5/9/10 Mazon River
Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 7:47 pm
The day started with me driving my daughter down to U of I. We like to go down Route 47 stopping in little towns to sample breakfast fare. This being Mother's Day, the stopping part was a big mistake. The little restaurant we wanted to try was closed. Stopped further down the road only to find out so did everyone else in town. Took far too long for a mediocre lunch. Even though their menu says "Breakfast all Day," today wasn't one of those days.
On the way down a few farmers were still plowing things up and getting things planted. It was cool, bone dry and sunny and we kept seeing small tornadoes of dirt being kicked up by the wind. Nina tried to capture one.
On the way back I was going to be only a couple of miles from the stretch of the Mazon where Sam and Nick have been tearing it up. They were obviously there at the right time. Things had died down. Ran into a couple of guys that reported a couple of fish, but no big deal. I managed to pick up 3 smallies, a crappie and a couple of rock bass. So I did better than the other 2 guys combined. You know you're pretty much doomed when you come down a hill, stalk up to the edge of the river and the first thing you see is a smallie sitting on a bed. I knew it wasn't going to be good when I saw that.
But you couldn't beat the scenery.
The Mazon and the Mazonia lakes and the strip mines around them are the types of places that the fossil hunters like to go to. Apparently a patient fossil hunter can find some pretty cool things. Did it with my daughter once on a field trip. I found myself wandering around looking at rocks since the fishing was slow. Came across a big boulder with a big flat side with an odd scouring pattern on it. Like someone kept rubbing another big boulder on it around and around in small circles.
While climbing up a bank, I thought I came across the shell of a dead turtle, till I picked it up. It was a rock with these granite veins running through. After I took the shot I put it back and it wasn't till I was on my way home that it dawned on me that I should have kept the rock. I think I can find it again if I ever get down there again. It's only been 10 or 12 years since the last time!
This fish caught me by surprise. Did not expect this at all.
The biggest smallie of the day looked like it was going to be somebodies dinner. Had a good gash behind it's dorsal fin. I catch quite a few smallies with cuts and healed over scars in this exact same spot. Herons are the usual culprits. Must have been a big heron to go after this one.
An island was basically made up of sand. It had a lot growing out of it so it's been there for a long time, but it's still mainly sand. Came across an old milk container buried almost to the top. If I remember right, these milk cans are almost 3 feet tall. Based on the fact that this thing wouldn't budge, the rest of it is still there.
A little dink that didn't think he was a little dink by the way he fought.
This next shot didn't turn out the way I wanted it no matter how hard I tried. I've never bothered learning all the details of how my camera works, so I'm sure I can get much better shots at times if I bothered to learn. On this one the sky is supposed to be an intense blue. Behind the over hanging tree was one bright white starkly outlined cloud ball. Looked really beautiful and I thought I was getting the composition down pretty good. Just couldn't get the color controls correct.
From when I left this spot till I got home was not quite 30 minutes. It's pretty much all highway. The hardest part is getting through Morris.
I don't know why I haven't been coming here more often. I'll have to fix that.
On the way down a few farmers were still plowing things up and getting things planted. It was cool, bone dry and sunny and we kept seeing small tornadoes of dirt being kicked up by the wind. Nina tried to capture one.
On the way back I was going to be only a couple of miles from the stretch of the Mazon where Sam and Nick have been tearing it up. They were obviously there at the right time. Things had died down. Ran into a couple of guys that reported a couple of fish, but no big deal. I managed to pick up 3 smallies, a crappie and a couple of rock bass. So I did better than the other 2 guys combined. You know you're pretty much doomed when you come down a hill, stalk up to the edge of the river and the first thing you see is a smallie sitting on a bed. I knew it wasn't going to be good when I saw that.
But you couldn't beat the scenery.
The Mazon and the Mazonia lakes and the strip mines around them are the types of places that the fossil hunters like to go to. Apparently a patient fossil hunter can find some pretty cool things. Did it with my daughter once on a field trip. I found myself wandering around looking at rocks since the fishing was slow. Came across a big boulder with a big flat side with an odd scouring pattern on it. Like someone kept rubbing another big boulder on it around and around in small circles.
While climbing up a bank, I thought I came across the shell of a dead turtle, till I picked it up. It was a rock with these granite veins running through. After I took the shot I put it back and it wasn't till I was on my way home that it dawned on me that I should have kept the rock. I think I can find it again if I ever get down there again. It's only been 10 or 12 years since the last time!
This fish caught me by surprise. Did not expect this at all.
The biggest smallie of the day looked like it was going to be somebodies dinner. Had a good gash behind it's dorsal fin. I catch quite a few smallies with cuts and healed over scars in this exact same spot. Herons are the usual culprits. Must have been a big heron to go after this one.
An island was basically made up of sand. It had a lot growing out of it so it's been there for a long time, but it's still mainly sand. Came across an old milk container buried almost to the top. If I remember right, these milk cans are almost 3 feet tall. Based on the fact that this thing wouldn't budge, the rest of it is still there.
A little dink that didn't think he was a little dink by the way he fought.
This next shot didn't turn out the way I wanted it no matter how hard I tried. I've never bothered learning all the details of how my camera works, so I'm sure I can get much better shots at times if I bothered to learn. On this one the sky is supposed to be an intense blue. Behind the over hanging tree was one bright white starkly outlined cloud ball. Looked really beautiful and I thought I was getting the composition down pretty good. Just couldn't get the color controls correct.
From when I left this spot till I got home was not quite 30 minutes. It's pretty much all highway. The hardest part is getting through Morris.
I don't know why I haven't been coming here more often. I'll have to fix that.