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Coffee Creek off of Wabash River, So IL

Started by Guest_AMcCaleb_* , Sep 15 2013 11:26 PM

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10 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_AMcCaleb_*

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Posted 15 September 2013 - 11:26 PM

So, I was supposed to go fishing yesterday, but it didn't work out. So, to make up for it I went out to a spot that I had been before just to see what all was there. I picked a nice spot and didn't move very far from it. I was on Coffee Creek in Beall Woods State Park in Southern Illinois. The creek comes off the Wabash River. There are several spots to access the creek but I chose the state park because it's the closest access point to where it meets the river and it's the only access point that's not farmland. I had been here once before but only for about an hour so I wanted to spend a little more time here. Right off the bat I was catching spotfin shiners left and right. These had been the only fish that I had caught the last time I was out there. I got them using tanago hooks and a crappie pole.

After about an hour of those I switched to my lightweight pole and using nightcrawler and a bobber I tried the deeper parts of the creek to see what was in there. I caught a couple bluegill and a green sunfish. Then I caught this nice longear.

I caught a smaller largemouth and then I thought I was dragging a stick in to realize at the last moment that I had a bullhead on there. I haven't looked it up but I'm not sure which kind of bullhead it is. I'm guessing yellow or brown. I'll check later.

Anyways, the sun was getting fairly high in the sky and I saw some smaller school forming in the sunlight and I managed to pull out a western mosquitofish. I took a picture but didn't realize till I got home that the camera was way out of focus. Oops. Anyways, not a bad consolation prize for the trip I missed on Saturday.

#2 mattknepley

NANFA Member

Smack-dab between the Savannah and the Saluda.

Posted 16 September 2013 - 04:56 AM

Pretty longear.

Matt Knepley
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."

#3 Guest_BenCantrell_*

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Posted 16 September 2013 - 10:31 AM

Nice work Aaron. I agree with Matt, that's a nice looking longear.

#4 Guest_AMcCaleb_*

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Posted 21 September 2013 - 01:43 PM

I went to a different spot on the same creek. Could use some id help on this minnow.

#5 Guest_Skipjack_*

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Posted 21 September 2013 - 03:40 PM

Pimephales should get you started. Note the eye position. Also the spot on the dorsal.

#6 Guest_BenCantrell_*

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Posted 21 September 2013 - 04:17 PM

Cool! That's a species not on my lifelist.

#7 Guest_AMcCaleb_*

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Posted 21 September 2013 - 04:20 PM

Bullhead minnow it is. Thanks for the help!

#8 Guest_Skipjack_*

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Posted 21 September 2013 - 08:12 PM

Even without a photo of notatus next to it, you can really notice the eye position difference in vigilax. And kudos for a photo decent enough to make an ID.

#9 Guest_AMcCaleb_*

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Posted 21 September 2013 - 09:02 PM

I had to take 7 or 8 pictures to try and get one or two of the fish sitting still. Thanks for the help on the ID. I have Peterson's Field Guide but it's easy to get overwhelmed by the number of species.

#10 Guest_Skipjack_*

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Posted 21 September 2013 - 09:44 PM

Once you get decent at narrowing down to genus(which I still struggle with at times), it makes the species ID easier. Then follow the Wolfe rule. "Know where your feet are". Then start the process of elimination.

#11 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 22 September 2013 - 08:21 AM

I had to take 7 or 8 pictures to try and get one or two of the fish sitting still. Thanks for the help on the ID. I have Peterson's Field Guide but it's easy to get overwhelmed by the number of species.

Hey 7 or 8 to get one good enough to post... that is not bad at all... I almost always take a half dozen of each fish...

The biggest thing that will help you is a backdrop or "paddle" to narrow the tank. You already have a small tank, so go to your Home Depot-like store and but a piece of replacement picture frame "glass" like an 8 x 10... only they sell some plastics as well as actual glass... buy a piece of lexan if you can get it (I like its durability over plain acrylic). You can cut it with a table saw or a hand saw or even a dremel (whatever you have and are comfortable with). Cut a piece that will just fit the width of the tank and is an couple of inches taller than the tank is high. Now you can insert that piece with the bottom at the front-bottom of the tank and let it lean back so that it forms a v-bottom. Shiners calm down in the restricted space (usually, although it take Cyprinella a while) and darters float to the bottom and just sit for you (again, usually).

Not only does the fish sit still, but the camera can now focus on just the right depth of field where the subject is.

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin