not a picture worthy fish this weekend.  But my first experience with this (all the while I just wanted to get my boat out of the water and head home).  Ordeal took a little over 2 hours from start to finish. 

i saw a boat and truck go in same ramp last year too.

 

it was a sunday night in the fall and scuba team had to come. i think it took near 3 hours to get them out. 

truck submerged up to top of cab and wipers worked for almost the duration of it.

 

guy said it was his buddies loaner truck too.

 

catch any fish out there?

Does anyone have experience fishing small gravel pit lakes in Northern IL?  My Aunt has property up in McHenry county that I've been fishing for years, most of the time with no clue what I'm doing.  

 

Starting to get serious but not sure what sort of baits I should be tossing.  Lately I have been working t-rigged worms and top water stuff, trying to find a way to get at the bass that are in deeper water on the humps though.  I seem to catch a ton of 13-14 inch bass but rarely land bigger stuff despite seeing them all over.

PhilVB, I've only fished a few of these deep clear lakes and what has worked for me has been very long casts and natural slow presentations (flukes, senkos) and drop shotting.  Are you fishing from shore or a boat?

PhilVB, I've only fished a few of these deep clear lakes and what has worked for me has been very long casts and natural slow presentations (flukes, senkos) and drop shotting.  Are you fishing from shore or a boat?

 

Mostly from a 12 foot jon boat with trolling motor.  The lake is about 12 acres with crystal clear water like you mention, I'm not sure what, if any, structure exists other than 2 piers and some downed trees.  I have always wanted to try drop shot but never remember to rig it up before I head out there to experiment with it.

i saw a boat and truck go in same ramp last year too.

 

it was a sunday night in the fall and scuba team had to come. i think it took near 3 hours to get them out. 

truck submerged up to top of cab and wipers worked for almost the duration of it.

 

guy said it was his buddies loaner truck too.

 

catch any fish out there?

caught some fish- but not really quality or quantity. Did not fish much though as I was with the family. 

I've been fishing Glen Shoals and it reminds me of an ice rink, (there's no fish in this area)...

Here's a link to a charity tourney on Bangs Lake on 9/11 Fish with the Chicago Blackhawks, Ike, Zona, JVD, local guy Steve Mui who I have competed against and is a helluva stick, Frank Hyla and others http://www.bickellfoundation.org/#!celebrity-bass-tournament/c1b9i It ain't cheap but I figured I'd post it anyway. Weigh-in tickets are $30

Steve is a great guy and a buddy of mine. He kicked I disagree on delevan about a month ago. Couldnt land any big fish and he was pounding em 

Fox Chain gave up some good ones this morning.

 

 

Actually had a real productive morning until about 10 when the bite just shut off. Swimjigs were the ticket today.

How do you work the swim Jig? Do you use trailers?

nice sandal tanline. good fish too

3.8" Kalins Sizemic Shad trailer. The 4.8" is too large for a standard swim jig. I've been using paddletail trailers for years and started using Kalins last year. They are, by far, the most durable paddletail I've found. I used to use Keitechs and Cane Thumpers, but they just don't hold up. The Sizemic Shad needs to be put on straight though. If it's a little off, it doesn't paddle. 

 

As far as working it, a straight retrieve and jerking it works but I have had great success reeling it in, and pausing to let it drop, reel and pause. They'll grab it on the pause. I use 3/8oz and in 8feet or less of water.

 

Only other thing I can add is make sure your hooks are sharp. If I had to guess, I'd say1/2 the time they'll grab it and continue swimming with it towards the boat, making it difficult to get a good hookset.

Fox Chain gave up some good ones this morning.

Actually had a real productive morning until about 10 when the bite just shut off. Swimjigs were the ticket today.

Is that in the channels? Are they coming in already?

I caught most of the fish in the main river between Pistakee and McHenry dam. Some fish were caught in the channels. Got some good bites on the main lake on Pistakee but couldn't land them

Thank you slonezp. Trying to learn new techniques.

Went to Highland silver lake today. Nada. Chatterbait, buzzbait, jointed rapala, 10" worm, swimbait. Points, pockets, ledges, grass lines, laydowns.

Temp has dropped 5° since Friday.

Anyone recommend any good reads or videos on ledge/ deep water? Deep for this lake is 20' by the d**n.

Thank you slonezp. Trying to learn new techniques.

Went to Highland silver lake today. Nada. Chatterbait, buzzbait, jointed rapala, 10" worm, swimbait. Points, pockets, ledges, grass lines, laydowns.

Temp has dropped 5° since Friday.

Anyone recommend any good reads or videos on ledge/ deep water? Deep for this lake is 20' by the d**n.

Try throwing a jig past the ledge and work it back letting it fall down the ledge.

Lost 5 jigs and 3 trig plastics to pike in the last 3 days. Annoying.

Lost 5 jigs and 3 trig plastics to pike in the last 3 days. Annoying.

Don't feel bad I lose a lot of jigs to Pike as well at Delavan Lake.

Was out to Powers Lake on Saturday. Fished for 4 hours in the pouring rain. Did get six bass biggest being 16" while raining. After the rain stopped we fish a bay with 4 feet of water and got 6 more. Nothing big. Fish caught on jigs, white spinnerbait and Senkos.

Fished Delavan on Sunday 8-30-2015. Man what a slow day. Should have stayed home. I got one 36" pike at 8:00 am then got my only bass a whopping 15" at 9:00. My wife did better. At 10:45 she got her first fish. 20-1/2" weighed in at 3.6 lbs. This fish seemed skinny for its size. See pic below. She also got a 16-1/2" bass as well. All fish caught on jigs.

Better than I did. 6hrs on the Chain for 4 bites, no fish landed

http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/7/71/913843/hennepin-hopper-lakes-reopen-fishing-tuesday

 

Pretty interesting.  Is anyone planning to head down to Hennepin and Hopper lakes?

Thank you slonezp. Trying to learn new techniques.

Went to Highland silver lake today. Nada. Chatterbait, buzzbait, jointed rapala, 10" worm, swimbait. Points, pockets, ledges, grass lines, laydowns.

Temp has dropped 5° since Friday.

Anyone recommend any good reads or videos on ledge/ deep water? Deep for this lake is 20' by the d**n.

Wish I could help.  Looks like a REALLY nice lake but, the 50hp limit keeps me out..

Went to Browns lake on Saturday 9-5. Oh my god what a slow day for bass. We got 4 bass in 8 hours and 12 hammer handle pike and 6 lost jigs. bass were very hard to find. everywehre we went it seemed as we found pike. Biggest bass was 16-3/4".

Went out to Lake Beulah in East Troy WI on Sunday had a good day for a change. Fished from 6:00 a.m. to Noon. First fish didn't come in until 8:45, then it was pretty consistent until 11:00 a.m. Fished the island and got (5) bass 15-1/2" to 16-3/4". Went into a small bay and got (4) bass 14" to 15-1/2". Finally went to Mill pond area, and got (5) more bass 15-1/2" to 17". All in all, not a bad day for a very hot Sunday. All fish caught on a 1/4 oz jig and custom poured trailer.

 

Going to Delavan this coming week. Will give report later.