What the Heck is This?

I’ve always been aware of how I go about writing. I have to do it in one fell swoop. Whether it takes me a half hour or two hours, I have to get the whole thing down with pictures pretty much in place. One more or less complete thought. I usually go back and touch it up, maybe add something new I thought of, but generally 90 percent of it is done that first time.

As I said, I thought this started out well:

When I head out fishing in March, especially the first half, I automatically assume the fishing is going to suck. Approaching fishing in March with that attitude has its benefits. On the off chance that you go out and catch a couple of fish, you can pat yourself on the back for being such an early spring, cold water fishing genius. Maybe you can write a few articles about it and maybe one or two people will take the time to read them.

If you really have a way with words, you can write a whole book about it, with pictures. The book can be passed down to future generations as the bible of early spring, cold water fishing. Your name and god given talents will go down in infamy. Any future discussions about the topic would be met with “Well, you know . . . ” and then the informed reader of your book would espouse the merits of your wisdom.

Or you can chalk up the catching of a couple of early March fish to pure luck, which would probably be more accurate and honest. But then, we are talking fishing here. Accuracy and honesty are not always viewed as virtues.

In my case, I just wanted to go fishing. Possibly some long hike in there along with it just for the exercise. Catching a fish would be nice.

The river was a little high, cold to the touch, but surprisingly clear, with a clarity of a good 2 feet. The ground is still basically frozen so the rains have not had much to wash away. Come April, that will change and the river will start to look like flowing mud. The beginning of March sees air temperatures in the 40s, that’s when anglers start to come alive, but it takes awhile for the water temperatures to catch up. Most of the fish will begin to come alive when the water hits somewhere around the mid 40 mark. That could still take a couple of weeks.

Dale Bowman, outdoor writer for the Chicago Sun Times, has been publishing my reports and stories in his column for over 10 years. I wanted to get him something that read more like a fishing report than a story, which is why I stopped writing what’s above. Instead, I hacked this out fairly quickly (I’ve thrown in some photos I had planned on using because I can no longer think of what I wanted to do with them):

Smallmouth bass can be caught all winter from the Fox River, but I question whether it’s worth standing in freezing cold water for hours for the opportunity to catch one, if things go right. I question it for me anyway.

Getting out fishing in the first half of March is still jumping the gun, but you never know. The 40 degree and higher air temps feel good to us, but they’re not doing much for the river. Getting out to fish is just an excuse to get out. Fishing gives us something to do while out, but it won’t be till the water temperatures hit 45 degrees or higher that catching will become the norm.

Was out in Geneva briefly on Friday, walking the wall. I’d say the river is up almost 3 feet, not quite. Water clarity was excellent and easily 2 feet. Once the ground thaws more, more mud will go in with the rain and dirty up the river. But the water was cold. I don’t bother with readings anymore, now I just stick my hand in the water. Yep, cold water.

Along with the limestone wall, I walked south of the railroad tracks dropping lures behind the rock and chunk concrete that lines the shore. Still nothing there yet. My patience level wasn’t up for continuing this search for more than an hour, so I cut things short.

Wound up hitting a creek on Saturday about 9 miles up from the mouth where it empties into the Fox. If I’m going to struggle for March fish I may as well do it up a creek. I have this theory that smallies winter over in this one relatively big and deep hole.

Caught 3 smallies in the 12 to 14 inch range. There’s an 18 inch smallie that lives in this hole, at least one. I’ve caught at least 3 of them out of here over the past few years and the patterns on them have all been different. I don’t know if the patterns work like fingerprints, if so, then they are different fish. I had it on this time and got to see it roll near the surface before it dove to the bottom and spit out the jig.

If the jig and twister wasn’t being dragged painfully slow and hopped across the bottom, there were no hits. These fish were definitely not up for chasing anything, I tried. A slight bump and a tug, no different than dragging it over a rock, was the only indication that a fish was on.

I really don’t think these fish migrated that far up stream this early. Was here over the winter. This creek gets some ice, but it never freezes over, which means it’s spring fed. I already knew that based on the water temps during summer months. You can wet wade this during the summer, but you better not mind missing part of your anatomy for a few hours. It will take that long for them to come back down out of your abdominal cavity.

Catching these smallies this early in the year proves to me that these fish are wintering over here. Been looking to prove that and I think this does it.

Hit another creek on Saturday, but the flow was a bit high and fast. Didn’t spend much time hitting the deep holes on this one since the current was moving through them pretty good.

Wound up fishing a pond I have permission to fish that adjoins the creek. It’s already known that there aren’t many big fish here, but I was able to squeak out a couple of largemouth bass and a couple of bluegills that hit harder than the largemouth.

Was hoping some friends would take the hint, go fish the DuPage River and get back to me with how they’ve done. Nothing to report yet. I can only be in so many places at once. I may have to make a small road trip. The river is showing to be a little high, but coming down at a decent pace.
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Sporadic rains are in the 10 day forecast, so it’s a wait and see game with what it does to the rivers and creeks. Nice part was all the projected 50 to 60 degree days. The quicker the water temps hit that 45 degree mark the better.

While doing the two things above I must have visited one of the local fishing forums and left this with a slight, more blunt phrasing of something I had already written, a sure sign I was running out of steam:

Wound up hitting a creek on Saturday about 9 miles up from the mouth where it empties into the Fox.

I have this theory that smallies winter over in this one relatively big and deep hole.

Caught 3. There’s an 18 inch one that lives in this hole, at least one. I’ve caught at least 3 of them out of here over the past few years. I had it on this time and got to see it roll near the surface before it dove to the bottom and spit out the jig.

I really don’t think these fish migrated that far up stream this early. Was here over the winter. This creek gets some ice, but it never freezes over, which means it’s spring fed. I already knew that based on the water temps during summer months. You can wet wade this during the summer, but you better not mind missing your nuts for a few hours. It will take that long for them to come back down out of your abdominal cavity.

I was on a roll leaving different reports that day. By then I was tired and gave up for the night even though I know I shouldn’t have.

And just like this thing started, I have no clue if this ending has a point to anyone but me. I do know I need to do something about this. A lobotomy might keep me from thinking about having to put my fishing adventures into writing all the time. I might enjoy the fishing more. You never know.