Cook County Forest Preserve Lake - Big Sunday Catch of 335 fish!

[John wilkins]

I fished a Cook County Forest Preserve Lake and hoisted in an impressive 335 fish on Sunday. Sadly, the feeding slowed down a bit after cold rain dropped in on the lake and chilled my fish! Fishing through two steady rains, I was on an impressive 124 fish an hour pace. I estimate that I was well into a 150 fish and hour pace prior to the cold rain dropping the shallow water near me, but will happily take that fishing total. This pushes my fish catch for 2009 to 1,530.

I set out to fish a 3-hour session just after giving private lessons Sunday. I really wanted to raise the bar on my record pace of 512 fish and at least have a higher catch rate per hour. The weather changed my plans a bit and I cut the 3-hour session short by :30 minutes.

Initially the fishing was very good, but then there was a point where the fish were going so mad, they were hitting everything. They were biting the split shot, the float, the line- everything. This caused some problems early but I adjusted a few things on the rig and was then really rocking my catch rate. I can't possibly tell what my catch rate was from that :30 minutes in to about an hour into my session. Fish were literally flying everywhere. I few of them missed the bag for sure and at least 20 or so flew past me back into the water. Many were coming off my hook and hitting me in the chest and falling right into my keep net. (Keep nets are live wells made of mesh with a wire frame that go in the water in front of anglers).
Many times on the afternoon, my total was going up without even unhooking -those are the best kinds of fish. Nearly no time spent unhooking and if there was still a spike on the hook the rig is shot right back into the water.

Prior to my session, had caught 23 fish during my lesson and was anxious to get started fishing. The really sad part of my fishing session was hearing on the Bears' football broadcast on the radio that rain was coming down in sheets. The stadium downtown is only a couple of miles to the South so I knew the rain was headed my way. Rain it did!

Chilly rain quickly dampened my day, soaked my clothes and chilled me to the bone. My hands were a bit slower from the first rain shower as I really got the chill. If I got chilled, those fish were getting chilled. The water in front of me felt very warm, but my soaked clothes were filled with chilly rain. This cold water entering the warm water drove the fish deeper and away from me.

I cut the session a bit short after the second rainfall. Not only was I soaked, but the Bears were making a comeback and I was freezing, the fish were slowing. So ends a great speed-fishing session on the pole.

Not a bad 150 minutes of fishing and 312 fish! My good minutes were well over 5 fish a minute and that cold water just slowed my catch rate. - Shame, but I have bait and I will give it a go in the next week or so. This is the last day of summer - let's hope I can align all the conditions and go for my 512 fish record - it is very reachable!

My total for the year- 1,530 fish so far.
Until next time - keep an eye on your float!

John