Catch Photo Release Fishing

Where did Bill go?

2011-12-18T11:44:00.000-06:00

I've gotten a lot of mail the last few months asking if I've disappeared since I haven't posted anything in several months. The truth is I've had some neck and shoulder surgery that has kept me off the water for quite some time and with any luck I'll be back sometime this spring.

Thanks to everyone for the kind wishes and Happy Holidays to all!

Rainy Opening Day at Heidecke Lake

2011-04-01T19:20:00.144-05:00

Friday, April 1, 2011

When I went outside Friday morning I was greeted with a very colorful sunrise. The air temp was in the upper 40s and it was forecast to rain off and on later in the day.

Colorful Sunrise

I got to the lake about an hour after it opened and was very surprised that for opening day there were only 11 trailers in the lot and I was going to be number 12 in the water. Usually opening day is pretty crowded and the lot fills up. Unlike the day before, I had no trouble or mishaps getting the boat into the water and heading out to find fish. As soon as I got to my first spot I noticed several schools of Carp swimming around the surface and sucking air. I've seen them do that in very warm water, but not 43 degree water like I was fishing in.

Carp at the surface

As I worked my way along the shoreline I saw several geese and ducks going about their business. Every now and then a small fish would cause some commotion as I spooked it away from the shoreline rocks.

A Duck swims away from me

I wasn't on the water for more than a few minutes when the clouds moved in and a few drops made their presence known as they hit the waters surface.

Clouds move in

The rain got a little heavier but wasn't to the point of annoying yet. It would sprinkle a little, then quit, then sprinkle some more. I kept working my way along the shoreline.

A pair of Geese

One thing I noticed even as I put the boat in the water was that the water level was probably as low as I've seen it. I had to be careful motoring out of the cove where the ramp is located. There is a fence that is supposed to keep people from getting closer to where the power plant used to be and it is usually right at the water line. I was surprised to see the water several feet lower than the base of the fence.

Very low water level

My first strike of the day was a good one. I knew right away I had a decent fish on and when I saw that it was a nice Musky, I grabbed the big net that I had ready and waiting just in case. A few minutes later I was netting the fish and taking a few quick photos.

Releasing the Musky

After I released the Musky I sent a quick text to a friend who was on his way to join me "Musky in the boat". A reply came right back "Awesome". In short order I was able to put a Smallmouth Bass and a Hybrid Striped Bass in the boat.

Hybrid Striped Bass

At this point the rain became a little steadier and everything started to get soaked - including me. The phone rang and it was time to head for the ramps to pick up Dale.

Smallmouth Bass

Once we got back out on the water the rain began alternating between a moderate rain and a light sprinkle with more emphasis on the moderate rain. Dale is the outdoors writer for the Chicago Sun-Times, has a great Radio Show that can be heard around the Chicago area, and also writes for Heartland Outdoors. See the end of this for some links.

Steadier Rain

Dale and I continued to fish and continued to get soaked. Our hands became numb and we'd have to stop fishing every once in a while to warm them back up. By this time we couldn't see any other boats on the water and it appeared as if we had the entire lake to ourselves.

Dale fishing in the rain

Heidecke Lake is around 1600 acres of water that is separated into two sections by a levee. At the northwest end of the levee there is a bridge that some boats can go under to get to the other section. My two previous boats would make it under the bridge, but not this one. Even with the water level as low as it was, I was not about to risk damaging the windshield. I have some fond memories of fishing the other side of the lake and miss being able to get under that bridge, but it's not worth the risk to the boat.

Rain, Rain, and more Rain

Heidecke used to be a cooling lake for a coal fired power plant. A few years ago they tore the plant down and the lake became more like a normal lake. There used to be a good current that moved the warm water from one side to the other. But when the plant closed, that went away. Even though the extended growing season is a thing of the past, there are still some huge fish in the lake.

Me with a nice white Bass

We put a few more fish in the boat. Dale had a musky bite a pretty good sized musky lure right off the end of his line and I hooked two more smaller ones but failed to land them. I got one right up to the boat but he got away just as Dale was lowering the net to the water. The other jumped so we could see him laugh at us before he let go of the lure. I also had a Walleye take a swipe and a lure as I was bringing it back to the boat, then as I pulled it out of the water, he came back again a jumped out of the water after it. Too bad he missed or that would have been a first for me.

Another White Bass

Despite the rain, it was still a nice trip. My boat was soaked but by the end of the next day it was all dried out and ready for the next trip. the air temp made it to the low 50s but you never would have know it being out in the rain as we were.
I recently moved my website to a new hosting company and have yet to put the two sites up where you can purchase my photos, but I'm looking forward to working with my new host with this being the 10th anniversary of my site being on the web. Here are some links to Dale's work:

Dale Bowman - Chicago Sun-Times

Outside With Dale Bowman Radio Show on Facebook

Outside podcasts on iTunes

Dale Bowman Stray Casts

LaSalle Lake Largemouth

2011-03-31T18:30:00.076-05:00

LaSalle Lake - Thursday March 31, 2011

After so long off the water I was beginning to wonder if I could still catch fish. Today I found I still had what it takes to catch fish, but lost it big time when it comes to backing the boat into the water.

The story starts out with me going from trying to be a Good Samaritan, to turning into a rookie idiot. I got to the lake an hour after it was supposed to have opened and saw there was still a long line. I quickly realized that the gate had not been opened yet. After thinking about it for a minute I decided I'd turn around and go to Braidwood since I'd heard that the fish were hitting pretty good over there. I backed up to where I could turn around and noticed the gate opening so I got back in last place in line.

About 15 minutes later I had reached the gate when the driver of a broken down van that I had passed midway in line came running up behind me and asked if I could give his van a jump. My only concern was being able to get turned around so I could get back in line again. Since I would hope that someone would help me out if I needed it, I decided to go for it and manged to get turned around and nosed up to his van. We were able to get it started and I backed up down the road back through the gate and was able to tun around and get back in line again. That's when I temporarily turned into an idiot.

I had my boat all ready to go into the water so when it was my turn I backed down the ramp. The problem was I was at too much of an angle and my trailer tire went off the side of the ramp between the ramp and the dock. The last time I saw someone do that, they messed up their truck pretty bad trying to muscle the trailer out. My first thought was "don't panic, get out and assess the situation, come up with a plan, then work the plan". My second thought was "My insurance is paid up, right?".

I got out of the truck and the bilge pump in my boat started firing water out the side. My third thought was "Drain Plug". Yep, it was still in the boat. About this time the guy I helped out noticed I was in trouble and came over to give me a hand. I knew I had time before my boat would take on enough water to sink, so we pulled the boat off the trailer and tied it off. The first thing I did when I bought that boat was replace the bilge pump with a much higher capacity one, and put in a float switch so I knew it could sit there a while before I'd have to worry. At that point I figured out how to get the trailer out without damaging the dock or the trailer and it worked. I repositioned the trailer on the ramp, pulled the boat out of the water and put the plug where it belonged.

Then it was time to fish. Or so I thought. As I was driving around the lot to find a place to park, I came across two guys who had parked with their boat on the trailer and were working on trying to start the outboard. I asked them if they wanted to come out with me and they gave it some serious consideration but chose to keep trying to get their boat started - which they eventually did. I even saw them fighting a pretty good fish later on.

Finally I'm out on the water. My boat started up fine and I picked a place to start fishing and things finally started to get better. Long story short, I caught over 40 Largemouth in about 2 and a half hours. Throw in an eater sized Blue Catfish and a bunch of little annoying size channel cats and it turned into a good day. The sun was shining and there wasn't much wind. The water temp ranged from the low 60s near the ramp to about 80 near the discharge area. I never made it into the discharge chute but I'm sure it was close to 90 in there. For those not familiar with LaSalle Lake, it's a 2600 acre cooling lake for a nuclear power plant and can get quite rough when its windy.

I started out throwing a crank bait and switched to a tube after a while to make sure I didn't over work my arm and shoulder - one of the reasons I've been off the water so long. I kept snagging the tube in the rip rap so I switched to a plastic worm and they hammered it all day long. I'm sure some bigger fish were caught by others during the day, but all mine ranged from 13 to 17 inches.

When I went back to get the trailer, I noticed I had bent and moved the spare tire fixture when it hit the dock as the trailer went off the side of the ramp. Once I got home, it took a couple deep sockets and about 10 minutes to fix it all good as new. I got everything ready for the next days trip and covered the boat for the day.

IL River Sauger Fishing

2010-12-31T18:41:00.000-06:00

Illinois River - December 30, 2010

Icy Parking Lot

Since it's been a while since I fished for Sauger, I thought I'd try to get Jim Lukancic and Al Bernicky out on the river so we could try our luck. Jim had got called back to work for a couple days after being laid off and wasn't able to go, and so Al and I were disappointed he wasn't able to join us.

Launching the boat very carefully

The ride out to river was a messy one. The boat was covered with snow and road scum by the time we got there. The parking lot was a sheet of ice. That was great for the kids who come to the park to sled down the hill, but not great if you're pulling a bass boat. We took our time and had no trouble getting the boat safely in the 35 degree water. By this time, most of the morning fog had dissipated leaving a dreary and overcast day.

Bald Eagles in the distance

As soon as we were on our way to fish our first spot, I spotted a couple Bald Eagles in a tree up river from where we were. We never went close enough to try for some good photos and I figured that we'd see more of them during the day.

A Bald Eagle flies by

A short time after we started fishing, Al said " That bird is going to fly right over your head and you don't have your camera ready?". Sure enough, before I could grab the camera and get a good shot, a Bald Eagle flew right over us. I missed the good shot but caught him flying away from us.

One of my first nice Sauger

Fishing was slow. I caught one or two smaller fish in the first spot we tried, but since we were looking for more and bigger fish, we decided to move. Sitting in a bass boat when you're flying down the river at more than 50 mph is one thing. Doing it when the temperature is at about the freezing mark is quite another. I had to suck it up and take it for a few minutes while we ran to our next spot. That was one cold ride.

A young Bald Eagle watches over our fishing spot

On the way down river, we spotted more Eagles. I wasn't about to try to photograph them as we were moving for fear I'd freeze to death before I could aim the camera. I anticipated the air temperature was going to be a bit warmer than it was and I left my extra clothes in my car - which was parked back in Als driveway.

Another shot of the Eagle

Once we began fishing, I caught a nice fish right away. That gave us hope we were going to have a better day. Unfortunately every time we found ourselves on top of a school of fish, we had to move to let the tug boats get at the barges were fishing near.

Another fish out of the same hole

I caught another fish once we were able to get back on top of the same spot where had I caught the first, but we were forced off a few minutes later by another tug pushing a couple barges. This got old real quick. I'd catch a fish and we'd have move right away before we could get any more.

Another nice Sauger

We stayed as long as we could in that area and put a few more fish in the boat. Eventually the bite stopped once they stacked a couple barges right over the hole where we had found them so we decided to head back to where we started our day.

One more nice fish in the boat

By this time there were several boats drifting around the area we wanted to fish. They were catching a lot of small fish so we decided to try a different drift pattern. It worked since Al put a nice Walleye in the boat on the first drift we made.

A Barge passes us on its way up river

I put one more nice fish in the boat that we caught in much shallower water than everyone else was fishing. After a few more smaller fish we decided to head back. It wasn't worth it to stay out there and go through so many small fish. Not to mention that it was supposed to already be raining on us according to the weather forecast.

A scenic point on the river

Pulling the boat out wasn't too bad. Once it was out of the water, we had trouble getting traction on the ice to get it the rest of the way up the ramp. Al eventually got it and we stowed all the gear in preparation for the messy ride home.

Steelhead Strike Out

2010-12-23T12:19:00.024-06:00

Indiana - December 23, 2010

Al Bernicky and I got an early start towards Indiana this morning. We were hoping for a great day of Steelhead fishing. As we got there I couldn't help but notice how much more snow they have had in that area due to the Lake Michigan effect. There was a lot of it.

I raced off into the woods and followed the snow packed trail to find my spot partially frozen over, but there was enough room to fish. Long story short....I went 0 for three. I struck out. The first fish hit within the first few minutes after I started fishing. As soon as I pulled back on him, the hook came out. The next fish broke me off and I pulled the hook again on the third one. But when you're fishing in a setting such as the photo below, how can you complain?

Al fishes a scenic spot along the creek

A little while later Al showed up and said he had not even had a bite. I thought he would have landed a couple but he had nothing. He fished my spot a for a bit without a bite so we started fishing our way back. I shot some video of the walk along the creek and may or may not post it at some point. I didn't even fish until I got all the back to where the trail meets the creek as you walk in. I caught a couple smolts but that was it. Al showed up after a short time and settled into a scenic spot where I was able to get a nice photo of him. It didn't take long before I heard him say "FISH!". He landed a nice Steelhead and at that point we called it a day and headed for home.

Al shows off the only fish of the day before releasing it

One thing I noticed was the lack of moving wildlife. Usually the place is loaded with birds and squirrels, and one you almost always see other creatures, but not today. I saw a few birds and not one squirrel. I guess the fish were taking it easy today too.

Jumping Steelhead

2010-11-24T19:24:00.030-06:00

Indiana - November 24, 2010

An early morning visitor

I got an early start and arrived at my destination well before the sun began peeking over the horizon. After parking my car and getting my gear ready, I began walking into the darkness of the woods. The ground was very muddy which only added to the hazards that make the trip along the creek a treacherous one even during the daylight. The path was littered with sticker bushes and downed tree limbs, not to mention the washed out spots that can send you tumbling down the embankment into the cold water if you're not careful.

Stopping to say hello

As I got to the first spot I wanted to fish, a deer appeared in a small clearing just across the creek. He stopped to watch me for a minute and quickly decided I was not a threat to him. A few seconds later, a second deer joined him. They watched me for a little bit before they went on their way. For me, it's always a neat thing when I come across a creature in the wild and they decide I'm not a threat to them and they go about their business. Sometimes they run away when I pick up the camera, but these deer watched me as I set up my two Steelhead rods. They seemed curious about me.

My first Steelhead of the Fall

I began floating wax worms down the creek. I felt a bite right away but knew instantly that my bait was being harassed by the smolts - which are small 4 to 8 inch Steelhead that have yet to make their way out to Lake Michigan. I reeled the bait in and made an adjustment with the hope that I'd have fewer smolts attacking it. Sure enough the bobber went under and stayed there and I knew I had a good bite.

Trying to get a grip

The fish made one powerful run as the line screamed off my reel. At the end of its run it made several high jumps out of the water. I moved down the creek towards the fish as I reeled in more line. I found a good spot to land the fish and as I knelt down in preparation to bring the fish in, it jumped again and hit me square in the chest. I thought for sure the line would break but it held and the fish landed in the water right in front of me. A few seconds later I was able to scoop it out of the water.

Still not cooperating

I made a couple of attempts to get pictures using the self timer but the fish still had a lot of fight left in him. He kept squirming and I wasn't able to get a decent shot after two attempts. I figured that he had been out of the water long enough so I turned around and lowered him close to the water so he wouldn't have far to fall when he broke my grip.

Resting before heading back into the current

The fish swam off but turned around stopped about 5 feet down from where I released him. He stayed there for a minute or two before swimming off into the deeper water and out into the current. I made a few more drifts in that area before throwing a spinner that I had made. With no luck on the spinner I moved off to another spot.

Low water level

The mud made finding a safe spot to fish very difficult. There would have been more options for me if I would not have minded standing in the slop, but I decided to stay out of the slop and on drier ground for this trip. I tried two more spots with no luck before I wound up at my last spot.

Steep embankment behind the trees

At my last spot I wound up catching several smolts very quickly. I had to re-tie a few times after snagging in the brush that is all over the bottom of that creek. Eventually I felt some resistance when pulling back on the line and I had another good fish on. This fish was a couple pounds smaller than the first one and much darker. I managed to get it out of the water but I still had about 4 or 5 feet of mud to either walk through or drag the fish through. I got the fish about halfway and the hook pulled free. Since the fish was still just out of my reach, I turned the rod around and gently rolled him back into the water. He swam off with a burst and I decided to call it a day. There was freezing rain on the way and I did not want to be stuck in the holiday get-a-way traffic in an ice storm.

Back On The Water

2010-10-11T19:54:00.063-05:00

Des Plaines River - October 11, 2010

Two Pelicans on a Stump

It's been a while since I've been on the water. For me, being off the water for any length of time is very difficult. It's just one of those things I need to do. I've had some neck and shoulder problems recently so I figured it would be best give things a rest - not that it helped any. Also, for the last year and a half, lack of steady work has allowed me to fish during the week when things are less crowded. Now that I'm back to work full time, I'm back to fishing on the weekends and holidays with the crowds. Today was the Columbus Day holiday so I was able to get out. I had a tough time deciding where to go. Long story short - I went back to the Des Plaines river since it's close and I wasn't sure how long I'd last out there.

Calm Morning

I put the boat in the water and headed off to a nearby spot where I figured there would be fish holding. It was a beautiful morning with a few clouds, light breeze, and air temps in the low 60s. The water temp was a lot warmer than I expected for a mid October day - high 70s. That told me the power plants up river would be pumping full steam. I went the other direction though.

Sunrise

As soon as I got to my spot I began casting a crank bait along a drop off. I could see fish jumping all around but quickly noticed they were carp. Jumping carp usually do not bode well for a good day of bass fishing on the river. I had a small fish hit the lure but lost him right away. A short time later I snagged the crank bait in the rocks. I began to try pop the lure free like I usually do when I get hung up, but something didn't feel right. I kept this up as I got closer to where the lure was stuck and thought I felt a couple of pumps on the other end. I pulled back and the lure didn't budge - until it took off in the other direction. I scooped a nice Flathead Catfish into the net after a good battle. Unfortunately that was the only fish I caught there, but it was certainly nothing to complain about. I placed him back into the water after taking a few photos.

Flathead Catfish

I ran to another spot where I figured I'd find fish and managed to catch a nice Freshwater Drum. I was hoping for a decent bass and was a little disapointed when I got a look at what it was. Still, it wasn't anything to complain about. I released this fish at the side of the boat without bring it aboard.

Freshwater Drum puts up a good fight

A short time later I caught a small Largemouth Bass and released it without a photo since it wasn't anything to brag about. A few minutes later I decided to run up river after catchng another one slightly smaller than the first.

I wanted to stop at one of my favorite spots but there was a long line of barges tied together that had it blocked off. There was no way I was going to be able to get at it so I kept going as far as I could go until I reached the lock.

Turkey Vulture glides over the river

I began fishing away from the lock chute and caught more floating weeds than anything. There was no avoiding them. My only hope was that a fish would hit the lure before the lure would pick up some of the debris that was very plentiful in the water. There were no takers though.

A few Turkey Vultures were gliding right over my head and didn't seem to concerned about my presense. Acoss the river I noticed two more in a tree. Usually I start seeing Bald Eagles about this time of year on the river but I didn't see a single one today. then again the weather has been unseasonably warm.

Turkey Vultures in a tree

As I made my was away from the lock, a tug approached pushing a couple of barges. The doors opened and the rushing water created enough current to wash a lot of the weeds out. The two guys standing at the front asked if I had caught anything. I replied that I landed a nice flathead and a couple small ones but that was it. Since I hadn't gotten a bite other than a nice Green Sunfish that hit a lure that way too big for him, I moved to another area.

Green Sunfish

I hooked a couple more bass at my next spot including a couple nice Largemouth, and a Smallmouth, but only managed to put another dinky Largemouth in the boat. After beating up the area pretty good, I realized that the many gar that I was seeing had probably chased out what I was after. I saw Gar in all shapes and sizes and hooked a couple of them too. I brought one about 30 inches to the side of the boat and luckily he got away before I was going to have to unhook him.

A small Channel Catfish

By this time I was starting to realize I'd better quit before I over did it, so I hit one more quick spot on the way back. Too bad I wasn't fishing for Bluegills because I found the motherlode. There were some big ones mixed in with the crowd that was holding along a weed edge. I fished the area for a few minutes and after landing a small Channel Cat, I decided to pack it up and head for home.

Bluegills everywhere

I never did catch what I was after, but still had a decent day. I suppose even if I would have struck out it was still a nice day to be on the water. I still kind of wish I had taked the time to drive another hour and a half to fish Powerton Lake, but that will have to wait until February when it opens back up for boats, since it will be closed for the season by the time I get another chance to get out again.

Fish in the Mud

2010-08-09T19:36:00.000-05:00

Des Plaines River

Friday, August 6,2010

The Sun Peeks Around the Trees

I was able to get back out on the water for the first time in a couple weeks on Friday August 6th. My plan was to hit Heidecke Lake because I knew the rivers would still be high an muddy from all the rain we've had recently. The problem was that once I got a little ways down the highway, I saw all the traffic backed up the other way due to road construction. I got off the highway and headed for the Des Plaines River instead. I knew from checking with NOAA that the river was at or above flood stage in some areas both above and below where I was going to fish, but according to their charts and forecast, no flood conditions in my normal stretch of river.

Smoke Across The Water

I pulled into the parking lot just as the sun was starting to peek around the trees next to the bridge that goes over the river. The water was higher than normal, and there seemed to be more current than usual. Smoke was coming out of a smoke-stack across the river as I put the boat in the water and then headed down river.

Rising Sun Behind Me

The first spot I stopped at is near an area where another river dumps into the Des Plaines. According to NOAAs forecast, that river was above flood stage. I'd never seen current from that river move water in the Des Plaines before, but it was racing several hundred yards across a flat and out into the main channel. There is an island made of large rip rap that has a channel marker on it and it was being bombarded by the current. I've fished this island many times in the past and never seen any current there, but it was moving the boat around to the point I had to really be careful about how I went around it to avoid getting carried right into the rocks.

First Fish of the Day

I managed to hook one so-so Largemouth on a crank bait but it jumped and tossed the lure. I saw several other bass chasing bait but failed to get another strike so I moved on. All the slop being carried down river by the current was making it tough to fish there anyway.

Better than Nothing

I caught a fish within a couple casts after I reached my next spot. It was a tiny Smallmouth Bass that wasn't much bigger than the lure I was throwing. A couple casts later I caught a nice White Bass followed by a bunch of little Largemouth. I hooked one monster fish there but didn't get a good enough of a look at it to say for sure what it was, but it got away a minute or so into a good fight. After a few more small fish, I hooked another big fish. This one fought differently so I know it wasn't the same species. Once I got it to the boat I saw it was a big Smallmouth Buffalo that weighed around 15 pounds give or take. I had the net in one and and the rod in the other and just as I had the fish six inches from the net, the hooked pulled free and rocketed back just missing my face. Of course since I only had 10 or 15 feet of line out, the lure didn't have far to go before it rocketed back the other way and lodged in the back of my neck. A little antibiotic ointment and a band-aid later, and I was back to catching small fish again. Since the big bass were not cooperating, I made a long run up river.

"Hello Bill"

Once I got to my next spot, a Beaver swam by and said hello as he passed right by the boat. There was a lot of slop in the water so I opted for a plastic worm instead of a crank bait. Just as I heard the alarm go off to warn those below the lock that it was about to open, I hooked and landed my biggest Largemouth of the day which still wasn't anything to brag about. The current was really moving as the doors to the lock were opening so I moved on.

White Bass

I fished two more spots without a hit. The water was over 90 degrees not too far below one of the power plant discharges. I saw a few gar come up and had one of them take a swing at a crank bait and miss, but that was it so I went back to the first spot I tried. I fished the heck out of it again without a bite. I saw a lot of fish chasing minnows in and out of the current breaks, and even though I was throwing lures that matched the bait fish, I couldn't buy a strike. As I was working my way back to the marina, I hooked big fish but never saw it. It kept running and never stopped. I finally clamped down on the drag and the fish turned and ran sideways for about 5 seconds before the lure pulled free. After that it was back to the ramps for me, then home to scrub the black line of river scum off the boat. That took some elbow grease to get clean.

Return from the Northwoods

2010-07-09T21:42:00.021-05:00

Lake Thompson - Rhinelander, WI Area

June 2-9, 2010

We made great time driving up to the Rhinelander area for a weeks stay on Lake Thompson. We made it to the lake before noon, and before check in time, but we were able to get the keys and unload the vehicles, then head into town for lunch and grocery shopping.

First Bass of the trip - tiny Smallmouth Bass

After we ate lunch and got back to the lake, it was time to put the boat in and do some fishing. The weather was clear and the air temp ranged from the upper 80s to low 90s as we fished through the afternoon. Chris Nolan and I caught a lot of small fish as water skier after water skier flew by with an occasional jet ski thrown in for good measure.

My first Pike comes to the boat

I caught a Northern Pike right away. A short time later I caught a little Smallmouth and then a little Largemouth on two consecutive casts. We caught a lot of small fish that afternoon and continued to try to figure out how to catch the bigger fish that we knew were in the lake.

Chris catches a nice Northern Pike

As we entered a shallow weedy bay, Chris changed lures and proceeded to tie into a good Northern Pike. I netted it and proceeded to unhook it, but it shook and caught my thumb with one of its teeth and punctured it deep enough so that it took a couple days to stop bleeding despite pressure. My wife wound up going into town for some additional first aid supplies and eventually we got it under control although a stitch or two would probably have been the way to go.

My first Walleye of the trip

I went out later in the evening by myself and caught more fish and added a Bluegill and Walleye to the species count. I also hooked and lost a real good Smallmouth Bass over a rock bar that was marked by a hazard buoy. A small pike got my other thumb but I was prepared and was able to stick a band aid over it.

Into the net after a brief battle

Chris and I were up early Saturday morning and back out on the water. It didn't take long before it was hot and humid to the point of being uncomfortable. We caught another mix of small fish that included bass and pike. I managed to land a nice Musky that was hanging around a weed line, and that was the highlight of the morning.

My only Musky of the trip

The boat traffic got pretty heavy so we decided to go in wait until evening before we'd head back out. Before we headed in though we were stopped by two conservation police officers and had our licenses and live well checked, and the boat inspected for the required safety equipment. We were good to go and had no violations. That was also the first time that Chris had ever been checked.

A nice Northern Pike

When we got back out the boat traffic was still pretty heavy. There was even a 4th of July parade of ski and pontoon boats going around the lake making a lot of noise. More and more boats joined them as they made their way around the lake.

A deer spies on us through the trees

We got to a quiet shallow area and noticed a deer hiding behind some trees as it kept an eye on us. There were several Loons on the lake and every evening you could hear their unmistakable call echo across the water. Crows, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Kingfishers, and other birds were also in abundance around the lake. Every now and then an Osprey would fly by and we spotted a Bald Eagle a couple of times too.

A small Pike that was hit by a bigger fish on the way to the boat

The fish were still running on the small side although Chris got a nice Largemouth and I caught a small Pike that had a bigger fish hit it while I was reeling it in. I didn't get a good enough look to see what it was, but it left a mark on my pike.

Chris gets his first nice Largemouth

As the evening progressed, the fireworks began. They were everywhere. The sky was lit up in every direction and there was no shortage of loud booms thundering across the lake. Soon the mosquitos were too much to take even though we were soaked in deet. By this time the fireworks had ended and the lake was pitch black to the point where we couldn't see anything. I switched my locator to the GPS screen to make sure we were headed in the right direction back to the dock.

One of three Otters we saw playing in the rain

The next day we headed into town for the 4th of July parade. They really did a nice job and had a big turn out. The skies were over cast and every once in a while it would start to sprinkle, but the heavier rain held off until the parade was over - and we were ready to hit the water.

A nice 4th of July Pike in the rain

Sure enough as soon as we hit the water, the rain gradually began to pick up in intensity. We had our rain gear on and were determined to catch some decent fish. I changed my tactics since the majority of the fish we were catching were on the small side. It worked because the average size of the fish we started catching went way up.

Chris gets his first ever Perch

I caught some good Largemouth and Chris caught his first ever Perch and Warmouth to add to our species total. He also caught a couple good Largemouth too.

Chris gets a nice Largemouth in the rain

The rain showed no signs of diminishing, but since there was no thunder or lightning we decided to stay out and keep fishing. We caught more Northern Pike and Largemouth and there were more than enough of them to make it worth staying out.

Fishing in heavy rain

By the time we were done, we were both soaked all the way through our rain gear. I was wearing brand new rain gear and Chris decided he was going to get new rain gear since there was more rain forecast. Part of the problem was the humidity. There was no staying dry out there but at least it was a warm rain.

A Largemouth caught during a heavy downpour

That night we put a different cover on the boat to see if it would make a difference since the other one blew halfway off in the wind the previous night. There wasn't any way to secure it other than at the front and back so we opted for the cover I use to trailer the boat since it's a tight fit all the way around. Since I fished all day, I took both our wives to a late movie that night. The theater had a northwoods decor and was pretty cool. It was different from any other theater I've ever been in.

Chris teaches his son to fish

On Monday we headed up to the Minocqua area and visited a Wildlife park. It was better than most zoos I've been to. You are able to get up close to many of the animals and I even kissed a camel. My wife was able to feed the bears and deer, and everyone was able to pose for pictures with some of the other animals. They have a Musky pond and we were able to spot a big musky hiding under some lily pads. The pictures didn't turn out so good though. While we were in town stopping for food, I ran into an old friend that I used to work with at a sporting goods store some 10 or more years ago. That just goes to show just how small the world really is.

A nice sunset over an island

We went out again that evening for a little while and fishing was slower although we put a few nice fish in the boat. The mosquitos seemed immune to deet so we gave up sooner that we would have liked.

More rain moving in

On Tuesday morning, the weather was somewhat clear and Chris went out with his wife to get new rain gear while I went fishing. The boat was still soaked under the cover and did not smell very pleasant either. I caught a few fish but nothing to brag about. Chris came back with minnows and wax worms so that we'd have some live bait for his son to use. We didn't think his son was ready to start tossing lures at fish, and we wanted to make sure he'd see a fish up close.

As if the jet and water Skis weren't enough....

Garrett was playing in the water by the beach so we headed out into the boat traffic and not only had to deal with water skiers and jet skis, but an airplane that flew a few dozen feet over our heads before landing on the lake. The plane was met by another boat and someone either got off or was picked up. A short time later the plane took off again and was gone.

...we had a plane buzz our heads and land on the water

I managed to catch a big smallmouth in the same spot where I had lost one the first evening we were there. After that we fished for a little while and caught a few more fish before heading in for an early dinner.

A nice Smallmouth Bass

After dinner, we let Garrett try his hand at fishing. He was holding the pole and the bobber went under, but when he tried to pull back, the fish kept going. His dad took the Batman fishing pole from him and took over the battle.

Garrett's dad helps him with a big fish he hooked off the dock...

It didn't take long before I was reaching into the water to grab the Pike that Garrett and his dad had caught. Laura and Cathy (our wives) came down and took some pictures of the fish before we let it go.

...and it turned out to be a Northern Pike.

I picked up Cathy's pole and tossed a minnow out there and worked with Garrett to catch a nice Crappie. He wasn't as apprehensive about getting close to the Crappie as he was with the Pike - especially after knowing what the other Pike had done to my thumbs.

Me, Garrett, and a Crappie

After dinner we headed out fishing again, and true to form, the rain decided to join us again. We caught a few fish but decided not to take the camera out of the zip lock. I threw one nice largemouth in the live well but let it go without a photo before we went in for the night.

A nice Largemouth in the rain

On Wednesday we headed back toward Minocqua again to visit an Indian reservation which I found very interesting. I was very impressed with their engineering and other skills. We also saw the lumberjack show then went out for dinner before heading back to do a little more fishing. Just like the previous few nights, the rain waited for us before it started. This time the fishing was the best it was to be, but unfortunately for us, the rain was also the worst of the trip.

Another Largemouth during a downpour

As we made our way around the lake, the float switch for my bilge pump would trigger the pump and water would shoot out the side of the boat. That beats bailing water any day. When I would step off the front platform, the boat would tilt a little and the bilge would kick on every time. I've fished in worse, but not much worse and definitely not for that long.

And another after the rain let up for a few seconds

I had to switch tactics again as the rain picked up and was able to keep catching nice fish. Chris followed suit and put more fish in the boat also. The fish were in and around the lily pads and we would catch them way back in the pads, or just outside the weed lines in open water.

And another Lagrmouth after it started raining again

There were a couple times where the rain let up and we thought it might stop but mother nature was just teasing us. Another round of heavy rain would hit us and we'd pull our hoods a little tighter.

Chris got his share too

Eventually there were a few lightning strikes so we decided to head in. We were the only ones out there, thus the only targets for any other lightning bolts that might get thrown our way. Covering the already soaked boat was no easy chore but we managed to get it done without winding up in the water.

The fishing got better as the rain got worse

Thursday was a bright and sunny day. It was a little less humid but still hot. Chris and I went out and caught some nice fish. Most of what we caught were Largemouth but there were still a few small Pike around too. We headed in for lunch but were soon ready to head back out on the water. Garrett wanted to go fishing in the boat so we grabbed the remaining minnows and headed out to a spot that had rocks, weeds, grass, and a little of everything so we'd be sure to
catch some fish with live bait. Garrett fished for a little bit and missed a couple fish but his dad was on top of things and hooked a couple.

Chris gets another Largemouth

It didn't take long before Garrett got bored and decided he'd be the minnow wrangler. He had more fun getting minnows for us as we caught perch, crappie, warmouth, and bass. I tried vertical jigging over some rocks in deeper water but struck out.

Garrett sits in the boat and supervises

It was very windy while we were out there and controlling the boat was tough. Garrett eventually got bored with the minnows and decided he wanted to go back. He lasted longer than we thought he would and seemed to have fun.

A nice Warmouth takes minnow

After we dropped Garrett off we went back out in search of bigger fish. It didn't take long before we started to catch them. Chris finally managed to catch his first ever Walleye to bring his species total up to 6.

Another Largemouth in the heat

Just before we were about to head in for dinner, I was watching my lure clear a line of lily pads when a big Pike swam up and grabbed it at the boat. It was quite a sight to see and after a short battle the fish was in the boat.

A nice Northern Pike

We went out again for our last time after dinner and fishing was slower. I caught a couple nice fish and Chris finally caught a few fish after switching lures. The sunset was spectacular and was a nice end to a nice trip.

A nice sunset to end the trip

After the trip, the boat needed a thorough cleaning. I spent all day Saturday scrubbing the carpet and airing out all the compartments. As I was inside writing this post, I heard what I thought were heavy rain drops hitting the house. I looked out and saw it was still sunny so I ignored it for a minute. Once it got heavy I realized it was indeed rain so I went out and closed the compartments and waited until the rain stopped which was only a few minutes. There was some thunder and enough rain to wet everything down again so I had to wait a while longer before everything was dry enough to cover the boat. The wet gear will have to go back into the boat another day.

Slow day at the Monee Reservoir

2010-06-25T20:27:00.001-05:00

Monee Reservoir Shoreline

When I turned into the parking lot at the Monee Reservoir right at 6:00 am, I was surprised to see quite a few cars in the lot already. I wound up being 5th or 6th in line to rent a boat for the day. I was on the water by 6:20 hoping for one of the big bass that swim in that lake.

It didn't take long before I hooked one. The fish took the plastic worm I was throwing and made a powerful run before it jumped and threw the whole thing back at me. I got a good look though and was kicking my self for not setting the hook a second time. This would have been one of the biggest Largemouth Bass I'd caught all year.

First Catfish of the day

I continued working my way around the lake and had another fish grab the worm and make a powerful run. I got a good hookset into the fish this time but quickly realized that it wasn't a bass on the other end of line. I could feel the tell-tale head shake of a good sized catfish and sure enough, that's what it was. I brought it to the boat and unhooked it without removing it from the water.

Second Catfish of the day

Bass were no where to be found. The concession worker told me he thought the storms had them shut down and it sure seemed like he was right on. He's there everyday and knows what's going on so I figured I'd change tactics. I started throwing a crank bait and quickly hooked another nice fish. It wasn't as big as the first one, but it was still able to toss the lure before I got the fish to the boat. Another foot and it would have been in the net that I was leading him towards.

Since the bass were not cooperating, I decided I'd try throwing live night crawlers into the open holes in the lily pads. I never use live bait but figure it couldn't hurt to give it a shot. I had a couple fish grab the worms but think they were bluegills because they'd pull and then there'd be nothing. I gave up on that pretty quick.

Monee Reservoir Lily Pads

I started to make another trip around the lake and manged to catch another good Catfish on a plastic worm, and 4 smaller Largemouth on crank baits. My trip was then cut short by a phone call telling me a hose had come apart on my pool and we'd lost a foot of water. Luckily that took a flathead screw driver and less than 60 seconds to fix.

Typical Largemouth Bass for today

One thing that I noticed was that a few times a dragon fly would get close to landing on a lily pad, there'd be a swirl. Since the skies were bright blue, I knew the bass that weren't deep would be tight to cover and seeing a couple bass go after dragonflies at least let me know they were in there. They weren't around the edges but backed well into the pads - away from the area I spent most of time targeting. Next time I'll have a rod rigged with 50lb braid so I can get something through those pads closer to the shoreline.

Monee Reservoir - June 6, 2010

2010-06-06T14:47:00.001-05:00

Deer in the lily pads

I hit the Monee Reservoir with Chris Nolan early Sunday morning. We were the first ones there and the first ones out in a rental boat. The weather forecast from the night before was for possible showers and clouds. None of either were anywhere to be found. The water was 72 degrees and the skies were clear as could be since cold front had passed through the night before bringing tornadoes just to the south.

Chris unhooks the first fish of the day

We started fishing in a spot I usually do pretty good in but we didn't get a thing. After fishing there for a few minutes we moved to the next spot and Chris caught the first fish of the day on a crank bait which was also his best of the day.

My first fish of the day

We moved on and I soon had my first fish of the day on. It hit a plastic worm tossed into an open pocket in the lily pads. A short time later, Chris had another fish in the boat which was caught on a different crank bait.

Small turtle sunning itself

We moved on and found that it was getting harder and harder to control the 12 foot aluminum row boat we were in due to the increasing wind speed. Chris spotted a nice Northern Pike swimming along the weed line with its head out of the water. He threw a lure 15 feet in front of it, but the fish was still spooked and it took off.

My best fish of the day

I did the best I could do with the transom mounted trolling motor I brought which was much more powerful than the ones you can rent. As we were moving against the wind, I felt a fish pick up the plastic worm and set the hook on my best fish of the day.

Another Largemouth Bass about to be released

The fish fought hard and jumped higher than any Largemouth I'd ever seen before. A short time later it was in the boat for a couple photos before it was released to fight another day.

Turtle climbing onto a log

We made our way back around to where we started and fished the area again since it usually produces a good fish for me. Not today though. We gave up on it and moved on to the north half of the lake.

My last fish of the day

As we made our way between an island and the north bank, Chris spotted a fish thrashing around in the weeds. We couldn't get it to hit anything so we kept moving. Before we got too far away from that spot, I tossed the plastic worm just outside the weed line and felt a fish pick it up. It didn't take long to get my last fish of the day to the boat.

Turkey Vulture over the lake

Because the trolling motor had been running non-stop all morning due to the wind, the battery began to show signs of tiring. We decided to head back before the battery was completely dead so that we wouldn't have to row.

Monee Reservoir

Des Plaines River - 5/18/2010

2010-05-18T21:14:00.001-05:00

Blustery day on the River

My plan was to fish Heidecke lake again for Walleye during the late afternoon and early evening hours, but when I got there it was closed. I guess somebody fell asleep and didn't realize the high winds that came through earlier in the day had subsided quite a bit.

I called the Braidwood office and was informed that the lake was open, but then opted for the river instead. It was still a little windy but not so much that Heidecke should have been closed. I ran down river and fished for a short time before I had a small fish hit the crank bait I was throwing. He came off pretty quick but a couple casts later I had a much better fish on. I put this one in the boat, took a few photos and let him go.

Largemouth Bass

I fished on for a while without another bite so I decided to work my way up river. I couldn't buy a strike so I went even further up river. I probably could have done better had I targeted the spawners, but that's not my idea of sport fishing.

Bald Eagle

As I made my way up river, I spotted a Bald Eagle in a tree. He was tough to see against the dark sky but I stopped anyway and took several pictures.

I got to the first spot I planed to fish and struck out. I saw a lot of Gar coming up and figured they'd drive out a lot of the fish I was after so I moved. I got to the next spot, made my first cast and a giant Gar hit the lure. He came up, shook is head and as soon as the line came in contact with his beak, he was gone with my lure. A short time later I hooked a Smallmouth Buffalo. I brought him to the boat and decided he wasn't worth bringing up for a picture so I played him for another minute next to the boat until he was able to unhook himself.

A pair of Bald Eagles

I hooked one other fish briefly before I decided to head back. I never saw it but it felt like a nice fish. On the return trip that same Bald Eagle was still in the same spot, only now a friend had joined him. I took several more photos before stopping at one more spot to try my luck.

Deer

I hooked another Largemouth Bass that looked smaller than the one I caught earlier, but he was able to toss the lure when he came up and shook. After that I packed up and headed home wishing I had been able to spend the time on Heidecke instead of the River.

A lot of Bass are spawning right now, and on top of that, the wind was blowing all the smells from the nearby industry right down the river which did not make for a pleasant trip. The water was 62 degrees and high from the recent rain, but not so bad that it wasn't fishable. I've seen it much worse out there and at least I was on the water and caught a couple fish. The wildlife viewing was nice despite the smells and lack of fish, and that's never anything to complain about.

Heidecke Lake 5-11-2010

2010-05-11T19:01:00.000-05:00

Geese at Heidecke

I met Mike Matlock at Heideceke Lake around noon on Tuesday, May 11th, 2010. The skies were cloudy and every once in a while a small rain drop would find its way down from the clouds. It looked to be a perfect day for fishing. The water temperature was only 55 which was quite a drop from the last time either of us had been there.

First Cast, First Fish

As we left the cove, I realized I had left my cameras in the car in plain sight. I turned around, went back in and retrieved them before we headed off to our first spot.

My first Walleye of the day

I stopped the boat well before the shoreline we were going to fish and mentioned that the drop off we were approaching was sometimes good for a fish or two. Sure enough, I landed a small Striped Bass on my very first cast.

One of my Smallmouth

Within moments, Mike had a Smallmouth Bass on. He put it in the boat, unhooked it, and quickly released it. With two quick fish in the boat, I was hoping that was an omen for a good day.

Inspecting the power lines

We weren't fishing for more than a couple minutes when a helicopter buzzed over us. It was inspecting the power lines that run over the lake. Heidecke used to be a power plant cooling lake, but the plant has since been demolished, removing the former source of artificial warmth and current that helped grow giant fish all through the northern Illinois winters.

The wind picks up

I made a comment that the wind was not as strong as was predicted, which was dumb since the wind really picked up as soon as I made that comment. Keeping the boat positioned so Mike could have a good angle at the shoreline became a little more difficult at that point.

Mike with the best fish of the day

I put another fish or two in the boat including a keeper walleye. But then a short time later, Mike tied into it's grandmother. This was a real good sized walleye. The fish came up and we could clearly see the lure in the fishes mouth. The fish went down again and I heard Mike exclaim, "oh", as if he had lost it. But the line quickly tightened back up letting us know the fish was still there. The fish came back up and Mike asked me to net it since now the lure was in the fishes back. I've only seen that happen one other time where a fish was hooked, threw the lure, and still managed to hook himself - and that was a Catfish. After a picture or two, the walleye was in the live well with the other one.

Channel Catfish

We continued fishing, and once things slowed we doubled back and drifted the same area again. We caught more fish but fishing was a little slower. Mike landed a big Channel Catfish that went back in the water and I had one stretch where I hooked three Smallmouth almost in a row but only put two in the boat. None of the Stripers I caught were worth bragging about, but they were fun nonetheless. I only had one possible musky take a crank bait off the end of my line.

Feathered Fishing Guide

As we made our drift, we came across a couple of diving birds that neither of us had seen before.

A pair of diving birds

They would float in the waves, then disappear under the water.

Diving under the water

The sounds they made as they communicated to each other reminded me of a small puppy playing with his buddies.

About to release a small Striper

Once it was time to go, we headed back in and pulled the boat out, then proceeded to the parking lot to remove the fish from the live well so Mike could take them. As I was trying to get the bigger fish that Mike caught, its gill plate put a pretty good slice in my thumb. Then when I handed the fish to Mike, it got him too. My wife said she would have liked a picture of us standing there sharing the same towel to wipe the blood off. We probably did look kind of funny.

Another fish about to be landed

The Wrong Kind of Record

2010-05-03T19:49:00.000-05:00

Heidecke Lake - May 3, 2010

The rain in the distance that never made it

I got to the lake about noon and right away I knew where I'd start my fishing based on the wind direction and speed. Rain was forecast for the afternoon but it set up about 20 miles east and moved away leaving a bright and sunny afternoon.

High Wind or Storms Forecast - Use Extreme Caution

I put the boat in the water, raced to my spot and started fishing. I don't think I was fishing for more than 10 minutes when I felt a hard tap on the end of the line followed by a couple of tugs. Then the water exploded in the distance showing me I had a big Musky on. The fight lasted about five seconds before the fish bit right through the line and was gone with my lure.

A small bird walking the shoreline rocks

The same thing happened several more times throughout the day. I saw a total of four of the Muskies that I hooked so those are the only ones I'm counting as Muskies. One was a monster of a fish, another looked about the size of the one I caught last trip, and the other two were smaller. There were a couple more fish that bit the cranks off the end of the line that might have been Walleye, but I never saw them. My record for landing Muskies at Heidecke was three in one day. I also lost one more that day. If I would have been targeting them, I would have tied on a little Tyger Leader material and probably landed most if not all of them.

Freshwater Drum

As for the fish I did catch, the first was a Drum. It was a plump sixteen inch fish that put up a fight, but later on I caught his mama who put up even more of a fight.

Green Sunfish - Little Fish, Big Appetite

I also caught a Green Sunfish that wasn't much bigger than the lure I was throwing. I'm not sure how he managed to open his mouth that wide, but he did. That would be the most humorous fish of the day.

Smallmouth Bass #1

I put two Smallmouth in the boat. The first was a nice fish and the second was a little smaller. Both were quite acrobatic and jumped a few times before being hoisted aboard. Both were quickly photographed and released.

Smallmouth Bass #2

The geese were very aggressive towards each other today. As I went along the bank, they were chasing each other and fighting over who knows what. Red Winged Blackbirds were already looking for crayfish in the rocks and the gulls were sitting on the railroad cars keeping an eye on everything else that went on.

A small Hybrid Striped Bass

I hooked and lost three or four small Hybrid Stripers or White Bass, and caught one. It's tough to tell them apart when they're small unless you actually get them in the boat. At least these fish didn't take my crank baits with them. So for today I think I set a record for the most fish hooked and not landed during a trip. And for some reason I can't wait to get back out there and try again. The water was still 62 and there was a 20 mph southwest wind that made it easy to drift and cover a lot of water quickly. The air temp reached the upper 70s which made it a very comfortable day to be on the water.

New Web Site is Live

2010-04-26T13:34:00.000-05:00

I've spent the past 6 months working on a new website to help outdoorsmen and women preserve the memories they capture during their adventures. Now, anyone will be able to create a unique product with their memory preserved on it at http://www.theartofwaterandwoods.com/.

I have a new 24x36 framed print of a favorite fishing spot hanging in my living room that was converted to Black and White using a tool on the web site. My wife was skeptical until she saw it and now she wants to use the image on all our holiday cards this year. It looks awesome. You can even convert photos to Sepia if you wish. It's very easy to create a piece of fine art that you would be proud to display in your home or office.

The mail lady just delivered a few more items that I created at the site using some scenic photos I took during a fishing trip. I ordered a couple refrigerator magnets, a mouse pad, and a jigsaw puzzle to give as a gift. Now every time I reach for my mouse or go into the refrigerator, I'll be reminded of the time I caught the biggest steelhead of my life.

Visitors to the site will be able to use some of the photos from my library or upload their own. I was able to find a print vendor that allows me to offer high quality products and very competitive prices. There are hundreds of product variations to choose from.

One person who is having his bathroom tiled ordered a few tiles to be mixed in with the ones that were originally picked out.

Another person uploaded a graphic with his company logo and ordered a tote bag.

A friend said he is looking through his pictures to create a calendar that shows the best fish he caught during each month of the past year.

The refrigerator magnets are going pretty good too. I just ordered a key chain with the dogs picture and can't wait for that to show up. I might also get one with a picture of my boat for my boat keys.

Rather than list all of the products here, take a look at the site and see for yourself everything we have to offer. Compare the prices too. Chances are that big department store in town or mega-sized website you've been using for prints uses the same print vendor.

To view a tutorial of how the site works, you can visit this page:
http://www.theartofwaterandwoods.com/tutorial.html

I'll be replacing the videos with better ones eventually, but there is another one that shows some of the products that are available:

As always, please email me any ideas or comments about the site. There is a contact page on the site that will give you my email address.

Heidecke Lake - April 20, 2010

2010-04-20T20:40:00.001-05:00

Calm Afternoon at Heidecke Lake

I pulled into the parking lot at Heidecke Lake around 3:00 pm for a couple hours of afternoon fishing since it wasn't looking likely I'd have another chance to get out this week. I was surprised to see an almost full parking lot. As far as fishing goes, I wasn't expecting too much since I never do very well at this lake when its sunny. On top of the bright sunshine, there was also very little wind keeping the lake almost like a sheet of glass.

Small Striped Bass

I ran to an area of the shoreline that did not have any other boaters around and began to beat the shore line pretty good. I saw a lot of Freshwater Drum cruising by, and even a few Common Carp getting ready to begin their spawning ritual. It took a while, but I eventually tied into and landed a small Striped Bass

A Real Nice Walleye

A short time later I had another fish on the end of the line. This one was much bigger and put up quite a fight. I had the net within reach and decided to use it once I saw that I had a good sized Walleye clamped onto my crank bait. I scooped him up, took a couple photos, and released him to fight another day.

A little Smallmouth Bass

The next fish took a while to find. I was almost ready to go try another spot when a small Smallmouth Bass tried to make off with my crank bait. After a quick photo, he was back in the water too.

A nice Musky

Shortly after I got to another spot that I wanted to try before I had to head back home, another good fish hit the crank bait. This time I knew I had a good fish on. It fought hard and made a few powerful runs before I got it close enough to see I had a good Musky on. I grabbed the net and quickly realized that the fish wasn't going to fit, and before I knew it, the lure got tangled in the net with the fish thrashing next to it. Luckily I was able to get my hand under the fish before he got away.

Released to fight again another day

After a few quick photos I lowered the Musky back into the water and he took off like a torpedo. I untangled the lure from the net, put everything away, and called it a day. So for not expecting much, it turned out to be a great outing. The water temp was 62 and the air warmed to 65.

3 hours at LaSalle

2010-04-08T18:31:00.001-05:00

LaSalle Lake - April 8, 2010

I got to the lake right around 8:00 am. Before I pulled into the lot, I noticed the windmills that stretch as far as the eye can see were all turning at a pretty good clip. That told me the lake would be fairly rough. I still think it's funny that so many windmills surround a nuclear power plant, but I guess it's a good thing that they do. As I pulled into the parking lot I noticed that I was the only one there other than a couple shore fishermen.

I launched and headed for spot number one. I was only able to fish the north shorelines because the wind would have made it tough to stay out of the rocks on the east and south banks. There are no west banks other than within the restricted areas and you wont ever see me in there. As it was, the wind was carrying me along the shoreline a lot faster than I would have liked.

My first fish was a nice Bluegill that hit the crank bait I was throwing for bass. A few casts later and I had a 5 lb channel cat in the boat. After that it was slow going. I caught two more small catfish on crank baits and that was it. Never saw a Bass which is rare.

The highlight of the trip were the flocks of Pelicans I saw. I have never been so close to them and I was really kicking myself for forgetting to grab both cameras and my cell phone. I would have gotten some great photos of the Pelicans and the fog.

After switching spots a few times and not getting a bite for 2 hours, I packed up and headed in. I was still the only person dumb enough to brave the 25 mph+ wind out of the NNW and the 43 degree air temp since there were still no other trailers in the parking lot. The water temp was 55 at the ramp and 89 back in the discharge canal. Most of the lake was in the 70s.

Easter Sunday on the Water

2010-04-04T18:47:00.001-05:00

Heidecke Lake - Des Plaines River - April 4, 2010

Easter Sunrise at Heidecke Lake

I got to Heidecke Lake just in time to see a wonderful red an purple sunrise. But you know the old saying "red sky in the morning, sailors warning"... that kind of turned out to be true considering before long the wind was blowing past 35 mph out of the south.

The wind is picking up fast

I had a limited amount of time to be on the water before I had to be back in time to get to a family gathering. Fishing was slow and after two hours I hadn't had a bite so I started thinking about heading for the Des Plaines River where it would be easier to deal with the wind. As it was, the wind was pushing me towards the rocks and without a bite to show for it, it wasn't worth the effort to stay out of the rocks so I left for the river.

Early morning swim at Heidecke

As I was packing up, I noticed something bobbing in the waves. Upon closer inspection I saw that it was some type of critter swimming across the lake. It looked like a beaver to me but I never saw the tail so I can't be 100% sure that's what it was. I picked up the camera and took a few photos before I headed into the waves for the boat ramps.

Young Bald Eagle

I made the short drive to the river and with the limited time I had left, I decided I'd try two spots and then head home. I struck out at spot number one, although I hooked and lost a very small White Bass before I got it to the boat.

I left that spot after a few minutes then headed for spot number two. On the way I spotted a young Bald Eagle sitting atop a dead tree in the water.

Channel Catfish

I got to spot number two then proceeded to let the wind carry me along the bank as I threw a couple different crank baits toward the shoreline. About halfway through the drift I caught a nice Channel Catfish. A couple casts later I snagged a big Carp. I brought him to the boat, got him in the net so I could get my lure back, then flipped him out of the net back into the water. As I ended my drift, I hooked and lost a tiny Largemouth Bass.

Pelicans over the Des Plaines River

The day started out in the mid 40s but quickly warmed into the mid 60s. The water at Heidecke was only 52 which was 4 degrees cooler than the previous day. The water in the river was in the 60s. As the day progressed the clouds thickened, and after I got the boat put away and we left for our family gathering, the rain and thunderstorms began. All in all it was a great Easter on and off the water.

Blustery Day at Braidwood

2010-03-28T22:29:00.000-05:00

Braidwood Lake - March 28, 2010

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/03282010.htm

Clouds and light rain at Braidwood Lake

The goal today was to test the new Lower Unit. I put the boat in the water and everything worked fine. Everything worked fine that is - until the engine alarm went off. I looked back and saw the outboard was not spitting water so I powered it off and used the trolling motor to fish a little by the boat ramp.

A 12 inch Largemouth about to be released

I managed to catch a 12 inch Largemouth very quickly. The wind would catch the lures and take them quite a distance which allowed me cover more water rather quickly. I didn't want to get far from the ramp in those conditions so I stayed tight to the bank and worked my way down the shoreline.

Best fish of the day

A short time later I caught a real nice Largemouth that was almost 20 inches long. It put up a good fight.

No sooner did I release the fish when I spotted another boat that looked like it was going to move in to the bank in front of me. It made another quick turn, then pulled up along side me and two IL Conservation Police Officers proceeded to check my fishing license and inspect my boat for all the required safety equipment. They made sure I had life jackets, a throwable cushion, a working fire extinguisher, a horn or whistle, and they also checked my live well to make I didn't have any undersized fish or more than the allowed limit. Mine was empty and I had everything I was supposed to have so I was good to go.

Rain moving down the lake

After working my way down the bank a little I decided to fire up the outboard again and when I looked back it was spitting water like it was supposed to. I ran at just above idle for quite a ways with no alarm before I decided I'd go check out one more spot further away. Just as I got there, the alarm went off again so I shut the engine down right away. It didn't sound for more than a second or two.

I fished until I was sure the engine had cooled down completely before I decided to try to head back. During that time I caught and released an 8 inch Largemouth and lost a smaller one. I had a tough time getting the motor started which told me it was probably still a bit warm. As I was struggling with it, the two Conservation Officers pulled up again and offered to follow me back to make sure I didn't get stuck out in the wind. I got the motor started and it was spitting water again as it was supposed to. I made the run to the ramp but when I turned around to look at the motor I didn't see any water coming out so I didn't wait for the alarm and shut it down, then went the rest of the way using the trolling motor. I was almost right in front of the ramps anyway. I called a good friend and he agreed to take a look at the boat for me within the next couple of days. Since the lower unit was just replaced, he thought he had a good idea what might be wrong.

Despite the engine trouble, I was very happy that the lower unit issue was resolved. That worked like a charm. I caught a couple fish including one real nice one, and the clouds and rain departed leaving sunny skies and warmer temperatures in their wake.

Interesting clouds over an island

A Slow Start

2010-03-15T18:08:00.001-05:00

Braidwood Lake - March 15, 2009

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/03152010.htm

A Cold and Windy Morning at Braidwood

I was outside with the dog listening to the birds starting their morning songs well before the sun came up on Monday morning. All the early morning activity made me hopeful that the fish in Braidwood would be active too. A little later I was putting my gear into Al Bernicky's boat and we were on our way to the lake. The forecast was for partly sunny skies and temperatures in the low 50s. When we got to the lake it was still in the mid 30s, cloudy, and the north wind was blowing about 10 mph.

An Island at Braidwood

Our goal was to figure out a couple different ways to catch fish because Al has a tournament coming up there in the near future, and except for my last trip there, the fishing reports I've been getting haven't been that great. We took off for our first spot. I asked Al to stop in one spot well off a bank and he replied, "out here?". A couple casts into that spot and I had my first fish of the day on. It was good one but the fight didn't last long at all. He got away before we got a good look at him.

Another Deer on one of the Islands

We continued to follow the bottom contour without another bite. We threw everything we had at them and nothing worked. We soon gave up on that area and headed for another. All we found was more of the same thing. We made cast after cast with no fish to show for our efforts. Eventually I put the first one in the boat. It wasn't the smallest fish in the lake but it was nothing to brag about. Al eventually caught one too and it wasn't much bigger.

First Fish of the Day

We moved on and fished a few more spots with no luck before returning to the area where we had caught our two fish. We managed to put a couple smaller fish in the boat but they were still nothing that we were interested in catching. A short time later we found ourselves fishing a spot I haven't fished in years, and since we didn't get anything there it'll probably be a few more years before I fish it again.

Off to our next spot

We started fishing again in a new area. By this time I wasn't expecting much until Al said "Fish On" and pulled back on the rod. In no time flat he had a nice Largemouth in the boat.

Al releases a nice Largemouth Bass

On his next cast he set the hook and his rod doubled over again. This fish was a little better than the last.

Al puts another one in the boat

I was throwing a different lure and it didn't take me long to hook one. I was surprised the fish hit as it did because it had a huge shad in its throat. I put the fish and the shad back in the water and off it swam.

My first nice fish of the day

I didn't get a hit on the next cast like Al did. Instead I had to skip two or three before I caught my next fish. It was even better than the last.

Another nice one about to be released

We were happy we had finally figured out a way to catch some fish in those conditions. This trip was the total opposite of the last trip were we started out great and it slowed down the later it got. In this case, fishing was miserable until about the last hour. Al even caught a Bluegill on one of the Bass lures.

A Bluegill

We continued moving and manged to pick up a few more fish. I alternated between two different colored lures and caught fish on both of them. Al was throwing a few more things and also caught a few more fish.

Another one about to go back in the water

As Al began to put some of his rods away, I hooked one last fish and it turned out to be my best one. Al snapped a picture and the fish was quickly put back in the water so that he'll hopefully end up in Al's live well on tournament day.

My last and best fish of the day

As I started to get my gear in order for the trip back to the ramps I noticed it wasn't quite as cold as it was earlier. Not that I was anywhere close to being warm, but I had stopped shivering. The sun never showed up and it never got out of the 40s, but the fact we ran into a few nice fish helped make it a memorable day.

Best Fisherman on the Lake

Braidwood Bass Fishing

2010-03-04T15:34:00.001-06:00

Braidwood Lake - March 4, 2009

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/03042010.htm

Almost Sunrise at Braidwood

Mike Matlock and I had the boat in the water at Braidwood before the sun was up thanks to the fact that the gate was opened early. Our goal was to catch a few Largemouth Bass. Braidwood is a cooling lake for the Braidwood nuclear plant so the water is artificially warmed. When we launched, the air was 24 and the water was 57.

My First Largemouth of the Day

We ran to our first spot and started catching fish right away. My first fish was nothing to really brag about but a short time after he was released I hooked and lost a real good fish. We took that as a good sign. Mike started out-fishing me at least 2 to 1, and he also tied into a big carp that we brought into the boat to make sure we got his lure back.

The Sun Peeking over the Hills

By this time the sun was starting to show itself above the horizon. The wind wasn't too bad and once the sun came up, the air warmed into the 30s quickly. It hit the mid 40s by late afternoon.

Frozen Turtles

Despite the frigid morning air, we saw a few turtles on logs. The water on their shells had frozen, but quickly melted as soon as they returned to the warmer water.

Mike about to Release a Chunky Largemouth

We continued catching fish on plastics and crank baits. I tried tubes and plastic worms and struck out while Mike had the magic touch and landed a few fish on the plastic worms. I had a couple fish hit the worm and tube I was throwing but failed to hook anything. I had no trouble getting them to hit my crank baits.

One of many Deer we saw today

We saw a lot of deer as we went from spot to spot. From the time we got there to the time we left we saw flock after flock of migrating geese. All were heading north.

One of my Better Fish

We tried a couple more spots that failed to produce anything and as the day progressed, the bite slowed down.

Common Carp that hit a Crank Bait

In one spot I managed to have a Carp hit my crank bait. It was a little smaller than the one that Mike had landed earlier in the morning.

Mike with a Nice Fish

Mike continued to out-fish me despite not having fished the lake in years. There was just enough wind to make fishing plastics tough in some of the places we really would have liked to, but we did the best we could.

My Best Fish of the Day

On the way back to the ramp we found out the hard way that I had a bad prop seal (due to hitting fishing line) and all the gear lube had leaked out and was replaced by water. We were still a good distance from the ramps and had to use the trolling motor to get back. It took us a while but we made it. A friend of my sons came over and dropped the lower unit and suggested it might not be as bad as it sounds. We'll have to wait until he gets it back to the shop for the verdict. I'm without a boat for the time being though.

Sure Sign of Spring

2010-02-18T17:41:00.000-06:00

Indiana - February 18, 2009

More Photos from today:

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/02182010.htm

River Otter Tracks with Tail Slide

Today's trip started out above freezing for once. It was cloudy with a slight breeze, but the air temperature was finally above the freezing mark as I ventured into the woods. There was still enough snow on the trail and along the banks to keep me from getting caked with mud as I navigated the terrain.

Clear Water

The water level was even lower than last week and the water clarity had improved quite a bit too. I kept an eye on the water as I made my way to my first spot but didn't see any signs of fish.

A Big Snag Waiting To Happen when the Water Rises

One thing I did notice were several Robbins. Around here, you never see them until spring arrives so the fact that I saw several during the day made me quite happy. Then I started fishing....

I started out drifting bait. The bobber went down three times in the first hour, but each time I pulled back there was nothing there. Nothing happened for the next several hours. I spoke to several guys fishing the creek and no one had caught a thing all day. A few of them suggested it was going to be tough until we get some rain, or we get a rapid snow melt to get some water flowing through the creek. Hopefully when that happens, it will bring a few fish in from Lake Michigan.

About the time I decided to quit, I saw a fish porpoise in the distance downstream. That added another hour to my persistence, but it was for nothing. Or so I thought...

Persistence Pays Off

After I tossed my remaining wax worms into the water to feed the smolts, I decided to throw one of my homemade spinners a few times. It was a good thing I did because on the fifth or sixth retrieve the lure stopped cold. I raised the rod tip high pulling back on it and line started screaming off the reel.

My Best Steelhead

I managed to fight the fish past some downed timber that cost me a fish a couple weeks ago, and after five minutes time I was lifting him out of the water. Once again a nearby fallen tree was used as a tripod and the fish was released after a few pictures.

Bright Red Cheeks -Back to the Creek

Additional Photos:

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/steelhead8.htm

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/steelhead9.htm

Ice Fishing the Soft Water

2010-02-12T15:26:00.000-06:00

Indiana - February 12, 2010

More Photos:

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/02122010.htm

Frozen Solid

There was a glimmer of light in the eastern sky as I began driving east on I-80 toward Indiana. The outside temperature was 13 but the forecast high was for 26. They later revised that about 5 degrees higher after the forecast clouds failed to materialize.

No Room to Fish

By the time I parked the car at my destination, the thermometer was showing 8 degrees outside. I knew I was going to be in for a rough time with the rod guides freezing up. The creek was frozen all the way across in a couple of spots, but where there was a little more current there was open water.

Frozen Bobber and Line

The first couple of spots I wanted to fish were not fishable due to the thin ice going out so far. Where I was able to fish I still had to contend with chunks of ice constantly floating by.

Fishing in the Floating Ice

All I could do was toss the bait out into the ice and hope for the best. The ice was moving faster than my bait was drifting so I had to constantly pop the bobber loose from the ice that would over take it.

First Steelhead of the Day Comes Out of the Water

Luckily on my second drift, the bobber failed to pop back up. I clicked the bail shut and began reeling up the slack and sure enough I had my first fish on. The fish swam under the ice that had frozen out from the opposite bank. I lowered the rod to my side and was able to get him out of there. Next he swam under the ice that had frozen out from the bank on either side of the spot I was standing in. At that point I let him go where he wanted but when he went back out in the current I was able to horse him to my feet without the line breaking due to the ice that kept hitting it.

"The water isn't much warmer."

I picked up the fish, set him in the snow and unhooked him before taking a few photos. He was released no worse for the wear.

Lots of Ice Behind Me

After several more drifts I gave up on that spot and moved down stream. It took a little longer, but another Steelhead took the bobber down.

More Ice Floats By

This fish felt bigger as it pulled drag out. Then for some unknown reason it turned and swam upstream right towards me. I reeled as fast as I could until the fish stopped and started fighting in circles right in front of me.

Circling for Another Run

I was going to have to somehow get the fish up onto the thin ice that was frozen a foot or more out over the water in front of me. I chose that spot because the ice was out even further on both sides up stream and down.

Diving Under the Ice

The fish swam under the ice in front of me and broke a big chunk off. As it floated out I realized he had done me a favor because I now had more room to land him.

Steelhead Swims Toward the Bank Under the Skim Ice

At this point I got a real good look at one of the biggest Steelhead I had ever had on the end of my line. It took off again for open water and wanted to fight a little more. When I got it close again it swam under the thin ice just above where I was standing. I don't know what it was thinking because it hit the sand under the ice and kept trying to swim right up onto the bank. I got a hand under it and lifted it up and quickly set it down in a huge snow bank that had drifted out from the creek embankment.

Just enough room to get him out of the water

The fish was still hooked so I quickly got the line untangled from the ice just in case the fish decided it was going to flop around and try to get back to the water. Sure enough, it did. I stopped it once as I snapped a few pictures. The fish nearly took my rod with it into the water as it tried to get away again. This time I picked up the rod and let the fish wiggle his way out onto the ice which quickly broke under his weight. He made a few powerful splashes as he took off for deeper water.

Big Steelhead in the Snow

I drifted that spot for a while longer without any other bites. The sun was getting higher in the sky and there was less and less ice drifting by. I could still hear the ice out over the creek moan and groan as the sun warmed it. I decided to move but as I approached the spot I wanted to fish, I noticed the area was frozen to the point where there was no place I'd be able to fish so I headed back.

Through the Skim Ice to Freedom

I stopped at the spot where a nice fish had broken my rod during the previous trip. By this time I didn't need gloves anymore and there was no more ice floating by. The ice around the shoreline was minimal in this spot due to the current but all I was able to do was snag twice.

A Scenic Spot

An older gentleman I hadn't seen before stopped to ask how and I did and then went to a spot about 50 or 60 yards down. A short time later he landed a nice fish and released it. I threw the spinner a couple times then decided to hit the road.

A Nice Steelhead about to be Landed

It turned into a really nice day. It warmed into the mid 30s by the time I got home and Bear was happy to have some play time in the snow.

Bear is Happy to Play Ball in the Snow

Bear Goes Fishing

By William D. Anderson

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Late Winter Steelhead

2010-02-02T17:57:00.001-06:00

Indiana - February 2, 2009

More photos from today:

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/02022010.htm

Two Steelhead

Al Bernicky and I went creek hopping in search of Steelhead. The original plan was to go chase Sauger again in the IL River, but after double checking the weather forecast I thought it best not to be pulling my boat around on snow slickened roads.

Al picks a spot

We got to our first spot and began fishing. I landed a smolt right away and commented that we should use him for bait as I let him go. Al started fishing near the same spot, but after a few minutes I decided I'd head for my favorite spot on that creek.

My first Steelhead of the day covered in snow

I fished the magic hole very thoroughly and didn't get a bite. I tried a few things and nothing worked. I switched positions and started hitting another part of it and quickly hooked and landed my first fish.

My second Steelhead of the day

The problem was that I would have to get the fish past a couple of sunken trees with thick protruding branches in order to land it. The first fish I hooked was no problem.

A nice head shot showing the hooked jaw

The second fish I hooked got wrapped around the tree and I lost him. The third fish I hooked got all the way to the ice I was standing on and as I was slipping my hand under him to gently lift him out of the water, he bit through the line and was gone. I hooked and lost a few more fish while I was in that spot. They seemed to be stacked up in there pretty good.

Light snow falling

All this time it was snowing very lightly but there was one stretch where it came down pretty heavy. The birds were really active today and I was especially amused by these small birds that had blue feathers because they would constantly fly to a spot across the creek from me, poke around in the snow, then leave. Al later told me about another bird that kept diving down and coming up with smolts. It had quite an appetite.

Another shot of my second fish

I landed the next fish and took a photo using the self timer on the Canon Digital SLR I had in my bag. I used a fallen tree as my tripod and the picture turned out OK. The fish was a brightly colored male.

One of several that got away

I set the fish in the snow next to the first one I caught and decided that would be all I would keep for today. Just as I finished re-tying, Al walked up to join me. He fished the stretch of creek I was originally working on and didn't get a bite. A short time later, I hooked another nice fish and Al got the camera out of the bag and was able to get one picture of the fight before the fish wrapped itself around the tree and got away.

Al tries to keep a fish from going under the ice

Al then decided he'd hit another spot and caught several nice fish there. He took a few pictures with his cell phone.

Another fish that Al was able to get onto the ice

I decided I'd start working my way back even though I was 2 for 8. I stopped at one last spot before I was done and hooked another nice fish. This time I had him in a pool where I could keep him away from the brush and was able to get him to the bank - until my St. Croix Rod snapped in half when the fish tried to make one more run. I loosened the drag right away since I still had the fish on. It all was for nothing though because he quickly snapped the 6lb test line like it was a wet noodle since there was nothing to absorb the shock.

The "broken rod" spot

Al walked up a few minutes later and we headed back towards home. Al's catch ratio was about the same as my miss ratio, but it was still a good day despite breaking the rod. This was my first St. Croix rod that I've owned and they should warranty it if they're a reputable company since I've only used the rod a couple times and have taken good care of it like I do all my other gear.

The water temp varied between 33.8 and 35.8 according to the thermometer I had. There was a lot of ice along the bank and the water level had dropped since the ice formed so we made sure to only walk on ice that had dry (or very muddy) land under it. The ice over the water was not safe.

Lots of Ice Cold Fish

2010-01-19T19:36:00.000-06:00

Illinois River - January 19, 2010

More Photos from today:

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/01192010.htm

The clouds are winning but the sun isn't giving up

I left my house before sunrise with the boat in tow headed for the Illinois River. Along the way I stopped to pick up my two fishing partners for the day, Al Bernicky and Jim Lukancic. Our goal was to catch Sauger.

Now that's cold!

The forecast was for calm winds to become north at 5 mph under a cloudy sky with afternoon peeks of sun. We put the boat in the water just after sun-up and quickly found out that the outboard was frozen.

And that's even colder!

We decided to use the trolling motor to get to our fist spot since it wasn’t far, and hoped the water (which was only 5 degrees warmer than the 29 degree air) would help thaw the outboard. My boat is stored outside and we’ve had a lot of freezing fog lately.

Freezing Fog = Nice View

First Sauger of the day caught by Jim

Jim put the first fish in the boat and Al didn’t wait too long to get his first one. I caught my first a little later and we kept catching them non-stop all day long.

My first fish of the day

Eventually the outboard fired up and we were able to move up river and line up for our drifts much easier and quicker than with the trolling motor.

Al puts another nice fish in the boat

Another chunk of ice heads right for us

We spent over an hour in one area and after a few other boats showed up, we moved to another location. To get there we had to navigate through a lot of ice floating in the water. The chunks ranged in size from your average ice cube to the size of a car. The extra time it took to get to our spot was worth it. We caught some bigger fish but still had to sort through a lot of fish to get the keepers. The water temp in that area was one whole degree above freezing.

We can fish around the ice!

Another nice one caught by Jim

The action was pretty fast and furious. Al was using two poles and caught himself a double. There were a couple times when all three of us had fish in the boat at the same time. And on top of that, the sun finally came out and the ice stopped freezing up the rod guides.

Al catches two at once

After a while, we got relocated by a tug boat that had to maneuver into place to hook up to a barge. We waited and resumed our drift after the tug moved. It didn’t take long before we were knocked out of our spot again by another tug. This time we had to stay outside our preferred drift line for a while as the tug went about its business pushing the barges together and re-arranging them.

One of the reasons we kept getting kicked off our spot

As we were fishing, we spotted deer in the nearby fields. A Bald Eagle flew by on his way up river as did the occasional seagull.

One of several deer we saw enjoying the day

Once we got back into our pattern, we continued to catch fish after fish. Unfortunately the sound of a tugs horn from up river signaled that we would have to move one more time. We decided that it was getting late and we should get going anyway. We knew we’d have to watch out for the ice on the way back too.

I don't want to know where he was last night

As we got everything packed up and ready for the trip back, a Bald Eagle landed in a tree almost right over our heads. He did not look like he had the best of days, but we were appreciative of the fact that he chose to give us the pleasure of seeing him so close.

Still looking regal despite seeing better days

As we moved past him he decided to continue his journey up river. I was able to get a few more pictures and then it was time for us to finally go. As we got the boat out of the water we found that the air temperature had just made the freezing mark.

Time to go!

Al arrived at my place just as I got the boat put back in its place and we removed the fish we kept from the live well. For the day we probably caught close to 100 fish between the three of us but only kept 6 or 7 for meals. Bear came outside to help me place the second cover on the boat (and play in the snow). By this time the air temp had sunk back into the mid 20s and the sun had already fallen below the western horizon.

These will make a nice meal

Bear Goes Fishing

By William D. Anderson

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Catch Photo Re...

By William D. Anderson

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First Fish of 2010

2010-01-14T09:40:00.000-06:00

January 13, 2010 - Des Plaines River

More Photos:

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/01132010.htm

Cold Morning

2010 Started out cold for us. When I left the driveway with the boat in tow it was a balmy 13 degrees outside and the wind was already blowing pretty good. My concern was the launch ramp at my destination. My partner for the day, Jim Lukancic, had made a trip to check out the parking situation a couple days earlier and found that despite the heavy snow of recent, they were kind enough to leave some space for those boaters who were crazy enough to venture out in the cold of January. The water was open, but the the ramp had a good coating of ice on it.

A very careful launch

Our first task was to clear away enough snow and ice so we could safely launch without dunking my truck. I brought a shovel, ice breaker, and salt which came in handy. Despite that we played it extra safe by placing a big log at the bottom of the ramp after the trailer tires were in the water to prevent the truck from hitting water should it slide despite our efforts. You can never be too safe.

Adult Bald Eagle plays in the early morning sky

We saw a few Bald Eagles fly by before we had the boat in the water.

Bald Eagle Nest

Jim pointed out that he saw one land in a tree and sure enough, there were a couple more in the air around the same tree off in the distance.

Young Bald Eagle

After we had the boat in the water, we idled out of the cove. Mist was rising off the water and the tugs were already pushing the barges around. The engine hadn't been run for almost two months so I continued to idle for a bit. I very slowly worked my way up in speed as we headed toward our destination which was the tree where we saw the eagles.

Tug Boat in the fog

I was armed with a new 650-1300mm lens that my wife had given me, and was eager to try it out. Before we made it to the tree, we saw two more young bald eagles that were playing over the water.

A young Bald Eagle soars over the River

I discovered very quickly that it was difficult to sight my target while in the boat due to the strong winds that kept us bobbing in the water. A tripod is must even on dry land with a lens like that. But despite all that, I still got one photo of a bird in that tree. I'll come up with a better system for using the lens in the boat some other time when it is warmer.

Adult Bald Eagle

We headed off toward our first spot. As we crept up on it we saw another Bald Eagle across the river in a tree, but the sun was directly behind it so I didn't even try for a photo. The water was as cold as its ever been there and we struck out. Since this was our first trip of the year, we wanted to make sure we caught something so we quickly decided to head toward where Al Bernicky and I caught our first fish last year.

A Belted Kingfisher

As we approached the area we were about to fish, we noticed more eagles and also that mist rising off the water had frozen on the trees and brush creating a very scenic winter wonderland.

Winter Scene

I was able to photograph another Bald Eagle before we started fishing, and also a big owl. I didn't realize it was an owl until I saw the photo at home on the computer.

Owl

We made one pass through the area and Jim caught the first fish which turned out to be a Largemouth Bass. After the first fish was in the boat, we tried another nearby area and Jim quickly put the second fish of the day in the boat which was a nice White Bass.

First Fish of the Year for Jim

White Bass for fish #2

The lure I was throwing was getting smacked, but it was like the fish were swimming up to it and batting it away. I finally caught a Smallmouth Bass before we moved back to our previous location.

My first of the year - Smallmouth Bass

My next fish hit like a freight train. It fought hard and Jim was ready to grab the net when we finally got a look at it. "Forget the net and just take a couple photos while it's still in the water", I said, hoping it would free itself before I'd have to hoist it up into the boat. It was a chunky Smallmouth Buffalo. It fought hard for its size but failed to free itself.

Smallmouth Buffalo

Jim caught another decent fish later which turned out to be a nice Catfish. Before we were done for the day, both of us had put a couple cats in the boat. I had another Smallmouth and Jim had a couple more fish too.

Jim puts another fish in the boat

Both Jim and I had also hooked and lost good fish. I could tell by the slime on the end of my line that one of them was another good sized catfish. We had 5 speices total for the day. Fishing was slow, but it's the middle of January and we're out fishing open water. That's nothing to complain about.

Me with a Catfish that is about to be released

We headed for the opposite end of the river but were greeted by floating chunks of ice as we got closer to the Kankakee River. We idled around a little and took some photos before spotting more Eagles and trying for photos.

Floating Ice

Freezing River Bank

I did not want to go much further because I was concerned that if a large enough chunk of ice broke off, it could float out and trap us so we turned around.

You don't want to get caught behind a big chunk of this

Despite the wind never letting up, it turned into a nice day. It warmed into the low 30s and the sky stayed blue. The warmest water was 60 at one of the discharge areas we fished and as cold as 33 elsewhere.

Bald Eagle flies over us

I've fished enough in cold weather to know how to take care of a boat in those conditions. The most important thing is to drain ALL the water out of the boat. Since no one else was around and we wouldn't be in anyones way, we stopped on the ramp with the boat tilted back end down. I pulled the plug and opened the livewell valve just in case. Sure enough a little bit of water poured out and I decided that I'd leave the plug out for the trip home. Normally I leave it out until the start of the next trip to prevent any accumulation.

I also lowered the outboard to make sure it was drained. The last thing you want is water to freeze in something and crack it. Especially your engine. Never assume you didn't get any water in the boat. If you stop suddenly, the backwash will find its way down into the bottom the boat. Also, condensation accumulates a lot faster than most people realize. By draining off any water in the bottom of the boat and out of the lines, you can prevent a very expensive repair bill.

Water under the bridge

Bear Goes Fishing

By William D. Anderson

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Catch Photo Re...

By William D. Anderson

Book Preview

2009 Blog entires available in Book Form

2010-01-08T08:24:00.000-06:00

This book contains several photos not included in the blog. You can preview the entire book to check them out.

Catch Photo Re...

By William D. Anderson

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Bear Goes Fishing book available!

2010-01-06T13:16:00.000-06:00

The children's book is finally available.

Bear is a real dog who loves to have fun. This is the story about Bear's first fishing trip and all the fun he had fishing with his friend Bill.

Bear Goes Fishing

By William D. Anderson

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Last Fish of 2009

2009-12-29T16:38:00.000-06:00

Indiana - December 29, 2009

Assuming I don't get out again, I've caught my last fish of 2009 this morning. It was a nice Steelhead from an Indiana creek. As usual, Al and I were walking into the woods just as the sun was peeking over the horizon.
Fishing was slow but I managed to land the only fish I hooked, not counting the dozen or more smolts I caught and released. The fish broke the line as I was reaching for him, but I was quick enough to get a hand under him and lift him out of the water before he got away from me. I set him down quickly in the snow and then found out the hard way that the memory card for the camera was still in the PC at home. My spare card was in my car, but we didn't have my car. That left me with only my cell phone to take the a couple photos before releasing the fish.

Al hooked 5 or 6 and landed 2. It was a tough day for both of us but still nice to be out despite the cold. The air temp was in the single digits when we left, and made it up to the low 20s according to what we heard on the radio on the way home. The wind chill stayed in the single digits all day. We had to put up with ice in the rod guides all day too. I kept chemical hand warmers in my gloves and that kept my hands warm enough to get through the day.

So with this probably being my last trip of the year, Happy New Year !

Fishing in the Snow

2009-12-24T13:25:00.000-06:00

Indiana - December 22, 2009

Snow falling on the creek

Al Bernicky and I made yet another trip to Indiana for Steelhead. We were met there by Rich Delaney. This time it was snowing when we left and it kept snowing all day long. The snow made the creek very scenic. Before I ran off to my spot, I stopped to take a few photos of the snow settling on the trees and brush.

A Holiday Traveler

I got to my spot and began to set up both steelhead rods. I heard a faint noise in the water behind me and turned around to see an Otter coming out of the water and scampering up the bank into some downed trees. I couldn't get the camera out of the bag quick enough before he was deep in his hiding place. He played peek-a-boo a couple times before he was gone for good. Later on, Rich found me and told me he had seen it a little upstream from where I was still fishing.

There's an Otter in there somewhere

Fishing was painfully slow. If it wasn't for the snow enhancing the beauty of the creek, I would have given up a lot earlier. It took a few hours before I hooked my first fish on a spinner. It came up just enough for me to see it a was a good one and then broke off.

Al gets a fish close before it breaks off

Al showed up later on and hooked a massive fish. I was a little down stream so I grabbed the camera and raced over to him just in time for the fish to swim under a log and break off.

A difficult and dense trail

I stuck it out in that spot a while longer as did Rich. I saw his bobber go down as he was drifting bait, but he missed the fish. I briefly hooked another one later on before losing it almost immediately.

Rich waits for a fish to hit

After that I gave up. I found Al fishing near the entrance point and sure enough he tied into another good fish. This was his second hook-up of the day.

Al fights a big Steelhead

I got the camera out of the bag again and started shooting. I was able to get a few shots of the fish as it came up before it broke off.

Als fish comes up one last time before it breaks off

That was all it took for Al to call it quits too. Fishing was terrible, but we got to see the creek at it best thanks to the snow.

The one that got away

A Soggy Day at the Creek

2009-12-14T20:05:00.000-06:00

December 14, 2009
http://www.catchphotorelease.com/12142009.htm

Scenic spot on along the creek

My friend Al Bernicky and I made another trip to Indiana in search of Steelhead this morning. We parked and then headed off into the woods just before the sun was due to come up. We never saw the sun at all due to the clouds, mist, and light rain that was with us the entire day, and the rain made for a slippery trek through the brush to our spots.

I was armed with two new Steelhead rods which I had hoped would help me land more of the fish I hooked. Using Bass gear just isn't appropriate for those fish. You need at least a 9 foot rod, and the rod has to have plenty of give to absorb the shock when fighting those fish with 6 lb test line.

An Old Friend out fishing before the sun comes up

I got to my spot and was happy to find an old friend already fishing there. I first met my feathered friend several years ago and have been lucky enough to have him fish at my side a few times over the years.

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/greatblueheron1.htm - Click this link to see my friend as he was fishing (and begging) right at my side a few years ago!

I quickly got the camera out of my bag and took a couple photos. He turned around and let out a sound telling me he didn't like the flash. A couple years ago, this bird would stand right next to us and wait until we caught a smolt. He'd then bob his head up and down begging for it. On my first drift I caught a smolt and he approached me, but I put the fish back in the water. I don't want him to become dependent on people for his meals.

A short time later I hooked and lost a big fish. It jumped several times and in the excitement, my friend took off. I got the fish to the bank, and when I tried to grab it, it shook and the line snapped, then off it swam.

After a while I was joined by an older gentleman. He asked if he could share my spot and since there was plenty of room in that area I had no problem with it, and appreciated that he asked. I knew there were more fish down there too. I moved down a little ways and began throwing one of my homemade spinners. It didn't take long before I tied into a fish. This time I was able to land it and the other guy was kind enough to snap a couple photos with my camera before I released it.

My first Steelhead of the day

A short time after the guy left, I hooked another fish while drifting bait. This fish was bigger but I was able to land it without any trouble. I pulled the camera out of the bag and took a couple photos - only one of which turned out halfway decent since the filter I keep on the lens was now filthy.

Steelhead #2 about to be released

By the time I made it back to where Al was fishing, he had caught 5 and lost 1. One of the smaller fish he caught was kept for a meal. We decided we'd had enough and headed back to the truck and called it a day. We were both soaked, and I was covered with sand and mud since I had lost my footing a couple times, but at least I didn't wind up in the water or get hurt. And now I know not to wear those boots there anymore.

"Turn that darn flash off, you'll scare the fish"

Steelhead Fishing - December 8, 2009

2009-12-09T10:33:00.000-06:00

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/12082009.htm

Al and I headed for Indiana again.When we left it was dark, snowing, and a winter storm watch had been posted for the area. The snow made the creek very scenic, but the air warmed enough to melt most of it quickly and the precipitation changed to rain - but not before I caught a fish on my third cast.

Me with a Steelhead

Click to see very scenic photos of the creek during a Lake Effect Snow from 2004!
1 2 3

It wasn't a real big fish but it made me happy considering I had struck out the last two trips. For a few minutes I forgot about the snow and how cold my hands were starting to get.

A powerful run towards freedom

I placed the fish back in the water after a couple photos and it did a good job of splashing me as it took off for deeper water. I was already soaked from the snow that was quickly changing over to light rain.

A small bird follows me a long the creek

As I continued to fish, I kept hearing things in the brush all around me. At first I thought it was the wind, but that really hadn't started yet. I finally caught a glimpse of a small bird just a couple feet from me. He and his buddies seemed to be playing a game where they'd see how close they could get to me before I noticed them. Every time I'd turn, they'd take off only to return a moment later. Eventually they decided I was safe and followed me as I made my way through the brush along the creek.

More timber in the water

There were a lot more birds today than I've seen in a while. Several Cardinals were looking for and finding food, and even more Bluejays were yelling from the trees. Belted Kingfishers flew by often enough to tell there were a few of them and not just the same one making the rounds like they do at other places I fish.

A Cardinal finds a meal on a branch overhanging the creek.

The creek we were fishing is loaded with brush and snags. Just trying to find a spot to cast is also dangerous because of steep embankments, mud, and sticker bushes that make up the shoreline. One wrong step and you could be sliding down a 12 foot vertical drop into 10 or more feet of frigid water. You can kind of see in the picture at the top that I'm pretty high above the water, and if you look at the other side you can see the drop there too. The sticker bushes will grab any exposed skin so quality rain gear is a must to keep your clothes from getting ripped to shreds.

Downed trees in a narrow and shallow part of the creek

Al finally worked his way back to where I was. He had only caught one fish so far but mentioned he saw a huge King Salmon that failed to get the memo about swimming back out to the lake. He said it was very dark and had quite a hooked jaw. He couldn't get it to bite though. We knew the spot I was working was holding a few more fish so we continued to work it thoroughly. I finally hooked a big fish on a spinner. Al was fishing about 50 yards down and hurried over to help me land it. It finally came up just enough so we could see just how big it was and the spinner popped loose and came flying back right towards Al's face. He ducked and it lodged in the tree directly behind him.

The Steelhead won this battle

After a while, Al hooked a good fish and it broke him off. I had a few bumps from fish but didn't hook up with anything other than the two smolts I landed.

Al lands another one

A few minutes later, Al had another one on and was able to land it very quickly. It was about the same size as the one I had caught much earlier. After releasing it we continued hammering the spot.

Al lands the best fish of the day

Al hooked up again and landed the best fish of the day which put him at 3 for 4. At that point we decided we'd hit the road to try to beat the storm that was heading for us. By the time we got back it was raining pretty good, and as I write this it looks like a full force blizzard outside. Time to get the snow blower out of the shed.

Purchase downloadable prints from the outdoors

Everything you'd ever want to know about Asian and Bighead Carp

2009-12-03T11:32:00.000-06:00

This hour long video does an excellent job explaining why the spread of Asian and Bighead Carp is a problem. It also examines short term and long term solutions to prevent their spread into the great lakes, and what happens if they become established there.

Here is a link to the original site:
http://avilamedianfp.blip.tv/file/2860122/

Another Steelhead Trip

2009-12-02T11:15:00.000-06:00

Indiana - December 1, 2009

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/12012009.htm

It was my turn to drive so Al Bernicky and I left my house at 6:00 am and headed for another creek in Indiana in search of Steelhead. It was only 33 degrees out when we left, but it was forecast to be sunny and in the upper 50s later in the day.

We got to the creek and on Als third cast I heard the familiar splash of a Steelhead thrashing. He had a nice one on.

Al battles the first Steelhead of the day

I was psyched. I took some pictures then took off for my favorite hole on that creek. I shouldn't have run off so fast because he caught another one a few casts later. I stopped at one spot on the way and hooked up on my first cast. Just as fast, the fish came off. I took a few more casts and continued my hike. I got to my spot and started casting. I continued casting. Then I cast some more. Then I started drifting bait. Nothing... A short time later, another guy shows up and catches a steelhead on a spinner just downstream from me. I was happy for him but really really frustrated at the fact that the creeks have been kicking my behind this year.

I moved on down stream to let the spot calm down and caught a couple smolts on the spinner, and another while drifting bait. Al eventually caught up to me as I got back to the spot. He had run out of bait and I had the car keys. He had also caught a few more fish and snapped pics with his phone. I left my gear with Al and hustled back to the car, retrieved the remaining bait and hustled back only to find Al battling another Steelhead. I knew they were down there.

Another Steelhead about to be landed

We both started using live bait and Al hooked up again. A short time later he had another brute on the banks.

A nice Indiana Steelhead

But that wasn't the end of it. He put one more on the shore in short order. He said he felt there was a good school of them down in that hole and was going to leave them for me. He stuck around and made sure I was doing everything he was doing but it didn't help. I finally tied on a jig and got a good bump but missed the fish.

Last fish of the day

We worked our way back towards where my truck was parked and didn't catch anything else. I stopped where Al had caught his first two fish and started tossing a jig. The area was loaded with smolts. We try not to catch them because they are what grow up into those mighty Steelhead we like to catch. I gave up after the forth smolt managed to hook himself and we called it a day. I went 0 for 1 and Al was 7 or 8 for 11. I'm not giving up yet. I've caught them before and I'll catch them again.

Des Plaines River - November 27, 2009

2009-11-28T11:59:00.000-06:00

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/11272009.htm

Chris and I headed to the Des Plaines River about mid morning. Unlike the past several day there wasn't a cloud in the sky so I wasn't expecting much in the way of fish. We got to our first spot and noticed a lot of Shad. We snagged several and some of the bigger ones hit the lures and were caught fair and square. It took a while but I finally managed to catch a couple Largemouth from that spot on a new crank bait I haven't thrown before.

Largemouth Bass

Shortly after we left that spot, we spotted a couple of Bald Eagles in a tree. Chris had never seen Eagles in the wild so it was a treat for him. I've seen more than I can count and it's still a treat for me every time. I stopped the boat and began taking pictures.

Bald Eagles

After a minute one took off, then the other. They flew a wide circle before landing back in the same tree.

Bald Eagle

We began throwing crank baits at our next spot. Again it took a while, but I put two Smallmouth in the boat.

Smallmouth Bass

We went on to a third spot and fishing was even slower. I hooked a big fish which I think was a Gar, and as Chris was standing ready with the net, it broke me off and took my new crank bait with it. I tied on another one and was ready to continue.

Red Squirrel

A short time later we noticed we had an audience from a tree that was hanging over the water. Chris managed to catch a Smallmouth while he was watching. We fished that spot a little longer but didn't catch anything else. As we were about finished, we saw the stangest looking bird. It looked like one of the rocks it was sitting between at the waters edge.

Camoflaged Bird

We stopped back at our first spot and I caught another Largemouth before we struck out at our last spot. None of the fish we caught were worth bragging about but it was nice to be out there. The air temp never got out of the 30s but the sun made it feel warmer. The water was still in the mid 50s. We made it back to my house and got the boat put away just as the sun set.

Indiana Creeks - November 23, 2009

2009-11-23T18:42:00.000-06:00

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/tl2009.htm

The sun makes a brief appearance

My friend Al and his friend Tony picked me up before the glow of the sun was visible in the eastern sky. Our destination was somewhere in Indiana to chase Steelhead. On the way, we made a quick stop at a bait shop so Al could pick up some bait in case the fish weren't interested in his homemade spinners.

Lots of places to snag

There is a lot of submerged brush where we were and Al has designed a spinner that goes through it quite easily without getting hung up. I was using a similar spinner as well as some artificial bait that has been sitting in my garage for the past few years.

As soon as Al parked the truck, I grabbed my rods and headed for a spot where I'd caught fish in the past. I hooked a monster right away on the artificial bait but it broke off. A short time later I had a smolt on a spinner. After snagging and losing my spinner, I switched to one that Al had given me.

Al hooks one in "my spot"

I worked the spot for over an hour before Al showed up. He threw his bait in the water and his bobber disappeared right away. He set the hook and his pole was bent way over. Fish on. Big fish on.

After a short battle, Al landed the fish and then proceeded to land three more from the same spot. He hooked and lost a 4th. Prior to getting to that spot, he had caught three and lost another.

Al pulls another fish from a spot I had just beaten up pretty good

I followed Al and watched him catch another, then another, then another.

Another fish from the same spot where I hooked and lost a good fish

I think he landed 9 or 10 fish before we were done.

How is he going to get that fish over that tree? Watch and learn!

I went ahead of him as we were headed back and caught up with Tony. As I was throwing the spinner, I had a good hit and the fish went air born. He came down, took off up stream and broke off. That would have been right up there with the biggest Steelhead I'd ever caught.

Me going out on a limb - literally

I even walked out onto a tree to try to keep my lure from getting hung up in the brush around the shoreline, and also drift the bait into what looked like all the right places. As I was out there, Tony landed a few smolts. I also saw Al hook another monster fish that jumped 5 or 6 times before if got away.

Indiana DNR truck

We decided early on we'd keep a couple fish and wound up bringing three back to the truck. We didn't bring a cooler (they wouldn't have fit anyway) so we left the fish on the ground while Al and Tony went to look at one more spot.

I stayed back to watch the fish and an Indiana DNR person showed up. She looked over the fish, weighed and measured them, and was kind enough to provide a plastic garbage bag so we could transport the fish home without sliming up the back of the truck.

Three nice keepers

Once home, Bear helped me wash the fish and place them in a cooler, and then show them to a couple of the neighborhood kids (and parents) who like to fish. I had to admit that I did not catch them but went 0 for 2, but they were still excited to see such nice fish. Bear was excited too and wagged his tail as he sniffed each fish before it went into the cooler. I could tell he was thinking "Why didn't he take me?"

Another tough day on the Big Lake

2009-11-09T18:21:00.000-06:00

Lake Michigan - November 9, 2009

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/11092009.htm

US Army Corp of Engineers working on the lake

I hit Lake Michigan again on Monday the 9th. This time I took Al Bernicky with me. Al has been out there many times before, and caught countless Lake Trout, and other big fish out there. He is one of the best fishermen I know and knows several different ways to catch fish out there.

We had everything with us that has caught Lake Trout before out there including tubes, crank baits, spinners, dipseys, dodgers, spin-n-glows, and more... Nothing worked.

Al catches a Goby on the Dipsey-Dodger-Spin-n-Glow rig

We thought it was strange that no one else was out looking for Lake Trout. There was a north wind forecast, but the lake was calm with a southwest wind. We wondered if the wind forecast kept everyone away, or maybe the Lake Trout were done early. We saw a couple boats come out to do some perch fishing but all we saw them catch were small ones.

First Goby of the day

We decided we'd harass the Gobies. Gobies are very aggressive and will hit just about anything they think they can swallow. They are an invasive species and it is illegal to have live ones in your possession. We caught them on twister tails and 1/2 oz to 3/4 oz jig heads. Every time we'd get the jig near the bottom, we'd feel the fish attack. We lost count of how many caught.

Me with another Round Goby

I even caught a small perch. The big ones should start showing up soon.

A Yellow Perch

The wind turned around and began to blow out of the north. We started to see a few more Lake Trout on the surface so we quit messing around with the little fish and went back to trying to catch what we went out there for in the first place.

Round Goby

Despite the wind blowing straight out of the north, the lake remained fairly calm. I've been out there in years past when the wind has turned around and before I knew it, I'd be surrounded by 10 foot swells while I carefully made my way back to the mouth of Burns Ditch.

The North Wind beginning to add a slight chop to the water

Once we finished our last pass along the reef, we decided to call it a day. The highlight of the day was when Al spotted a giant King Salmon by the boat ramps. Too bad it had been dead for quite a while.

Tough day on Lake Michigan

2009-10-30T12:35:00.000-05:00

Lake Michigan - October 29, 2009

Leaving the Boat Ramps

When I got to the boat ramps I was surprised to see an almost full parking lot. That would normally be unusual for a Thursday this time of year, but the Lake Trout were in and they're only in for a limited amount of time. You have to wait for a south wind to make the lake calm enough to safely go out there so when that window opens up, you have to take it.

Burns Ditch

I put the boat in the water and fished my way down Burns Ditch to the lake. In the past I've caught Largemouth Bass and King Salmon in there, but not today. As I made my way down the ditch, I noticed a lot of new construction. I didn't make it out on the big lake last year at all and was surprised to see a new walkway along the west shoreline.

New Walkway

The walkway was extended all the way out to the rocks that protect the mouth of the ditch from the monster waves that can develop quickly out there.

You can walk all the way out to the lake

Once I made it out to the reef, I started fishing for the lakers the way I've done in the past. They didn't want anything to do with my offerings. I saw a lot of fish caught, but I don't have down-riggers or the other gear that folks were catching them on. That was ok though because I was able to watch and learn. Every now and then a big Lake Trout would surface near me which told that my day will come. It just wasn't going to be today.

Me with a Lake Trout from the past

The lake was fairly calm since the break wall that protects the port was protecting us from the strong south winds that were picking up. By the time noon rolled around, it was blowing pretty good and there were plenty of white caps. I decided to head in without a fish to show for my efforts. Maybe next time they'll be interested in what I was throwing at them.

Starting to get rough

Lake Michigan is amazingly clear these days thanks to the zebra mussels. You can see a crank bait 10 feet down whereas you're lucky to see the same lure 10 inches down in most of the other water I fish.

Portage Public Marina

Best day of Sauger fishing I can remember

2009-10-21T10:25:00.000-05:00

More Photos from todays trip:

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/10202009.htm

Launching before Sunrise

My original plan was to go look for King Salmon and possibly an early Lake Trout on Lake Michigan Tuesday, but I got an email from my friend Jim Lukancic and decided to take him up on his invitation to fish the IL River instead. I met him at his house about an hour and a half before the sun was due to rise and we headed off in the darkness to fish a stretch of the river I've never been to before.

The sun rises as the clouds move in

The video at the bottom of this post doesn't do justice to the great day we were about to experience. When we got to the ramp there was a large group of hunters waiting to take off. Throughout the day we'd hear the occasional shotgun blasts, but they were a long way off from the water we fished.

Jim with a nice IL River Sauger

Jim ran his boat to the first spot and he was right on as far as where he thought the fish would be. We caught a lot of fish there including Sauger, White Bass, Freshwater Drum, and one Yellow Bass. Jim caught a couple real good fish there but it took me a little while to get into the swing of things. I left my jacket in my car and was concentrating more on the fact I was freezing than fishing.

Jim puts a White Bass in the boat

As we fished that spot we saw flocks of Geese flying south and I was wondering why the Pelicans were flying north. A young Bald Eagle flew by as a crow began yelling his displeasure at the intrusion into his air space.

Are we there yet?

After fishing that spot for a couple of hours, Jim explained that he knew of another spot where there would be fewer, but bigger fish and we decided to go check that area out. Lucky for me Jim offered to stop back at the ramps so I could get his extra jacket before we made the run to the next spot.

Immature Bald Eagle takes flight

On the way to the next spot we saw several young Bald Eagles. Some were in trees and others were playing tag in the air above the trees. Different species of birds were congregating in different areas. It seemed each species had their own little neighborhood on the river.

One of my best Sauger for the day

Jim was right about the next spot. The first time I dropped my jig, I pulled up a small White Bass. A little later I'd pull in my first big fish of the day. Fishing was a little slower, but the fish we caught were definitely bigger as my next fish was pretty much a clone of the one I had just released.

Another Sauger about to be released

Jim wasn't about to be outdone and pulled another good one from that spot. As a barge passed us, I noticed lots of silver carp jumping out of the water next to it. I picked up the video camera and made an attempt to capture it. During the warmer months, boaters have to be very careful because the vibrations from outboard motors will send the Silvers flying into the air and they've been known to break windshields and injure boaters and skiers.

Another nice Sauger from the IL River

Jim wanted to show me one more spot before we headed back. Again he was right on. We caught fish, but I think the brief appearance the sun made, and the fact the wind died down helped to slow fishing. Even though it slowed the fishing (or more likely moved the fish), it was enough for me to unbutton the jacket and life vest I had put on the stay warm. We still managed a few nice fish though. I even caught a small Bullhead to make for our fifth species of the day. The Spirit of Peoria steamed by and we discussed running to one more spot to try for a Bass but decided we'd better hit the road instead. It was going to be an equally long drive back.

Another good Sauger

The day had gone from a cold cloudy morning in the mid 40s, to a partly sunny afternoon in the mid 60s. We drove through a brief rain shower as we left, but by the time I got home, it was still nice enough for me to wash down my boat from the last trip I took with it. My dog was glad to help with that task.

Afternoon Traffic

Thanks to Jim for inviting me out. It was a great day of fishing and conversation.

Weather at LaSalle Lake

2009-10-15T14:16:00.000-05:00

Since today is closing day for the 2009 season at LaSalle Lake, here's a video of some of the wind, weather, waves, and fog from the past 10 years. Don't forget to try full Screen and HQ.

LaSalle Lake - October 14, 2009

2009-10-14T17:26:00.000-05:00

LaSalle Lake - October 14, 2009

More photos from today:

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/10142009.htm

Cold, Rainy, and Foggy

When I left the house it was cold, dark, and a moderate rain was falling. I left the cover on the boat for the ride to the lake hoping that the spray from the other vehicles on the highway would not wind up on the windshield and upholstery. The interior stayed clean, but the exterior was filthy by the time we got the boat in the water.

Boat Ramp Out of Order

The parking lot for trailers was empty when I got there. I was a little late due to being held up by a train in Seneca. It stopped just short of the last car clearing the crossing, then sat there for a while before it backed up and cleared the crossing before stopping again.

Neither the road leading into the lake, nor the parking lot are paved so when it rains it can be very sloppy. We were concerned after we saw the "Do not Enter" sign in front of one of the ramps and discussed going back towards home and fishing the river again. After a closer look at the sign we figured out that it was only for the one ramp because of a hole that had developed near the bottom of it. The fact that there were no other boats there also concerned us because they have a tendency to close the lake to boats if its windy. More on that later.

Empty Lot

There was a lot of thick fog blowing across the lake with the cold east wind. Both Mike and I were surprised at how brutal it was considering that there didn't appear to be much wind at all on the way there. LaSalle is a cooling lake for the LaSalle nuclear power plant. It's 2,600 acres of water that is built on high ground so that it catches the wind to keep the water cool. This means it can get very dangerous out there too.

Fog and Rain

Mike caught the first couple of fish. His first fish was a nice Largemouth. A little later he hooked a catfish and kept it in the water until it got loose. He didn't want it in the boat. Mike also wound up with a nice Smallmouth and a couple more Largemouth before we were done.

Mike with the best Largemouth of the day

Fishing was a lot tougher than we expected. Usually fishing at LaSalle is phenomenal when there is a good cloud cover and a good breeze. Not today. We worked several areas with no luck but Mike was able to pick off a fish here and there while I hauled water.

My first fish of the day - Freshwater Drum

When we got to the warm water discharge canal, I grabbed a rod with a blade bait and promptly caught a Freshwater Drum. As we worked our way into the warm water (which was only in the low 70s) we thought we'd at least catch a couple small catfish. Neither of us got a bite so we moved on.

Me and my best fish of the day

I didn't catch my Smallmouth until we were almost done for the day. The fish hit right at the boat and took off. I didn't let him go very far and when I got him back to the boat I hoisted him up out of the water, unhooked him, and posed for a photo before releasing him.

Not the best of days - but my favorite kind to fish

As we were leaving we saw two boats launching. We were concerned that one of them was taking a baby out in those conditions. Judging by the issues they were having getting their boat in the water, then off the rocks after it got away from them, they did not seem to be experienced boaters. That lake has taken several lives over the years and today was not a day for the inexperienced to be out there. Usually they close the lake to boats if it gets windy because 6 and 7 foot waves can materialize very quickly.

To see some of what this lake is capable of dishing out, take a look at these links:

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/lasallesign2.htm

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/w38.htm

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/w14.htm

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/w15.htm

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/w20.htm

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/w5.htm

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/w4.htm

Inside a Bee Hive

2009-10-12T16:52:00.001-05:00

I was doing the yard work today and came across the bee hive that I would usually avoid when cutting the grass. It was located in the ground along a line of bushes on the edge of my yard. It looked as if a critter had dug up the hive and eaten some of the honey comb that was inside the hive. In this first picture you can see the critter dug from two angles and pushed the dirt behind it onto my neighbors driveway.

Here is a close-up of the hole. The original entrance to the hive wasn't much bigger than a quarter.

And here is a shot of the hole and one of the pieces of honey comb on the ground next to it.

Last year I was swarmed by the same type of bee and stung at least nine times. I wasn't anywhere near them either. The kid next door also got it a day later so I went out at night and disturbed the hive with a shovel (not wanting to kill them) hoping they would relocate. They did, but it took me two more times before they left the property.

Since no one was stung and they were not in a spot that was likely to get disturbed, I figured I'd leave them alone this year. Bees are good for the environment.

Maybe it was a little nuts, but I stuck the camera inside the hole and got photos of the bees working on what was left of the hive.

Inside the Hive

Another shot inside the hive before I backed off and let them calm down.

A couple other bees were doing something with the honey comb material that was on the ground.

I'll be the first to admit I don't know much about bees other than you don't mess with them and they typically wont mess with you. Especially with Bumble Bees. We had a Bumble Bee hive right near our side door and they never bothered anyone. Then one day they were gone. I was able to stand next to the hive and they'd land on me and not sting me. I wouldn't try that with these bees because when I first found the hive, I went past it with the mower and a bunch of them came after me.

As luck would have it, I spotted another type of Bee on my porch as I was on my way back inside.

We've had two nights below freezing and the low temps are forecast to be just above freezing for the next week, so maybe the bees will be able to fix their hive and survive the winter.

Des Plaines River - October 7, 2009

2009-10-08T09:17:00.000-05:00

More photos:
http://www.catchphotorelease.com/10072009.htm

Once again I was up before the sun, and outside with the dog uncovering the boat. I could see the stars above which told me there were no clouds, and more importantly that after the 70 mph wind gusts we had overnight, fishing would be tougher than normal.

First fish of the day - White Bass

As I left the driveway, there was a faint glow in the eastern sky and by the time I made it to the boat ramps the sun was above the horizon and I could see a pretty good bank of clouds moving in from the west. No one else was in the parking lot yet. The wind had calmed to around 15 mph out of the WNW and was forecast to diminish even more.

A little Largmouth Bass

As I headed up to my first usual spot I noticed more barges and tugs flying around the river than birds and other creatures. The creatures were still probably hunkered down from last nights strong winds and I was hoping the fish would not have been as effected by it. I was also thinking how great it would have been to be out there before the winds because the fish would typically be going nuts under those conditions.

Another small fish - Smallmouth Bass

I got to my spot and worked it with crank baits and plastics, and only caught a couple small fish. I didn't spend a lot of time there before running to another spot.

White Bass

I caught a couple of nice White Bass and a lot of small fish before I realized that the fish I was looking for were not going to be easy to find in that spot.

Best fish of the day - White Bass

I moved to another area and caught one more small fish before running back to where I started and catching the best Largemouth of the day - which was still nothing to be bragging about. After a few more casts I ran back to a spot near the ramps where I had caught some fish the last couple of times but there was another boat already on it.

Best Largemouth of the day

I ran a little further and decided to work my way back up to that spot. I caught another little Largemouth and watched as the other boat caught a couple fish about the same size. Before I knew it I was looking at 5 or 6 bass boats in the area. I continued working past the spot I wanted to beat up and only got one more small fish before I decided to hit the road. Besides, the sun had long since come back out and it had warmed enough for me to wash the boat since I neglected to do that the last time I took it out.

Coyote

So for a day that started out fairly windy and in the low 40s, it turned out calm and in the upper 50s. The water temp ranged from 62 to 72 at one of the discharges I went by. The highlight of this trip was a coyote catching my eye on the opposite bank off in the distance. I picked up the camera with the 300mm lens and took a couple shots before he was gone.

Done for the day

Change to the Homepage

2009-10-06T11:27:00.000-05:00

I've made a change to the hompage at :

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/

I've added a control on the homepage so that anyone can jump directly to a specific blog entry from the site. It works with IE7, Safari(MAC and PC), and IE8.

If anyone notices a problem with this control, please leave a comment and let me know what browser and OS you're using. And while you're there, take a look at some of the Outdoor, Rough Weather, or Bald Eagle Photos!

Maybe I'll try to do an HTML control that will work on the other pages??

Thanks!

Lake survey with Herman Brothers Pond Management

2009-10-02T11:56:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday September 30th, 2009 I had the opportunity to assist Nate and Justin Herman of Herman Brother Pond Management with a survey of a 22 acre lake at a private facility.

This was my first time doing something like this and it was a unique experience for me, not to mention a lot of fun.

Bluegills and other panfish

Nate began by testing the conductivity of the water. He also made a prediction as to where the fish would be based on the weather pattern and current conditions (post cold front), and he was 100% correct. I know a lot of fishermen who wish they could do that.

Justin Photographs a Goldfish held by Nate

We put the boat in the water and were joined by Kevin and DJ who are two employees of the facility. Nate started the generator and explained that there would be an optimum setting for safely shocking up the fish. He also mentioned that it wouldn’t be a good idea to touch the water – which I forgot and did after handling a carp. He warned me that in some lakes I would have gotten quite a jolt and that was enough for me to remember that from now on.

Justin measures a Largemouth Bass

As Nate moved from spot to spot, fish would float up near the electrodes that were hanging in the water. The bigger fish would recover instantly and if you weren’t quick, you’d miss them. We took turns netting the fish and making sure they were put into the tank properly. It was obvious that Justin had been doing this for a while because he was scooping up fish that I never even saw. Once I got my hat and polarized sunglasses out of my car, I did a little better.

Me with two Largemouth Bass

After we had enough fish, Nate and Justin carefully measured, weighed, and inspected the fish for signs of disease. All the fish were healthy and showed no signs of disease. From the weight and length, Nate explained how he could determine if the fish were eating enough. He also explained that the weight/length ratio would vary at different times of the year.

Me getting another fish to measure

After releasing the first group of fish, we set out to survey the second half of the lake and repeated the process. Not only did I have fun but I learned a few things too. That’s not unusual when you spend time with someone like Nate who really knows his stuff.

A Largemouth Bass about to get weighed

When we were finished, Nate explained he would provide the facility with a complete report and also with a few recommendations for maintaining the lake.

Nate demonstrates how to hold a Largemouth Bass

If you need pond supplies, fish to stock, help with a weed problem, or anything else lake or pond related, Herman Brothers Pond Management can help you out.

A Surprise on the River

2009-10-02T10:09:00.000-05:00

Des Plaines River - October 1, 2009

More Photos from today:
http://www.catchphotorelease.com/10012009.htm

My plan for today was to go to LaSalle Lake, but the cloudy skies that were forecast were nowhere to be found, so I opted for the Des Plaines River instead. The clouds showed up eventually, and fishing was pretty good.

I ran upriver first. The tugs were already busy moving the barges around in the fog, and there were noticeably more geese flying. The increased number of geese is a sure sign of fall.

I got to my first spot and beat it up pretty good. Eventually I hooked into a good fish… and lost it. That was it. I took a few of those crank baits out and removed the sure-set treble hooks and replaced them with standard hooks. I caught the next fish I hooked, but it wasn’t as big. I threw a few more casts and hooked one of the biggest shad I’ve ever seen.

Gizzard Shad

I ran back down river and stopped several hundred yards above one of the places where I had caught fish during the last trip. I started fan casting the area and caught a couple fish right away. They were a little nicer than the previous one I put in the boat.

Largemouth Bass

I continued working my way down towards what was the magic spot last week and got a few more Largemouth. The average size seemed to be a little better than last week too. After I got one real good Largemouth, I headed down river to one of the discharges, but it wasn’t pumping. I fished the area anyway but didn’t catch anything.

One of the better Bass of the day

On the way back upriver, I stopped well below of the spot where I was catching fish earlier. I caught two nice ones, but that was it.

Largemouth Bass

I decided I’d run back to my first spot and see if anyone else was home. Lucky for me a nice Northern Pike was there and willing to hit the crank bait. That was a big surprise since 99% of what we catch in that spot are Bass. I couldn’t interest anyone else in the plastic worms or tubes so I called it a day and headed back.

Northern Pike

It was a fairly chilly morning that started out in the low 40s and made its way up to the mid 50s. The water temperature was cooler than the past several trips and ranged from 70 to 76. With the breeze, there was no taking off the jacket today. In fact, I had to dig out my gloves after taking a couple of casts.

Belted Kingfisher

Des Plaines River - September 24, 2009

2009-09-27T16:21:00.000-05:00

More photos from today:

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/09242009.htm

Sunrise over the river industy

My friend Al Bernicky and I hit the Des Plaines River Thursday morning. The purpose of this trip was to catch fish, and also to make sure I corrected the problem that was causing the outboard alarm to sound. Fortunately the owner’s manual was very clear as to what I needed to do and everything worked fine. There's a reason they tell you to read the entire manual before you operate the machinery.

Sun through the approaching clouds

We ran through the fog that was rising off the water to our first spot. On the way I took the usual sunrise photos and let Al take the wheel so I could get some good photos. We beat up that area pretty good and all we got out of it was a small Largemouth that hit my crank bait.

Largemouth Bass doing the tail-walk

On the way to the next spot I let Al take the wheel again so I could shoot some video. There was still some fog rising up off the water and it looked pretty neat. I also got some video of a Bald Eagle in a tree way off in the distance and a snake that swam out to greet us.

Bald Eagle in the distance

I combined the day’s photos with the video and put his together from it:

Al suggested another spot I’ve fished before where I’ve had mixed results and that was where the fish were. Al out-fished me two to one in that spot. We threw crank baits, jigs and plastics worms and only the plastic worm struck out. I had a couple fish pick up the worm, but couldn’t hook up.

Al with the first decent Largemouth of the day

After the bite slowed, we moved on to where I’d caught fish the last few trips. We beat up that spot with pretty good but it was pretty much for nothing. If I remember correctly, we both got a fish there, but nothing to really brag about.

My best Largemouth of the day

We hit a couple spots I’ve never fished before on the way back with no luck. In one spot the Shad were so thick you could have walked across them. I also got a couple photos of a sunken boat that was sticking out of the water.

Someone had a bad day a while back

We ran back to where we caught fish and they were still there. The bite was actually a little better and Al still caught more fish. We were throwing the same lure for a while but Al had the magic touch. I caught fish there, but he caught the biggest two of the day.

Typical size Largemouth for today

We stuck it out as long as we could until I had to be on my way so that I could get to where I needed to be later that afternoon. The water temperature was a little cooler than the last trip at 76 to 86 at the one discharge we fished. It was cloudy all day with very little wind which made it really nice to be out there. With any luck, Al and I will get back out there in the near future.

Des Plaines River - September 22, 2009

2009-09-22T18:22:00.000-05:00

More photos from today:

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/09222009.htm

The morning looked perfect for fishing. It was cloudy and foggy, and there was a light mist blowing in the south breeze. I don’t get too many perfect days like this to go out. I got to the ramps before the sun was up and headed out to follow the same route I did last time.

Fog and light rain

By the time I made it to the first spot I planned on fishing, it was light enough to do away with the lights on the boat so I put them away before I made my first cast. I caught several fish in that area, but no big ones. I hooked a real big catfish on a crank bait, but he popped off about 10 feet from the boat.

Typical Smallmouth for today

After I was done with that area I headed off to the opposite end of the river but stopped at another spot I haven’t fished this year before I got there. I hooked one good sized Largemouth but he got away. A short time later, the same thing happened. The fish was slightly smaller, but it was still a good fish and that convinced me to add a new task to my to-do list. That would be getting rid of the Sure-Set hooks on several of my lures. I’ve lost more fish that I can count with those hooks and just don’t have that problem with standard treble hooks.

One of the Largemouth that actually made it into the boat

I gave up on that area and continued my run up river. Once I got to my destination, I caught a couple small fish and decided I’d go fish below the locks. I hooked and lost another nice fish up there but never brought anything to the boat. I cut my time up there short because a 3-wide barge was having some kind of difficulty in the lock and had to back out. I didn’t know how far he was going to back out so I figured I’d give him one less thing to worry about and headed back down river a little ways.

After fishing my next spot for about 10 minutes, I connected with the only fish I’d see in that area. It was a giant Gar. I had gotten my Bass net out first thing but it was way too small for this fish to fit in. I dropped the net on the floor and played the fish at the side of the boat until he popped free and took off. Gar are fun to catch, but they are slimy and can really stink up the carpeting in your boat so I generally unhook them at the side of the boat.

At the opposite end of that area, I tied into another good Bass that jumped right away and tossed the lure. I was really frustrated with that crank bait at this point but the fish were hitting it. I ran down to my last stop and managed to land a good Freshwater Drum on the lure that the bass were so good at tossing.

Freshwater Drum

I didn’t get any other hits but I could see shad being chased so I switched to a plastic worm. After a few minutes a fish picked it up and took off with it. I pulled back and the fight was on. As soon as I got the fish close enough I could see by the way the plastic worm was still on the hook that the fish wasn’t hooked. Sure enough he spit the worm and was gone. I was angry for not setting the hook like I should have and that cost me the best bass of the day.

The next fish that picked up that worm got his eyes crossed. I got a good hookset on this fish and it turned out to be a big Flathead Catfish.

Lifting the fish out of the net

I got his head in the net and juggled him up into the boat. I decided that I was done for the day after photographing the fish and letting it go.

Flathead Catfish

My outboard started beeping at me so I’m guessing I sucked up some of the plant material that’s floating around the river and making it hard to fish crank baits in a lot of places. Tomorrow I’ll take it apart, flush everything out and make sure everything is as it should be before I put the boat back in the water.

Deer through the fog

The water temp ranged from 76 to 89 at one of the discharges. It sprinkled quite a few times during the day but I only had to go for the rain gear once. For the day I think I caught 20 to 25 fish which really isn't anything to complain about.

Braidwood Lake Fog

2009-09-21T11:31:00.000-05:00

This video was taken March 1st, 2007 (opening day) and on March 7th at Braidwood Lake. Fishing was good both days although we were chased off by approaching thunderstorms on opening day. They would not let anyone launch because the fog was so thick a week later. Most of the guys there have fished in the pea soup before and know to be very careful, and to idle to whatever spot they're headed to.