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Good Collecting Spots near me?


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#1 juhason

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Posted 26 March 2015 - 11:39 AM

Now that the weather is starting to warm up a little, I'm super excited to go see breeding fishes, and even more excited to start collecting fish for my tank! The closest spot to me is the dam under the railroad track in downtown Des Plaines and Big Bend Lake/DP River pool that it flows into.  I am more specifically looking for shiners/minnows/killies and darters, but colorful sunfish are always welcome in my home.

 

The only species I was able to find in those collection spots was some large (about 3") shiners that were rather bland (mostly gray with a purplish and greenish shine) blackstripe topminnows, and johnny darters. The sunfish are mostly bluegill, greens, and pumpkinseeds all of which are too large and aggressive for my tanks.

 

I am really hoping to find a good spot with red shiners, which I've wanted for a long time! They are supposed to be abundant all over the place but I can't seem to find one. I also would like to find blacktail and spotfin shiners but really any shiner other than the one that I keep finding (which I can't identify) is ok to me. Anyone know of a good spot near me with a decent variety in fish? 



#2 Evan P

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Posted 26 March 2015 - 12:36 PM

That gray fish with a purplish sheen was probably a spotfin shiner. You may be able to find different species different times of year, as well. Keep checking the spot bear by in addition to other places. You may be surprised what you could turn up.
3,000-4,000 Gallon Pond Full of all sorts of spawning fishes! http://forum.nanfa.org/index.php/topic/13811-3560-gallon-native-fish-pond/page-3 
 

#3 Michael Wolfe

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Posted 26 March 2015 - 12:39 PM

You need to really figure out what that other shiner is. Get a picture. It might be one of the ones you are looking for. Maybe just juv?
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#4 Sunfish Catcher 321

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Posted 26 March 2015 - 01:10 PM

I have a spot for spot tail shinners if that is their name. I have sampled three place by use but not alot of diversity. Let me know what other species you are lokking for and I can help you out.

#5 Matt DeLaVega

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Posted 26 March 2015 - 02:09 PM

The Vermillion river is silly with red shiners.


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#6 juhason

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Posted 26 March 2015 - 06:53 PM

That gray fish with a purplish sheen was probably a spotfin shiner. You may be able to find different species different times of year, as well. Keep checking the spot bear by in addition to other places. You may be surprised what you could turn up.

Oh hopefully! Thanks for the advice!

 

You need to really figure out what that other shiner is. Get a picture. It might be one of the ones you are looking for. Maybe just juv?

I'll try to get a picture in a couple of days or weeks (it's still a bit cold and the river is very high from snow melting, making a little hard for me to catch them)

 

I have a spot for spot tail shinners if that is their name. I have sampled three place by use but not alot of diversity. Let me know what other species you are lokking for and I can help you out.

Yes woops that's what I meant! Spot tail not blacktail. oops. I also really want red shiners and any darter OTHER than johnny.

 

The Vermillion river is silly with red shiners.

Where exactly is this river? I tried searching it and it seemed kind of far from me.



#7 Sunfish Catcher 321

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Posted 26 March 2015 - 07:28 PM

It is a small creek called weller creek it has lots of them.

#8 Sunfish Catcher 321

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Posted 26 March 2015 - 07:30 PM

It is about 2 hours away the vermillion river.

#9 juhason

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Posted 26 March 2015 - 08:44 PM

It is a small creek called weller creek it has lots of them.

It is about 2 hours away the vermillion river.

Ok thank you sir!



#10 strat guy

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Posted 26 March 2015 - 10:08 PM

Vermillion River in LaSalle off the Illinois? Or the big one farther south? The one off the Illinois is a great spot for striper fishing every year...


120 low tech native planted - Blackstriped Topminnow, Central Stoneroller, Fathead minnow, Golden Shiner, Black chin shiner, Carmine Shiner, Emerald Shiner, Sand Shiner, Spotfin Shiner, Orangethroat darter, Johnny Darter, and Banded Darter.


#11 Matt DeLaVega

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Posted 26 March 2015 - 11:16 PM

Yes, the one in Lasalle. Mooneye, shortnose gar, and many other interesting fish as well.


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#12 strat guy

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Posted 27 March 2015 - 07:17 PM

Yeah I go fishing there during the striper runs, Labor and Memorial day. Lots of cool fish in there. Sauger too in the early season, only place I've ever seen them. They like curly tail jigs near shore. Last time I was there the striper were so hot you'd pull one in and there would be seven nipping its fins on the way in. You're right, lots of moon eye. Every now and then a small gar, only seen one that was really big, couldn't get it to strike right though, kept missing. Down at thirty foot there's lots of nice rock there, I've seen quite a bit of nice looking slate. Ever grabbed minnows there? I was wondering about dragging a seining net through there.


120 low tech native planted - Blackstriped Topminnow, Central Stoneroller, Fathead minnow, Golden Shiner, Black chin shiner, Carmine Shiner, Emerald Shiner, Sand Shiner, Spotfin Shiner, Orangethroat darter, Johnny Darter, and Banded Darter.


#13 Matt DeLaVega

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Posted 27 March 2015 - 09:03 PM

I have only accessed it through Matthiesson state park. It is an area known as Garvana due to the large amount of shortnose gar. Yeah we have been neck deep in that river with 5 people pulling two 20 foot seines. I remember red shiners as being common as dirt. There are some species lists around here if you search Garvana.


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#14 Matt DeLaVega

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Posted 27 March 2015 - 09:05 PM

Search it from the main forum page, as it will not show if you are in this subforum.


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#15 strat guy

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Posted 27 March 2015 - 11:35 PM

Awesome. I remember a pond at Matthiesson but there wasn't anything in it. We tried to access the river from there last year but ended up at an RC airfield and couldn't find the river. We usually access under the bridge in Jonesville I think. Down the street from the park in Oglesby.


120 low tech native planted - Blackstriped Topminnow, Central Stoneroller, Fathead minnow, Golden Shiner, Black chin shiner, Carmine Shiner, Emerald Shiner, Sand Shiner, Spotfin Shiner, Orangethroat darter, Johnny Darter, and Banded Darter.


#16 Matt DeLaVega

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Posted 27 March 2015 - 11:49 PM

All I remember is it is down a steep trail through a really pretty gorge.


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#17 strat guy

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Posted 28 March 2015 - 09:16 PM

Well, for future trips, there's a really cool spot in a different location. Instead of going to Matthiesson or Starved Rock, you take 71 north through Oglesby, and then take a right and continue to follow it back east. Enter the river below the bridge there. If you follow the river east, about a mile and a half down there's a place the locals call "30 foot" because supposedly its 30 feet deep there (its not). There's a large rock formation where the river comes to a waterfall. The fish come in from the Illinois, and they get backed up all in that area about a half mile before the falls and can't go any further in. The number of fish in there during spawns is enormous. I've gotten walleye, sauger, carp, short and long nose gar, yellow and white bass, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and shads of a few different kinds in there. Seen people with channels. Supposedly, flatheads come in from the Illinois and sit there. Anyway, its a sure-fire spot because the fish get backed up and don't want to go back to the Illinois.

 

Screen Shot 2015-03-28 at 8.54.11 PM.png


120 low tech native planted - Blackstriped Topminnow, Central Stoneroller, Fathead minnow, Golden Shiner, Black chin shiner, Carmine Shiner, Emerald Shiner, Sand Shiner, Spotfin Shiner, Orangethroat darter, Johnny Darter, and Banded Darter.


#18 Matt DeLaVega

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Posted 28 March 2015 - 09:27 PM

I assume the falls must be passable for fish during high water at least?


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#19 strat guy

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Posted 28 March 2015 - 09:36 PM

When the water is super high, during early spring. During the majority of the year, its not. There's always a lot of rafters there because the falls are fun to go through.


Edited by strat guy, 28 March 2015 - 09:36 PM.

120 low tech native planted - Blackstriped Topminnow, Central Stoneroller, Fathead minnow, Golden Shiner, Black chin shiner, Carmine Shiner, Emerald Shiner, Sand Shiner, Spotfin Shiner, Orangethroat darter, Johnny Darter, and Banded Darter.


#20 olaf

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Posted 30 March 2015 - 09:24 PM

I've fished that river a lot and love it, but haven't been to that section. Will rectify that soon. Satellite imagery on Google earth looks great for gar. Wish I knew a landowner there to make access easier. When you say a mile and a half down, do you mean upstream (away from the Illinois River) where there are some rocks/rapids and some sort of big old structure? Do you wade up from the bridge or is there enough shore to walk? Ever had any trouble with property owners?
All winter every year I dream of the Vermilion. Earliest I've ever fished it was about 10 April.
Thanks for the tip.
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