North Central Illinois Stream 9-26-10

[Norm M]

flow about 103o cfs this morning, water clearing up- too much for my taste, weeds breaking free and flowing along with some leaves. clearer water allowing more algae growth on the bottom, rather have the planktonic algae suspeneded in the water column but the cooling water and possibly shorter days are reducing it's growth. didn't take the water temps, it was 72 a couple days ago.

same pattern since late July, rattlebaits in faster water. switched to gay blades for a while, they caught fish as well. heads, tails of riffles, pools in between especially if short pools twixt riffles. fish in pools relating to seams, ledges, boulders and rock humps. channels in between riffles. neckdowns, bridge pilings, seams around midstream humps as well as the lift and drop right off the humps.

I used the spoon plug Phil gave me when I moved to a more algae free stretch of the river. I got three smallies on it before i hung it up, prolly in a piece of concrete with rebar that got tossed in the river when they rebuilt the bridge.

After I lost the spoonplug, I decided to try a jig/plastic, 45 minutes and nary a pickup. Got hungery, hit the road.

All told 53 bass between 10 and 19 inches, most in the 12 to 15 inch range. Creeping up on 900 smallies on rattlebaits since end of July, amazing stable pattern.

[Thom]

What stream was that in N. C. Illinois?

Farm boy from Illinois (southern ILL)