August's Tough Hunts

The wife and I took little vacation at the beginning of the month and upon our return back home, the local rivers and creeks levels were down to just about safe levels for wading. The rains have been holding off for the month of August and now all streams are flowing at their normal Summertime levels. It's about time!

Below you will find reports from my outing in the month of August.

Kilbuck Creek

Aug. 9, 2017.

The Kishwaukee River is still flowing a tad too high for my liking. It's close to being good. I decided to give it a few more days and spend sometime wading Kilbuck Creek.

The water was flowing pretty clear. There are many changes to the creek from the constant flow of high water that it has experienced the 2017 season. I started off tossing top-water baits and decided pretty quickly that the top-water bite was not going to happen, so I switched over to a tube and began getting strikes. The fishing was tough on this day but I did manage a couple along with a dumb mussel.

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Kishwaukee River South Branch

Aug. 13, 2017.

I was able to go on a long wade of the Kish south branch. Clarity was good and like Kilbuck Creek there has also been quite a few changes from high water. Once again I could not find a top-water bite and had to find what action I could with the tube. I'm kind of starting to wonder if the high water washed a majority of the smallmouth back to the Rock River? Or I just suck?

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Kishwaukee River South Branch

Aug, 20, 2017

I'm sticking with the south branch of the Kishwaukee River because the north/main branch is still flowing too high to wade freely.

Worked my way upstream on the south branch and I really had a feeling it was going to be a good day. I strung up the fly rod and grabbed a few top-water flies and had a plan of focing the bite. Things really didn't go as planned but I did manage a couple using a green foam grasshopper. Another tough day. Seems like I'm putting in an aweful amount of time with little or no results. That just may be the way it seems but it's not. I love being out there regardless of the bite.

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Kishwaukee River South Branch

Aug. 26, 2017.

Started the day off like a champ with some Starbucks and a cinnamon roll with some flies on top.

The first plan was to get out by 7am. on the north/main branch of the Kish. as I have yet to really wade this section this year. Upon my arrival to the put-in, the was probably about 8 boats putting in.

And when I say "boats", I mean BOATS! three of these boats were aluminum V-bottom boats with trolling motors, and another was one of those square plastic pond hopping boats with the two pedestal seats, the rest were canoes and kayaks, and these people were all going to be fishing. I'm still trying to decide if my timing is good or bad?

Anyway, I packed up my belongings and headed back to the south branch for some peace and quiet.

There were no cars parked at the two forest preserves that the south branch flows through in Winnebago County, so I knew that I was going to have the entire 5 mile section to myself, at least for a little while.

Of course I started off with a topwater fly but found the bite to be nonexistent so I began switch to weighted flies such as the Clouser Minnow. Still I could not find a bite so I resorted back to the old saying..... "If you're not going to be catching any, it's more fun not to catch 'em on the top." So that was the plan, stick with topwater flies and try a few different styles and colors and see which produces.

I started off with a Jude Bug because I know smallies love it, plus a friend of mine designed. Still the bit wasn't happening. I would get a chase here and there but no takers. I tied on a couple different colors of foam poppers and none of those would draw a bite. Time to see if my ear plug poppers would do the trick. BINGO!

I ended up landing 9 smallmouth, 3 of which taped at 16 inches, all with the ear plug popper. The brown popper seen above end up not being able to handle all the action and fell apart. I third on a yellow version and kept the action going until a TREE MONSTER ate it.

The ear plug popper still needs to be perfected. I think there are a couple things I can do to make them a bit more tougher.

All in all it was a good day on the south branch. I really enjoy the solitude.

More pics from the day......