Hello from west Illinois

[Illinoisgiller]

Although I signed on in Dec., I didn't find the intro., section:confused: . I'm from the IL. Quad City area. I primarily chase the larger gills in southeast IA. and a little in southern IL. I have a Reelfoot Stumpjumper and canoe, but most times I use a Fish Cat#4 float tube. :D I do a little fly fishing also. I also do some Ice fishing when we have it. Hope to drop by once in a while and enjoy the company. Mike

[capt.kirk]

WELCOME ABOARD MIKE
Glad to have you with us,keep us up on whats going on in your neck of
the woods.
KIRK

[Schoe]

I'm not sure if you have read any of my posts but you fish for my absolute favorite fish the Gills. I am also from the QC area but am in Fla. till April. I will contact you when I get home. If you have any good Digital Pics. of you and your catches please consider submitting them for us to choose from to adorn our Motor Home as we travel across the country promoting our web site. There will be details of this soon so keep your eye the MOTOR HOME PICS thread. Thanks for joining in with us, Schoe

[hushpuppy]

Welcome Mike, glad to see you post.

[Annie]

welcome! I'm in QC, IL too - we're glad to have you here!

[Environmentor]

Hello Mike,
I too am a big fan of monster bluegills and live in the QC area. Some of the South Eastern Iowa Lakes (Geode and Sugema and Indian Lake) have big bluegills. The biggest gills came from Muscatine Sand Pits in my opinion. Although, some farmponds produce good gills (but I don't know any farmpond owners). Don't know if you ever fished the sandpits before, but the companies stopped letting people fish them. I am going back down this year to ask the companies again.

[Schoe]

Enviromentor, good luck on getting permission to fish the pits. We have the Courts and people who have sued land owners for accidents that their ignorance and stupidity caused. I can remember when I was a young kid back in the late 50s and 60s the older boys in the neighborhood used to take us down to the pits every weekend to snorkel and fish. Those were times I will never forget. Schoe

[gofish]

theres a small park in marshall illinois that has lots of 9 to 10 inch bluegills and ive caught redear there up to 13 inches. if you guys get down this way in the spring give a holler. im always looking for new places with big ones to take my youngest. also walnut point by oakland has a lot of biguns theres an 8inch limit there and 10 creel.

[Schoe]

I fish for Bluegills in the backwaters of the Misissippi River below Muscatine Ia. They arent the long whoppers but they are twice as thick as the lake fish and Fillet out nice. Schoe

[Rainman4u2]

And I just now find out about this wonderful gill fishing Schoe. I see how it is...LOL!!!

Welcome aboard Mike!!!!

Ray

[Screen]

Welcome to the newbe's - I too am from arround the QCA! I have always had good luck at Lake Carlton at Rockwood State Park north of Morrison, IL. - for gills, esp. with a fly rod, fun! In fact all species are there - 10hp limit but nice lake and great camping in the park - my nephew got a 30" northern there! Also a good ice fish lake!

[Schoe]

Screen, keep Carlton in mind for the full moon in June and we can lessen the population. Might be a good place for a mini gathering sometime. Schoe

[gofish]

screen and schoe if i remember right i fished that pond years ago. had some monster redear and bluegill.

[Environmentor]

Schoe, south of Muscatine? You talking the breaks (Big Timber as it is officially called)? I have only fished that area once and didn't catch a thing. I know a lot of people fish there and have good luck, but I got nothing so I ain't been back. However, the tubes (connect Odessa to Mississippi River) used to always hold all kinds of big fish. However, they closed them, but I heard they reopened them, but haven't back down there to check it out. Kind of a drive to come up empty handed, if they are closed!

Anyone from Eastern Iowa or Western Illinois, know if the tubes (connecting Odessa to Mississippi River) are open.

[gofish]

screen and schoe my exwifes family is having a reunion in rockford july 1st. my daughter is wanting to go to it(ive had custody since she was 1)so it would be a perfect excuse for me to get away with one of the boys camping/fishing ect. will that be too late for the bluegill? if i remember right it had walleye and muskie too.

[Schoe]

Gofish, July isn't one of the best months for Walleye in our area but if you and your son come over I will take you where we can catch some real nice Catfish and river Bluegills and maybe Crappie. Schoe

[gofish]

sounds great schoe. i told the boys the one with the best grades at the end of the school year would get to go. ill be in trouble if they all get straight a's.

[Schoe]

OK man, anything to get the kids to take interest in school. I don't think they have ever come up with a way for me to have been interested. I gave up a full free ride at the University of Ky. cause I had enough school for one lifetime.
I have some good spots we can take the camper and spend some time. We will talk more about this at Ky. Lake. Schoe

[rockinmichigan]

Welcome aboard Mike, looking forward to hearing some fishing stories from your neck of the woods. One of my absolute favs are bluegills, but anything that tugs on the line pretty good is a fav of mine. :D