Fall Kayak Crappie Fishing

Fall Kayak Crappie Fishing

After a long season of awesome Yarpin (Kayak Carpin),  the water cooled and the carp and catfish stopped biting the way they had all year. I stubbornly went a few more times then I should have because I had such a great year. It was time to switch gears. Jc Crappie of JCs Castaway and Aurora Lure Company said “You need to change what you’re doing and stop being so stubborn!”

So I switched species to crappie and we made a plan to get some.  Crappies we know will bite in colder conditions so we just had to prepare. Before we did anything we made sure we were safe in our yaks. We had our pfds, safety equipment, proper layers of clothing, and dry suits from Mythic Gear. The saying is dress to swim and rig to flip.

We used an arsenal of baits. I wanted to catch some numbers so I had to be prepared. These fish at this lake are bigger than most ponds in our area. The lake is catch and release, this has kept most of the poachers away and the fish have grown to 7-12 inches. I know dozens of crappie ponds but most have small fish not much bigger than your hand. A 9-12 inch fish is huge for the suburbs of Chicago. Had these fish all been tiny, ice jigs with plastics and tiny minnows would be all I needed. Since these fish were larger this allowed us to use full size crappie baits. We used cranks from Aurora Lures, Tubes, Lake Fork Shads, Large Minnows, Crawlers, Crappie thunders. I used all light or ultra light rods with 4-8 lb line. About half of my fish came on a double minnow rig under a Thill float. I caught several on a white crappie thunder as well. 

I also did something a bit different, since we were drifting slowly across the lake and not anchored I brought a straight line ice rod with a 1/16 ounce silver cicada. This worked magically! I caught crappie, gills, and a bass on it. It was a breeze to use while watching my floats drag behind my kayak. I went two mornings in a row and I ended up with at least 4 dozen hook-ups. Jc had a great time as well. I will definitely fish vertical from my yak more often.

So it’s not too late to go out. Dress warm and don’t be stubborn as I was and switch species and spots when you should. I hope you all have some Great Fall Crappie Angling Adventures!!

This week's Podcast Fishing Spring 2014

Pondboy's DuPage Guide Service Has Great Time Ice fishing

 I received a message from an old high school friend John M (DuPage Angler Member) and he let me know that his nephew, an avid fisherman had never been ice fishing before.

I called DA Member Dark Star (Jason) to give me a hand. My shelter will only hold two cold anglers at one time. His Frabillshelter and ice fishing skills would be a big help.

This ice fishing season has been sort of hit or miss and only a few honey holes have been regular producers. We picked a lake we call Star Trek because this lake has been a constant producer the whole season despite temps or time of day. My client John wanted crappies but I had to be honest with him that that they had been inconstant, but the lake I would bring him to had some beautiful gills.

DS and I arrived on the lake at O’dark thirty and started searching for fish after digging out his vehicle from a snow drift, which sucked, because I snapped my shovel digging him out.

Our first area in the middle of the lake, we were counting on being loaded with fish, was a blank wasteland so we drilled and parked on a sharp break that went from 4 FT to 10 FT very quickly. Both of our fish finders lit up like Christmas trees so the choice was an easy one.

Our clients arrived, got stuck in the snow as well, and then we started at it. My client’s nephew fished with me and John with DS. The young kid really seemed to like fishing with the Fish TV. Well lets face it, TV fishing is just pretty damn cool! The catching started fast and furious and I could not even set a rod up for myself the first hour as the young gun pulled fish in on almost every drop.

AuroraLures Magic Maggies caught quite a few gills and bass! A couple came on dead stick rods, and the rest jigs, waxies and spikes. The red spikes out produced their natural counter parts two to one. This winter, the red spikes have been working better everywhere we go.

The frigid morning started cold in the teens, but as soon as the sun rose it warmed up nicely and we now had perfect conditions. Layers and gloves came off and everyone was fishing in comfort. Thank God man, Finally no sub-zero crap to fight with!

The bite slowed but the fish would constantly come through about every ten minutes or so. As a matter of fact, anytime I would mention moving a few more would be caught and it became a running joke. DS and I switched partners because our techniques are very different. I was in a ShappellS3000 with a nice floor coupled with a Lowrance 4x color elite along with the Fish TV. Dark Star was in a brand new Frabbill with nice bucket seats coupled with a flasher color video combo.

John and I traded stories and threw the bullshit around about high school and common friends it was a GREAT time!

If you want to learn to ice fish and have a similar experience to this one please contact Pondboy’s DuPage Fishing Guide Service. I would love to hang out and fish with you! You can fish and create an AnglingAdventure of your own!!about high schoolaab have been regular producers. We pick a lake we c

Sub Zero Ice Fishing in the Suburban Midwest

Sub Zero Ice Fishing in the Suburban Midwest

WOW cold enough for you? Here in the Chicago area we are no strangers to cold weather or winter or really good beef sandwiches.  Jason Darkstar and I both took the day off for fishing. What an awesome plan for a Monday in January right? There was only one problem, it decided to be well below zero with booger freezing wind chills. With schools cancelled and life at a stand still it was decided we would venture out in the afternoon.

I had a ton of layers on as I got out of the van, I was not pleased with the constant 20 mph winds burning my eyes because that was the only thing I had uncovered.  Another DA member Crankin King showed up to fish with us and helped me fight my shelter as I screwed in my new Eskimo ice anchors, which I must say after using some of the earliest designs of anchors, work awesome.

Once DS and I were barricaded in our shelters the fish started coming in at a steady pace. Nice fat gills and bass, some on jigs and Maggies and others on dead sticks with minnows.

Funny things happen in this kind of cold. We Midwest guys are used to cold temps, but in the Chicago area double digit below zero temps and high winds are not the norm. The first thing I noticed was the iron bear claw ice cleats I have had for years have a tendency to loosen and fall off. After drilling my holes I look down at my boots and cleats and they are completely encased in ice! I didn’t have to worry about them falling off!  I had a lantern and a heater running. When I stood up there was no frost from my breath however as I bent down for anything I smoked like a steam engine. My ice holes steamed like mini hot tubs (that’s new I thought). Ice formed on my lines as if I was not even in a shelter. I switched rods and five minutes later went back to the rod I had before, the spikes were frozen solid. As the sun set my propane tank and lantern were starting to ice up on any exposed metal. IT WAS TIME TO GO!!! Pulling my sled back to my van the cold air burned my lungs and I had to stop twice to get my breath and heart rate down when in most cases I would not need to stop to rest and would have gotten to my vehicle in half the time.

Did I catch fish, hell yeah! Should I have been out there, hell no! Will I do it again some day when the feel of the cold has faded in my mind, probably?

Little Atom Lures Catch Cold Front Fish

After a couple of 80 degree days the temperature plummets down 30 degrees and my bass bite I had been enjoying shuts down.

DupageAngler,com has a podcast on Wednesdays which I co-host. We were talking about the benefits of being a multi-species angler. Two of those is the ability to drop what you are going after and the willingness to change water.

Since my bass bite was dead I decided to switch to bluegills in small ponds. I grabbed only a small ultra light and a box of Little Atom plastics. I rigged a fat-boy jig, a small Thill float, and a purl micro Nuggie. My third cast I hook into the first of 3 bass. Funny, I came to this pond because the bass were not biting. I then got into some nice gills. I continued to switch colors and from Nuggies to Wedgees.

Once the bite slowed I switched lakes and quickly caught a handful of fish. Yahoo!!! The temp drops, I am wearing a jacket, and I just had a great couple of  hours. Little Atom came through big time!

These baits are affordable, durable, sleek, and deadly. They are so sensitive that it only takes a slight twitch to get the tail moving. If there is some wind and waves you don’t even have to get the baits moving at times. They are so sensitive that the waves do the work for you. You can purchase them HERE.

You can listen to our latest PODCAST where we discuss these baits and others.

High Water Spring Smallies

Just after our onslaught of spring rain hit I managed to get in the Dupage River near Naperville before the water got to high. The water was up 2 feet and dirty. When the water is up please practice safe wading. A Couple fish is not worth your life.

The fish as the water goes up spread out as there is more place to swim and feed. I fished for 2 hours I was using Raven products in my standard drift rig. I managed to catch two small mouth. I aligned myself with a stone wall there was a 1-2 foot ribbon of slower current right along the wall and this is were I caught my smallies and several panfish.

The key to high water smallies whether you can wade or not, is slack water and slow sections. You may not have a banner day, but you might catch a few fish in these slack areas. Just keep a look out for calmer sections that you allow to control and maintain a proper presentation.

A fellow DuPageAngler.com member Woz and a life long friend hit the fox in high conditions and manage to do very well. Here is his story.

With a little free time late this afternoon, I decided to take a quick trip to the Fox. Not wanting to waste the little time I had, decided on North Aurora. I figured with water levels up, I could hit the small dam by the police station, and if that doesn't pay out, pick apart the rocks by the main dam. After arriving, I realized the river was higher, and flowing faster than I had anticipated. The eddy's usually created along the rocks on the east side were non existent. Just a fast, steady flow. I didn't bother with the main river.

Walked over to the smaller dam, a saw some promise. Started out throwing a small x-rap in the seams, but nothing. Switched over to the trusty craw papi, and started flipping into any current break I could find. Behind boulders  stumps, and along cement walls. Almost right away, I felt a tug. Set the hook, and landed a nice 15" smallie. I repeated the presentation on any structure I could find. In a little less than an hour, landed six smallies. All were in the 14"-17" range.

Fall Trout Fishing 2013

Excitement took over the tired as 330 came and the alarm screamed in my ears. Brim Reaper and JcCrappie met me with their yaks in tow ready to hit the water. We had planned on Silver Lake but a forecast of high winds made us change locations. We chose Loon Lake at Silver Springs because it is a long narrow lake that runs east to west and the winds were out of the south. We did not realize just how windy it had gotten until we were finished and pulled out of the park and my van was blown all over the road!!

Loon was the perfect choice it totally shielded us. The south shore has a high ridge and block of forest which completely saved the day for a group of addicts in small yaks!

We arrived at 530 and a score of shore angler were already pounding the water in the dark. The shoreline was riddled in night bobbers and head lamps. We were unaware that you could start at 5.

Once on the water we had space for ourselves and only had a handful of other watercraft to share with.  The trout were grouped in schools. All swimming from 2-5 feet down I tried spinners but no luck. I watched a group of anglers score several trout quickly from shore. I paddled out of their casting range and dropped anchor. The school I marked on my Lowrance was much thicker here. That’s when the fun started, my floats disappeared quickly as minnows were attacked at 4.5 feet. At one point I had 2 on at once! Chunsum hooked a couple as well.

At one point I lost feeling in my ass and needed a break. Brim and I headed to shore. The great thing about Loon is that they were prepared for fisherman. Bathrooms, bait, and food were available. We enjoyed a hot dog and shot the shit as we watched the guys fish for a while.

Later Sooner bass joined our DuPage Angler Kayak Trout Party and scored a large trout.  I believe it was fooled by a sassy shad. We found a fish crib and managed to catch some crappie off of it before the wind was too bad on that end of the lake and had to move.

Back were we started, I finally got a Loon yellow bass! This was my first yellow in years since the die off in the Fox River and Chain. It didn’t matter how small it was, I was excited.

It was pretty cool to four guys from DuPageAngler.com on the water all in kayaks!! I had a blast and cannot wait until the 2013 fall opener.