

Flooding biggest concern for many in lake and river areas, so farm ponds and strip mines may be your best bet to snag decent bluegill and crappie. Local bait shops say everything biting well in certain areas.

Honey holes

Area farm ponds producing bluegill on waxworms and crappies on minnows. A few bass being picked up in strip mines using jigs.

Despite high waters and muddy conditions, some catfish being caught at Clinton Lake using dipbaits on pieces of Asian carp.

Plenty of rain not keeping anglers at Dawson Lake from catching good amounts of crappie on minnows and jigs in 4-5 feet of water. Catfish also biting on chicken livers, and some bass are taking spinner baits.

Catfish biting good in backwaters and timber areas around Lewistown, if you can get to those spots, on worms and nightcrawlers. Crappie and bluegill have been found in 12-18 inches of water.

Spring Lake has been good for crappie and catfish. Crappie taking small to medium minnows. Muskie also biting on north end of the lake on creek suckers.

Banner Marsh good for crappie and bass in all areas. Bass, in 14-18 inch range, have been caught on plastic lizards, crankbaits and spinners.

Larrysfishinghole.com says bass are starting to move on calm evenings in Lake Bloomington on small tubes drifting with the trolling motor or gas motor. Active fish ranging from 1.5 to 2 pounds.

At Snakeden Hollow, bass were fair at walk-in lakes on spinners. The state has opened two new lakes that are a half-mile north of Illinois routes 180 and 167.

Wall hangers

John Wollner of Pekin caught a 19-pound, 8-ounce channel catfish at Spring Lake last week.

Tip of the week

The cold front and murky water conditions sent fish deeper, but warmer weather should bring them up in the shallows and soon into spawning phase. Also, backwaters have been good for cats on the Illinois River, but anglers should stay away from the main channels.
]]> Sun, 28 Apr 2013 12:31:58 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/athens_chatham_glenwood_north_mac_advance_to_state_bass_finals Athens High School powered through muddy water conditions to take first place in the Illinois High School Association bass fishing sectional at Sangchris Lake on Monday. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News,


Athens High School powered through muddy water conditions to take first place in the Illinois High School Association bass fishing sectional at Sangchris Lake on Monday.

The sectional was supposed to have been held last Friday, but was postponed until Monday because of the weather. In all, 16 sectionals statewide had to be postponed because of bad weather or high water.

Conditions were tough for those few sectionals that were held last Friday. At the Argyle and Shelbyville sectionals, not a single fish was brought to the scales. Schools had to catch at least one fish to qualify for the state tournament.

A few sites still were off limits to fishing Monday, including Banner Marsh and the Chain O’ Lakes State Park in northern Illinois. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources closed Banner Marsh to the public indefinitely due to the threat of record high water levels on the Illinois River.

At Sangchris, the Athens team of Mikey Gordon and Kennan Deane took first place with a catch of 14.36 pounds.

Second place went to Chatham Glenwood High School with 12.75 pounds. Team members are Kyle Copp, Caleb Paoli and Connor Brunsman.

The North Mac High School team of Taylor Bearden and Brandon Smith was third with 11.43 pounds.

The second Athens squad took fourth place but ran away with big bass honors with a fish weighing 5.57 pounds caught by Wes Gordon.

Many schools brought two teams to the competition, and more than 133 pounds of fish were caught Monday.

The top three schools qualify for the state finals to be held May 3-4 at Carlyle Lake.

Kerry Trueblood, who coaches the winning Athens team, said recent rains have muddied the water at Sangchris Lake, making fishing tough.

“That mud we had the east end was extremely muddy,” he said. “If you continued west beyond the west boat ramp, then the water magically turned clear. (Our team caught all of its) fish in the clear water. It was much more fishable water.”

Kurt Gibson, associate executive director of the IHSA, said the remaining sectional tournaments will be held Friday, with the exception of Chain O’ Lakes.

“It is not available and won’t be available to boat traffic for a couple of weeks,” he said.

Gibson said the maximum number of boats advancing from 22 sectional tournaments would be 66, but two sectionals advanced no boats and a few advanced only one team.

“We know that we won’t reach that number this year,” he said.

Chris Young can be reached at (217) 788-1528 or chris.young@sj-r.com.

]]> Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:18:36 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/many_high_school_bass_sectionals_postponed_by_weather Eighteen IHSA Bass Fishing sectional tournaments have been postponed. All but two are rescheduled for Monday. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News,
Banner Marsh, ppd. until Monday, April 22

Braidwood Lake, ppd. until Monday, April 22

Busse Woods Reservoir, ppd. until Monday, April 22

Chain O'Lakes #1, ppd. until further notice

Chain O'Lakes #2, ppd. until further notice

Des Plaines Conservation Area, ppd. until Monday, April 22

Evergreen Lake, ppd. until Monday, April 22

Heidecke Lake, ppd. until Monday, April 22

Lake Bloomington, ppd. until Monday, April 22

Lake Shelbyville, ppd. until Monday, April 22

Lake Vermillion, ppd. until Monday, April 22

Mississippi River Pool 13, ppd. until Monday, April 22

Pierce Lake, ppd. until Monday, April 22

Rend Lake, ppd. until Monday, April 22

Sangchris Lake, ppd. until Monday, April 22

Shabbona Lake, ppd. until Monday, April 22

Skokie Lagoons, ppd. until Friday, April 26

Wolf Lake, ppd. until Monday, April 22

For more information, visit: http://www.ihsa.org/default.aspx]]> Sat, 20 Apr 2013 22:22:27 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/illinois_river_sites_restrict_access_due_to_flooding With record water levels forecast at Havana, more than a foot above the 1943 record of 27.1 feet, managers of wildlife areas are making spot decisions about access and events. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News, Nature Stories,
Due to the rapidly changing nature of conditions along the Illinois River, visitors should call ahead to be sure sites are open for use.

Doug Jallas, site superintendent for the Sanganois SFWA, Banner Marsh and Rice Lake, said visitors should call (309) 647-9184 for more information.

With record water levels forecast at Havana, more than a foot above the 1943 record of 27.1 feet, managers of wildlife areas are making spot decisions about access and events.

According to the National Weather Service, the Illinois River was at 21.21 feet at 5 p.m. Saturday.

The River is forecast to reach a high of 28.5 feet at Havana by mid-week.

On Friday, The Nature Conservancy said its Wetland Observatory visitor access area for The Emiquon Preserve in Fulton County would not be available for Mother Earth Day activities scheduled for today.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also announced it would be unable to open its levee for a driving tour of the Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge, one of the activities planned for Earth Day.



Here is more information about access restrictions from the Illinois River National Wildlife and Fish Refuges:



Chautauqua NWR:

*South Pool levee is closed from Eagle Bluff Access Area to the south spillway (access from the headquarters to the south water control structure is open at this time)

*Access to osprey nest is closed

*Access to the North Pool Boat Ramp and cross-dike area is closed.

*Boat access to the South Pool remains open at this time.



Emiquon NWR:

*Oxbow and Wilder parking areas are closed.

*Access to Forgotten Road Area (via township road) is flooded and not recommended for travel.

*Visitor information racks have been removed from most areas to prepare for flooding

Please visit http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Emiquon/visit/rules_and_regulations.html for rules and regulations for Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge.



Meredosia NWR:

*Beach Road, as well as the boat ramp on Beach Road, is closed.

Township roads used to access the refuge may be flooded or closed.


]]> Sat, 20 Apr 2013 22:18:43 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/ihsa_state_bass_fishing_sectionals_set_for_april_19 The Illinois High School Association state bass fishing championships begin next Friday with sectional tournaments at 22 sites statewide. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News,
Sangchris Lake, on the border between Sangamon and Christian Counties, will host one of the sectional tournaments.

“There are 11 teams in our sectional with two teams (boats) coming from each school,” said Athens High School science teacher and bass fishing coach Kerry Trueblood.

“Our sectional is full, and it should be a good turnout again.”

The bass fishing program has grown slowly but steadily since the inaugural season of 2008 – 2009.

This year, 228 schools are participating.

Kurt Gibson, associate executive director for the IHSA said the bass fishing program is "finding its footing," with consistent participation from member schools.

Gibson said the final number of participating schools is 228, down slightly from the original 237 that signed up this year.

A few schools had problems fielding enough boats.

Still interest remains high, with most schools bringing two teams, and two boats, to the sectional tournaments.

“Bass fishing is still growing in the state with more schools coming on each year,” Trueblood said.

The state finals will be held May 3 – 4 at Carlyle Lake.

At Sangchris Lake, anglers must check in at 7 a.m. April 19.

Fishing hours will be from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Teams can keep a maximum of five fish over 12 inches long.

Sectional sites:

Argyle Lake
Banner Marsh
Braidwood Lake
Busse Woods Reservoir
Chain O'Lakes #1 (South)
Chain O'Lakes #2 (North)
Coffeen Lake
Des Plaines Conservation Area
Evergreen Lake
Forbes Lake
Heidecke Lake
Lake Bloomington
Lake of Egypt
Lake Shelbyville
Lake Vermilion
Mississippi River Pool 13
Pierce Lake
Rend Lake
Sangchris Lake
Shabbona Lake
Skokie Lagoons
Wolf Lake

Number of participating schools by year:

2009: 199
2010: 225
2011: 222
2012: 232
2013: 228
]]> Fri, 12 Apr 2013 04:01:04 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/takasaki_on_crappies_find_hidden_spots_others_miss Early in spring is a peak time to get them while they’re schooled on structure and holding around cover that makes them relatively easy to find. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News,
On larger lakes, crappies will hold in the same bays where anglers were cutting holes in the ice to reach them just a few weeks earlier. The best bays feature water shallower than 10 feet and dark, sandy points and flats where they’ll soon be laying their eggs.

Look for the warmest water you can find. Northern (south-facing) dark-bottom bays warm first. Be sure to check bays that receive wind-blown warm surface water. Larger lakes sometimes have smaller lakes attached to them. That’s where you’ll find early-season crappies.

Anglers often overlook a key location in Midwestern reservoirs – feeder creeks. Water warms there first in reservoir systems, so baitfish – followed by crappies – move up to take advantage of food they find there.
If you’re unfamiliar with the creeks, go slow to avoid knocking a lower unit against a stump or a tree that’s blown down. The wood, especially wood in very shallow water, will hold crappies. Travel as far back as you can into the creeks and start fishing. Shore anglers can target these areas, too.

On main lakes, shallow water takes time to warm early in the year. Save shallow targets until the sun does its job. Early in the day, crappies will merely move higher in the water column over deeper water. Also find crappies along rocky shoreline riprap, if present.

Cover is usually key. Crappies love wood, whether fallen timber or submerged brush. Exposed wood collects heat from the sun and radiates it to nearby water to ignite the plankton-baitfish-predator food chain. Deeper brush offers concealment as fish move toward the shallows to feed.

The shallows can be sight fished, but deeper brush piles can be harder to find. Old-timers know to go to likely points, lower a jig and move slowly with the electric trolling motor. This is when a snag is a good thing, because it signals that you’ve found a brush pile. Toss a buoy and you’re in business.

Good news for today’s anglers: there are easier ways to find deeper brush and other cover. Enter the next generation of electronics, such as Humminbird’s Side Imaging technology. The screen details cover like brush piles, stumps, or rocks – out to the sides of the boat, up to 240 feet away. Once you spot a brush pile on the side imager, just drag your cursor over to the brush pile and hit a waypoint. It automatically saves the spot in memory, making it easy to find later. Being able to do this might tick off some old timers, but we always say they have access to the same technology, too!

If the lake features a lot of boat docks, focus on the ones with deep water nearby. Another important spot to check: old weed beds that survived the winter. Methods will vary depending on where and how deep the target is.
One fun way to fish shallow wood is to use a long rod with a quick tip and some backbone, in order to reach out over tree limbs and drop a Lindy jig with a small crappie minnow into spaces between the branches.

If you need to stay away to avoid spooking fish, use a slip-bobber rig with the Thill Pro Weighted series to let you stay back and still get where you need to go. Use a thread-style bobber stop, a bead, the float and a barrel swivel to a leader of line lighter than the main one. If you get snagged, you can break off without losing the entire setup. Use enough split-shot in order to balance the float. The key is to get the float to ride just high enough in the water so that you can see it, yet low enough to allow a light-biting crappie to pull it under easily.

During especially tough bites, downsize. Try an ice-style jig, like a Lindy Bug or Toad, dressed with a wax worm under small, Thill floats like the Mini Stealth or Shy Bite.

Riprap, which warms the water, often holds the most aggressive fish. Use a small jig dressed with a small plastic grub and/or a wax worm or piece of nightcrawler. Move fast along the rocky faces of dams or bridges, casting and let the bait fall to the bottom before slowly retrieving it just over the rocks. Count it down for two reasons. 1) If the bait stops short of the last count, set the hook, because a crappie probably took it while it was falling. 2) Counting down also lets you test shallower depths on subsequent casts to see if crappies are suspended.

Use the same setup to cast over the tops of submerged weeds. Or, drift over the top with slip-bobber rigs. Drop a buoy or enter a waypoint on the GPS when you connect with fish. Soon, you’ll have an idea of the size, shape and even direction of travel of the school.

Shallow weeds can be fished like bass anglers do. Simply flip a small jig and plastic into holes in the weeds and reel it back through natural avenues through the weed bed. Target docks by using light, flexible, short rods to “sling-shot” Little Nippers underneath.

As the water continues to warm, look for crappies suspended off the outside weed lines. Cast a Fuzz-E-Grub jig tipped with a minnow and let it fall. Also check fish cribs with the jig/spinner or a slip-bobber rig. Drifting areas off weed lines with slip-bobbers can also be productive.

One word off caution: contrary to what some believe, panfish populations can take a beating from more and smarter fishermen equipped with the latest technologies. Take only enough for a meal or two. That way, there’ll be more for you when you return next weekend – not to mention next spring.
]]> Thu, 11 Apr 2013 03:50:07 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/rend_lake_fishing_report_for_april_9 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers fishing report for Rend lake includes information on largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish and white bass fishing opportunities. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News,
For April 9, 2013

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Phone (618) 724-2493
Fax (618) 724-4089

e-mail : rendinfo@usace.army.mil

Web site http://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/rend

LARGEMOUTH BASS

No Report at this time.

Suggested baits: Worms, rattle traps, jig and trailer, spinner baits, square bill crank baits.

Fish in shallow bays near brush cover and bushes. Fish around bridges and along the rocks. Fish at mouths of bays and shallow wood cover spots.

14-inch minimum length limit, six daily creel limit. One fish daily creel limit in PONDS with 14-inch minimum length.

CRAPPIE

Good

Jigs are working well. Quarter-ounce pink and white tub jigs and small to medium minnows.

Fish are in the deep water. Fish 10-16 ft deep over brush and on edges of water.

Fish are being caught around structures.

Twenty-five fish daily creel limit with no more than 10 fish 10 inches or longer.

BLUEGILL

No Report at this time.

Crickets, worms, wax worms, red wigglers.

Fish in the back of necks in shallow water or along rocks. Hot spot off the rocks under the sailboat harbor bridge in one to four feet of water.

10 fish daily creel limit in Ponds.

CHANNEL CATFISH

Good

Sonny’s stink bait, whole shad, shad gut, night crawlers, and leeches.

Jig fish in shallow water with leeches. If fishing from a boat let your bait drift and drag the bottom.

Six fish daily creel limit in ponds.

Jugs must be attended at all times while fishing.

WHITE BASS

No Report at this time.

Spoon Lures. Jig and curly tail grubs. Vibrax spinner number 3, and crankbait.

Fish in shallow bays near brush cover and bushes. Fish around bridges and along the rocks. Fish at mouths of bays and shallow wood cover spots.

Twenty fish creel limit.

No more than three fish 17” or longer daily


Lake level: 409.57

Average pool for this date: 407.92

Water temperature: 48°F


Use of a minnow seine, cast net, or shad scoop for bait collecting within 1,000 yards downstream of the Rend Lake dam and spillway is prohibited.

Maps of the Fish Attractor tree locations along with GPS readings are available at the Rend Lake Corps of Engineers Project Office.

Contact Molly Rawlinson for more information at (618)724-2493.

In order to maintain a cleaner recreation area, anglers and bow fishermen fishing below the dam are asked to return dead rough fish to the water.
]]> Tue, 09 Apr 2013 21:17:46 +0000 http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/pso/article/rock_river_valley_insider_fishing_records_are_waiting_to_be_broken Most eyes are on the Pecatonica River in northern Winnebago County, where by this time last year the state record for walleye was broken twice. Illinois Outdoor News, Fishing News,
When walleye and bass are fat and active after a long winter, and when bluegills, crappies and other panfish will bite almost anything thrown on a hook.

Now is the time to put in the hours on the muddy shorelines in the still-cold mornings to fish the rivers and lakes in northern Illinois.

Most eyes are on the Pecatonica River in northern Winnebago County, where by this time last year the state record for walleye was broken twice.

The record had been standing since 1961, until Nick Tassoni, a freshman at Auburn High School, netted a 14-pound, 12-ounce fish. Tassoni held the title for less than two months, when Jim Zimmerman of Wisconsin came down to the Pecatonica and reeled in a 15-pound behemoth and weighed the new state record at Blackhawk Meats in South Beloit.

But the Pec isn’t the only spot for walleye in the area. Coon Creek Casters, a Belvidere fishing club, has been stocking walleye in the Kishwaukee River above the dam in Belvidere Park for several years.

“People are starting to catch 15- to 17-inch walleye above the dam,” club President Bill Myers said.

Parts of the Kishwaukee can also be hot beds for smallmouth bass, Myers said.

Smallmouth love rocky waters and, in the spring, a stretch of the Kishwaukee between Cherry Valley and Belvidere can be productive for bass.

If you can navigate it, the Rock River near Rockton is a good place to try, said Mike Levans, president of the Rockford Hawghunters Bass Fishing Club.

“The Rock River can be good very early in the season,” Levans said. “You’ve got to look out for the rocks, though.”

Lakes and rivers in the area are good for bass, walleye and panfish. If you’re after northern pike or musky, you would probably be better off heading north to Wisconsin and the Madison or Waupaca chain of lakes (an annual out-of-state license costs $50).

Most accessible
Pierce Lake in Rock Cut State Park may be the most accessible fishing spot in the area. The scenic 162-acre lake has boat rentals, a boat launch and a concession stand. Panfish are ready to bite near the fishing pier or just above the dam.

It’s also one of the most popular fishing spots, so to avoid the crowds, anglers can head north to South Beloit’s manmade Lake Victoria. At 17 acres, Lake Victoria is just big enough to bring a boat, and most of the lake can be fished from shore in City Park.


Rumors about the size of the small lake’s fish have started to spread in the past few years. The park was flooded and closed to the public from 2008 to 2010, during which time the fish enjoyed little to no fishing pressure.

Lake Le Aqua Na in Lena is also regularly stocked, with a fishing pier and a healthy bass population.

Best for kids
One of the safest bets to see regular action is on the shallow fishing ponds of Four Lakes on Fish Hatchery Road in Pecatonica. The four ponds are stocked with trout, bluegill, crappie and channel catfish.

The ponds aren’t much for trophy fish, but they are perfect for kids who may get antsy when nothing’s biting.


Need to know
Annual license: $15, available at any sporting store or at dnr.illinois.gov
Lifetime license: $435
Free weekend: June 7 to 10 (no license necessary)
April 6: Spring trout season opens


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