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The news says that record numbers of people are existing Illinois even faster that anti-ISIS Iraqis leaving Mosul. Of the people left in Illinois, it seems nobody gives fishing reports anymore. There used to be several places to get weekly reports. They all say no reports submitted. Sure I know you guys do a great job of reporting here. What about the "old school" reports? Water temp, species bites, bait, etc. Nobody fishing or is nobody sharing? :scratchhead
They are all on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I miss it as well, but it is what it is.
How embarrassing... never would have thought of that :Doh:Quote:
Originally Posted by teamflannel
This is just my opinion and I could be incorrect, but I think the reports have shut down because a very popular guide was busted by DNR. Said guide was very active with his reports and really spread the word and his business grew vastly. Other guides jumped on the report bandwagon and then weekend warriors did as well. Next thing you know the lakes are covered in boats and it made the locals mad and they start beating the butt (literally) of one guide and then someone turned the DNR onto him. They bust him and everyone ran scared, because I believe all guides operated exactly the way he did. None of the other guides wants to be targeted by the DNR. BTW, if he broke the law, he should be punished. I fished with him once and he was meticulous that we never went over our limit as a boat. Again, this is all speculation on my part. What do I know, I am now just a backwoods hillrod that never fishes anymore...
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Originally Posted by Pool13_Jeff
I agree with the backwoods hilrod part:Rofl
I think as spring gets here the reports will pick up, its just slow now
Why you gotta be that way?Quote:
Originally Posted by clfarms1
That's it right there. I know people are fishing. I know people are catching. I also know that the mouths are wired shut. But, it will pick up later. Just kind eerie that nobody's talking. :crazy:Quote:
Originally Posted by clfarms1
Does anybody know where to find the State reports? I mean the results of creel survey's and spring/fall electroshocking and netting results. I used to be able to find that info published somewhere like Heartland Outdoors or ASO. or sometimes in a newspaper. They would sometimes include how many fish they stocked and where.
I don't think many people have been out this week. Cold wind! Prior to this week I was catching a few on the north end of Shelbyville. Targeting deeper water, like mouths of coves. Most success came with jig and fixed bobber. They have been suspended above structure. A good sunny day was bringing them up pretty high in the water coloum. Catching them when the sun is high as shallow as 18" most productive depth has probably been around 4-5 deep. Color, for me has depended on sun also. Have done best with 1/16- 1/8 jig. Chartreuse and white swim bait style plastic. This pattern has worked for me, but I have no doubt others are catching south and a different method. It stinks not getting reports from the guides! I kinda don't blame them either because of what was mentioned above. I'll never give a specific cove that I'm catching in. I have seen that done, and then witnessed like twenty boats in that cove the next weekend. Way to many lurkers, and not enough sharing.
In regards to the electro shock surveys, I expect we will hear something this weekend. The fish biologist for this area was at the habitat drop last spring. I haven't been to enough of them to know if he always is. Last year he gave us his results, and fishing prospects for the upcoming year. Habitat drop is Saturday. For those that can, come help out. They always give GPS maps of structure dropped to those that help also.
I agree with newbe. I have been having my best luck fishing jig under a bobber anywhere from 1 to 4 deep. I have been using a quarter oz. jig in orange or black with a tube color of black and chartreuse or a chartreuse with white flakes. Lighter color on sunny days and darker on cloudy days. Hope this helps. Only other info I can give out is to play the wind.
Silver lake temp - 43°. Although I would stay off of it today. Given all the police presence.
WOW!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by skunked again
Glad ALL the children had survived!!!
Lot of excitement for Silver Lake!
Nats
Too much excitement. You can keep the media too. Bunch of half wits. Should've seen how they park and stand along the highway.
Surprised they don't create even more accidents.
Fished Shelbyville north this afternoon. Same pattern from last couple weeks was working. Caught a ton of short fish early on, but as sun had a chance to warm the water I started catching bigger fish. 4-6 feet deep with jig and bobber, over deeper water. 3/32 oz jig with clear color plastic worked best when the sun got high. Kept 12, but definitely could have had limit.
Can't speak for others, however I get my fishing reports from Larrysfishinghole.com
As for DNR reports, I go to Elmwood sportsman show every year and go to the DNR seminar. They always give reports for the Central Illinois area, plus you can ask questions and get specific information about different lakes in the area.
Maybe your looking in all the wrong places?
Fisheries Biologist Mike Mounce spoke before we started this morning about Lake Shelbyville for this year. He said crappie population looks very good still, but because of a strong year class of black crappie we have a bit too many of them. They are competing with white crappie for food, and need to be thined out. He stressed that anglers should keep those 9" black crappie. He even said if you don't want to mess with cleaning them to still keep your five and throw away at home with your cleaned fish. He said walleye and sauger should also be good this year. No change in regards to muskie and catfish. Neither are all that good. He didn't go into great detail about fall shock surveys. He did say something about the weather not being very good the day they did it, and made the process more difficult. He again stressed this year to not try and move any of the dropped structure elsewhere. The spots are chosen for good reasons, and have imput from several sources before chosen. He also said it would only take one instance of someone moving a piece of the structure to an unsafe place, and someone getting hurt to bring a halt to these drops that benefit us fishermen. I expect they will make available a report of fall shock surveys at some point, because they usually do. He also mentioned they are working on a raising another batch of muskie at the rearing pond to place in the lake. He mentioned the fact that Illinois budget issues are affecting them as well, and after anticipated retirements this year, the folks responsible for raising the fish stocked in the lake will be down to three people and not able to do anymore.
Newbe2, Didn't he say walleye they were rasing in the rearing pond?
I thought he said the rearing pond had muskie, he did mention walleye as well, but it was my understanding he said the walleye stockings could be affected by the lack of staff. I could have misheard though.
in my opinion fishing reports are dead because why would anyone give away all the information they worked hard to attain for free and then have spots flooded with boats and anglers? The best way to get a good fishing report is to go fishing! usually by the time you find out the bite is hot from a printed report, it is over or past. I used to provide reports for various websites and stopped years ago due to nothing being gained, only lost and handing lazy fisherman information I had worked hard and spent many hours to obtain. People that want the hot tips, tactics and spots for free and without having to put any effort into finding fish!
just as a example I went bassing at Kentucky lake last weekend when the temps dropped 40 degrees , lows were below freezing, 15 mph winds & it was spitting snow , didn't see another boat all weekend and all reports said to stay at home fish weren't biting....well I went fishing and destroyed the largemouth and smallmouth had a 7.2 and 3 over 5 lbs. sometimes you just go fish!!!
Well BCS, we don't mind letting other in on our info. Usually we don't tell everything such as the exact spots but what style of fishing, if using tubes what colors and depth, if spider rigging what depth and speed and things of that sorts. But the best ways to get real good info is by coming to our camps and get to know others. If you want even more info you can read the guide reports or PM some of us.
I was speaking of the 2000 + word lake specific state wide weekly "old school" reports, not the user ones on here.
PM on here is excellent way to discuss things with other anglers in a great online community!
guides put fishing reports out because they profit off of them and drive business
in my experiences the best fishing report is the one you have after returning from a days fishing!
I think some of you have missed the intent of my post. There used to be reports given based on conversations between bait shops and fisherman. I don't give a rats *ss where your secret spot is or how hard you worked to find fish. I just want to know real simple stuff like we used to get weekly from DNR or bait shop. For example: current water temp, water color, catching a few fish or not of various species. Just simple stuff. I am not looking to take a fish away from you or invade your private secret bank or tree. Some of us live hours away from the lake and work 5 days to earn a living. Can't always just go and find out ourselves as previously suggested. That does not mean that we don't like to follow whats happening around the area. Wow ... I'm kind of offended and feel like I just ran over some kid's puppy. White Flag Icon
I agree with you 100%. I give out my best report at the fish cleaning station or while I'm out on the lake and meet other fishing especially if there is kids in the other boat.
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Originally Posted by silverside
I was offering my opinion to the questions you brought up in the post about lack of reports, no offense at all taken by me, was just giving my honest thoughts from my experiences, sorry it offends you somehow! guess there should be "safe space" on here some where lol.
ps- I also work 5 days a week and drive hours to the lakes I fish, just got to get you priorities straight I guess!
I think that maybe I did not pose my question correctly :cheers2Quote:
Originally Posted by BondCountySlabs
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Originally Posted by BondCountySlabs
Just to make myself clear, this is the post I agreed 100% to
If I'm catching fish and I can help someone else out I will personally take you to my spot and show you what I'm doing. Life is to short to worry about someone catching "my" fish because they may not even be there the next time you go fish. I listen to this all the time on here about how people invade their spots and most of the time they got it from someone else. I go fishing for the fun of it and hope to catch a few to eat, I don't need 30 crappie everytime we go out as most other people don't either.Sorry for the rant but sometimes it just rubs me the wrong way
I'm with ya Steve. For me its not about quantity of fish, but quality of my time on the water.
Heck, last weekend I ran into guys I will be competing against this weekend during a Crappie tournament. I didn't have a problem telling them the pattern I had put together and where the fish were. Finding fish doesn't mean you will catch them... Besides, we are all out there trying to fish, why not help each other out?
Silver lake, 53°, clarity chocolate milk, lake level normal.
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