Just don’t do what my ex-old lady did years ago. First time she was on the ice I decided to take the shanty & lantern for her (I usually just take a bucket & auger). I let her wear my nearly brand new ski jacket to make sure she stayed warm. The burn hole she left on the arm of the coat is still visible on the top of my lantern after 15 or so years.
Lookin for the same. Any info on the Fills or Pin Oak? A buddy of mine went to Shabbona last w/e so I would imagine there’s enough ice on 13 to fish.
Not much luck last week. Didn’t boat a crappie all day. Catfish were biting pretty well though. Dad landed a few channel cats in the 25″ range fishing dew worms on the bottom in the Sabula Slough. The gas station in Savanna didn’t have leeches so maybe that was part of our bad luck. I always seem to do well over there with leaches. Good luck! 
Thanks!
Amen Brother ‘Duck!
Brown’s has been easy to get into all year. In my 5 or 6 trips over tere all season I’ve caught maybe 15 fish. I think for some reason they just don’t like me anymore. 
First of all, is the s/n name hockey related or related to a lack of oral hygene? j/k. Since you’re 90 mins east of Savanna & obviously fish 13 we should hook up for a trip. I’m in Rockford. I probably won’t hit the open water any more this season but try to get over there to ice fish as much as possible. Let me know.
Thanks for the replys. My Dad went over there Saturday. He said he never got a bite in PinOak or Brown’s. He and my Uncle decided to fish on the east side of the channel across from the inlet to Brown’s & caught a few ‘gills. Dad said he had something big on that broke his line. Since the old man fishes for everything with 10# test, I’m guessing he stumbled upon a Northern or some other toothy critter.
What is the theory here? I’ve heard how the gravitational pull of the moon affects fishing. I’ve also looked at solunar tables & it appears the best fishing times seem to correspond with full moons, with new moons as a close second. Anyone have a scientific or even a redneck explination?
According to the Army Corps of Engineers website they’ve leveled the pool at about 14′ which I believe normal stage is 13′ and the flow is down to 110000 cfs so it looks like I’ll be headed that way tomorrow! 
I plan on using that site from now on. I see you’re listed as NW Ill. Do you fish pool 13 much? If so, when do you want to hook up to catch some crappies?
Looks like I won’t be able to make it out until next week. ill.jack I’ve fished Brown’s more than any other spot in 13, but it seems the last couple of years it’s been slow so I was trying to venture out. I fish Edick (Fills) in the winter so I figured I’d try there Friday with no luck then ventured across the stream to Lower Sabula with little success. I was in Lower Brown’s in April & only caught enough to feed myself. Are they turning on now? If so I’d gladly go there. I know the channel alot better from the Pallasades anyway. That’s why I was thinking of Dead Lake & Barge Lake, just to stay out of the channel.
kelleybluebook.com might have a section for boats…
I was out Friday & everything is a high muddy mess right now. I was the only idiot on the main channel from what I saw. I’ve fished high water before but never with a flow like Friday. I found a website for the Army Corps of Engineers that reports on river levels & flow that I think will be very usefull for me in the future. I posted the website in the general discussion forum.
I forgot to mention, click around. There’s alot of usefull info on river stages & flow. The graphs there say alot!
I’m all for it. I never thought of fishing with a shotgun until I saw the movie Secondhand Lions. I can’t say I’ve done it, but being a trap shooter I say why not. I’m sure someone will argue with me though.
I’ve only fished Upper Brown’s a couple of times. Took my boss in there about 8 years ago & he hit a nice slab crappie in a jitterbug! To be honest I didn’t know there was wing dams in the slough. I usually just fish the down trees.
The slough you refered to previously behind Little Soupbone Island leads into Lower Brown’s Lake. I usually hit there first. As you’ve seen me post I haven’t had a lot of luck so far this year. But I usually just fish a hook bobber & minnow on one pole & worm on the other along the West bank. Work the down trees in the slough also. Just up from Little Soupbone is the inlet to Pin Oak Lake. I haven’t been back there in a few years but you may have some luck in there also. Be carefull though ‘cuz it’s shallow. Where are ya puttin in at?
Thanks for the info. I’m usually at work by 7:30 on Saturdays but I’ll try to catch it. Didn’t make it over to the Miss yeaterday. Had some other problems around here to deal with. Maybe next week.
BTW Is that Big Soup bone or Little SoupBone? I’m guessin Little Soup Bone since that’s the inlet to Browns. I fished that hard two weeks ago with no luck. If I make it out tomorrow I’ll be by myself so maybe I can fish it harder.
Well if the wife is still pissed off at me in the morning then I’ll be fishing. I think I’ll try Pin Oak first then decide how bad I want to urine her off. I should be on the water by noon.
Just wanted to bump this one back up. Has anyone done any good in the last week or two? I’d like to get back out there but with my situation with my kids I have to be a little conservative on when I choose to go again. I’m not looking to slaughter ’em (if I do that’s ok though 
) but just don’t want to get skunked again.
Also, it’s been many years since I’ve been back in Pin Oak, but every time I make it over there I always hit Browns. Should I start at Pin Oak instead? Someone enlighten me.
Nice ‘Eyes! 
But where did ya catch ’em?
Fished there today. Trolled around where the Kish meets Kilbuck. 2 Smallies. That’s all. I must be damned. Talked to one guy fishing from shore & he said he caugt 2 rock bass & one smallie. Must be the cold front. I had some Doc’s with me but never even baited a worm. Maybe tomorrow…… Anyway, also tried my way up the Kish. Made it to mile marker 3/4 (when did they put those in?) & hit bottom. could have made it further if I wanted to but figured I better head back to the Ace & see what was up with my e-brake on my truck.
Thanks for the info!
BTW The lady that sells bait in Lanark said the ‘gills were hitting around Michalsons. I’ve only ice fished around there so I wasn’t comfortable takin my son out there in a boat for the first time. She said they were hitting on leaf worms.
Rod
Carp on an ice jig huh?!? Wow. I think the highest I saw the water temp on Thursday was 49ยบ, but I don’t know how accurate the fish finder I was using is. Is your thermometer on your fish finder or do you use something else? If that’s surface temp then I can believe it. With any luck the temps are coming up & the fish will get more active. I’m just dumbfounded on how many blips my fish finder was hitting on Thursday w/o any bites. Maybe another week or two…… 
