Kish: south branch help

[sureasfish]

I have fished various points along the Kishwaukee, usually with success, but mostly on the North Branch, Marengo through Cherry Valley.

However, I am interested in the section of the South Branch before it meets up with the North, from Blomberg Rd. on. (or maybe Willoughby Rd?)

Anyone fish here ever? Is it wadable, or would canoe+wading be better?

Also, would I hit smallies through here, or would I run into more rock bass and pike? (not that I would mind!)

I know the parks south of Rockford are good, but I don't want to deal with International Day on the weekends, and also haven't heard if there has been confirmed fish kill in that area.

[terrydodge]

The south branch has been hot this year! I've never really
had much luck in previous years but this year...WOW!
Smallies, Northerns, Cats and even (this surprises me) Walleye.
I'm talking from Oak Ridge Forest Preserve on Blomberg Rd. to
where the two branches meet. It's hot baby!
On this site you have to have 10 post made before you can
start getting personal messages (PM's). Once you do that I can
turn you on to more info. In turn I'd like to know some about
the Kish where you fish, Marengo to say Belvidere. I've never
seen or heard any fishing reports north of Belvidere.
Try to get those 10 most (isn't that just silly) made and I'll
check back later this weekend to send you more info.

[terrydodge]

What can you tell me about this stretch of the Kish
between Hwy 23 and Thorne Rd.?
Can this be fished and canoed?

(slide bottom bar to the right and side bar down)
http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v ... &encType=1

[sureasfish]

I'm certainly NOT the guy to give any real info about specific locations. I actually don't get to the Kish very much, and usually I head out towards the areas from Belvidere south/west of there. Had a great time at the Kishwaukee River Forest Preserve as a storm was rolling in (like sirens and all!) The fish went nuts, and I was getting fish every cast.

I can tell you last I traveled the north branch (several years ago) we were able to pick up at least one fish at all of the places we stopped—pretty much wherever a bridge crossed the river from Marengo west.

A neighbor who is a canoe nut tells me you can travel most of the north branch, and it's really a pretty paddle even if the fish don't show up. I believe there are a few campsites out near Garden Prairie that might give good info on canoeing that stretch. You might find some other paddling info online. I have only seen info about the stretch from Belvidere west which appears to be a nice stretch.

[terrydodge]

If you were to put a canoe in at Oak Ridge
the next real take out is Kishwaukee F.P.
You could take out at Blackhawk Spings on
Perryville. You would have to pull the canoe
up a small hill. From Oak Ridge to Blackhawk
Springs on Perryville is probably about 2.5 to
3 hour float, to Kishwaukee F.P. I would add
another hour to hour and a half.

[lurebuster]

I was thinking about hitting Marengo / Belvidere on Wednesday. Any productive spots anyone would give away?? Mostly hoping for Northerns, maybe smallies as well.
Thanks a bunch!

[terrydodge]

Maybe smallies

[lurebuster]

Yeah, as in, I mostly would use larger lures, trying to target Northerns even though it is abundantly a smallies fishery. sorry, it came out wrong.

The last couple times I fished the Belvidere dam area (above and beyond) I pretty much got skunked so I was hoping for some direction as to where I should go.

Thanks for replying.

[Crawdad]

I fish the kish alot. I always fish the holes and gravel bars and any strech that looks fishy. I always bring 2-3 crawdad crank baits 3-6 ft divers. white and black buzz baits, and soft plastics specifically 4" shaky head worms and green pumkin or green watermelon flake helgramites. A dusk stick to the buzz baits and keep walking up stream and cover water. If you find fishy deeper water crank it and follow up with soft plastics. Pitch wood with the shaky haed worms. you'll pull smallies,rock bass and pike pitching the wood. Tight lines. I use bait casting gear 12 lb flourocarbon line on a 5' rod to help dodge the trees. good luck.

[lurebuster]

Thanks a lot. I'm actually going out tomorrow, Friday.

[lurebuster]

Fished from 8AM to 1PM, started in Marengo, ended in Belvidere by State Str. Water pretty low and somewhat stained/greenish. I used firetiger+gold #14 Husky Jerks and gold/red F18 Rapalas and got 9 hits by Northerns, landed only 3. One bit off my Husky Jerk (I guess the line got tangled around its mouth). They were all taking aggressive swipes at my lures, but failed to bite about half the time. All fish 18"-25", whatever I landed, I released. I kinda feel bad about the one being stuck with that lure, I used 12lb test and with larger lures, they never get too close to the line. I guess this one did.
Was thinking about switching to smaller lures to increase hooking ratio, but I just really like working larger lures this time of the year.

[ajderka]

steel leaders are a money saver and a fish saver, and are well worth the investment. In the Kish i use 6" 30lb leaders, which have saved countless lures and helped me land some pretty impressive pike

[lurebuster]

Cool, thanks. I generally try not to use them as they seem to affect the action of my lure, or so me stubborn thinks. I might have to rethink that. Drove out to Belvidere this morning and got skunked. Only 1 hit, actually something took my lure (gold #14 Husky Jerk) "for a walk" and spit it out after moving about 10 feet. I thought I had the hook set, but it got spit out. Never really saw the fish, but it pulled plenty hard. Went closer to the dam, deeper water, but nothing. Drove out to Cherry Valley - someone said it's pike kingdom there - fished under the railroad bridge. Couple of locals told me they never even saw a northern get caught out of there. Also checked out the park where N. + S. Branch Kish connect - not even a follow. Where is the action??

[matthew3306]

I went to the junction with my uncle this saturday, nothing but carp and suckers everywhere! We caught some little smallies like 8-10 inchers in the riffles but everything is dead or gone.