The guides need to be able to cover thier expenses to take folks out. (gas, equipment and most of all.... insurance)

You have to jump through some hoops to get a guide's license to legally guideout on the Illinois River too.

Just up river of Peru is awesome. Between Peoria and Pekin is great tooand has less small boats to go around.

Great advice on here. To each his own on the guide thing. Dukmn80 and I have shot them out of a 16 ft boat and an 18 ft boat, both worked just fine, and as noted...more will jump in than you will ever hit.

WE just put in and started talking to people, most people are happy to tell you exactly where to go to get into them, they are generally hated. We were on fish within 20 minutes of our first trip.

Good luck,

later,

CS

it is, me and some friends went a couple weeks ago, jus north of peoria and had a blast. no guide, jus did it ourselves.

Still can't wait to shoot at those jumpers.

Hey, do you have to yell 'PULL!", or the fish jump on their own?