A Look Back: Older Posts from the DuPage River

2003-2005 DuPage River Reports:

I Decided I needed to wet a line so I went to the DuPage around lunch time in the Naperville area. I caught about 11 small mouth 8 dinks one 12in, one 14in, and one over 15in.
I had a hog up to the shore one last jump and gone! I was drifting crawlers in eddies and casting a rebel craw in small pools. Almost half of the fish I got on the craw. The water is low fish are stacked up, it was a lot of fun.

Sep 10,03 

I got out again today fished a different stretch of water again in Naperville landed about 10 fish one was 14.5in and the rest were dinks, but I’m fine with that. Also caught 2 more, I got one channel cat and a nice rock bass. i was using a rebel craw and drifting crawlers again. All my fish came out of one large pool behind a small shallow rapid area with a steady current. Almost all were along current breaks. 2 or 3 came out of slack water in the back end of the pool. Good luck to anyone going out

Sep 15,03 

The water came up some with the rain and put a little stain to the water. The fish are still biting but with higher water they have spread more. I tried some new and old familiar water in the Naperville area for my usual hour and a half. I ended up with 3 caught and lost 3 smallies. I also got one rock bass. The three I landed came on crawlers under a float drifted into pools at the bottom of ripple areas with fast current. With higher water and faster current the drift was a little to quick for my liking but it still produced. I lost one fish on a pumpkinseed helgie. iIf I had more tIme to explore and get more serious, I think I would have done better. Good luck out there.

Sep 16,03

Went to Plainfield today and the water was up there further than I expected. With the fast current I couldn't get a decent drift so I moved under a bridge with deep holes along the walls. I managed to land 2 small mouth and a crappie. I lost a couple big fish one I think was a carp the other I’m not sure. I felt a solid head shake before she told me where I should put my pole.

Sep 25,03 

Made it out for about 1.5 hrs today, while ducking storm clouds and down pours I managed to get the best of half a dozen bronze bullets in pools below shallow rapid areas. 2 fell prey to helgies rigged with a split shot drifted harmlessly among the current, 2 were tricked into attacking crappie spiders reeled at a medium pace, and 2 snacked on the wrong crawler drifted slowly under a balsa float. About 4 of the little tyrants escaped my well laid traps. It was muddy and wet but still fun in Naperville today.

April 18th 04 The 3 hours I had on the water was great. I landed 16 or so smallmouth. Out of the 16 fish caught, 2 bigger fish; one about 1.5lbs and the other a solid 2lbs. They fell to rebel craws, blue fox spinners, case helgies, and a tiny crank bait from some company that starts with an M. It was fun to get out again.

May 4, 05 

I ventured out in the cold this week and did pretty well. I fished in the Naperville area and scored about 10 fish and missed about 4. I even caught a largemouth. Some of the small mouths were pretty nice between 14&18 inches! I drifted live bait mostly minnows in eddies and pools also along walls. It was a lot of fun to get out for a whole day, my first real excursion this year. Good luck out there.