Headed out to DuPage cty yesterday. First stop was Herrick Lake. Walked around the lake with my UL setup throwing a variety of lures. Started with a buzzbait & tried a couple different jig/twisters. Water was high and really cloudy. While I was there the staff drove around putting up signs warning of an algae bloom. Figured I'd be OK as long as I limited my exposure to the nasty stuff. Got a couple of hits but missed on both.
After a couple hours I headed out to the Winfield Dam site. Put on my Wellies so I could get a little into the river. Started out throwing a red 3/8 oz jig with a 3.5" green twister & safetypin spinner. On about the 20th cast just below the rapids I landed what's probably the biggest smallie I've caught in a few years. Measured it against my rod & later measured the rod. 19". Pretty fish.
Didn't get any more hits on that lure so I switched to a tube & lost it on the 1st cast. So I tied on a KVD 2.5 just for shits & giggles. Caught a real monster - maybe 3" longer than the lure. Bled all over the place while I disengaged the hooks. Nothing else on that one so I finished up throwing a white buzzbait in the flat water below the rapids. No takers.
I started to pack up - it was getting late - and got into a conversation with a guy who was scoping out the river for a kayak trip he & his wife are doing this weekend. Funny how you get on different subjects. Turned out he was retired & just finished rebuilding a 1959 TR3 which was my first car. Actually for all I know his car was my car. He'd taken it all the way down to the nuts & bolts. Showed me a picture - absolutely beautiful. And since he replaced the original Lucas (the prince of darkness) ignition with something modern the car actually runs in the rain.
All in all a great day.
After a couple hours I headed out to the Winfield Dam site. Put on my Wellies so I could get a little into the river. Started out throwing a red 3/8 oz jig with a 3.5" green twister & safetypin spinner. On about the 20th cast just below the rapids I landed what's probably the biggest smallie I've caught in a few years. Measured it against my rod & later measured the rod. 19". Pretty fish.
Didn't get any more hits on that lure so I switched to a tube & lost it on the 1st cast. So I tied on a KVD 2.5 just for shits & giggles. Caught a real monster - maybe 3" longer than the lure. Bled all over the place while I disengaged the hooks. Nothing else on that one so I finished up throwing a white buzzbait in the flat water below the rapids. No takers.
I started to pack up - it was getting late - and got into a conversation with a guy who was scoping out the river for a kayak trip he & his wife are doing this weekend. Funny how you get on different subjects. Turned out he was retired & just finished rebuilding a 1959 TR3 which was my first car. Actually for all I know his car was my car. He'd taken it all the way down to the nuts & bolts. Showed me a picture - absolutely beautiful. And since he replaced the original Lucas (the prince of darkness) ignition with something modern the car actually runs in the rain.
All in all a great day.