Last 2012 Weekend was not a Weak End

Last 2012 Weekend was not a Weak End written by Redhook(Tom W)DupageAngler.com Member 

 This weekend went from weak to great for me. On Saturday, I got an early start at the Fox. Not as early as Pondboy and Darkstar who arrived at the spot just minutes ahead of me. They were wading, I was shore fishing. I struggled and shivered for about 2 hours, catching 2 walleye on Berkley gulp minnows. The wading guys did better on live minnows. Made note to self, buy minnows! 

 I spend the afternoon out shopping with the missus. Happily this included a stop at Bass Pro for some additional walleye worthy baits. On Sunday, I thought it was going to be too cold to fish. But when I learned that my wife had shopping plans with my girls, and the temperatures rallied to the twenties, I decided to head back to the fox for more walleye. I managed only one in just over an hour, but it was a beautiful day. (Used a BPS Squirming grub)Sunny skies and low winds helped me stay toasty warm in my many layers of clothing. I’ll take that all winter, thank you. Just give me more fish. On the way home, I stopped for a dozen minnows. They don’t count the minnows that they net and dump into the bucket, but I did. I ended up with over 2 dozen! 

On Monday, I started my fishing day pre-dawn at the Salt Creek in Hinsdale. The DuPage County FP Outdoor Report suggested trying minnows below the dam for walleye, northerns, etc. I struck out and headed back to the Fox after about an hour and a half. The Fox treated me much better. I hit a small walleye on the first cast. I had 8 within a half hour. All on minnows. I tried a Berkley Powerbait minnow for the next ½ hour and only managed 1 walleye. I moved spots and went back to minnows, finishing my morning with 13 walleye. Nice! 

 Unexpectedly, my phone rang with Pondboy on the other end. He was weighing his options for shore fishing and wondered how well I did on Saturday. When I told him how I was doing at present, I could practically here is car tires screeching down his driveway. He showed up about 45 minutes later. Before he arrived I took the opportunity to warm up in my car, find some food and to pee. After that, all was right with the world. PB and I managed to squeeze into a shoreline spot. A couple more groups had arrived while I was away, but I ended up in the same spot where I’d had my great run earlier. In about 2 hours, I added another 6 to my total, for 19 on the day. 

 Pondboy thanked me for staying to fish with him, but in truth, I’d planned to continue anyway and it was nice to have some company. He’s quick with the camera and a good talker. He started a conversation with a nearby angler and proceeded to tease me about how quiet I was. That’s okay, I’m used to it. I’m more of a written word kind of guy.

 Pondboy had a few catches and we both had several misses. Most notably, near the end, we had a double between us. He handed me his fish for a quick picture. 

 I’m not a fish kisser, but I think fish on fish kissing is fine. I’m a Cupid for fish. What a great year ender to a great year! My total fish caught for 2012 was1556.

Cold Wet Christmas Walleyes

Cold Wet Christmas Walleyes

It was 19 degrees as I pulled into the dark parking lot. Chunsum (aka JcCrappies) and I geared up in the dark anxious to start fishing below a dam to fight some small winter walleyes. I said it was cold very cold right? I brought minnows but I decided not to go into the freezing bucket after them. We used crawlers and drift rigs.

With our body temps slowly dropping, we shot the shit the way most anglers do. You know what I'm saying? Here is an example. I come home from fishing father’s day all day long with Darkstar (another DA member) and my beautiful wife asks me what we talked about all day. I said nuthin really. She said “all day long and you cannot remember what you talked about?” This is because Fisherman usually don’t talk about anything serious. Most guys go out fishing to shut off everything and relax. So the conversions are about cartoons, sex, sports, women, fishing, women, cartoons, fishing, food, fishing, music, and fishing.

In about an hour and a half I managed to score 3 walleyes. That was not as many as I wanted and they were not giants, but in the middle of December I take what the fish gods give me.

Both of us were now totally freezing. When you are wading in very cold water your toes are always the first to go followed by finger tips. We decide to get out of the water. I proceed first and as soon as I am on the shore ice forms on my legs. Chunsum is taking a little too long. I look back and he is stumbling. He take a step wobbles, another wiggles, another he tips, one more and Ka-Splash-Ka-Spoosh!!!!! WOAH Holy CRAP! Not only does he fall but if this was a judged event he would have gotten a perfect 10!! He fell backwards in slow motion; both arms stretched as if he just accepted his fate and let the river take him. Oh my god I am still chuckling right now. It was like a wading NESTEA PLUNGE! His outside jacket and gloves were soaked but underneath he was quite dry. The stiff winter wind quickly made him a jacket of ice. Of course this ended his day. Even his head got soaked but his Beardheadacted like a force field and kept his hair dry.

I went to one more location solo and managed to scrape up two more eyes, two white bass, and a dink smallie. Not a terrible day. Well not for me! BLahahaha (sorry buddy)

Caught some fish and had a good laugh. Of course I have just jinxed myself for teasing my friend. I am now destined to fall the next time out.

PS. For those of you who stumble on to my blog, we would love to have you visit DupageAngler.com It is for everyone the only requirement is you have to be a good person. See you there.

Beard Headed Walleye

Beard Headed Walleye

Like most angling days it started at O’Dark Thirty. It was cold…very cold. I had dressed for the weather but what I pictured in my head was warmer. I met JC1Crappies and Redhook62 both DuPageAngler.com members. We all sported floats and crawlers for the lion’s share of bites. We caught a mess of small fall walleyes, a couple bass, and red caught one very nice white bass before the sun was even out!

The cool thing about today, it was our first day field testing BeardHead.com products!!!

The hats themselves are very good quality and did the job of keeping our heads and ears warm while fishing. Just look at these things!!!! They rock!!! On their site they have a wicked selection of BeardHeads. When I first got mine, the kids and I ran around the house with them on. These are perfect for fisherman. Why? Well besides the whole fishing in the elements thing, there is the fact that these are a guys guy thing. Besides the Oxy Clean Guy (God rest his soul) and DA Member Wilks what guy does not dream to sport a full blown in your face beard? Also, do you know why there is a “Talk Like A Pirate” day? Because guys like it!! I mean I always wanted to be a Viking! We, as fisherman, are out there many times to hang out with our friends, have some laughs, catch some fish and these BeardHeads help us do that.

My head was the only part of me that was toasty. My fingers and toes were shot. Once they get that cold, even hand warmers don’t help any more. Bad part about a constant bite is all the baiting hooks and getting the ice off your guides.

I want to thank Chunsum (Crappie) and Tom (Red) for going Barbarian and slamming some small cigars today. 

An October Banner Day on the Fox River

 After 3 mornings in the 30's I was not expecting much of day. I took a vacation to go Salmon fishing but after a slow night casting and rivers levels very low I changed my plans to the Fox River.

Ted Yates aka Sonnerbass on www.DuPageAngler.com Had the day off as well. When we met at the river it was frigid out and we had the river to ourselves. All the candy ass mamma's boys started showing up at noon once it had warmed up.

The hole I was fishing, I was hoping to find a walleye or two but with this years incredibly low water I believe the flow just is not there to trigger the eyes to move up. The hole is chest deep and trucking in normal conditions. Today 4 foot maybe at the deepest. 

With the hole being so low and slower I did not have to pull out the Lindy rigs. My standard drift rig would do the trick. I was armed with the trio of awesomeness crawlers, leeches, and minnows. The floats I use come in different shapes for different depths and current speeds which can be switched out in seconds. These floats have really been the icing on my drifting cake. I truly believe My numbers have gone up by a quarter since I switched float companies.

It didn't take long maybe 2 drifts before I had the first of 40 cats, Yes 40, I know right? Anyway these fish were a blast. All small 5-18 inches most being around 10 inches. They were stacked up like cord wood in this hole which in the past had only been good for an occasional fork-tail. I just wish I had brought my ultra light or lighter drifting rod instead of my stiffer 7ft falcon walleye rod.

Sooner was scoring fish left and right as well. We also caught 3 baby flatheads between us.

We also scored some white bass 3-4 between us.

To make the day perfect we scored at least 8 smallies between us. Both of us lost two big fish each. Since we did not see them we are going with shad, yeh that's it shad.

It was a perfect day on the Fox River. Despite the low water and chilly temps. Remember just because it gets cold does not mean hang up the rods for the season!!

If anyone is interested in learning my methods first hand, or just want to wade we can  make that happen just contact me at www.dupagefishingguide.com.

Dupage Guide Service Bites Through The Frost

I woke up and my house was 60 degrees. Chilled I ran downstairs to turn up the heat and got in a warm shower as fast as I could. When I stepped outside, Wow holy sh-t its like winter out here!! I went back in for another layer, grabbed a couple pairs of gloves, some hand warmers, and I was on my way to meet a fellow DA member who wanted to learn to drift fish a piece of the west branch; I worried. The temperature dropped 20 degrees over night, would there be any bite at all? Chunsum Choi pulled up five minutes early! Two things you should never be late for, church and fishing. We talked for a few minutes getting to know each other better and guessing what the morning may have in store. Clouds of misty coldness came from our breath like chimney stacks. We started as soon as it was light enough to see the float in the low morning glow. A hit! Aw crap missed it. Normally this would not shake me but in this cold I quickly became nervous if there would be another. Chunsum was a fast study and started plugging away hard, taking apart the holes like they were made of Legos. Then wham,fish on! YES!!! This would repeat itself several times as the day went on! Every hole he pounded to find the feeding fish or just hit them in the nose with it!!! I believe he ended up with about ten fish and four species, the lions share Bronze-backs. We had a great time and I cannot wait for our next adventure. On the way home I glance at the temp, 60 degree's. What? A 25 degree rise in 4 hours, Wow.

If you are new, experienced, or want to teach your kids, I offer a wide variety of opportunities so please feel free to contact me and we can hopefully have a similar experience and tight lines.

http://pondboyfishing.blogspot.com/p/pondboys-dupage-fishing-guide-service.html

fisherbyrne@gmail.com

Dupage Guide Service Scores Some River Success

Most of my friends and members of DuPage Angler already know that I offer guide services for DuPage County and the surrounding counties. I started the business to take sharing and teaching angling to the next level and the extra income really helps out at home. So this weekend DuPage Fishing Guide Service met a great guy Mike C at o'dark thirty to go and catch some fish while wading. We went to the Fox River and it was a beautiful morning. We were surround by birds fishing for their breakfast and even watched as four deer cross the river with the sunrise reflecting off their coats. The water is just starting to get a slight chill telling us fall will be here soon. The bad news was a cold front had just come in and the first couple of hours I wished I wore my hoodie and was worried about the bite. Mike was not married to any species and was open to a live bait presentation, my kind of guy! We drove through the dark and I yammered on and on about the science of drift fishing. Mike's first cast with a crawler and BAM a huge cat slams his presentation!

The fish was a two hander! So happy for him! I was worried about the first cast, kiss of death, and we joked that if that fish had been a smallie we should just stop now and get breakfast because it could not get any better than a trophy smallie. LOL!

Mike payed close attention to my lead and scored 7 more cats after that one. Mike also caught 2 small-mouth 1 large-mouth and a drum in 4 hours!!! He had two other chances at huge fish which broke him off and we missed a few others. We had a great time trading stories and getting to know each other. 

If you are new, experienced, or want to teach your kids, I offer a wide variety of opportunities so please feel free to contact me and we can hopefully have a similar experience and tight lines.

http://pondboyfishing.blogspot.com/p/pondboys-dupage-fishing-guide-service.html