We'll beshooting fishat DesPlaines Conservation Area backwaters on Sunday 4/1. It's just west of hwy 55 near Wilmington.

Meet around noon at parking lot #9 so we can make use of the warmest part of the day and the best light since the fish are still fairly deep.

Eat lunch before you come, and I'll supply some venison steaks for dinner after the shoot. I might even persuade my wife and daughter todeliver some go-withs at chow time.

Small boats like canoes and jons work best in this area, but shore walkersand bass boatsare welcome too.
These waters have carp, small and largemouth buffalo, longnose and spotted gar. A fewbowfin have even been seen.
Please plan to dispose of your own fish.

There may not be Millions of fish, but there sure are plenty to go around, and it is mostly sheltered from the wind.

Directions below.

UPDATE: (as of 3/28)
Because scattered light rain showers might still be in the area on Sunday, I'm relocating the dinner portion of this get-together to my house. We're still shooting rain or shine. I'm only about 20 minutes from DPCA, and I'll have easy directionsto hand out atthe shoot.

If the weather is nice, we can eat out on my deck,and if it's drizzly, there is plenty of room indoors. Bring your own drinks and snacks for fishing, but I'll have everything for dinnertime.

-Chris

Is thisthe place that has the little gravel boat launch?

Yes. Not the one on the DesPlaines that Mark showed us. It's that little backwater, the other end of where we had the "cookout" with what's-his-face, remember?I don't know if you can get CIRFCU in there. Maybe on the end where we ate at that time.

Seen a common that was between 8 and 10 pounds. Big ole orange-thing. And seen a 2-3 pound goldfish in there too.

Do you think the CIRFCU can't launch there because it's too shallow for the trailer? Or is the backwater to small for an 18' boat? (It grew by two feet)

I was thinking about the trailer/launching. There's plenty of room for the boat in there. And it's not too shallow at all.

I'm hoping to have Wenonah up there if the weather and schedulewill cooperate.

DIRECTIONS:
Hwy 55 toward Wilmington.
Get off at Wilmington exit #241.
Go west on River Road into the park and follow until it hits a 'T' at Blodgett Road.
Turn left on blodgett and go west to the stop at Kelly Road.
You'll see Julie's racetrack and Carpy's Cove bar on your left.
Turn left to go south on Kelly to the first parking lot on your left.
On the map, the parking lot is right where the three backwaters meet about halfway down Kelly.

Here is a link to a map of the place. (Darned Mapquest wouldn't let me copy and paste.)
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?email=1&mapdata=RwuiQHYj5qncYwyoM%252f w1lvis1h6tlBJHZBKhxUW%252byMzqvHOMFjPF6wjBIE6F7NQj 0I7%252fw5dL3uuWwJ0GC8VMFQIn7j3hG0i0VStNktZ4qiQGHn Lx7%252bsZe9683C2%252bSB52rTR%252bvvTS4SfrRARG9E10 Ii0O%252f%252fFMTfTXz6xHEPCxiVXxRmq3a7kXmIsnmt%252 by4F5JrjD9qm%252fJE7%252f8mH6gcQTJkgO8xgNGCk6FEvp% 252fnO3ykhDzNImAr%252fqhOPemZNOd7CqstiMhV7g86R0fJH gduogaSweZs%252fOmDAtYNouwkrzD1zpcLYLBAB6D%252fUf8 RDP%252bg2TbYmtNlalkMkGAT%252bySJV9ZeU7S83xYvP6Yck DpKzEfVaHHwgKAsgKILJDjc%252freFV1CZGKCM8H7n%252fUV 4NGZf%252foslnO3g72uzKLPmupUlUhJIMpGUfZiADfw2uPgj0 W96vL1uLSL3rXPWrcRK53bmz68ymZUUMuEwSOeFhM6J%252b06 xHw4uG%252fD3rr2zM9NmOpbvMesH60Cb6DL6Ttkp5ikGlNY7C 1XTee6r%252b9E5FVRamURNR%252fuEsxjCou%252bDYHTzXF% 252fYVtiAWuQ3H0HjtyfBD6sURdrKkkw4SJFSIHfBuXz9bZP1T 2bX1ZaRkxeyotfCTrsY0CfEtlkQf%252bGKm7YMyw21uQ%252f ajKQwK6LuLkN%252bi4LKgathdoGBepb%252bhFxdX6GXqRirk 2AGbFA%252foWer3tKpJMpMKA3FSTrhFkNQCCN8gvJcMmiH2tS tONN%252bjjgyKheamjqfKwyJ2UcKYqvRD%252fCif3Gnr0Lm6 ybwaMzc%252bR%252bpkedrJzCIyeM%252bbNDYElfWLFPfIgS XcqpeQNxAE2RfKo%253d

If you are coming from the north, and don't care to backtrack, you can get off 55 at Arsenal Road and take the West frontage road south towhere it turns into Blodgett and simply continue on to Kelly. It's about the same time either way.

Christine, there are two launches that you've been to out there when I was along. One was the main boat launch on the Kankakee River proper, and the gravel ramp is at area #10 where We, Jason, Weezer, Steve and the bunch bowfished from shore back in 2004. The one Steve is describing is at #10 on Blodgett where the backwaters cross the road, but we will be meeting at lot #9 so we canlaunch intoall 3 backwaters from a single location without having to drive around.

Rob, it would be great to have you up this way. Your canoe will work great, but the Triton of Terror would be equally at home.

It's gonna be a ton o' fun!

I'll have to get a bow rigged up though. Probably my old 55" recurve, because I'm not quite ready to get my new baby all full of carp goo.

I was just down at the DesPlaines this evening. The water was high and brown. Unfortunately I'll be out of town for this gathering otherwise I would have been there! Hope you guys shoot some fish!