everywhere, but still some fish to catch. I started a two week stay-at-home vacation on Friday. Truth be told, I targeted the middle of October back in April for my time off from work specifically to fish the Des Plaines river. This time of year has been my favorite time to target that river for seven or eight seasons now. But the rapidly rising water made wading that river impossible. So I started my fishing vacation on the Dupage. Before the rains, I was catching largemouth and crappie in slack water. This is the most consistent time of year for crappie for me on the Dupe.
![20181004_175115.jpg]( "20181004_175115.jpg")
![20181004_175256.jpg]( "20181004_175256.jpg")
The low water required very light jigs and smaller grubs to stay out of the snags. Then the rain came in and radically changed the conditions. Saturday resulted in a six pack of small to medium sized smallmouth. I've found the day after rapidly rising water is when they turn on. It seems like they need a day to set themselves when flows shoot up. But Sunday was a bonanza, resulting in two dozen bass and much better size. Got a decent largemouth, much more rare in this section of the river, and smallmouth on consecutive casts off the same spot.
![20181007_093708.jpg]( "20181007_093708.jpg")
![20181007_094009.jpg]( "20181007_094009.jpg")
Bigger and heavier presentations are required in these conditions. I had a 3/4 oz jig with a 4" BPS Speed Shad in shad.
![20181007_095501 (2).jpg]( "20181007_095501 (2).jpg")
![20181007_101408 (2).jpg]( "20181007_101408 (2).jpg")
If you can find a pocket that is holding fish they are stacked right now. I basically bounced between three holes picking up fish in one spot until action slowed, moved to the next two to pick them clean, then returned to the first to find it recharged with biters.
The low water required very light jigs and smaller grubs to stay out of the snags. Then the rain came in and radically changed the conditions. Saturday resulted in a six pack of small to medium sized smallmouth. I've found the day after rapidly rising water is when they turn on. It seems like they need a day to set themselves when flows shoot up. But Sunday was a bonanza, resulting in two dozen bass and much better size. Got a decent largemouth, much more rare in this section of the river, and smallmouth on consecutive casts off the same spot.
Bigger and heavier presentations are required in these conditions. I had a 3/4 oz jig with a 4" BPS Speed Shad in shad.
If you can find a pocket that is holding fish they are stacked right now. I basically bounced between three holes picking up fish in one spot until action slowed, moved to the next two to pick them clean, then returned to the first to find it recharged with biters.
