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Bushel Baskets Full of Bassby Kevin Patton Emiquon Preserve near Havana has been touted by some as the hottest new bass lake in Illinois and that reputation is justified, especially if you're talking about sheer numbers of fish. Dee Dee Kumpf and I made a late May trip to the lake, hoping to hook up with some nice bass and some of the plump bluegills that are also known to be in good supply. We had fished the lake previously on Sept. 29 and 30 of last year (See Put This On Your "To Do" List) and were hoping to find that the plentiful bass population has grown in size. Well, they have.
The water temperature when we launched at 8:50 was 78 degrees and it was impossible not to notice the tremendous amount of suspended bacteria (looks like slimy weeds) in the water. It was so prevalent that it created a green coating on our lines and occasionally clogged up rod guides. A Preserve employee told me that it is harmless, but it definitely makes fishing more of a challenge. While I rigged up some rods for worm fishing, Dee Dee immediately began catching bass on a silver/blue Cordell Spot. When we reached some of the flooded brush north of the ramp, we switched to black and blue soft plastic stickbaits, rigged wacky style. Last year we did well using these rigs and the bass were still hungry for them. It seemed as though some bushes held schools of bass as we got 10 bites or more from one spot. At one point, we circled a 20-yard-wide area of bushes and caught fish after fish, totaling 30-35 bass in less than two hours. As we fished closer to the brush, we switched to Texas rigged lizards and crawdads. The bass were so aggressive that nearly half of the strikes came before the bait had a chance to reach the bottom. Color didn't seem to matter a great deal, as the fish hit black/blue, black/purple, and electric blue with equal enthusiasm. The presentation didn't have to be perfect either, as we threw baits that had tails bitten off, pinchers missing, and even heads removed and the bass just kept eating everything we threw.
Dee Dee landed the largest fish of the day, nearly 19 inches long, on an electric blue crawdad. Many of the 55 fish that we landed in the first three hours were 15-16 inches long, compared to the abundance of 12-14 inch bass we caught last fall. We decided to take a break from the bass fishing and try for some bluegills by using wax worms on slip bobbers rigs. The bass weren't ready for a break however, as the first six fish we caught on the wax worms were largemouths. Our first couple spots didn't have the spawning bluegills that we had hoped, but we did finally manage to catch one fat, 9-inch bluegill before being run off the lake by a sudden and violent thunderstorm. Emiquon is not the place to be on a windy day. It is a flat, wide lake that is not sheltered from the wind. Since outboards are not allowed on boats, maneuvering can become a problem and so can putting your boat onto the trailer. Everybody at the ramp got wet to the knees this day. Despite the shortened day, it was loads of fun and we'll be going back soon. With that many hungry fish there, we'd be crazy not to return. Regulations Fish limits are as follows: largemouth bass- 1 fish daily, minimum of 18 inches; crappie- 25 fish daily that are at least 9 inches in length; 6 channel catfish daily with no length limit; 25 bluegills or sunfish (Lepomis) with no length limit; and 6 walleyes that are a minimum of 14 inches. Hours are sunrise to sunset and minors must be accompanied by an adult 18 years or older.
The lake does have off-limit areas that are marked by orange buoys. Fishing and boating are only allowed on the west half of the lake. Only pole and line fishing (2 per person) is allowed. A lot of things are prohibited at Emiquon, including outboard motors, swimming, pets, alcohol, tournaments, belly boats, live bait except for worms, fish cleaning, camping, bow fishing, wading, and fishing from shore. There are currently no restroom facilities at the lake and only a gravel boat ramp. Bids are now being accepted for work at Emiquon that will provide an improved ramp and parking, a canoe launch area, boardwalk into the lake, and an observation deck. All state licensing requirements apply at Emiquon. A copy of the regulations can be obtained when you get your permit at Dickson Mounds Museum, which is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To learn more about the Emiquon Nature Conservancy and National Wildlife Refuge, call 309-547-2730 or visit these web sites: |
