river in illinois multiple trips

[Norm M]

the river is dropping fairly quickly but still about twice it's normal flow . still muddy to off color with some clarity in slower water near shore . temps high 60's . 

weather has been great, not even an old curmudgeon can complain about it . 

At one point , singlespins over and around the under developed water willow beds at a nice steady pace was the ticket . The next time you could not buy a bite on singlespins . Chatterbaits and rattlebaits over and around the beds did catch smallmouth and channelcats.
Rattlebaits worked both directions on the current seams also produced . A jig/pig bounced downstream past the current break produced the two nicest smallmouth of that trip .

Next trip ,I could not buy a bite around the waterwillow cover . However creekmouths and the front edge of riffles produced a lot of smallmouth in a wide variety of sizes . The only lure that produced was a hard jerkbait, mostly three turns of the reel handle , two jerks and repeat . Most of the fish pounded it on the jerks. The only other thing that worked was to jerk it down and let it deadstick with the current . The only indication you got of a bite was to see the line start doing something different, i never felt a pickup. The biggest smallmouth of the trip went for that approach . 

It really feels good to being getting back into the swing of things .Healthwise , I'm feeling much better, that will likely change in July when I start radiation and chemo combined . 

I will survive . 

The music menu for the trips has been varied , Grateful Dead, Led Zepplin , James Taylor and the original Chicago Transit Authority [ Poem 58 being the favorite].

Peace