[JGESox]

Was out on the river on Saturday with my guests Burl and Reggie. The day was punctuated by periodic downpours. Definitely a day to don the raingear. We found a few sauger shallow water (4-6 feet). jigging was the best approach Trolling only produced some white bass. We got chased off by lightening about 3:00. The ride back to Homewood was challenging to say the least with torrential rain the whole way. The Spring Valley Walleye Club was supposed to hold their walleye tournament on Sunday but it was cancelled due to the river rising 8+ feet. This flood will make the river unfishable for a while but we really needed the water. Once the water clears, the fishing should improve.

JGESox

[retired trucker]

How far along is the new bridge at spring valley?I want to get down there after things clear up as the past few falls have been great for crappie.

[JGESox]

I would say the new bridge is about 2/3 done. Gonna be nice when complete.

JGESox

[mjnagan]

A couple sauger makes it a successful day. Sorry the weather chased you off. I was hoping to get out there one more time this year.

[pezdek1]

mjnagan wrote:

A couple sauger makes it a successful day. Sorry the weather chased you off. I was hoping to get out there one more time this year.

One more time? You can fish the Illinois all winter, depending on weather, and if the launches are iced up or not. This is the time that it's heating up out there, honestly, as far as the fishing goes. I fished it the week before Christmas last year, if I'm remembering correctly. Would have to go back and look at pics/dates to be 100% though.

[ElectricSlide19]

Was planning on hitting it up this weekend up until we got all this rain. During the fall are guys pulling cranks around the clam beds still? Or does a different pattern develop?

[JGESox]

ES--
I have had good success pulling cranks on leadcore line in the fall. I think of the Clam Beds as more of a spring spot. Generally, I have had good success much further downstream in the fall (think Henry, IL). Typically, the mouth of Senachwine Lake is a good spot. However, prior to the latest flood, the fish were shallow. The flood along with cooling temperatures might bring on more normal fishing patterns.

JGESox

[pezdek1]

ElectricSlide19 wrote:

Was planning on hitting it up this weekend up until we got all this rain. During the fall are guys pulling cranks around the clam beds still? Or does a different pattern develop?

Like JGE said, I've done well pulling cranks in fall, but it's typically a more finesse bite, overall, for me. My best successes in fall are either vertical jigging, or pulling floaters/harnesses with live bait.

And the clam beds are definitely more a spring spot relating to the spawn, IMO.

My fall spots relate to more large structure/obstructions with a combination of deeper water and current - Think bridges, pilings, barge tie-offs, dams, etc.

[ElectricSlide19]

Awesome thanks for the replies all. I think I will be out there not this weekend but next. Does anyone know if the bait shop in Utica is still open? also hours there? everytime I call no one seems to answer haha

[schrofer]

Yes, Cajuns is still open, not sure of hours. I spoke to Buster yesterday, said he looked at river in morning and clarity was about 6". Water continues to fall, figured would be clean/fishable by Wed this wk.

[mjnagan]

pezdek1 wrote:

mjnagan wrote:

A couple sauger makes it a successful day. Sorry the weather chased you off. I was hoping to get out there one more time this year.

One more time? You can fish the Illinois all winter, depending on weather, and if the launches are iced up or not. This is the time that it's heating up out there, honestly, as far as the fishing goes. I fished it the week before Christmas last year, if I'm remembering correctly. Would have to go back and look at pics/dates to be 100% though.

Actually I am usually not able to fish it past October. Usually I bring my boat down to Yankeetown(Florida) in Novemeber. But I traded in my multi-purpose skiff for a used Lund for up North and a SeaArk for FL.

How does the fishing progress through the late fall and winter. I used to hit the Tippacanoe and St. Joe alot in the late fall and winter before I started bringing my boat down to FL for the Winter. I lived in SW Michigan at the time, but I am back in IL for now.

[pezdek1]

Gotcha!!! Was gonna say... bite is usually good from October through early December, depending on conditions. Last year, the week before X-mas, my brother and I pulled about 25 short walleye/sauger and 5 keepers pulling floating jig heads with minnows in about 6 hours. Love these mild winters we've been having. I have no issues being on the boat when it's 35 degrees, so long as it's not snowing, and the wind isn't blowing at 25mph.

Basically, the bite can be steady all through winter, depending on the severity of winter allowing us to get out or not. Last two years we've had mild winters to the point my boat, and a friend's boat never even got winterized, and we fished both in mid December, and as early as the first week of February. I think I had about 6 weeks from X-mas to the first week in February where my boat didn't get wet this past winter.

I think it all depends on the weather. Mild winters, and I think you can catch fish out there through the entirety of it. My hottest times are usually end of October until the end of November, though. With a little more work necessary to put em in the boat outside of that.

[retired trucker]

Just to add to pez's report I've found in over thirty years of winter fishing down there that the farther you get into the cold the easier they are to find.Like he said if you get a 30 plus degree day give it a try.It helps if you have somebody down there to call for launch conditions.I too like to pull floaters real slow in the cold water.Also for winter fishing Ottawa can be great for sauger and there is no long boat ride involved as you fish right there out of the launch.

[pezdek1]

They do get easier to find the colder it gets. Helps when there's not 100 boats out there competing for the fish in a 1 mile stretch, too. Which is a bonus of getting out when it's colder and others don't want to go.

Yep, having someone to call for launch conditions is key. Sucks to drag the boat down there and the entire launch is iced over, or there's a huge ice pack at the ramp that you can't bust through. Like I said, though, these mild winters have prevented those issues the past couple years, for the most part.

RT, look for me out there sometime and say hey. I'm sure we've already crossed paths at some point. I'm typically in a 17 foot white/blue Lowe semi-deep V with a 70hp Johnson on the back.

[John Mannerino]

All is true. I have had some of my best days in janurary. Check ramps and make sure you boat is in good shape. You don't want to get wet! Lol

[pezdek1]

John Mannerino wrote:

All is true. I have had some of my best days in janurary. Check ramps and make sure you boat is in good shape. You don't want to get wet! Lol

Nope, definitely don't want to get wet in 35-38 degree water.

[mjnagan]

I used to break through the ice at the mottville canoe ramp in my little sea nymph deep v on the St. Joe. Many great walleye days with the damn frozen over. Hopefully I can get out one more time before my Florida trip in November and who knows what the rest of the winter will bring. Thanks for the info.

[toothy pez]

With the high water it will be a good bite this year. Don't forget about David Allen park

[retired trucker]

Pezdek my boat is a 17.5 crestliner white with blue stripe and a 90 johnson on one of those drop-back transoms.I agree toothy this high water will bring alot of fish into the staging areas.I don't fall fish down there as much as I used to because the perch bite up here has been so crazy the last few years and a 1/2 hour ride is better that 11/2hrs.

[pezdek1]

retired trucker wrote:

Pezdek my boat is a 17.5 crestliner white with blue stripe and a 90 johnson on one of those drop-back transoms.I agree toothy this high water will bring alot of fish into the staging areas.I don't fall fish down there as much as I used to because the perch bite up here has been so crazy the last few years and a 1/2 hour ride is better that 11/2hrs.

Perch bite up where?

And good to know. I'll keep an eye out for ya.