[rapala]

Since 8 years I have been fishing at Braidwood touraments and I finish 4th place last year with 2 fishes out of 80 boats and this time I caught a undesize bass which 1/4 short and no bite at all after that and 15 bass were caught about 52 boats x 2 fishermen on April 6th.

My question is that lake is became more tougher and tougher to catch the bass than before. I remember when I was fishing at Braidwood in 1990s and It was so popular lake till now. Why is that? not enough DNR to check on that lake to see if they have a fishing license. or proachers, too many catfish or carps eat all bass spawning time. :flag:

 

[RICHARDTNEWELL]

The lake is void of habitat for bass fry, most big females will just dump their eggs if there is not sufficent habitat for the fry to hide in. We are putting in habitat, doing annual stockings, and implementing water willow to the lake, Water willow is a shorline bush that grows up and into the water column on shorelines, and around some main lake islands. Their are some big bass in that lake. All the guys that fished deep caught some bass. You just cant go shoreline hopping anymore. That lake fishes like a deep water strip pit.

 

[ROPES]

hi

Not everyone fishing deep caught bass

I just read that all the guys fishing deep caught bass. Only two boats brought in at least 2 keepers so that pattern couldnt have been that good to begin with. I saw the winners fishing the extended point by the bouys where they carolina rigged their keepers.

we fished deep. we fished dropoffs into 25 foot next to points. There were 58 boats, thats 116 fisherman and ten 15"+ fish were caught.

It was a perfect day, overcast early, with some wind, sunny and breezy in the afternoon, 65 degree high.

Your right, absolutely zero vegetation, other than spotty trees on the bank overhanging into the water in spots.

Its sad to say, but other than the boat with a limit, everyone else seemed to have just happened across a 15" fish or bigger opposed to everyone else and their short fish, including us. Takes skill right out of the equation, because you cant pattern fish that aren't present.

Last year we got one and 8th place found us. It was a pleasant surprise as we walked to the scales, but a sad sign for the lake. I hope things improve.

See you at later events through the year and thanks for putting it together. Still had a good time, sorta :lol:

Take care

Ropes

 

[2sac]

The lake has definately declined in the last 3-4 years. All the success I've had has been fishing crankbaits along the edges of steep dropoffs. I did read that the DNR has stocked something like 60-80,000 bass in the last 2 years as well as put in some artificial structure. If the DNR keeps up with things maybe in 2-3 years the lake will be as good as it used to be.

 

[rapala]

In my opinion that catfish and carps are eating the eggs and I might be wrong but I know there are so plenty catfish all over the lake, even in the pit strip.

I have seen all fishermen who fished at the shorelines and I am sure there are a few big female bass in deep water and few good quality bass are hungry and goes to the shoreline in the early morning till when the lot of boats pressure around and they goes tight spots and became very spooky bass around. I should have fish in deep water did`nt. That`s my loss.

But I was really enjoyed on that day anyway . IVBM did a great job as smooth tourney. Give them a hand.
/beer /beer