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| anyone fishing the fox chain yet? Is there still ice? where do you usually lauch from?[:)] |
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| It's been a month since our tall, hairy, smelly freind posted looking for a fox chain report. How about it anybody been out yet
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| Water temps are in the upper 30's (38-40) on Sunday. I spoke with the guy who runs Bob's Marina on 173 off of Lake Catherine, he said somebody nailed a upper 40 inch fish on Saturday (3/16). He said it was the biggest Fox Chain Musky he had ever seen.
Thats what I know.
Dave |
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| Thanks Dave, See ya on April 27th
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| hey I dont smell![:blackeye:] |
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| Sorry Yeti I was thinking of your cousin Sasquatch[:(] |
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| Water temps:Friday 3/29 35 degrees, Sat 3/30 37 degrees
Water level is very low
Some people were casting shallow, but most were trolling deeper water.
I trolled the main lake basins and marked fish around baitfish from 18' out to 30' with no action.
Landy Roepke |
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| I casted shallow, I casted deep on Sunday and I saw nothing. As Landy mentioned, I did mark fish in 18 ft. Oh well, I will give it a go again next Sunday.
Dave |
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| Water temps in northern lakes 39-41 yesterday. Some new weed growth already. |
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| What is the current water temps? |
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| Anyone fish the chain today? |
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| I got out on Illinois' biggest mud hole carp pond for a couple hours today. Most of my time was spent running my new boat but I did manage about an hour of fishing. Last years weeds were about all I could find and they were pretty raunchy. I didn't see a single fish up close and in person but I did see some bait fish in deeper water on the electronics. Water temps varied from 42-47 depending on location. Channel and Catherine were not as clear as I would have expected but not too bad. The loons are here on a layover to the north country. I'd guess 80% of them were active in Marie on the west side of the lake. Perhaps they were telling us something?
Good luck. |
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| I tooled around for a couple of hours late afternoon today (4/6). Water temps on the main lake were 38 to 39 degrees. Channels and bays were 40 to 44.5 degrees. Saw squat, caught squat. Water clarity ranged from clear to murky. Lots of fish out deep (15 to 30 feet) especially around the mouths of the entrances to the channels to other lakes.
If you are a Loon lover like me, you would have been in awe. I have never seen so many Loons in one location in my life. The most I have ever seen together before is 5 Loons. At one point in time on Lake Marie, I lost count in the 50's. I sat and watched them for the longest time. While I was fishing one spot, a group of 15 of them swam and cooed and called right along with my boat. It was pretty neat. Felt like I was up North! |
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| Jason, I saw you out on Marie. I suspect one of the two of us has a temp gauge that needs to be adjusted. LOL |
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| That's one thing you can count on for the fox chain is plenty of loons. [;)] |
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| Lunch_Box, that was probably Scott you saw in Marie, they both have the same boats. Also, I would check your water temp gauge, the water isn't that warm.
Landy Roepke |
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| got out today just to break in the new motor. Ahh Spring...rain, Upper thirties air temps and 38-40 water temps. ya cant beat it. Just tooled around while breaking in the engine. Noticed lots of fishies deeper and very few shallow on the sonar. Water temps did not vary much at all from the channels to the main lakes top water. DNR boat was out with its nets in haul. |
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| Hit the chain for about 4 hours today!
Water was from 41-45 on main lakes, up to 49 in the channels, no fish! |
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| I got out wed on channel & catherine lake for about 4 hours no fish water temps about 41. boat ran great! |
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| Out today. Fished shallow. Saw none. Did mark fish deep. Some big arches, could be carp. Water level up to summer pool. |
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| Was out Friday for 4 hours. Water temps were 45-49.We were circled by race boats on Bluff, marked alot of fish deep on Marie, and caught 1-10lb carp an Channel.Try again on Saturday.
Landy Roepke |
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| Fished Friday and caught 1,, I guess it's a start. [8)] |
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| Fished today, saw one early on an undertaker. Trolled half casted half. 53 degrees was the warmest I found. Nice and sunny, a pleasure to fish in such weather. |
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| Was out on Sat, What a nice Day had some trouble getting the motor going but once it started it ran fine. Saw lots of folks fishing but did not see anyone boat anything Trolled some & cast some, lots of bait fish marked, warmest water I found was on Bluff 55.deg
With the forcast for high 70s all week maybe next weekend the skis will be more active
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| Out on Sunday. All I got for my time was a Sunburn. Talking to a lot of people --- not much action. Water temps ranged from 46 (Catherine) to 53 on Bluff. Snagged a real beefy dead Crappie on Bluff. Can I count that as a boated fish?
Dave |
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| Was out on Sunday,plenty of sun,no fish seen.
Is is common on the chain to have jet skis and boats running between you and the shoreline you are casting?
Nice meeting Dave H. and his kids on Saturday.
Landy Roepke |
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| GReat! I am going Tuesday and from the latest reports, i can see things are moving! Eh hem! Oh well maybe todays 88 degree temps will turn em on. I wil post what we do..........or dont do.[:p] |
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| Landy,
Yes it is very common. I even had a boat (a MirroCraft with a guy with a grizzy adams beard) pull within casting distance of me and then use his trolling motor to get in front of me, then appear to be pissed off when my partner and I buzzed casts near their boat.
Got to love the Fox Chain
Dave Hebeda |
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| Yes it is and it's common to have 0 fish 0 follow days too. It's common not to be able to see anymore than a foot down in the water anymore either. I have had my "good" days there but nothing of any size. I like to fish the chain, I like the lakes but it is one place that I have never seen anybody else catch a fish or talked to anybody who had been out there and did either even guides(on the day I was out there). Nowhere else do I see such poor results. |
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| Oh well, 5 hours of fishing and one follow from a mid 30's fish. At least it was nice out. We did run into a fisheries boat checking trap nets on Channel. They had a bunch of muskies and were measuring them. i watched a 43" get released back into Channel before we took off in search of our own. Water temps were 52 -64 degrees and an unbelievable 69 degrees in trevor creek!!! I was hoping for more movement but thats life.
Setme31, You see Scott, there are muskies in the Fox Chain! |
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| I would have to say there is a period from July to the end of August that I get sick of the Chain. I get out only during the week when you would figure there are not many people, but you get these guys that come full throttle right in front of your path, then drop the anchor with the chain on an aluminum boat and scare the fish out of the lake. It's just one of those things you have to deal with. But then there are those multiple fish days and days when it seems to be the best. But I do agree with you guys, it's not a system that consistently produces fish (especially for casters), and nothing large comes out except for rare occasions. But funny enough you'll find me there most of the time.
-Phil Cali |
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| Dipped the Tuffy at 12:30, went hard 'till 7:30. Worked the wind hammered north, and north east shore lines from a stellar SW wind. Bounced a few off the rocks...not good for the lexan lips...fished real shallow with no action.
Started at CJ's launch and worked Bluff, Marie, Channel and Catherine. All 4 lakes were very stained.
Talked with a couple other Muskie hunters and they had the same results.
Stopped at Mr. G's for Gyro's and fries in Antioch with my 11 year old...it was his birthday.
A great day on the water.
Later;
Thanks Jason for the info...love that boat Steve!
BigO
daveolson |
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| I think the chain would be much better if the clarity was better. Not that long ago you could see down 4 or 5 feet on channel and catherine and in my view that makes for better fishing. Back then guys like Saric fished it. Last year in the late fall we had 2 feet of visibility and most of the year was a foot or less. They are not going to get rid of the millfoil so they should just leave it alone, I think that would help.
Like I said before, I like the chain. I much prefer being on a natural lake than a manmade one. They can make it better. |
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| Dave, I don't believe you!!
Those were carp that the DNR painted vertical lines on. Until I see one out there for myself, I won't believe you. Now that I'm not fishing it anymore, I don't have much of a chance.
33 reports in this thread, and only one fish caught. WOW!!
Oh well, I know where some muskies live in Illinois. |
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| Setme31
There is a tournament coming. People aren't talking. No matter how much you think people will share, they won't. There is fish being caught. I have caught one and lost two others in the last two weeks. I know of two others being caught. Fishing not great but, They are being caught. |
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| setme31, make that 2 fish caught,, or at least admitted too,, )(nothing to get to excided about) but I'm not in any tournament. I also ran into the fisheries boat and they said they netted 21 yesterday and had 7 today,,, he acted like that was a lot of fish,,,,, I have to remember this is the Chain we're talking about. [:blackeye:] |
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| Backlash,
Looks like that was your first post on the board. Welcome.
While I have heard of some fish being caught and had some to the boat (not me my partner) fishing on the Chain has been slow. But with the tourny coming up, people are probably a little more tight lipped than usual.
Dave |
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| A little person told me.....after this nice weather we have been having..these fish will start showing up in droves.
I hope so![:bigsmile:] |
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| Jason were you looking in the mirror[:devil:] , Just kidding.
Actually an oldtimer once told me that fish will not start biting in the srping until after the first one or two thunder storms as I remember he said it had something to do with the lightning. Anjy one else have thoughts on this? |
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| The Ol’ timer makes sense to me. The first couple of big boomers come right after the first couple of warming trends. I’d say the fish bite relates more to water temp more than lightning though. I would almost be so bold to say it looks like good conditions for the tourney, but then that would jinx us. Weather forecast looks good for next weekend.
[:sun:] |
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| Yesterday was one ugly day on the Chain. It was the first time my partner could fish with me. We fished the tournament hours. We boated two muskies. A nice 40 incher and a skinny 30. I hope the weather gets better. Only talk to one other boat and they told us they had a follow from a lower 30s fish. |
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| Was very yucky out there yesterday.. I fished for there hours in the morning and saw on mid thirtys, otherwise spent more time checking out spots.
water temp 54 |
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| I was out for a few hours at the end of the day Tuesday. Water temps were 53-54. Walleye jerkers were having success off both mid lake points on Marie. Weeds in the well known spots still look like crap. Water level is back to normal pool or slightly above. As usual, I saw nothing, caught nothing. One of my friends caught a nice fat smallie while pre-fishing. I didn't know those little guys were in the chain, especially not in the northern lakes. |
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| Worked Marie and Bluff from noon 'till 7:00pm. I had 2 follows within 10 minutes of each other around 3:30 on the North/East shore of Marie. Half hour later a Walleye fisherman hooked a nice upper 30 Muskie on a leech and jig. He didn't have a net big enough, so I went over to help just in time to see him loose the fish in his trolling motor. He did a nice job with 7 lb test 'till then...
The action I had was on a small Crane
BigO
daveolson |
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| Been trying Lake Marie last few weekends (and Thursday nights)with no luck on Muskie. I see somebody caught a smallmouth - geez, I read that there are some in the area but never saw anybody catch one! Largemouth seem to be the king on this lake.
Temps were 55 last weekend 5/11 (I would have been skinned alive if I tried to sneak out on Mother's Day - so first Sunday I've missed in a while).
Strange thing on Saturday before the storm came, not a single fish on fishfinder in the channel between grass lake and lake marie - what is the deal with that? I thought maybe my transducer came off, but as soon as we got back in the lake we got fish on screen again! |
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| Out today(5/21), fished 8.5 hours. Pops had a mid 30" follow and go through one turn on the ol' 8 and then just go away. Saw one just sitting on the weeds with no interest in the world of my bait. I nailed a 3.5-4lb LMB twitching a crane. Water temps were 57-58 and 61 in the bays.
-Phil Cali |
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| http://www.muskyu.com/reports.htm |
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| I was on the Chain 5-30 and had 4 follows, 1 lost, and 2 undersized in the boat. The warmup really turned 'em on! |
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| With all of the rain in the forecast, here is a good link for you to check out the current conditions on the Chain:
http://www.foxwaterway.state.il.us/
I would love to see it go 'no wake' for a while. I know I know - selfish SOB.............. |
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| Anyone know the water temps on the Chain currently? |
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| I was out last Thursday (6/27) and the water was up to 79 degrees. |
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fox chain