[chuckt]

I fished the east branch, yesterday, with only one small bluegill to show for it. As I fished, I wondered about the level of the river and how low can it go before threatening the larger fish (if they are still there) that may be holed up in the pools. They either move or they sit there and if they sit, there is probably only so many smaller creatures to feed upon. I guess the creek chubs and small gills can wander in and out of the pools causing a replenishment. If the river gets any lower, it seems that oe only need to walk over and grab the fish. Do you rememeber the river being lower? Any lower and I can walk along it retrieving my lost ures.

[jmdog]

My guess (and this is completely a guess) is that the a lot of the larger fish move further downstream to deeper water this time of year. The lower water may have accelerated that seasonal movement. The stretches I fish only have a few "deep" holes left. The spring spawning run will see fish move back upstream.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this theory? I've only fished the duper since '08 and have never fished it during the winter, so I could be completely off.

[Barnacle]

if thats the case, how do these fish get around the spillways at Hammel woods and others. Just curious. If the fish do go downstream then they should end up in the Des plaines and Illinois correct?

[chuckt]

And if they do migrate into the Illinois or other river, then the DuPage will never successfully be populated with smallmouths since they are spending their time on the move (and Idon't think migrations is the correct term). So, as long as the DuPage suffers from drastic level changes, it will never have a sustainable population of gamefish.

[macrackus]

There are many sections between the dams deep enough for fish to hold in without moving into the larger rivers. plus if that was the case I don't see the fish making it back up river past the dams and we wouldn't have the great population of smallies that we have.

[jmdog]

I didn't mean to imply that they move into the bigger rivers, but I can see that conclusion after reading the way I wrote it. I just meant they move downstream to deeper holes in the Dupe. Deep is definitely relative when talking rivers. In the Dupe right by my house, "deep" is to the thighs. I generally find more depth the further downstream I move. My guess is the fish congregate in those holes, as well as in deeper water by dams. Again this is just theory, maybe because I just don't see many fish after late November in my haunts.

[chuckt]

A timely article in In-Fisherman covers the migration of smallmouths in rivers. They feel the urge in the late summer-fall to seek deeper water (as I recall the article) and go miles and miles for their winter pooling if required. The probably do this in the spring and summer too---when I am out trying to catch em.