Dupage 8/27 & 8/28

[Frank Macikas]

Hit the Dupage in Bolingbrook again after work yesterday with a friend to get him hooked on river fishing. River is is the best shape I have seen in quite awhile. Its a little higher than normal but very clear. I didnt have a thermomater with me but it seems to be cooling off quite a bit too. Grass is BAD. I thought the outing was going to be a bust because it started off pretty damn slow. Started off by throwing some chigger craws with no luck at all except some hits from either tiny smallies or bluegills. Switched it over to jig and helgies in pumkinseed and that was the ticket. I picked up a few dinks all mid river and lost a few nice ones by casting up stream and dragging the helgie through the grass. Got up to the convergance and decided to try throwing a chug bug. Casted it out right into a tree; gave it a good yank as as soon as it hit the water BAM! The only problem was it just came out of a tree so A. I wasnt expecting a fish to hit as soon as it hit the water and B. there was slack line everywhere so three cranks of the reel and it was gone! Up until now my buddy still hasnt caught anything and I want to get him on some fish so we head up the east branch and not even 25yrd in my buddy picks up his first and only but a very nice smallie (best fish of the day too):



This morning I had a pontoon float planned for a stretch in Plainfield with a friend from work. I was borrowing another pontoon from a friend who just bought one. We were planning on being on the water by 630 by time we had breakfast and got to where we were putting in it was already passed 630 and we havent even put the boats together yet. We get mine assembled and filled, assemble the borrowed one, go to fill it with air and even though they are the same brand they are a different model and my adapter doesnt fit his valve and he didnt put his in with the boat. So it ended up being me on my own getting on the water around 8am now. All in all it wasnt the greatest day but did manage a few quality fish and one pig (dropped her before I could get a measurement but luckily go somewhat of a pic).




I think I managed around 9 or 10 smallies total and one largemouth. All fish came from either an orange (cant remember the exact name of the color)Hula Grub that were sitting around for the last 3 years or on watermelon candy chigger craws of course. Most fish were taken very tight to cover close to deep water. The bite on most were very light (almost non existent) the only way I know was when I went to move the bait it was heavy so set the hook and hope it wasnt grass. Only got a few pics it was difficult taking them while I had the boat locked around me.








I will be out again in the morning and will hopefully have something good to post.