ChicagoLand Fishing Forums banner

Report 9/19

2K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  Cat Man in Chicago 
#1 ·
Had an opportunity to get out to the river for only the second time this year
Bought a boat a couple of years ago and it limits my wading of the river
Forgot how pretty a fishery the Kankakee is, especially in the fall which is my favorite
Less heat, fewer people and usually better fishing
Statrted out at the Wilmington Dam and moved downsteam
Was floating a large roach without a weight and with some times, working first the dam face and then eddies
Was lucky enough to hit a couple of concentrations of fish with several larger than usual (at least for me) smallmouth
Several 16" (measured on my exclusive taped measurements on my rod, soon to be in a store near you), couple of catfish and thankfully two gar that hit but came off on their own (ugh)
Amazing that in print 16" sounds like small but with a football shaped smallmouth it sure looks huge
One of the things that I like about the Kanakakee is the buffet style of fishing where you never know what comes next
I was fishing the face of the dam and hit a pig of a largemouth, dont ask me what is was doing there, that measured 17" on my rod
Huge fish with a huge girth, obviously filling up for the winter,
Everything I caught with the exception of one smallmouth came on roaches, tried my favorite topwater bait but not even a hit.
Spinnerbaits, jigs, etc, also nothing
Was mildly surprised that I didnt stumble into a walleye or two
River is down but still a challenge in spots to wade
Was surprised and a little bit worried that in wading below the dam that I stepped into several pockets of sand of considerable size, something I've never really noticed near the dam face before. Not a good sign
Again, great day, nice weather and way more fish then I anticipated
For those of you who can get out during the week when its a little less crowded I'd recommend getting out for the rest of the season
I'll be out of town for a week or so on business but will be back out in October

Bob
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Nice report, 16" is not small them river smallies are the strongest fight around,fish same area this time of year also to get out of the hunters way but afraid to wade this area with all the slime rocks (had a knee operation first of year, and still making payments after what insurance did not pay)sounds like you had a good day with a mixed bag and a big large mouth,good luck and enjoy.
 
#4 ·
Greg, I'm an incredible fan of wading staffs
I see people struggling to walk against current, slippery rocks or my personal killer...bumping into a large rock in midstep and losing my balance
I use a $29.00 staff that folds up in a holster
I tie a rope to the staff and attach it to a clip on my wading belt
That way it floats alongside when I fish but is easy to access, can use it to fight off the killer gar in an emergency
With a staff it makes getting in and out (always important) of spots that I just couldnt fish otherwise
Fishing spots aside, the river can get tricky so the staff is cheap insurance
Now if someone could just invent a good wading minnow bucket that doesn't threaten to drag me downstream
 
#5 ·
I might hit the K3 this weekend. I was going to go last weekend, but I decided to avoid the Nascar traffic and hit the Des PLaines instead.

When wading the K3, I always use a walking staff now too, and I have good knees. I just use a paint roller extension rod with a rope tied through the handle and a caribeaner on the end to hook to my pants. Best $8 I spent.
 
#6 ·
stasheff said:
Greg, I'm an incredible fan of wading staffs
I see people struggling to walk against current, slippery rocks or my personal killer...bumping into a large rock in midstep and losing my balance
I use a $29.00 staff that folds up in a holster
I tie a rope to the staff and attach it to a clip on my wading belt
That way it floats alongside when I fish but is easy to access, can use it to fight off the killer gar in an emergency
With a staff it makes getting in and out (always important) of spots that I just couldnt fish otherwise
Fishing spots aside, the river can get tricky so the staff is cheap insurance
Now if someone could just invent a good wading minnow bucket that doesn't threaten to drag me downstream
Nice insight about the staff...
killer gar?
 
#7 ·
I have seen em, but haven't gotten around to picking up a wading staff yet. And even as a fairly young man with good legs, those sudden rocks to the knee sure sting!!!

Stasheff, I just picked up a minnow "bucket" that seems more like a nylon cylinder with a strong velcro top. Its yellow and one end has some sort of foam sewn in to keep it afloat. Its yellow, cant remember the name...actually taking it with me tomorow on the tube. Its a bit pricey, and reminds me of the "leech tamer" bags I have seen. I'll let u know what I think of it. A buddy used one when he was tubing and it seemed pretty good.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top