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| We want to fish spring lake this weekend and was wondering if anyone knows if the ice will be off by that time with the warm weather?
Thanks
Dan |
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| I've already read reports of guys catching fish. Anyone know when the dnr starts netting the brood stock. I've heard thats when the fishing dies for the year. |
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| Call the hatchery and ask. |
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Posts: 284
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I really wish you hadn't posted under "guest" so that I could PM you and help you out with the information you are requesting. |
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Posts: 70
| PM me and help me out w/ the info.
Heard it has been getting pounded pretty hard down there |
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Posts: 68
| Sorry I was on my phone and its just easier to post if I don't have to go through the hassle of logging in. |
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| DNR told me they had a bad winter kill out there.. |
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Posts: 91
| Interesting report from the DNR. I was on the lake a couple of weeks ago and even though we didn't have much luck others did. There was a father/son who had 11 fish by afternoon. |
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| Sounds like a great outing for that father/son team! Did they say how many were under 30"? Hopefully very few! |
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| has anyone ever fished the pike side? any size over there or just snakes? |
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Posts: 20212
Location: oswego, il | Never fished the south end but there is some cypress trees which is cool to see. |
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Posts: 91
| There are 40" plus fish in the north lake but most of the fish we catch are in the 30's range. Its also a good bass lake with reports of 10 pounders in the past. The south lake has pike and not sure of sizes because I have only fished it once. Both lakes are shallow.
Edited by Hoffy 3/2/2012 4:25 PM
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| what was the largest pike you caught on the south side? how many did you get? |
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Posts: 108
Location: Crystal Lake,Illinois 60014 | The deep holes on the "South lake" can be fun for pike. Decent average of 34"-43".
I havent fished it since 08, but solid lake with plenty of action, north for muskies is a light switch, so south is an option.
Nettings always produce a ton of females, usually have enough in 1-2 days of netting. |
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Posts: 68
| Well I requested off work a while back for tomorrow and was planning on making the drive out to spring lake. I have never ben there so I dont know how the lake is when there are high winds, forecast says 20-30mph with gusts to 40. The temps are also supposed to hit 60. Anyone think it will be worth the 2.5 hour drive? I really wanted to get out there before they started netting |
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Posts: 160
| Was there last wed. When it was windy like its supposed to be tomorrow ...lake was chocolate milk by 10 am...might want to wait for a better drive |
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Posts: 553
Location: 15 miles east of Lake Kinkaid | I second what esox said. That lake sucks when it's windy. There is nowhere to get out of the wind and it's so shallow it stirs up the whole basin into chocolate milk. |
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Posts: 68
| How bad does the netting affect the fishing? I would really like to get out there before it gets too warm. |
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| It's not the netting that "hurts" the fishing, it's what causes them to get into the nets in the first place that hurts the fishing. When do the hatchery guys set the nets? What is happening at that time of year that pretty much shuts down fishing everywhere else with no closed seasons in the spring?
You answer that and you've got your answer as to why. |
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| hey guys I'm from Chicago and just got a steal on a 14 foot tracker last November. I'm itching like a hound to get her on the water n get some slime on the carpet so I took a few vacation days march 18 and 18 and I'm heading to spring lake for the first time. I fish muskies quite often but only by my families cottage in the upper peninsula, I've never fished muskies in IL. any tips or pointers (lure selection, spots, even local bait shop locations would help) that you could share would be great really excited to get down there. thanks guys |
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Location: Illinois | word to the wise, the IMTT will be fishing here March 17-18, so do what you want to do, but good luck finding parking at the ramp. There are plenty of spots open for the tourney if you care to do so. |
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| figures the one time I take vacation something like that would happen. am I even going to be able to launch? I'm going do arrive around 6:30 am on the 18th. n I was also wondering if the campground is open yet? and I will be able to fish the 19th as well so I'm still gonna go down either way. thanks for the info |
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Location: Illinois | Hard luck man, it's too bad for you. I've fished this tourney for 3 of the past 4 years, and two things are pretty constant- it's crowded and crappy outside. You may find a parking spot at 6:30, you may not. There is parking for 20some rigs on the south launch to Spring Lake North, and it's full or near full before 6AM. Tourney starts at 7AM both Saturday and Sunday. I believe there is a launch somewhere on the north end(by the campground?) so if you go, I'd definitely try that. There's enough fish for everyone. Just wouldn't be my idea of enjoying a vacation fishing a smaller body of water with a tourney on it. |
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Posts: 284
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Nets go in today unless the wind keeps them off the lake, otherwise tomorrow unless the wind keeps them off the lake. In that case it will be Thursday ... etc |
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| how many fish do they take and how long until they are returned? |
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Posts: 455
| Why not just fish the tourney. Its not like Spring Lake is difficult to fish. Throw small baits and cast everywhere. |
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| The nets are in! This will make for some tough fishing for awhile. I would not make the ride. Drove to the lake today and went to put the boat and walked out of the truck and realized it was about 5 mph away from being a tornado and then tried the back waters with no luck. |
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Posts: 2024
| Was at Jake Wolf today. The smaller nets are in, tomorrow the larger fyke nets get deployed. If any of you have ever wanted to check out the hatchery, I'd encourage you to do so. Great folks and the facility is pretty amazing (one of the most unique around, capable of producing cold water species up to very warm water fishes too). Tons of trout and salmon in the indoor holding tanks and several thousand pike fry as well. |
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| I would love to fish that tournament. but unfortunately one of my jobs is at a bar and I cannot take St pattys off. I work a ton between three jobs just wanted to see if I could squeeze a quick down state fishing trip without taking any of my vacation time from my full time job. but best of luck to those of you who are fishing it. maybe ill run into you while I'm down there. |
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Posts: 115
| I went to spring lake yesterday and ran into the dnr guy at the boat ramp. The water has hit 50 degrees and the fish will start to spawn very soon. Gonna be a real tough bite for a week or two. Dnr guy also told me that they've already netted about 400 fish with the biggest being 49.5"!! Who says there's no big fish in Spring lake! We fished hard and only had 1 fish about 24" follow. If you are planning a road trip in the next week or two, I'd save my gas money if i were you. |
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Posts: 208
| 100 percent BS as usual, biggest fish was 46.45" and 26lbs ........I know the TRUTH......... One of my best friends is the DNR guy and been there EVERY day the nets have been pulled.
Why does everything always have to be exaggerated????????????????
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Posts: 115
| So you are saying that the guy with the big john boat with the tanks on it, who pulls all those fish outta the nets is full of BS huh??? I suppose they haven't gotten 400 fish either then and the water isn't in the 50's either and the fish are nowhere near spawning right??? I talked to the older gentleman thats in charge of the whole netting operation, not one of the kids that helps him. Maybe you should go ask your buddy again what the biggest fish has been so far. Maybe the big one was caught after your buddy told you about the 46.45. I ain't exaggerating anything, just passing on the word of the dnr guy in the john boat, so don't fillet me.
Edited by phishmasta 3/13/2012 2:43 AM
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Posts: 208
| no they have not caught 400, actually 570 in total, but not all the fish were taken to the hatchery, last few days they been tossing the males back, they just needed a few more females ( that are flowing hard now by the way). A couple of those guys have a sense of humor when it comes to musky guys they don’t know, remember to them the fish are widgets. My boat has had a couple thousand fish in it from that lake over the last 15 years, biggest 3 are 43", 43", 45" and at least a third of those fish were under 30". Spring lake is what it is, if you want to believe it is something different it’s a free country. If you want to go there and try to catch a genetic freak that may or may not exist - be my guest. On your way to the lake stop and buy a lottery ticket too. That should show you how special that 44" you caught from shore was.....I am done with this conversation.
Edited by Trollindad 3/13/2012 10:42 AM
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Posts: 115
| Lol who are you?? How do you know i caught a 44" from shore there?? You must know me if you know that. |
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Posts: 208
| Ok… I am not done with this discussion, I want to clarify something I said. They did have 570 total captures, not 570 different fish. Every day they pull the nets and they take most of the fish that they think meet the current needs of the "inventory" they need at the hatchery to be worked. The fish are scanned for PIT tags, measured, weighed, ect... milked if needed and ran back to the lake and returned the same day. They do keep quite a few fish at the hatchery but a lot of fish are returned the same day. They put the fish back at the sky-ranch ramp (as far away from the nets as possible) and something amazing happens. The next day when they pull the nets quite a few fish they put back the afternoon before at the north end of the lake swim the couple miles to the south end of the lake over night and get caught in the nets again in the south end of the lake. Some small males do this day after day..... after day... to me that rivals the whitetail rut! Amazing creatures. |
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Posts: 20212
Location: oswego, il | Typical males always thinking with their........ |
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Posts: 115
| Trollindad u must be a friend of Thad's right?? Thad told me on another site about Wayne, how he likes to mess with people in regards to fish sizes. Lol man he got me good, I went and posted that on 2 sites now and I must look like a big gullible idiot, lol. Honestly I didn't believe him at first but then figured, he is a biologist working for the dnr, why would he lie? I best just go back to lurking around now. Oh well 46.5 still a nice fish.
Edited by phishmasta 3/14/2012 4:56 PM
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Posts: 140
| http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1052259279/Hot-weather-hazardous-for-so... |
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| Not good news at all. Hopefully the cooler weather will arrive soon along with rain.
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Posts: 151
Location: IL | Good thing it was only 1% of the population that died off.. 
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| I am just curious with the drought this year most lakes are pretty low in the area. Since spring lake is constantly being fed with springs is the water level there at a normal level? just curious |
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| "My boat has had a couple thousand fish in it from that lake over the last 15 years, biggest 3 are 43", 43", 45""
Thats unfortunate... i hope this doesnt keep people away from the lake, as myself and others have only been there a few time and have boated far more fish of that size and better in one day alone. this is the PERFECT lake for newcomers to the sport.
where to fish - from the launch to where the lake begins to narrow.
what to throw - rattle baits, husky jerks, hell hounds, phantom softtails, bass size spinnerbaits, mepps spinners, and whatever else can swim in shallow water.
when to go - when the weeds arent too bad. february until june are usually the best months. first week of ice out is usually the best time to fish this lake.
after spring lake bores you, head over to banner marsh. TONS of fish in those lakes too. |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Guest - 9/22/2012 12:02 AM
"My boat has had a couple thousand fish in it from that lake over the last 15 years, biggest 3 are 43", 43", 45""
Thats unfortunate... i hope this doesnt keep people away from the lake, as myself and others have only been there a few time and have boated far more fish of that size and better in one day alone. this is the PERFECT lake for newcomers to the sport.
where to fish - from the launch to where the lake begins to narrow.
what to throw - rattle baits, husky jerks, hell hounds, phantom softtails, bass size spinnerbaits, mepps spinners, and whatever else can swim in shallow water.
when to go - when the weeds arent too bad. february until june are usually the best months. first week of ice out is usually the best time to fish this lake.
after spring lake bores you, head over to banner marsh. TONS of fish in those lakes too.
interesting...so you are suggesting that there quite a few fish 45" and up in this lake then? |
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| Fished spring lake for the last 10 years and have never caught a 45" fish. (like too though) They are in there or at least were until the kill off with this last summers drought. Many fish died especially the larger ones. Shallow lake choked with weeds and high temperatures = low oxygen.
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| Headin down Monday to give this a shot. Any recent reports? Is the lake fishable or is it too weedy? How has Fishin been? Thanks ahead of time. |
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Posts: 77
| I heard it was very weedy but i havent seen it for myself, good luck |
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Posts: 83
| Toro - 9/28/2012 1:43 PM
Headin down Monday to give this a shot. Any recent reports? Is the lake fishable or is it too weedy? How has Fishin been? Thanks ahead of time.
Any report back?? |
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Posts: 78
| Made a last minute decision to head north to Madison. I'll wait two weeks then try spring. |
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Spring Lake, Manito IL.