Champaign here, I mostly fish my pond at my house.  So far this year I have caught over 90 bass out of the lake, mostly smaller ones 1.5lbs or so but have caught a couple 4lbers out of there.

I have been fishing at Powerton lake for cats but no bass yet.  If any of you Peoria or surrounding areas want to get together let me know, I have been wanting to try and pull some smallmouth out of Powerton.

I also go south in the Pana area about once or twice a month, so if anybody has any good advice or any hot spots let me know! 8-)

   Chicago here

Just found this thread while searching past posts.

every thing is now turned to ice so i'll have to wait till march/april to get back fishing again

Merry Xmas

dennis

I am still here but Deer Hunting.  Late Doe opens tomorrow.

Kelley

Formerly Belleville... now GC... temporarily.  Went to Baldwin L. yesterday with Lineman (good friend of mine).  Cold, gray, intermittent dizzle-rain-sleet.  We got 7 all over 3 lbs. but none over 4. Lipless baits on the point next to the discharge.  That should tide me over for a few days.

Cold as hell here . Just come in from the goose pit , managed to scratch a few . Ready for warm weather so I can fish with out sitting on ice .

from the south subs here, always looking for somewhere to go, i usually only go to monee resivor, looking to try somewhere new this summer...

Southside guy here any of you guy ever fish the Kankakee River

lunker dude

Monee resv. is a place i will be trying out this year, heard some good thing about it any tips would be great. spent most of last year fishing cook co. f.p lakes did pretty well

I never fished the river, as i dont have a boat.Zero limit, the lake has alot of grass and weeds, still trying to figure that part out, if you go out to the wall by the tracks, i have had alot of good luck using craink baits, and jigs, also have used a jiggy head worm, that seemed to work a little to.you will have to rent a boat, and bring your own trolling moter, that's how i do it.Im still trying to figure this lake out though, the best fish i had out of there was a 4 lb large mouth.Let me know if you ever want to go out there, i would be more than happy to meet up with ya out there...

Just found this site and love it. I am in the far west of Chicago, Sandwich, about 1 1/2 hrs from the city. I live on Lake Holiday and started tournament fishing here with the club last year and am hooked. I've fished for years in particular bass fish, but never tournaments. I fish some in southern Illinois at times when I can get away as well as N. Wisconsin for a week in the summer. Right now ice fishing is king but I am ready for some warmer weather!!!

I'm going to school in Evanston, just north of Chicago. Anyone know of any place nearby that's good for largemouth? I've heard the skokie lagoons are good, but I will be boatless, so I'm looking for some small lakes/ponds where I can shore fish.

not sure up that way but the skokie lagoons are a good place to fish. if you ice fish head over to one of the harbors on lake michigan lots of places to fish, after the ice the lake front is good place for smallmouth fishing

just signed up im from pekin

welcome gale1980

counting down the day's till powerton opens to boats!! im ready for some smallie action!!

hey zero limit,

what do you fish for in lake michigan? I am living literally right next to it right now, and I just don't know how to fish such a huge lake.

counting down the day's till powerton opens to boats!! im ready for some smallie action!!

Same here!  I have always gone to Powerton for blue cats, but want to try for smallies this year.

klou

you can fish for jumbo perch, rainbow trout,king salmon,steetheads. head over to anyone of the harbors and you will find lots of people fishing and most will be willing to give you some tips, I havent been down to the lake front in the winter in a long time because the parking is a pain the the as$

counting down the day's till powerton opens to boats!! im ready for some smallie action!!

Same here! I have always gone to Powerton for blue cats, but want to try for smallies this year.

where you from? pekin here

Im from SW sub of Chi, Oak Forest.  I usually take a ride out to the cooling lakes because its the only they are the only ones that don't discriminate against my 150 yammie lol. 

I do make several trips to shelbyville late march-june if we wanted to put a group together.  Usually camp out at lithia springs.

If anyone is making a trip out to the cooling lakes feel free to hit me up if they are lookin for some company. 

J-bones, since you are in Oak Forest do you ever hit the Cal Sag? It may not be the best place in the world but you can definitely have some fun there.

Im from SW sub of Chi, Oak Forest. I usually take a ride out to the cooling lakes because its the only they are the only ones that don't discriminate against my 150 yammie lol.

I do make several trips to shelbyville late march-june if we wanted to put a group together. Usually camp out at lithia springs.

If anyone is making a trip out to the cooling lakes feel free to hit me up if they are lookin for some company.

I also fish Shelbyville a couple of times a year. Sty at the Lithia Springs Resort. Nancy runs a tight ship. I live in Frankfort just south of you. Maybe we can get together some time. Also fish Braidwood and Mazonia/ Ponderosa.

J-bones, oak forest here to, welcome

J-bones, since you are in Oak Forest do you ever hit the Cal Sag? It may not be the best place in the world but you can definitely have some fun there.

As a kid i had always heard that it was a dirty place so i have never fished it.  I had considered asking the guy i bought my boat off of to run it in there but I've seen a bunch of debris and ignorant boaters out there so i stayed away.  I had a chance to check out the boat show at bps and there was a guy that gave tips on local fishing spots and he talked about it being pretty good if you launch out by 141st & torrence.  The pro was a real nice guy.  You had much luck?

Im from SW sub of Chi, Oak Forest. I usually take a ride out to the cooling lakes because its the only they are the only ones that don't discriminate against my 150 yammie lol.

I do make several trips to shelbyville late march-june if we wanted to put a group together. Usually camp out at lithia springs.

If anyone is making a trip out to the cooling lakes feel free to hit me up if they are lookin for some company.

I also fish Shelbyville a couple of times a year. Sty at the Lithia Springs Resort. Nancy runs a tight ship. I live in Frankfort just south of you. Maybe we can get together some time. Also fish Braidwood and Mazonia/ Ponderosa.

I've only fished braidwood twice last season.  I got my boat late in the season.  When you going to Lithia this year?  Ive always camped.  My friends are out of college and still cheap as hell.  I have never fished anything but cooling lakes in the area and wet a line or two in local stuff like sedgewick (orland park), ponds in OF and tampier.  I might go to Shelbyville to help drop the xmas trees in.  IM undecided yet and want to see what the weather is going to bring