Well the morning started out beautifully for my brother, dad, and me. We arrived to the Mazon at roughly 5:10am right before the sun rose. By the time we were dressed and ready to fish the sun had just come up. I had tied on a jerkbait the night before having a feeling that this would be the hot ticket for this morning. It's my typical go-to lure for river smallies for the past year or so, and I hadn't used it yet, because of my recent success with shallow cranks. Turns out I was 100% correct!!! Within our first hour I had landed 7 smallies. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.
The fishing started out decent with a nice lil' chunker within my first half dozen casts in the area.

The very next cast produced a big-time hit. I knew this would be a nice fish. I had him about 8 feet from me when he did some acrobatics and a full somersault before crashing back into the water. He was still hooked at this point, but shortly thereafter he got loose in the fast current. I estimate him at roughly 3-4lbs.

Within another dozen casts I produced another lil' guy that I didn't get a pic of.

My very next cast was another giant hit and after a short battle and some beautiful acrobatics I landed this 3lber.



Shortly after that came this 3lber.



I caught another dink or two here and there in the next 15 minutes or so, but didn't take pics. Right after releasing a small one I planted a perfect cast just where I wanted it and ripped the jerkbait hard as soon as it landed. As soon as the bait started suspending after the rip I get a MONSTER of a hit that jars my teeth and almost rips the rod from my hands. I'm glad I had 15lb braid on my river rod (due to the rocks and snags that go along with river fishing), and the fish was an absolute blast to fight on my medium action rod and shimano spinning outfit. The fish came out of the water and did two full somersaults before nose-diving back into the heavy current, and I got my first real glimpse at this pig. After a drag-screaming battle of 5-7 minutes pulling the fish in and having him rip drag back out into the current I slowly started to back up towards the shallow gravel bed behind me. I got my first real close-up view of this beautiful fish then, and knew I had hooked into the fish of a lifetime for any Illinois river, and many, many other smallmouth fisheries as well. I got her shallow enough and lipped her with the adrenaline pumping and yelled out so loud they probably heard me 5 miles up-river. I'll let the pictures do the talking, but she measured out at 21 inches or better based on the measurement of my rod next to the fish when I got home, and based on the height of the fish from top to bottom and the massive girth that it was very easily around 6lbs and probably close to the state record. If I had caught her prior to the spawn she might have been the record. My first thought was MAYBE, just MAYBE I had it, but I knew either way that this fish was NOT going to be killed as it's probably around 15 years old or better. I didn't even have a scale, so my brother and I snapped 3 or 4 pictures and she was released back to become the state record for me next year I felt lucky just to have landed her. When I took the hook out of her mouth it was almost bent straight and it was the only point on the two trebels that had her hooked. The pics will do most the talking!



The measurement against my rod when I got home puts her somewhere around 21 inches or better, and she was HEAVY and as wide as a freight train! I would post that pic, because I have it, but for the protection of the fish from trophy-hunters and record-seekers I do not want to give away specific details in the background of the picture that would easily give the location of the fish. As many of you know I'm not typically like this, but many smallmouth in rivers will live in the same pool year after year after year, and this fish is not one to be taken out just to stick on the wall!



We moved on after the bite died at this spot, explored a bit, and found another area where we picked up a few more smaller ones and ended the morning about 11am. I got 10 smallies and we caught about 25 between the three of us. All-in-all my VERY best day fishing a river in Illinois and even though I was already hooked I don't think I'll ever give up on the absolute amazing potential of Illinois' rivers. Good luck all!! The record is out there and it will be broken soon!!

Great day.

Post the pic, not only will nobody find the spot. Nobody will ever go looking.

There's no parking lot nearby.

The fish will move and before you know it, they'll be back in the Illinois for the winter months.

I keep telling people, these big fish are coming up out of the Illinois.

Imagine what's in there.

Ya, I truely do believe that the majority of the time no one will go looking Ken, I just didn't want this amazing fish to be hunted down by trophy-hunters and record-seekers Here's a couple other pics lol.





I'm sure most here already knew where we were as it's the spot we've reported on before. But I don't worry so much about those on this site as I do about some on other sites because the post was made to be universal across 3 different sites Anyways, thanks Ken. Was an amazing day!!

I've been telling guys about the 20 to 22 inch smallies in the Batavia area for years.

Nobody goes. Never saw anyone when I spent a lot of time down there. Never see anyone when I make the occasional visit now. Been telling guys that the biggest smallies in the Fox are in the stretch from Dayton Dam to the mouth. I'm sure no one goes.

It takes a different kind of angler to get off the beaten track and go explore the spots where the big ones live. It's not always easy, so most will just never go.

Wherem I gonna put mah lawn chare?

Ken G wrote:I've been telling guys about the 20 to 22 inch smallies in the Batavia area for years.

Nobody goes. Never saw anyone when I spent a lot of time down there. Never see anyone when I make the occasional visit now. Been telling guys that the biggest smallies in the Fox are in the stretch from Dayton Dam to the mouth. I'm sure no one goes.

It takes a different kind of angler to get off the beaten track and go explore the spots where the big ones live. It's not always easy, so most will just never go.

Wherem I gonna put mah lawn chare?

so true!!! LMAO

You're absoluely right Ken about the Illinois being the source of these huge fish. I imagine they swim up into the smaller rivers during the spring and summer months to spawn and feed, and move back into the big river when it starts to get cold in November. I mean, it has to be a cakewalk for a fish that calls the Illinois his home, to hang out in a small river like the Mazon during the summer, when water levels are lower and baitfish and food is abundant and concentrated. As long as there is some deep water, that is. Using that logic, the best fishing in the smaller rivers for BIG fish should be slightly upstream from where the Kank, Fox, Mazon, etc., all dump into the Illinois, in areas where there's a good food supply and some deeper runs nearby. At least, that's what I would be doing if I was a fish. So your observations about the biggest smallies in the Fox being between the Dayton Dam and the mouth, I'd imagine, are dead on. The only question is, why haven't we been fishing it more?

Anyone want to get out and fish tomorrow morning? If not, looks like I'll be running solo.

Ed, my info comes from old IDNR contacts that have done shocking surveys on that part of the Fox.

I also met the guy that won big fish of the year for the ISA. He did it with a 21 inch smallie out of the DuPage below the Shorewood dam, the first dam in from the Illinois.

Problem with the Fox stretch is that it's not very wader friendly. Probably the only time I was actually a little freaked out about walking around in the water. You pretty much need to go through with a boat just to see what it's like. I meant to put a canoe in below the Dayton dam and paddle down to the Illinois. It's about a 5 mile stretch. You can get out on the north side I think or paddle over to the other side. There's a ramp right across from the mouth of the Fox.

Another one of many things I never got to.

Too many plans, not enough life times.

I told Dan and some other guys to go try the Little Vermillion. They ignored me. Here's the only access link I have. You guys have been exploring lately. Give this one some thought. I wish I had the time I used to have.

http://www.riverfacts.com/rivers/11166.html

About half way down is a link to a map. This stuff is for hard core paddle sports people and they expect you to do more research on your own. But that's how you get to go where no one else does. I know a guy that used to fish it. Pretty much same results you've been getting out of the Mazon.

I collect the oddest info, don't I. I need a life.

Wow, what a beautiful fish. Congrats

Ken, its not that we ignore you its that i just dont have the time. Trust me, if i wasnt married with a daughter (not that its a bad thing) i would be fishing a different river every weekend. Until im as old as you , and my daughter doesnt want to hang out with dad anymore im looking at the fishing the usual once maybe twice a week if im lucky.

Matt,
If you're lucky you'll wind up with a 19 year old that likes to wade as much as you do.

I started her before she was two.

You better get on it. It goes by much faster than you can ever imagine.

You do know that once you hit 50 you become invisible. That's why nobody listens to me.

Im already on it Ken. She sits with me at home watching the fishing shows saturday mornings. I got her a Spiderman fishing pole (thats what she wanted, and its fiderman) and she likes to pour water in the driveway and fish in the puddles catching tuna and catfish. A couple weeks ago i brought her to a pond by the house but stupid me there was a park within looking distance so that didnt last long.

I'll get here out soon, hopefully get some pics with here holding some fish.