[ah]

I have noticed that some people havent been folowing the bass c&r law. Why do they still keep bass, even when they see the smallmouth signs? Please, dont keep bass in the duper, practice c&r, and inform other anglers who are looking to keep their fish. Help us make the duper a great smallmouth fishery.
ah

 

[AndyP]

One thing I like to do is to tell people how polluted the water is when they're taking the fish home to eat. Even if it is a "clean" stream like the dup. I like to say things like, just up the river I saw a big barrel of chemicals leaking in the water or wow three dead deer in the river right back there...since most of these are shore fishermen who would walk up the river to check it out anyways. Another thing you can do is just accidently kick over their bucket containing the live fish...

 

[McChou]

I was under the impression that the dupe was c&r only for smallies... at least for the west branch that i fish. If you see someone taking smallies or largemouth in buckets, just swap their fish with some nice fat carp while they're not looking... I'm sure it tastes the same to them!

Has anyone been out for smallies yet? I'm stuck in DeKalb at school so i haven't checked out the duper this year.

Just got a new pair of waders too... any reccomendations for wading streches of the dupe. I've waded the fox and kish... you'd think i would have tried the river that flows through my home town first... go figure. Thanks in advance for any info!

 

[seaweeddave]

According to the 2002 Illinois fishing information booklet you get with your license the Dupage is catch and release between the dams in McDowell Grove and Warrenville Grove. Does anyone know how that came about - was it the state experimenting or someone from the Forest Preserve District pushing it. And is there a way to make it catch and release for the whole river.

 

[amused]

The DNR is always testing methods of fishery management. They net or shock an area, change rules and net/shock the following years. I hope you're sitting down for the next part, bass are not their only concern. Overall quality is. Are there spawning areas? Is there enought food for the young? Is there structure for the fish to hunt prey? Are there too many stunted fish? Any body of water can only be home to so many life forms.

Contact the IDNR and let them know your views. You can also ask them theirs.

 

[Guest]

I spoke to a member of the DNR at a local bait shop that told me they have released some tagged fish in between the damns so that they could run surveys on the river at a later date. If you have a cell phone get a licence plate number and phone it in, it's C&R only.

 

[AndyP]

a few years back I think think the dnr released some big brood fish(the ones the hatcheries use for spawning) into the upper stretches...West branch.

 

[Fish Bio]

The smallmouth bass stocking on the West Branch of the DuPage River began in 1994 with
the stocking of 138 brooders below the Warrenville Grove dam. The area of the river
from the Warrenville Gove dam to the McDowell
Grove dam was designated as a Catch & Release
zone to protect the brooders. In 1995, about
35,000 fingerlings were released in this section and upstream to Blackwell F.P.. In
1996, 26,000 fingerlings were released upstream at several sites as far north as Army Trail Road. In 1997 another 44,000 fingerlings were released in the same areas. Total fingerlings stocked in the West Branch, 100,000+ smallmouth bass.

 

[ah]

Any oe know the number to report a game violation? Also, is there a limit on carp? Last year I saw one guy with about 20 monsters.

 

[spvergara]

I don't know of a limit on carp but the number to the DNR is 1 877 236 7529.If you forget the number you can look on the back of your license.

 

[AndyP]

I don't think there is a limit on carp, since they are an exotic, I don't think the state has any plans to protect them...I've always followed the "as many as you can chuck in the weeds limit"

 

[TKING]

For a little faster action for a major violation you can call the local police.They can keep the person there,call the state police, who dispach the dnr.Would I use this if some #@%%#@* was littering? no but if some &*$$#** hade a bucket of smallies,probably worth it.Good Luck,TKING

 

[amused]

Take as many carp home as you can. Carp make good fertilizer.

They are prolific breeders and overtake any gamefish population. They muddy the water which affects any sight feeders and silt over bedding sites preventing the next generation from hatching.

All of the time and money that was spent providing quality fishing waters will have been wasted. Future funds will allocated to duplicating old efforts instead of providing new and better places to angle.

Carp make the BEST tomato plants.