Started out at sunrise. Walking out the door the conditions were perfect, overcast and not too cool. It had just rained a little about an hour earlier. Got to the parking spot near the Fox and hiked in. By the time I got to the river the skies had cleared to blue bird. Don't particularly like that. Third cast, one smallie. Ten minutes later, another smallie. Looked around the river and realized it was still high enough that I wasn't going to be able to get to the spots I wanted to fish. Tight shore line fishing with slightly high water just wasn't an option. Another 10 minutes and I was heading back to the car.
Within the hour I was at Somonauk Creek above Lake Holiday. Though the sign says the forest preserve opens at 8 am, there's no gate. So I drove in, waved to a ranger that was prepping some equipment. He waved back and at 7 am I was parked and heading for the creek. I had the whole place to myself. The creek was a little high and stained. Thought I was going to clean up, but wound up catching another smallie, a white bass, crappie and a blue gill. No numbers, but a nice variety.
By 8:30 I was miles down stream checking out a spot I hadn't fished in years. For some reason I stopped on the bridge to look at it, but decided to skip it. Not sure I know why.
Twenty minutes later I was parked at another bridge along Big Rock Creek just south of Plano. So far I had run into no one and hardly came across any foot prints. This spot was virgin territory. No indication of any one being here at all. Probably for weeks. No footprints, no paths, no anything.
Hooked a creek chub then got to a spot where some ponds feed into the creek. Decided to go toss a top water lure on the pond just to see what happened. Picked up a couple of largemouth and a feisty green sunfish.
Back in the creek I was going to pack it up and go home. It was high, running a little fast and I was getting tired of fighting current. But I was 50 feet away from a spot I go to every May. Without fail, every year for the last 6 or 7 years, if I only catch one fish out of this stretch of the creek it will be in this spot. The fish will be between 16 and 18 inches. First cast nothing, second cast a hard hit and a hard fight. Nice 17 inch smallie. A few casts for its baby brother got me a hit but no hook up.
Took a few pictures of my surroundings and called it a day. Three miles of hiking and a mile of river and creeks was enough for a short morning. Funny how I no longer have the desire to stay out all day.