Author Topic: Pools 13-14 backwaters (Read 7793 times)

riverbottoms · « **on:** Dec 15, 2007, 10:59 AM »

Has anyone been on the backwaters of pools 13 or 14 yet? If so, how's the
ice looking?

tbirdbassr · « **Reply #1 on:** Dec 15, 2007, 05:17 PM »

2 went threw at savanna 1 got out Haven't heard on the other one!

riverbottoms · « **Reply #2 on:** Dec 15, 2007, 09:38 PM »

TBird,
Thanks for the update, I'm extremely sorry to hear you went thru. I hope you weren't in deep water when you went thru or far from your Vehicle. I'm guessing you were skinny cheeking on real thin ice. Is there still snow or slush covering the ice there?
This might not be the proper thing to ask, were you able to land a few fish before you went thru? You said Savanna?
Pallisaides, Spring lake or Millers area?
Maybe Mickleson's or Thomson campgrounds area might of been the safer place to have went today.
TBird, I'm retiring after Jan 1st. already bought a new home up on Riverview road north of Thomson and can't wait to move back to the area to enjoy the hardwater fishing I so much enjoyed before I moved out east because of a job relocation.
TBird, thank you very much for the reply.
Please stay safe on top of the ice and wishing you tight lines the rest of the season.

tbirdbassr · « **Reply #3 on:** Dec 15, 2007, 09:53 PM »

It wasn't me I seen it on the channle 8 news!!! Haven't made it there yet this year heard of a couple guys getting some dink perch out of spring. I would like to get up there this year sometime have to see how work goes though

Chad

riverbottoms · « **Reply #4 on:** Dec 15, 2007, 10:31 PM »

TBird,
Looking back at your post, Riverbottoms THOUGHT he read "I" got out, not "1 got out" like you posted, sorry about that. Hope they both got out safe.

blufloyd · « **Reply #5 on:** Dec 16, 2007, 07:12 AM »

Don't know how long you been gone but seems like 20 years since this spot was even iffy at best. Global warming?
I started serious icefishing in the 70's it was a rumored hot spot now it makes the news only when people go through.
No buckets full of fish or anything. Welcome back to Illinois though.

riverbottoms · « **Reply #6 on:** Dec 16, 2007, 12:13 PM »

blufloyd,
Thanks for the welcome back, but I haven't moved back yet. I'm not retiring till the 1st. of jan. Got to sell the home out here yet.
Been gone since 84, can't wait to get back home again.
A buddy from clinton called to tell me about the 2 guys that wet thru the ice.
From what he said, the 36 year old grandson survived, but they haven't retrieved the grandfather yet. My prayers to the family.
Your right on the old fishing spots, fizziling out such as the perch hole, the old hay bottoms down by the dam have all but filled in and petered out. But there is still some great fishing in the general area. You just have to spend the time scouting out new areas. The community spots like Mickelsons, Spring lake, Millers all receive too much fishing pressure to remain very good during the hardwater season.
Mallard bay should hold some good fish yet or maybe out from (north of the old perch hole might be another good spot to scout out for some good hardwater fishing?

jbird68 · « **Reply #7 on:** Dec 16, 2007, 01:48 PM »

Was at Thompson Causeway (Potter Marsh) on Saturday morning. Fishing was not good. I think the snowstorm screwed things up. Ice was at 6-7 inches. There were probably a dozen or so people fishing there. I was second on the ice and only caught 1 small perch and a bunch of 3-4 inch bass.

jepik · « **Reply #8 on:** Dec 16, 2007, 02:11 PM »

riverbottoms...a lot has change since 84...pool 14,bone fish flats,in beaver,trees growing on 50% on what used to be all water,pool 13 cable cut below spring lake in 84 we could run bass boat from il. to iowa shore....pool12 back door run from blandings to fish trap almost impossible...many other places slited in bad....sauger slough,sunfish,duck run,barge lake,pin oaks new way in,etc etc etc...but the ole miss. it is still a mighty fine place to spend some time outdoors...welcome home....

Lewis · « **Reply #9 on:** Dec 18, 2007, 05:59 AM »

I was planning on heading to Michelson's or Spring Lake next weekend in search of some yellow perch but after reading some of the posts I am a bit concerned I would be wasting my time. Anyone have suggestions for where to head for yellow perch in Illinois? I don't really care if they are dinks. I just love catching em. I live around Dixon Illinois so anywhere I go I figured on at least an hours drive. I started ice fishing last year and caught my first ice fishing largemouth Sunday, before that I had caught only crappie and bluegill through the ice so I am hoping to catch my first ice fishing perch and maybe my first ice fishing walleye. A shot at a Northern would be sweet though too.

jepik · « **Reply #10 on:** Dec 18, 2007, 09:07 AM »

lewis...go to potters in thompson ,its the corp. of enginners campground just west of town...small perch ,sometimes a few good ones..about a 1 hr. from dixon...also you may want try mickelsons...

jbird68 · « **Reply #11 on:** Dec 18, 2007, 07:12 PM »

Lewis,
If the weather is nice this weekend, you might want to try Shabbona Lake http://www.shabbonalake.com/. They have perch there, too. I want to go there this season, but am going to wait until there is a good thickness of ice. It is supposed to warm up this week...calling for rain on Thursday and 43 deg. on Saturday. By the way I grew up in Franklin Grove, just down the road from Dixon. Now I live in Morrison and fish Lake Carlton most of the time.

riverbottoms · « **Reply #12 on:** Dec 18, 2007, 10:31 PM »

jbird,
Was it you who said in an archived post that Lake Carlton has Walleyes or Saugeyes? Can good lake maps be bought for the lake?

jbird68 · « **Reply #13 on:** Dec 18, 2007, 11:12 PM »

Yes, Carlton has Walleyes and Saugeyes. You might get lucky and find a Hot Spots map for Carlton. Here is a link to the map I made with my GPS Software.

http://www.frontiernet.net/~jaycub/Carlton Lake.pdf

Lewis · « **Reply #14 on:** Dec 19, 2007, 02:55 AM »

Thanks for the input on yellow perch waters. I'll think I'll start with Thompson while I wait on Shabbona to thicken up. All of the lake maps I have aren't set to a grid for GPS coordinates. Gonna have to see about getting one with a grid. Guess we wills ee if there is still safe ice this weekend. The drive home from work was pretty foggy and it seems like it might be everything evaporating (roads are clearing etc).

basebklyn7 · « **Reply #15 on:** Dec 22, 2007, 03:38 PM »

i hear they are or were getting some decent crappies out of grass lake over by galena on the river..
ive never fished the area so not sure on where this lake is.

Lewis · « **Reply #16 on:** Dec 24, 2007, 08:50 PM »

I went to Michelson's Landing today. 6 to 7 inches of ice.
Thanks again for the input on where to hook up on the Yellow Perch. I caught five with the best being just over 9 inch. Lots of gills/sunfish and some small bass as well. Was really neat being able to sight fish (hadn't ever done that). Maybe next time I'll get to see a northern through the ice.

At one point a small bullhead came up one of the holes I had drilled right to the top then turned and went back down. Thought it was kinda cool.

jepik · « **Reply #17 on:** Dec 25, 2007, 11:05 AM »

basebrklyn7....I am not quite sure of this one, but I think grass lake in pool 12 ...go to galena boat ramp and it is the lake just north of the ramp...and just before you would take the cut to keyhole...

Lewis · « **Reply #18 on:** Dec 29, 2007, 08:42 PM »

Hit Mickelson's today. About six inches clear ice and 2 1/2 cloudy. Slow day with my best being a 9 1/2" perch. Watched a Bowfin on the aquaview swim by slowly then spin around to gobble down one of the little bluegill!

Heading back there tommorow. Stop and say hi if you happen to pass a Shappell DX3000 with some faint white stripes toward the bottom of side (marked the outside to make it easier lining up where to drill holes).

canalfisher · « **Reply #19 on:** Dec 31, 2007, 08:42 AM »

im new to ice fishing was at michelsons landing yesterday and didnt even get a nibble. was usen wax worms wot should i use any tips wud b very helpful. thanks

Lewis · « **Reply #20 on:** Dec 31, 2007, 03:53 PM »

I was there as well yesterday. The bite didn't turn on for me till around 1 or 2:00 int he afternoon. Fly fishing flies so small that 4 pound test barely goes through the eye and a jig that looks like a short grain piece of rice in a pink glow were the ticket for me. My friend caught a couple of perch and a couple of 8 inch bluegill on a 1/64 ounce pink jig. Tipped the fly with redworm and the jigs with waxies. Didn't get anything on our tip-ups. Best tip I can offer is to change up until you figure out what works. Between the two of us we tried at least 20 different colors and styles of lures and five bait types. In the end we caught about 50 fish but only had caught about 6 keepers. As late as it was when we caught the first keeper we decided to just make it a catch and release day.

Does anyone have any info on catching burbot? I've seen a few on the underwater cam and a couple just looking down the hole (definitely not dogfish).

jepik · « **Reply #21 on:** Jan 01, 2008, 09:22 AM »

canalfisher...the tips lewis gave you I believe are all good...one more might be to go walmart in the craft + sewing dept...get 1lb. nylon sewing thread...cost about a buck...put on one pole...use your smallest jigs...

tbirdbassr · « **Reply #22 on:** Jan 02, 2008, 01:31 PM »

lewis never heard of any burbot in the river they look very similar to dog fish the key to catching them in Minnesota is after dark minnow about 2" off the bottom

canalfisher · « **Reply #23 on:** Jan 02, 2008, 05:09 PM »

thanks for the info guys guna give it a try tomarrow

Lewis · « **Reply #24 on:** Jan 03, 2008, 02:12 AM »

Thanks Tbirdbassr. I've heard of Illinois having burbot but had never heard where. Having caught Dogfish I am familiar with their appearance. What I saw was definitely a burbot which doesn't make sense to me if I believe what information I have gathered about their preferred depths. All too often I have found that articles in magazines don't hold fast as a rule such as when I limit out on suspended walleye below the Dixon dam on the Rock River (everything I have read said walleye don't suspend in rivers).

In any case I appreciate the info and figure I will give it a go Friday by starting in the afternoon and fishing till probably around 9:00. I have seen other icefisherman at dusk out there, some even show up around 4:00 setting up lamps etc. They gotta be after something so I'll find out what it is

Also in case anyone is interested a friend of mine went to Spring Lake (Mississippi River backwater) last Saturday. He said the bite there wasn't till mid afternoon as well (caught 40+ perch with about 10 keepers). Said one fella he talked to caught some very early in the morning including a jumbo but then the bite turned off. I didn't ask what bait/lure worked best for him though.

Big_Ron · « **Reply #25 on:** Feb 25, 2008, 10:05 PM »

anyone been out to potters, river view or micklesons?

Big_Ron · « **Reply #26 on:** Dec 08, 2008, 06:32 PM »

anyone have any fishing reports I have herd potters is dead but no one I talked to has herd anything about mickelsons so any reports would be great...

HappyFrozenToes · « **Reply #27 on:** Dec 14, 2008, 01:28 PM »

December 13th 2008
Mickelson's Landing (Mississippi River backwater)

Things started out on the slow side at around 8:00 AM. The 5 1/2 to 6 inches of ice. After a micro move out of the channel center to the weed edge across from the boat launch the fishing picked up. Pink was the favored color with Orange and Red being next in line. Yellow Perch were far and few and the Largemouth (saw a 4 pounder swim by as well as plenty of two to threes) ignored all baits including blade baits, jigs, minnows, balled up reds on a hook, and various plastics. The gills and the redears on the other hand were on the bite and of decent size (pushing 8 inches). In total fish caught were 2 largemouth, 4 yellow perch, and 98 gills/redears. We left the ice around 4:30 with a nice mess of 30 fish that will be the course of our next fish fry.
Saw maybe half a dozen 8-9 inch crappie through out the day that would only do a swim-by.
Water was pretty clear as I could see the bottom in 5 ft and sight fish.

kramdawg · « **Reply #28 on:** Dec 14, 2008, 09:17 PM »

Was on Mickelsons Sat. and caught alot of nice perch and bluegills in the main channel up from the ramp. We got there about 9:00 and left at dark. The morning bite was really slow, but pick up in the afternoon. Most of our fish were caught from 2:30-5:00. All fish were caught on orange and pink maki plastics. My dad and I brought home 12 perch and 25 nice bluegills, but did have to weed through some smaller fish. It was just great getting out again and getting a chance to try out my new rods that I made.

P.S.- How was the ice? Yesterday there was 5-6 inches.

IceMANCooketh · « **Reply #29 on:** Dec 16, 2008, 12:23 PM »

I am not sure exactly how to get to/where to park to get to Mickelsons.

Is it the boat landing just north of Fulton and is it pretty easily accessed?

News:

Author Topic: Pools 13-14 backwaters (Read 7793 times)