RatherBHuntinFishin

2004 Alumacraft MV1860 All Welded Center Console. 90hp four stroke outboard motor. Two (shadow grass) Tempress lowback chairs, New Minn Kota Edge 70lb thrust, 5 speed foot control, 4 Cabelas quickdraw pole holders, Lowrance X-135 on front, Lowrance HDS5x at console, 2 new Optima Blue Top D31M for electronics and one Optima Blue Top D27m for starting. Daimond City trailer with new Goodyear Marathon radial tires. This is a great all purpose boat! I have taken it on rivers and large lakes (Texoma) with no problems at all. Firm on price, this price is below NADA!

Yes I plan to call someone local there this Friday that can tell me if the water level is safe for fishing below the Gore ramp. I am planing on using my boat. It's a 18' Alumacraft with a 90 Honda handles well but I don't want to launch if it is unsafe. Does anyone know who I can call to find out?

I wasn't clear. I'm after the big Stripers not trout. It still may not be just right. That's the hard part of living over two hours away :/

Thanks for the pics! Those are cool. I am planning on fishing the Lower on May 21st. I hope the conditions will be great. hopefully the debris will be washed on down the AR and the current will be flowing just right : )

DuskyStipe You say that now through Sept is a good time to catch them. I have been there several times this year but I am very new to the Lower Ill. I just want to make sure I understand this correctly. The Stripers come up into the river in the Spring as the AR begins to warm. They stay until the weather and the AR starts to cool back off. Is this correct? I want to catch a decent one so bad but we have had pretty poor luck. Only some small 5 - 10 pounders. Thanks

My dad and I fished it Wed and Thursday. The AR was backed up all the way to Gore landing. Stripers were very slow and would only bite during the short time the water was running. There were 6 other boats Thursday evening and they weren't catching very many either. Maybe the big ones will start soon. Shad were very easy to find.