Never been there during the trout season.. is it madness trying to fish the shore? I seen they are digging up spring brook behind the big lake in the back.. curious to see how that will turn out. Hope it gives us shore anglers some opportunities.

 

Never been there during the trout season.. is it madness trying to fish the shore?

Not Blackwell (I believe this is Axehead) but this is par for the course. Sometimes way more than this, I believe this is a fairly light crowd.

 

I wouldn't go near any of those places for "trout season" for nothin'.

 

I usually go the Monday or Tuesday after they open. It's not bad during the week. I've also sort of lost it for put and take trout fishing. They just don't taste that great.

 

When you want to make sure your 4 year old doesnt get pulled in by a 30lb steelhead stocker :lol:

 

Hah, that pic's a classic. And yeah it's like that. At Busse you have 12 people with lines in the are where the n/s dam is... it's madness. I go for a late afternoon shift when things have died down from insane to just crazy. :roll:

 

I fished the inland trout program during both spring and fall almost every year from when Goby Jr. was 6 until we moved when he was 12. Most of my experience is from Banana Lake in Lake County and Wood Dale Grove. Here are some observations:

1) It doesn't bring to the table the same qualities of fishing that most of us enjoy most of the time but it has its own charm, even opening mornings. On a good opening morning every one is catching trout together and having a good time. It is cool to see all the jumping and thrashing and cheering.

2) I've heard horror stories of other people's behavior but have mostly fished near good people who have been enjoyable to be around.

3) Trout dough on an 18"-24" leader with a slip sinker is usually (but not always) the best bet for opening mornings. Forget about casting lures on opening morning, too crowded. Use a small (size 10) aberdeen hook instead of a treble with the trout dough program. If the stars align, they will bite on anything, corn, marshmellows, worms etc. However, that is not the usual case.

4) When the water is still warm from a warm fall, the fall 'season' can be tougher.

5) If you want to avoid the craziness of opening morning but still get on the hot bite, try the last hour before sunset of opening day and sunrise of day 2.

6) At Wood Dale Grove, use a 1/2 oz sinker and bomb your bait out towards the middle, especially after the first half hour.

7) Some lakes have a hot area. This may be because of where the fish were stocked or some other feature. This area may be the most crowded. It may be worth fishing it anyways.

8) One time I fished the lake in southern illinois across the river from St. Louis. It was completely different. There were only a few people there on this big lake, the locals said the trout from fall last through the winter and into the next spring. It was a good time. If you search back many years, you can find my report.

 

The crowd varies based on weather and season.
Blackwell can get rather crowded. Someone every 10 yrds along the popular shore spots.
I cast. Others use minnows, power bait, meal worms, etc.
Folks usually behave. I have seen some obnoxious boaters and shore folks. One must bring a bucket of patience.
Also make sure you have proper documentation.

Rambler - I think you would enjoy the several days before opening, Fly fishing C&R only, not crowded.

 

Anyone head out.. is it stocked the 19th and opened today the 20th.. curious how packed it is with this nice October weather

 

They stock it one or 2 weeks before the 19th. It opened at 6am on 19th. Not as crowded this as I have seen it before but there were plenty of people. I got in line at 0450 and was about 20th in line. By 0600 the line was back to Winfield road or further.
I fished from the fishing pier at the opposite side from the boat ramp. I was skunked for trout, did get 2 crappie. Only saw 3 trout caught in my eyesight from that location. Easily 20 or more boats in water.
Packed up and moved to check out activity around boat ramp 0830. Still very crowded. Talked to a bass boat owner just pulling out. He got his limit.
I went back at 1600 with my kayak to see if I could do better. About 8 boats in water, still shoulder to shoulder on the fishing pier near the boat ramp.
One boat was catching fish after fish. They quickly limited out and left. Not sure what their secret was. No one else was getting more than an occasional one. Fish were jumping. Most I saw were 8" maybe 10". I stuck to casting still skunked. Only fish I saw caught were on some form of bobber set up.

 

My son had 5 or 6 shake off before getting his 1st one in the net. Ended up cleaning 7 fish.

 

They stock it one or 2 weeks before the 19th. It opened at 6am on 19th. Not as crowded this as I have seen it before but there were plenty of people. I got in line at 0450 and was about 20th in line. By 0600 the line was back to Winfield road or further.
I fished from the fishing pier at the opposite side from the boat ramp. I was skunked for trout, did get 2 crappie. Only saw 3 trout caught in my eyesight from that location. Easily 20 or more boats in water.
Packed up and moved to check out activity around boat ramp 0830. Still very crowded. Talked to a bass boat owner just pulling out. He got his limit.
I went back at 1600 with my kayak to see if I could do better. About 8 boats in water, still shoulder to shoulder on the fishing pier near the boat ramp.
One boat was catching fish after fish. They quickly limited out and left. Not sure what their secret was. No one else was getting more than an occasional one. Fish were jumping. Most I saw were 8" maybe 10". I stuck to casting still skunked. Only fish I saw caught were on some form of bobber set up.

Sorry, this just doesn't sound like fun.

 

I'll tell you what's not fun. It's watching this Bears game.
~JOE~

 

Joe - just do like me. Change the channel!

 

Rambler:
I agree this was not fun this fall. Catching is always better than not.

I should have tried my hand elsewhere.
It was a nice day to be outside.
My Wisconsin Badgers lost. So, all around, I've had better days...

 

Hit Busse N. both days, the best thing about it was the weather wasn't like it is now. 8)

Everyone was killing on spinners Saturday when I'd left mine at home; and supposedly minnows on Sunday when I then had my lures. Figures. It always seems my ship comes in when I'm at the airport.

Sunday was super slow, caught one on powerbait off the bottom. and saw three total caught in 5 hrs from my perch on the dam (damn) rocks. Ehh.

Badger: I'm a UW guy too and kind of happy I forgot to record the game! :roll:

 

Went out on Monday after work in my Kayak. Maybe 6 boats, but only 2 where there had been action on Saturday. Several shore areas were still crowded, some contention over who had rights to what. I did not have an anchor, which made my night more difficult. Lots of repositioning.
Got two. 12" and 10.5" while casting. Most around me were using some form of bobber setup.

 

Nice reports! Thanks.. anyone know if sag quarry east is still in the trout program? I seen trout caught in there in mid summer years ago but not sure if its still currently being done.

 

Just found this.. The Forest Preserves is stocking approximately 1,000 pounds at Horsetail Lake, while the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is providing and stocking 850 pounds of rainbow trout at Sag Quarry (east side); 2,700 pounds at Busse Reservoir(north pool); 1,255 pounds at Axehead Lake; 1,000 pounds at Belleau Lake; and 667 pounds at Green Lake. These are catchable sized rainbow trout, in the .5 -1 lb. size range. Rainbow trout are stocked in the spring at Axehead Lake, Belleau Lake and Sag Quarry - East and in the fall at Axehead Lake, Belleau Lake and Horsetail Lake.

 

Busse seems to be holding on, saw lots of active fish and good catch numbers Fri. Of course bets are off after another weekend's crowds...

 

Dam 2,700lbs at Busse?????? That's double the amount I've seen over all the years at other Cook County lakes.

 

Just found this.. The Forest Preserves is stocking approximately 1,000 pounds at Horsetail Lake, while the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is providing and stocking 850 pounds of rainbow trout at Sag Quarry (east side); 2,700 pounds at Busse Reservoir(north pool); 1,255 pounds at Axehead Lake; 1,000 pounds at Belleau Lake; and 667 pounds at Green Lake. These are catchable sized rainbow trout, in the .5 -1 lb. size range. Rainbow trout are stocked in the spring at Axehead Lake, Belleau Lake and Sag Quarry - East and in the fall at Axehead Lake, Belleau Lake and Horsetail Lake.

Kinda makes you wonder where they got the money for this don't it?

 

Just found this.. The Forest Preserves is stocking approximately 1,000 pounds at Horsetail Lake, while the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is providing and stocking 850 pounds of rainbow trout at Sag Quarry (east side); 2,700 pounds at Busse Reservoir(north pool); 1,255 pounds at Axehead Lake; 1,000 pounds at Belleau Lake; and 667 pounds at Green Lake. These are catchable sized rainbow trout, in the .5 -1 lb. size range. Rainbow trout are stocked in the spring at Axehead Lake, Belleau Lake and Sag Quarry - East and in the fall at Axehead Lake, Belleau Lake and Horsetail Lake.

Kinda makes you wonder where they got the money for this don't it?

Comes from the trout stamp privilege you pay for with the fishing license.

 

Wow! 2700 lbs of ½ and 1 pounders, got to be well over 4000 trout!

With all the rain today, I wonder how many are making it over the dam right now into the Main. The flow over the north dam has got to be pretty good right now, and will continue for a day or so :think:

The Busskie, Pike, Eye's, Bass and Cat's are gonna eat good over the fall and winter

 

Wonder how catchable theyll be through ice, might have to give it a go at busse