[ttmoran]

Went out today to St Charles and waded from the pedestrian bridge just south of the IL St bridge down to that little island with the willow on it. Fished the West side of the shore and the island (which was a hotspot on Memorial Day). Just caught one that was about 15 inches but it was the best fighter of the year.

Last trip was last Thurs to Batavia. No bass but a decent size walleye on a small crankbait just out from the skatepark there. Last time I caught a walleye was 20 years ago and it was from a lake (spent a long time in socal). This one had a different look than those, took me a minute to figure it out. Cool surprise though.

Anyway, water level is still high, fast, and dark. I've pretty much been the only wader out but I have a size advantage and lack of common sense.

Lots of shore fishers today working the rocks but all reports were slow. One guy fishing from the pedestrian bridge pulling in cats, seemed to know his spots pretty well.

Lastly, I will get a camera and start posting pics, not that the size or qty has been anything of note. Adds to the report though I know to see some pics. This is my first season wading, and to be very honest I have been hesitant to bring a digital camera in with me! I even leave my keys on shore. I'll figure it out though.

 

[Darth Wader]

A decent quality ziplock baggie is HIGHLY recommended...camera,cell phone or for whatever you don't want to get wet.

 

[Ken G]

How come you always seem to get out there when the water comes up. :lol:

Just bought a Canon D10, waterproof and worth it. Used to just use a waterproof housing for my camera.

Your waders should have an inside pocket on them somewhere to stash keys and other junk.

Last year the river came down to normal, about 700 cfs, only twice and it was for a very brief period. Hopefully it won't do that again this year.

You sure picked the wrong time to start wading.

 

[SpecialEd]

I bought a pair of waders last year, and have only used them twice on the Fox. This has been a really wet year so far, and it has made me become a better Lake Michigan angler....

Just suks since I live within walking distance of the river.........

 

[WaterGuy]

There are a few different waterproof cameras on the market. They are gonna be more expensive than your typical compact digital, but if you do some research you may find a deal. If not, you could always do the ziplock baggie like Darth suggested.

Yeah, you definitely picked the wrong time frame to learn to wade. The last couple years have been horrible and this years not looking much better. I'm just glad when I started wading the river several years back, it was at normal or even low levels. Hopefully we get some lower levels soon so guys like you can explore the river under ideal conditions.