Salt Creek - IL - Flood fishing!!! 5/23/04 - photos!!!

[Jig'nMinnow]

The river was high. Most importantly, some new things were learned today.

STATS
---------
Temps - mid 80's
Water Temps - high 60's, low 70's
Wind - MPH - 5-10mph
USGS - 9.3ft -- - - 800CFS
Number of fish caught - 0 in 2hrs
Total number of anglers out today - 0


- At normal pool, the average USGS guage is from 5.2 to 5.8. Average CFS is anywhere from 75 to 90....If these photos can sum it up, I was fishing flood-stage water.

I did more exploring than fishing today. I read up some advice from Fox river guide, Ken Gortowski of chi-town-angler.com of using the old-time river method of "dabbling" (flipping, pitching, short dragging) near any shoreline structure, and to fish any ditches - small pools near shorelines. I tried, but was unsuccessful. Here are the many photos of what I went through today.


The small foot-bridge was closed off, so fishing near the dam was impossible.




The 40-50ft wide creek turned into a raging river during the past week.

As a side-note, I had to throw on the waders to have any sort of access to the creek. I knew where the main drops and the original river banks are so I just waded out to a max of at least 1ft and let the rod & reel do the rest of the work.

During my 2 hours of messing around, I just hoped for anything in these kinds of areas. I had baitfish (minnows, small gills) stacked in these areas for any proof of life, but the bigger boys weren't found. I was pitching bright, chartreuse twisters, or a crawler-shot combo near any flooded structure, and the first visible tree-lines in the water.


Mine and Jug's panfishing spot - flooded completely.












After fishing at the mill, I went about a mile west into the Fullersburg woods area.........

Here, I did more exploring and photography rather than fishing.



















Found some good Carp'n water for the competition in JUNE






Here are some nature photos from today.........









Comparison between normal pool & flooded pool

NORMAL


FLOODED




NEXT UP
----------

- Thursday - Small Pond Panfishing (Part II)

- Friday - After school Creek fishing (if levels fall)

- Saturday - (Still up in the air)




JIG

[DementedFish]

Pretty place. Reminds me of Oregon and Kern River. That area is almost identical.

We have a beach here called Salt Creek.

[cst]

it reminds me of the L.A River. BTW are parts of the la river accesible to fishing?