river/creeks in illinois multiple trips

[Norm M]

Took a break from the main river for the most part each trip although i always ended up fishing the river . The river had been dropping but it was still above my personal threshhold for safe wading . especially due to my current health issues . However the creeks were in good enough shape to scratch the wading itch .

Main river reports first, last trip buzzbaits on the upstream side riffle areas was the killer . Drifting a fluke from the top of the riffle into the downstream side added a couple more bass. A jig/pig dropped into a slack spot by a boulder got a decent channel cat . On the other trips it was mostly jig/pigs quartercast upstream taking bass and some channel cats. A few bass on rattlebaits on seams but that was it as far as catching was concerned .

For the creeks , the last trip was buzzbaits all the way . I started with it and had so much fun with it , I never took it off . Don't know if I could have caught more fish with something else, don't care, I was having a blast . Did I miss some , yeah but then I always do so nothing new there. The rest of the creek trips it was a 1/6 oz jig with a soft plastic minnow with a curly tail . One trip , I hit three different creeks, it worked on everyone of them .
One creek I found a large concentration of smallmouth staged at the first riffle up from the mouth . I barely has to move at all, I just made longer casts . I went by that same spot today, suckers staging . I foresee crawlers , hooks and split shot on my light action set up .