Shabbona 08-18-07

Not so much a report as a venting. Almost 6hrs of fishing there, and only 3 fish- 2 bluegills and a channel cat. What gives? Either I'm a moron and don't know what I'm doing, or there are no more fish there! lol

We hit the NE bay and threw a couple topwaters, then a few spinners and a chatterbait. NADA... Tried a couple plastic worms too. All were different colors, a couple of darks a couple bright. Same big stink.

We couldn't even get a hit with chicken livers from the cats. Does anyone offer classes on how to fish, I may be in need of some education.

I would think that the cold front and the wet weather was a major factor.

Lip_Yanker

I was also there yesterday and hit NE Bay for bass we tried pretty much used the same approch you did in shallow water and then went a little deeper and tried crank baits and rattle traps with no success. The whole time we were in there we didn't see anyone else with any action.

We started to fish the trees for suspended crappie figuared out where they were just as we picked up 6 keepers the storm front came thru so we headed in but the launch was a Zoo.. So we docked and waited out the first storm then headed back out.

We hit the dam face I picked up 5 bass and 1 catfish on leetches while anchored my buddy picked up about 6 gills. All my bass were small 10 to 13 inch the cat was 18 inch. We decided to work the length of the dam face with various Lures my buddy picked up one 15 inch bass on a deeper diving crank bait but that was it.

Since the bass fishing was slow we decided to get our limit of crappie and call it the day. We went into the trees and found them suspended in 12 to 16 FOW. caught about 40 crappie in the 8 to 10 inch range kept 20 of the bigger ones. Rain started coming down pretty hard again and started thundering in the background so we left. Even with the rain gear we were pretty soaked and my boat got its first test in heavy rains.

Even if fishing is slow you can usually find a good crappie bite on Shabbona. Spring time there in shallow or by weed lines early summer the cribs are loaded with them. This time of year they are usually suspened in the trees. You can use your electronics to find the depth or what I do alot is just peel a foot of line out at time till I get my first bite so I know what depth they are then set a slipbobber at that depth or pull line out to the same depth each time. The bite was real light yesterday so you really had to observe and watch your line as at times you couldn't feel the bite. While the crappie have been really small on Shabbona for the last 5 yrs or so this is the first year I've noticed some improvement on there size. Hopefully in the next year or two it will get to where it once was.

As far as classes go Denny in the bait shop used to put on a 4 or 5 week Fishing Shabbona Seminar on sundays in March with guest speakers. I don't think he's done it for a few years but if people start asking him maybe he will do it again. Then there is Spence Petros at http://www.spencepetros.com/ that has classes weeknights early spring.

Too bad I didn't know you were out there we could have compaired notes. I have a 17ft Blue Lund Explorer if you ever see me on the water stop by and we will exchange info. What kind of boat do you have I will keep an eye out for you next time..

Good Luck NPIKE

Nothing like going to a "for sure" body of water only to come out with the head hanging.

It seems the patterns this particular August have been to fish very early in the day, and live bait for the best chances.

Lip_Yanker

I do fish Shabbona alot and have in the past . Even though I'm trying to get to some new waters most of my buddies live further south and don't want to get a Wisc. licence or make the trip to Delavan or Geneva. So when I take them out it's usually Shabbona.

I will be out there again Sept 4th but already have 3 in the boat. This weekend is a little busy but if something breaks in the Schedule you are more than welcome to join me on my boat. I am no expert and can't garrentee fish but I will show you what has worked for me and a few patterns for different times of the year that I have had success with.

Are you avilable to go out during the week or are you limited to weekends. Let me know what your schedule is like.The next couple weeks looks a little busy for me but after that maybe we could hook-up. Get back to me and I will P.M. you if something works for both of us.

NPIKE

Shabbona is better served in April and May for gamefish action, especially with artificials. After that it really seems to slow down. The live bait tip is a good one. Jumbo leeches will catch bass, cats, and gills all day long. Chicken Liver around the NE bay usually works well too. Like NPike says, the crappies are usually always on. Just head out to the tree, tie up, and work a minnow at various depths till you hit the motherload. Suspending a leech there will sometimes get you walleyes at the thermocline and dropping them to the bottom will get you cats. Shabs really is a great lake, but this time of year it is more of a live bait bite if you want guarenteed action.