I was at Shabbona tonight

I didn't fish tonight, but I stopped by to talk to Denny Sands. We walked around the shoreline by the baitshop and saw minnows and bluegills in the shallows. It won't be long now!

Big crappies already at Shabbona

I love it. My buddy Danny Raih from DeKalb already caught some really nice crappies at Shabbona.

I hope that theses crappies are the average size for this year!

Check these out!

Water temps are right around 50 degrees. Shabbona is always the last lake in the region to warm up.

Shabbona Lake

With forecasted temperatures in the 70's this weekend, Shabbona Lake should begin to warm.

Water temperatures were hovering around 40 degrees all week last week, but it really wasn't that warm, now, watch out! I bet the water warms by 10 degrees this week. That will push the bass up shallow, and the crappies will not be far behind.

Illinois River Fishing Report 4/6/11

I was out on the Illinois tonight. There were lots of boats up by the 178 bridge. We got some bites there using jig and minnow combinations, but caught nothing. We saw a couple of fish caught.

We the floated down the south side of Plum Island and casted jig and soft plastics. We caught 5 saugers, 1 walleye and a nice sized white bass on one drift. Most of the fish were caught on the downstream half of the island. These fish were all cauhgt in less than 5 feet of water. I went there expecting to catch white bass, but I will take nice sized saugers any day!

One of the saugers was over 18 inches long! What a night!

Here is a photo of Steve Vesta from Plainfield, IL. He caught this sauger while we were fishing together this evening by Plum Island.

Shabbona Lake Walleye Open

Here is the press release for the 2011 Shabbona Lake Walleye open.

Press Release                                                                            April 4, 2011

2011 Shabbona Lake Walleye Open

Sponsored By Cabela’s Outdoors

Cabela’s Outdoors has generously agreed to sponsor the 2011 Shabbona Lakeside's Walleye Open on Saturday April 16th, 6 AM - 7 PM.  The huge female, 10+ Pound, Walleye at Shabbona are typically up spawning around the 3rd week in April. Water temp is near 45 degrees and the Walleye are shallow.

Cabela’s will be offering $100. for the heaviest legal Walleye caught on April 16th from Shabbona Lake. We will have a Walleye stocking donation jar, set up at Lakeside Bait, Tackle & Boat Rental, for each event. If you donate $5.00 or more to the Walleye Fund, and you place 1st in the event, Cabela’s will double your prize to $200.

Lakeside will award an additional $100., if the Walleye breaks the current lake record of 9.9 pounds. (This could very easily happen!).

If that Walleye breaks the current State Of Illinois Record of 14 pounds, Lakeside will award an additional $500., making a potential payout total of $800!!! Note: The Walleye Open begins at 6 AM.

Remember!!! No entry fee and no pre-registration required. Just show up and fish!!!  Weigh your fish in anytime during the Open!

Pokanoka's Cafe will also be offering its famous "Dollar Day Specials" on April 17th. This has become equally as popular as the Fishing Open!!!

Lakeside is now taking reservations for Bass Boat, Pontoon, Gary Special, Motor Boat or Row Boat!!! Go to http://www.shabbonalake.com/online.html NEW FOR 2010 - $5.00 off on all day boat reservation at Lakeside, if made in advance 24+ hours.

Lakeside opened for the season on April 1^st.

(For more info contact Denny Sands at denny@shabbonalake.com or 815-824-2581)

Please put money into the Walleye Restocking fund. When the walleye restocking program was going strong we had some fantastic walleye fishing in Shabbona. Every dollar that is donated helps us stock more walleyes. I love the fact that we have walleyes right here in Illinois.

The Illinois River

The Illinois River:: April 3

Water temperatures were hovering around 50. The best action for sauger was around Spring Valley on the drop off on the south side of the river by the boat club. There were several saugers caught in this location with my personal largest today being  19.5 inches long. Most fish were caught using jig and minnow combinations.

Some saugers were caught upriver by Mertel's barge terminal. Plum Island and the Starved Rock dam area were slow.

White bass fishing is improving with fish being caught in the Vermilion River. Most fish were at leat a mile upstream of the mouth by the 30 foot hole area. They were caught using a jig and Berkley Gulp alive minnow combinations. White bass were running small, like they usually are in the Vermilion. They averaged aruond 10 inches long.

Lots of gar were also caught.

Look for sauger fishing to slow down and white bass fishing to improve as the water continues to warm.

fishing report

I have not heard anything about LaSalle in the last week because everyone has been going to the Illinois River.

Illinois River:

Water temps are in the mid to upper 40's and the saugers are done spawning forthe most part. The saugers are in the process of moving downstream and they are being caught in large numbers in the Spring Valley area by anglers jigging  and pulling crankbaits.

Shabbona Lake:

Water temperatures are in the high 30's. A few crappies were caught today by anglers fising deep in the deep water structure.