IL River Sauger Fishing

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.

Return from the Northwoods

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.

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.