Open water near Chicago
 

I took the day off of work in search of that illusive "first fish of 2007".
While I didn't see any, I did manage to cover a fair amount of ground and checked on a number of regular haunts in the area. Here is what I found.

The water was about 50 degrees in all areas checked, according to my $2 pet shop thermometer.[:-]

DesPlaines River by Joliet: OPEN with floating ice, clear water. Very low water level. Backwaters have ICE.

DesPlaines River at Big Basin near Channahon: ICE in the basin proper, except near the North shore along Dupage current.

Dupage River from the Channahon dam to where it feeds into Big Basin and the Des Plaines: OPEN with some minor ice near the shore.

DuPage River in Plainfield: OPEN with floating ice.

Kankakee River backwaters at DesPlaines Conservation Area: ICE, but starting to open up at inlets and culverts.

Three Rivers Marina near DPCA: ICE


It shouldn't be long now for shootable water, but we still need some fish.
Here's to hoping.

-Bulz

RE: Open water near Chicago
 

Big Basin is now open enough to get a boat in from the launch on Bluff road, if you go in carefully, hug the Northern shore, and go East toward the marina. At the launch, the main area is still frozen about 40 feet out from shore all the way to the main current beyond the duck blinds , and West almostto the Dupage's mouth.

RE: Open water near Chicago
 

Well then I'd say it's time to go look for some fish!!

Mark and I found alot of carp up the DuPage, and I saw a ton of buffs along that northern shore all the way to the moutn of the DuPage. They've got to be there somewhere.

RE: Open water near Chicago
 

UPDATE:

Big Basin is now wide OPEN and calling your name.
Go get 'em Mark and Steve. We can have a Northern season opener fun shoot over there in the next week or two.

DPCA backwaters are still mostly ICE, but it's thin and receding slowly.

RE: Open water near Chicago
 

Too warm not to be making a lot more open water todat and tomorrow. Who's going fishin' ;)

RE: Open water near Chicago
 

I'm heading out to Big Basin in just a bit.
The First Fish Challenge (because it needed a name) got my fingers itchy for morefish blood, so I'm taking out the Green Bobber for the first time this year,so I'll report back with fish sightings later and hopefully add a few to the fish count. :)

See ya.
GONE FISHIN'

RE: Open water near Chicago
 

Hey there "GONE FISHIN" clean out your inbox. LOL

RE: Open water near Chicago
 

I can't take anything OUT of it. It says "IN" right here on the side.

UPDATE:
With the Icebreaker Shoot at DPCA on 3/13, that opens the last of the frozen water that I've been watching. Go get 'em.

The fish are wary right now, and you have to shoot quick, but they are there if you are sneaky.

RE: Open water near Chicago
 

From what I've seen, the Fox River is completely open.

RE: Open water near Chicago
 

Everything's pretty much open now. I would say season is officially underway in Illinois!! WOOHOO!!

I know of a few good spots on the Fox, and I've been wanting to cruise upstream from the Yorkville dam for a couple years now. There looks like some nice spots that way, and the river's wide and deep there, so the current isn't as fast. Perfect for a small boat or canoe. Jason, I'll be sending you a PM everytime we go out to see if you want to meet up. Us northern guys have to stick together you know.

RE: Open water near Chicago
 

Thanks for the update of the Fox River Jason.
I haven't been over there yet. I'd bet its pretty high and fast right now with all of the snow they had up North that just melted.

Everybody please feel free to report on water temperature and fish activity now that the waters are soft enough to shoot into.
(early spawningbehavior, spookiness, what species are visible, and where they are hanging out)

Also, the only species reported taken in IL so far (as of 3/15) is common carp, so lets hear about the first of each of the other species taken in 2007. :)

Chris

RE: Open water near Chicago
 

What about those "really slow moving" shad you were shooting the other day Chris?

RE: Open water near Chicago
 

I'd like to count them, but all but 2 were already dead, and the one live one I hit (he was upside down in his death throes)was cut in half by the line and never made it to the boat. He did do a very graceful slow spiral toward the bottom though. It was like that scene in 'Titanic', but without the romance. ;)