Sag Quarry

[jonny2can]

No hogs caught but I figured I would bump this section back into life. Got my new rod and reel setup and was ready to hit the shore. Shimano rod paired with a daiwa spinning reel with some p-line floroclear 15lb test. Throwing swimbait and senkos. Was targeting bass but pulled out a little pickerel my guess. Please correct me on the species if I am wrong. All fish released to be caught again. Just glad to see the old dirty quarries still produce!

[Aux Pleins]

Nice outing. That's a grass pickerel, they stock em in the east quarry. One of the few places around Chicagoland that actually holds pickerel. I think they figured a northern pike would get too big and hungry for all the panfish in the quarry.

[jmdog2003]

Very cool. Pickerel is a species that evades me.

[SmalliesNEyes]

Yep, grass pickerel. Nice job. I've only ever caught one, though I've seen a bunch in different lakes.

[Phil6]

Sweet pickerel, its on my list! Didnt think there were many around here

[JB]

Good to see fish are still in there!

[sthacker6]

I stopped down there today, havent been there in years. What happened to all of the trees? It looks like a bomb went off down there. Saw one guy catching little trout and putting them in a bucket. The whole area is starting to look like a swamp.

[JB]

Not sure if this the case but I do know that there’s been groups clearing buckthorn and other invasive species along with doing controlled burns. Maybe that’s what happened?

[UglyStick]

The Cook County FPD hired a firm to clear out invasive species like buckthorn. They cut down
a ton of trees on the banks of waters while they were at it. To stop the climbing invaders I guess.
It'll take a long time before the Cook preserves recover from that half dead look, but it's a start.
Meanwhile, the FPD turned Bullfrog Lake into a camp ground after the massive fish kill in 2014.
The water's muddy all the time, so people go to Maple Lake next store. Now Maple's a garbage
dump. Shame because it's a really good bass lake for now.

[jonny2can]

Went back today.. parts that were open water are already covered with algae bloom and unfishable in the east quarry. West quarry is fine. Give it another week or so and it will be full swamp mode. Bass were hard to locate with the amount of cover that have to hide under. Small fries caught in each quarry. Seen a lot of decent bass setting up their beds for spawn with no interest in my lures.

[Wolfnight]

Too much weed at the quarry. A shame. Place heaving with trout. I fished Turtlehead on Saturday in the rain and snow. 55 water temp. 4 hours. Fed liquidised worm and chum, fished chopped worm over the top. Caught over 60 bluegills, some a good 4 inch plus size and two awesome crappie, 1lbs each. Total weight over 10lbs. All fish returned alive to be caught another day. Best day ever at Turtle, I even caught a turtle, grabbed my corn! Thank god for Daiwa Gortex, bone dry afterward!

[Peter Piper]

good report!