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Posts: 117
Location: champaign, illinois | Who needs a boat to fish muskies anyway?
Last nights meeting of the Lake Shelbyville Muskie Club was again all abuzz with tales of muskies caught in the spillway. After a short period where the spillway was frozen it is open again for business. The business of catching mid to high 30" fish with some follows nearing the mid 40's that is!
The lake is at winter pool so the corps is not letting out much water,
just enough to maintain winter pool. But with the warmer weather and snowmelt upriver they might have to open the gates some more. If they do, look out, the muskies (and other very nice fish) will be on the prowl.
With the low flow jigs seem to be preferred. Also low flow means clearer water so fishing in low light hours are best.
"There's a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore looking like an idiot" -Steven Wright
Jay
Lake Shelbyville Muskie Club
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Illinois Muskie Tournament Trail |
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Posts: 688
Location: Northern IL | Jay,
I read in the Feb. Outdoor Notebook on page 42 that "A barrier net is being considered by the Army Core of Engineers" for Shelbyville. Is there anything more you could add to this? |
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Posts: 68
Location: South side | I Sure Hope So Sounds Like A lot of fish Are going over ! I Spoke to The DNR guys at The Directors Tounament Last year . They said that they have heard nothing about the barrier net . And that Most of the fish die In the River Because The Waters not that deep most of the year And Oxygen Depleted And last year was the first year that they thought the fish may have made it to Carlyle Lake. Because Of high water. I also heard there is a lot of snaging going on in the spillway .
Edited by mmusky1 2/6/2003 11:41 AM
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Posts: 117
Location: champaign, illinois | I have not heard a thing regarding a barrier net.
One thing to keep in mind is that the dam at Lake Shelbyville is a sluice type dam (water runs through gates that can be controlled as this lake is a flood control reservoir. One reason for the huge lake level swing that takes place), and not a static one (typical spillway where water runs over the top).
The USACE (Army Corps of Engineers) is not the least bit (ok, maybe slightly) interested in the fishery either on the lake or in the spillway. And the IDNR is not interested in fish recovery in the spillway as it would be cost prohibitive, even with volunteers (our club checked).
I am happy to announce that the stocking level the lake gets is very generous. And with fish slipping through the sluice gates we also have a tremedous fishery for the guys limited to bank fishing. Everybody wins in this one!!!
BTW, our club does not believe in fishing for skies during the hotter summer months on the lake, but the spillway stays a nice low 70's at that time. Another winner if you ask me.
Jay
Lake Shelbyville Muskie Club
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Illinois Muskie Tournament Trail |
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Posts: 117
Location: champaign, illinois | mmusky1, I just re-read your post and wanted to comment...
The "And that Most of the fish die In the River Because The Waters not that deep most of the year And Oxygen Depleted" is a bunch of hooey! I
don't know who your source was but the fisheries biologist, Mike Mounce,
I'm positive would disagree with that. For one thing, when the water is coming out of the sluice gates that water is super oxygenated, even with lower flows. And in the summer it stays nice and cool because the water is coming from the depths and not the surface.
(You can check flow rates here;
http://mvs-wc.mvs.usace.army.mil/dresriv.html)
There are HUGE walleyes, cats, carp, and of course muskies (the current state record came out of there) in the spillway. And beleive me, they (the larger fish) did NOT come through the sluice gates. Those fish are resident fish that are free to roam up and down that river which offers plenty of deep holes, springs, smaller feeder streams, and FOOD. Lot's of shad survive the ride through the gates to offer up plenty of feed.
As to the subject of snagging, the IDNR guys are there with binoculars and they do not hesitate to write tickets. Plus we have plenty of club members who fish there and are willing to "educate" those who do not obey the laws.
I won't say snagging is non-existent, but it's rare. A more real problem is ignorance. Some folks around here just have no clue as to what a musky is.
Jay
Lake Shelbyville Muskie Club
and
Illinois Muskie Tournament Trail
Edited by Jay 2/6/2003 3:37 PM
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