17 minutes ago, VPI said:

I was planning to go on Friday to avoid crowds, anyone know if this shows gets overrun like the motorcycle show on the weekend?

Early, Saturday afternoon is the peak time and the aisles will get pretty full. Friday is a good time, especially if you get there around 3. Much easier to find better parking too.

I'm going at 10am on Saturday

Southern Illinois....64 degrees on Sunday, 60 on Monday....

 

Launch the Ready Alert! 

 

?

Yes sir! I really need to get my boat finished, spring will be here before I know it!!

Anybody going to the Tinley Park Show?

39 minutes ago, dgkasper58 said:

Anybody going to the Tinley Park Show?

I’ll be there both days, open to close, working the booth for The Illinois Smallmouth Alliance.

19 hours ago, Scott F said:

I’ll be there both days, open to close, working the booth for The Illinois Smallmouth Alliance.

Nice! I was going to try and stop up there.  I do not need much tackle but wanted to try out a kayak or two. Maybe I will swing by and say hi- I've caught 4 small mouth in my life!

Open water spotted in northern Illinois!

Almost everything should be open by this weekend!

Aaaaand IL DNR shutting down parks/forest preserve lakes due to COVID-19; anybody totally screwed by this announcement?

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Buddy killed the panfish on the Chain Sunday. Said they probably boated 300 fish. Crappie, perch, gills,  and 1 walleye 

Anyone hitting the rock river or Illinois river yet. Had intentions of going to shabbona or Carlyle but those lakes are closed for the forseable future.

On 3/16/2020 at 2:40 PM, Jig Rookie said:

Aaaaand IL DNR shutting down parks/forest preserve lakes due to COVID-19; anybody totally screwed by this announcement?

I’m screwed because I can’t visit my dying mother at her nursing home, I’m screwed because my wife’s office shut down putting her out of work for who knows how long. I’m screwed because the idiot hoarders are cleaning out the shelves in the grocery store. Closing the state parks isn’t much of an inconvenience at all. 

4 minutes ago, Scott F said:

I’m screwed because I can’t visit my dying mother at her nursing home, I’m screwed because my wife’s office shut down putting her out of work for who knows how long. I’m screwed because the idiot hoarders are cleaning out the shelves in the grocery store. Closing the state parks isn’t much of an inconvenience at all. 

Had that same thought when I saw his post. Time we looked at the bigger picture, and put things in perspective a bit. Fishing is a nice way to take our mind of real life for a bit, nothing more. 

On 3/17/2020 at 9:15 PM, Bdnoble84 said:

Anyone hitting the rock river or Illinois river yet. Had intentions of going to shabbona or Carlyle but those lakes are closed for the forseable future.

Crappies hitting on the Fox. Don't know about anything else.

On 3/17/2020 at 9:23 PM, Scott F said:

I’m screwed because I can’t visit my dying mother at her nursing home, I’m screwed because my wife’s office shut down putting her out of work for who knows how long. I’m screwed because the idiot hoarders are cleaning out the shelves in the grocery store. Closing the state parks isn’t much of an inconvenience at all. 

Pray she's not in the home in DuPage. Were forcing my mother and father to stay at home. Mom is recovering from the big C and dad is stir crazy sitting at home.

On 3/16/2020 at 2:40 PM, Jig Rookie said:

Aaaaand IL DNR shutting down parks/forest preserve lakes due to COVID-19; anybody totally screwed by this announcement?

Yep fishing is screwed, but that’s the least of our worries now with the whole state of Illinois now locked down with a stay at home order in effect until April 8th, W T H

Yup. Hopefully its over soon. This is crazy. Im still working even with the lockdown. Hopefully lockdown contains it. Too many stupid people out there.

47 minutes ago, Bdnoble84 said:

Yup. Hopefully its over soon. This is crazy. Im still working even with the lockdown. Hopefully lockdown contains it. Too many stupid people out there.

I’m in Illinois but we are not under lockdown. We are free to move about as long as we keep our distance from others. Grocery stores, restaurant carry out, and gas stations are all open. A stay at home order is not the same as a lockdown. 

37 minutes ago, Scott F said:

I’m in Illinois but we are not under lockdown. We are free to move about as long as we keep our distance from others. Grocery stores, restaurant carry out, and gas stations are all open. A stay at home order is not the same as a lockdown. 

Well that’s good to hear, I wasn’t trying to spread misinformation I was just using the word lockdown in a general sense, hopefully the forest preserves are still open

7 hours ago, Scott F said:

I’m in Illinois but we are not under lockdown. We are free to move about as long as we keep our distance from others. Grocery stores, restaurant carry out, and gas stations are all open. A stay at home order is not the same as a lockdown. 

Poor choice of words. You are right. There is a big difference. Other than my wifes business being affected, and worrying about what comes next life hasnt felt a whole lot different from us. Im alittle south of Rockford on the Rock River. So far weve been functioning pretty much the same overall.

the only lakes that are closed are ones that have access controlled by the IDNR.  Lake County forest preserves are still open with the exception of bathrooms, playgrounds and indoor facilities.  I'm sure it is the same in other county FP and town parks as well.  any navigable river should be open as well as long as you have an access point.  wisconsin lakes are open as well.  catch and release bass season is open year round now in wisconsin with a few exceptions

I am ok with the stay at home order. It just snowed  for an inch by me yesterday but I always expect this to happen (weather not the stay at home order).

 

 

Clarification of the stay at home order in regards to fishing, straight from the IDNR:

 

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police Facebook Page

 

 

Thanks for the clarification. That’s good to know.