[bataviabait&tackle]

The water temperature was up to 46º this morning. The river is moving fast at 6,750 cubic feet per second as of 10:15am this morning. http://waterdata.usgs.gov/il/nwis/uv?05551540

As the water temperature rises, the activity level of many of the fish species in the river increases as well. Typically the magic number is right around the 50º mark for the small and large mouth bass and many other species. An added benefit of rising water temperatures is artificial lures becoming more effective. Try using a white twister tail on a 1/16 or 1/8 jig for the walleye or pumpkinseed or watermelon colors for the bass. Most of the fish are going to be congregating in the slower moving pools or anywhere else they can get out of the fast moving current. They may even be hiding within about 2' from the shorelines, so make sure you are fishing to your toes!

Good Luck out there! 8)

 

[George W]

thanks guys! I'm heading down there once the water goes down.

George

 

[Ken G]

I used to get out to the Fox more when the water is high, but if I get out this weekend, I'll be looking for a creek that I can walk around in.

Place I liked to go to in the past was Geneva. Park in the lot on the east side just north of 38. You want to walk on top of the limestone wall that starts at the 38 bridge and heads south. Walk it pretty much all the way to the rail road tracks.

Simple jig and twister will do. You want to have about 6 to 8 feet of line out and all your going to do is vertical jig along the wall. Take your time, cover as much wall as possible. A lot of the time if your jig is more than 6 inches from the wall, it's too far. You want to be practically scraping the wall.

When you head back for your car, tie on a floating Rapala or a Rebel craw and troll your way back. Walk on the wall, about 30 feet of line out and just make sure your lure is as close to the wall as it can get, bang it against the wall as much as possible. Caught lots of channel cats on a Rebel Craw one time while doing this. That was a surprise.

You can catch fish along that same shore all the way past the tracks. Gets trickier there. You'll be doing that vertical jig technique behind chunks of concrete, trees and whatever else is blocking the current along the shore. Sometimes you'll have to climb out on an overhanging tree limb to get to a good spot.

No break in the current is too small to drop a jig into.

I've done this 100's of times, so I don't do it anymore.

If anyone goes, leave a post.

 

[Legend075]

That pattern works also at the South Elgin Dam on the west side of the river by the police station. I had some success there with the eyes with this pattern. Never tried it in Geneva. Hmmm might give it a shot tomorrow.

thanks Ken

 

[FishinMatt]

Ken, I think you have forgotten more then I'll ever now. Thanks for the detailed info.

 

[Ken G]

Ken, I think you have forgotten more then I'll ever now. Thanks for the detailed info.

I'm starting to worry about that myself. It's called halfheimers, I only forget things half the time.

I think I just run out of time to type it all up. I've started organizing and collecting all my old posts and all that info is in there somewhere . . . there's just so much of it I even get lost in it all.

Did I ever mention the river maps I started working on almost 10 years ago?

Some day.

I need a clone.

 

[jnapodano]

Ken I am waiting for your book, your posts are some of the best reading on the net. Great info in laymans terms makes it so you don't have to work to learn from it.

When I was 17-18 I made a map of the fox from powerhouse dam down to les arends. Only problem is every year when ice flows form and melts it shifts alot of the gravel bars, some extremely drastic from year to year(I'm thinking specifically below old funway). Used to be a hole behind one of those island that depending on water level was near chest-deep now it is 6 inches and you lose your shoes in the muck(south of mill).

Living so close to lake michigan I fished the fox 4 times last year I have to make a point to get out there soon.................

 

[Ken G]

Living so close to lake michigan I fished the fox 4 times last year I have to make a point to get out there soon.................

You used to be such a regular out this way.

The breach and then rebuilding of the Funway dam changed a lot. I still haven't had the chance to relearn it correctly. Walked the shore enough to know not that much has changed, but haven't been to the west side. That looks a little different. Only did above the dam once, when the breach lowered it enough to make it wadable. Do remember finding some nice spots.

Just not enough time to do it all.