[dennishoddy]

Leaving tomorrow for the lower Illinois river to meet up with Sasakwa. He is going to school me on how to catch trout and maybe even a striper. I just read the outdoor rreport, and they say its excellent over there this time of year. ;D
See ya'll next monday ;D

 

[ibokie]

Let us know how you do.I am going next Thursday thru Sat.I hope there are some bigger fish then there have been.

 

[Gauge]

Best to you Dennis on your trip.

Ya never know on the Lower Illinios River,Sometimes they plant fattys 2lbs-5lbs.Yet most are @ biggest 14".
Wait for the siren to blow on the dam.
Wait till the water to calm again.
If ya got any 6"-8" Rainbows alive/or some what alive hook them onto a Big Rod & Reel & hang on.
A Strippers #1 fish to eat the rainbow trout.

Been about 3 years since last visit..we caught nothing but little rainbows 6"-9".
We seen the Strippers...15-25pounders were caught using them little trout.
It was nice to find out you could use um in OK.
You sure cant use them back in CA.

 

[Sasakwa]

This will be only our second trip to the river this year, but my wife and I normally spend about 30 days a year on the lower Illinois...It's just one of those things where you never know how much water will be running..if what I heard yesterday is true then there is too much water to do much of anything..I heard the lake was 8 ft. above normal and they were releasing water out the blow hole at the dam...this has happened very few times in the past years...but, we don't have to catch a fish to have a good time...just getting away from work and relaxing is worth something to me...I do know that starting last year that the United States Fishery started releasing fish along with Oklahoma...Don't know about this year...Last spring the United States would release on Tuesday and Oklahoma on Thursday...and during this time the size will increase...I weighed one stringer for a friend from Muskogee that weighed 18-1/2 pounds...this was with an electronic scale and was 6 fish...not a bad day with a fly rod.. I'm like Dennis..I'm trying to learn to fly fish..but only get the fly rod out on weekdays when no one is watching...If they want a big laugh then they will have to slip around to watch me...I tend to screw up pretty regular...but it's still fun...I did call a striper guide yesterday that I have known for years and he said they were catching a few stripers at the mouth of the Illinois...They seem to reach the dam around the middle of May to the first of June...I know he takes the intire month of July off from work just to striper guide and seems to do really well ....But anyway....Dennis and I will report back on the trip...I plan on staying 5 days and it looks like rain for the last 3...but that's fine also...Everyone have a wonderful day and keep up the post.......Sasakwa

 

[Sasakwa]

Just talked to Dennis and he said at Marval's camp the Illinois River is up in the trees...I was afraid of that..but we'll see what happens......

 

[Gauge]

Ya 2 have a good un.

 

[dennishoddy]

I'm back. I caught about 10 trout while there, and only released 2 that were under 10". They were all in the 12-14" range. I did hang on to a brute. Never saw him, but he ran me up and down the bank for 100yds until he slipped the hook. I only had a 2lb leader so there wasn't much that I could do to horse him around. :'( Might have been a big old carp for all I know, but it was sure fun for about 10 minutes. ;D Seems like the first 20 minutes where you can see across the river, and about 30 minutes after dark was the only time they would be hitting.

The water was as high and swift as anybody had seen in recent history, so I didn't get the canoe out that I'd brought along.

I will get back there in late June or July, and try to get into the striper fishing.

 

[Gauge]

Sounds like a fun trip over all.
Nice size trout.

 

[Sprig]

That would sure beet, buliding this home anyday.

 

[ibokie]

Went to Marval's trout camp for 3 days, caught 13 trout total.None were real big one was around 1 1/2 lb. They said the water was about as high as they ever saw it.