Shelbyville Spillway - June 2020

[Johnsfolly]

On our way out to Missouri to see our kids and granddaughter I wanted to hit one of the spillways in Illinois to try to catch a yellow bass. The yellow bass, Morone mississipiensis, is the last temperate bass species that I still have to catch. I had been reading some fishing blogs from Shelbyville and they were catching yellow bass as well as smallmouth buffalo. Armed with nightcrawlers and canned corn (also some of my daughter's rabbit food), I set out to see what I could catch. I dumped out most of the corn and the rabbit food in a spot along the concrete wall and fished a fish finder rig (1/2oz egg sinker and #10 hook) with two corn kernels. I loosened the drag to allow any fish to run with the bait and not feel tension. Then I fished a 1/16 oz jig with a piece of nightcrawler.

The first fish was a green sunfish. Excited to land that first fish, but not a yellow bass .

 

As I caught and released my second bluegill, my corn rod was screaming off line. I tightened the drag and felt the fish. I thought that I set the hook, but also felt that the fish had wrapped me up on some structure that I could not see. I could feel the weight of the fish as well as the line rubbing the structure, then it broke off. I retied another rig and got it out to the same location. I did not like fishing where there was a big piece of structure, but that was where I had put my chum . I had several small bites with the fish picking up the and spitting the bait. I got one more decent bite and the fish got me back in that same structure and broke me off again.

Meanwhile, I was having no love from the yellow bass on the jig. I did catch a few more bluegill and this really colorful central longear sunfish.

I was done trying for carp and buffalo and switched that rod over to a bottom rig with a hook right on the bottom. I got bit as soon as the bait hit the bottom, but was just a small channel catfish. I tried close to the bank and near the center of the river and just got more bluegill and catfish. I added a second hook to make a high/low rig. More of the same. I did get one different bite and the fish came in with a yellowish coloration, just a black crappie.

We also moved close to the dam, more bluegill. I made one super long cast up near the dam and had a strong fish hit. I landed my largest fish of the day, another channel catfish.

About that time a storm was coming in. We got back to the car just as it started to rain heavily. I'm wondering that without much flow that the yellow bass may be more scattered along the river and not bunched up by the dam. May not have caught my targeted species but all in all a good time fishing. I'll see if I can get another shot on our return trip to MD.

[Terrierman]

I love your dedication.  Glad we're friends.  Happy 4th.

[Johnsfolly]

5 minutes ago, Terrierman said:

I love your dedication.  Glad we're friends.  Happy 4th.

Thanks Rick. I feel the same way buddy. I can't wait until we can fish together again. Even if it may just be for trout !

[snagged in outlet 3]

4 hours ago, Johnsfolly said:

About that time a storm was coming in. We got back to the car just as it started to rain heavily. I'm wondering that without much flow that the yellow bass may be more scattered along the river and not bunched up by the dam. May not have caught my targeted species but all in all a good time fishing. I'll see if I can get another shot on our return trip to MD.

Nice, John.  Go in the spring and it will be a whole different deal.   Trust me😁 

[Johnsfolly]

2 hours ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

Nice, Kohn.  Go in the spring and it will be a whole different deal.   Trust me😁 

Thanks Pete. I was planning to get out there in April/May but COVID derailed those plans😒.

[Johnsfolly]

I really want to catch all four species, white perch, white bass, stripers, yellow bass, and hybrids all within the same year🙂.