I plan on hitting the river Monday or Tuesday. So far Tuesday might hit below freezing so I am thinking monday. Mid-day. Was thinking fly at the crap plant OR spinning gear near Batavia or the dams. Maybe minnows on a hair jig.

We'll see ...

Part of me what wants a good carp fight on a fly, might not work.

I think I will be visiting the fecal liberation zone Sunday early am. Just a quickie to roll through a grip of my left over minnows.

If I fill my boots with creamed corn you can fish in my wake for carp on de fly.

*nevermind what I fill my waders with.

Firearm deer season is keeping me out of the woods again this weekend. Toyed with the idea of fishing, but leaving for work this morning in the cold . . . I must be getting old. I really hate it lately.

The water keeps doing these little spikes up and down and is currently at 2330.

The whole hair jig discussion I see is back. Does that in cycles over there. Proved to myself and I thought others that jigs and plastics out perform them ever time. Season doesn't matter. But then they'll also tell you knowing technique and lures is more important than location. Which is just about the purest line of bullshit I've ever heard.

As I mentioned in what got deleted on WCF and apparently caused problems for someone . . .

Dave Brandes used to post on CLF years ago. This time of year, light line, bobber, 1/32 or 1/64 ounce jig, little plastic, tip it with a bunch of maggots or a minnow. Let it float around in an eddy. About as basic as it gets and it catches everything. From gills and crappie to bass and walleye.

If you're going to Batavia anyway, waste an hour at Glenwood Forest Preserve. Straight out to the river, then walk the whole east shore for as far as you want. With this higher water it should be one big slow moving eddy.

If you go, check out the ditch that flows just north of the parking lot. Was there a few weeks ago and it was devoid of life. Very unusual. Used to be the best place to go to seine bait.

Actually it had little to do with the recent upbringing of hair jigs; I know what you are referring too. I’ve always had them in my little Plano box and threw them. I was tossing them out that Sunday morning near the end of the trip. I treat them like little flies, the hair jigs I have are crappie jigs. Not the large deer jigs that have been in discussed.
I throw plastics because I like the wiggle.
I throw hair jigs because I like the breathing that they do.
I don’t know what is going to work, but I will have a small, very small, arsenal of gear that’ll fit in my Plano box that I’ll bring. If I meet up with Ed I’ll toss minnows on a jig. I was thinking of the crappie hair jig on a float as well. Honestly it’ll be a little cold and I’ll break up fishing. Batavia area fishing will be partly with live bait or scented gulp. I just don’t know yet. I want to be has hands free as possible.


I have parked at Lippold a few times and fished the bend in-between the island, water has been REALLY fast and deep lately. Haven't caught anything and found myself back tracking. But that is one area I plan on hitting, I typically park all the way to end and hike downstream. There are some mucky areas around there you can stuck in. Glenwood has been a jig graveyard; saw a naked make out session there one day as well. Free show. Talk about smallies...

Boy, tomorrow could make for a long drive in the predicted Blizzard, news said blizzard, not snow. Um...

60 mile per hour wind. I'll play it by ear,.

No "blizzard", figures. So I hit the water today with just my fly rod. No fish, but it was nice getting out. Lost some gear when I saw some carp bathing in-between the downed trees just before the bend. A nice wrap around and stick in the tree and I was screwed. Saw a spinner blade next to it hovering over my head and a white twister in the water just out of reach in the hole. I wonder who that can be. Hands were mighty cold so I decided not to retie and just make the walk of shame back to the car. I might hang up the fly rod for the winter, my ability to mend on the river, the cold, and ratio for some one on my level to catch a fish in it at this time might make me not want to go back on the fox. Which is not what I want. We'll see.

I wanted more pics but the batteries were dying.

I think now is the time of the year to get the black and white pics Ken.


Sounds like a page out of my book, I could have wrote that same story for 50% of the days I had on the water this year.


I fought like hell to get out there tonight. As I type, I am stuck 3 paragraphs deep into a 4 page essay about Vectors for my Trig final. I know, weird, a paper for my math class.... whatever. Seriously though, how much is there really to write about Vectors... pfft.


Next up is the 8 pager for my English 102 final. Easy one though, bio and history of any American author from the last 200 years. That one has almost already wrote itself.

Black and White is a simple click away.

I'll go back out, just not with the fly rod. Though I have certain goals with it, I try in the most difficult of conditions to set them. I am thinking winter wading on the fox for my first time might be best with live bait. When two "vectors" of fishing are equal.

The carp were really funny. Popping their heads above the surface to say high, possibly to taught me. I swear they eat and suck in that foam, how can I rig foam?

Ed, you are doing the greater good staying home. Maybe if Ken G wrote a book and can tag himself an author you can speed through that class.

I'll have to show you some tricks on the fly rod. I got used to it fishing the tight spots on the creeks over the summer. Not much different than how I fish with spinning gear, I think (I'm picturing the motion in my head, give me a second) yeah, something like that.

Cadis flies, they're sucking bugs out of the foam.

I've always liked that stark gray effect after a snow.

I hope you're doing Henry Miller. I've read about 75% of his writings. Back when I could concentrate.
Probably the most important 20th century American writer.

Internet publishing is the same as book publishing in the social media age.
Therefore, its a book. Here's a bio.
Born 1956, lived first 11 years near 22nd and Western in Chicago. Shared a 10X10 bedroom with my brother and little sister while my older sister slept in a walk-in closet and my parents slept on a hide-a-bed in the living room. blah, blah, blah. ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz

In case you missed the picture from 1960.

Ken G wrote:I've always liked that stark gray effect after a snow.

I like how the empty white of the shoreline snow gives the water a black depth that you just don't see any other time of the year. Almost like melting volcanic glass.


Don't know who I am doing my paper on yet. I am a procrastinator, I won't start till Saturday probably, it's not due till Monday. I do my best work when I am rushed. That's why I like flying, gives me a chance to burn a mule mid-flight so more people can enjoy the fruits of my labor.