Back On The Water

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.

Des Plaines River - 5/18/2010

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.

Easter Sunday on the Water

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.

First Fish of 2010

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

Book Preview

Catch Photo Re...

By William D. Anderson

Book Preview

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

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/

Des Plaines River - November 27, 2009

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.