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2010 collecting season in Illinois (Chicagoland)

Started by Guest_tadpoleboy_* , Feb 07 2010 11:48 PM

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11 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_tadpoleboy_*

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Posted 07 February 2010 - 11:48 PM

I was just wondering who is located in the chicagoland area (suburbs) who would be interested in a trip to a few local creeks or whatnot. I am in the elgin area. Obviously not right now, since its freezing, but in the very near future. I also have a kayak, and can cover a lot of different areas in one day by moving through the tributaries if there is anyone else who has a kayak. I know a few local areas in the Fox river tributary.

I also have found a wealth of literature (mostly biological surveys done by IDNR) that sample many different streams leading into the fox, and list every species and number of each caught. Some are dated, but they give a good description of the stream habitat and inhabitants. Im not going to post all these PDFs, as there are quite a few. If you are interested, i can send you some, however. But yea, if you are in the area, or even interested in a kayaking trip on it own, get on this thread so we can start planning.

My equipment includes
-dipnet
-two man seine (maybe 6 ft?)
-cast net
-little aquarium nets
-waders

If you have anygood equipment that i dont, it would be worth mentioning.

#2 Guest_natureman187_*

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Posted 07 February 2010 - 11:58 PM

There are a handful of Illinoisans here, several upstate and several downstate.

#3 Guest_tadpoleboy_*

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Posted 08 February 2010 - 05:09 PM

I am very familiar with a lot of southern illinois areas since i went to school there. I have since graduated, and have work with whats up here. I must say, fish down south are a lot cooler and abundant. This is probably a result of the lesser degree of urbanization, however.

As for those IDNR surveys, they may prove to be valuable to any of you looking for certain species, provided they are listed. For example, i now know an area that will most likely have logperch, which i have never been able to find.

Edited by tadpoleboy, 08 February 2010 - 05:11 PM.

#4 Guest_Uland_*

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Posted 08 February 2010 - 07:45 PM

Howdy Ian, I'm from the South Suburbs but we travel all over sampling and photographing as many fish as possible. When water is right, I'd say there isn't a weekend that can hold me indoors. I must admit that I tend to stay away from the more urbanized waterways which makes me sample south and west of the city most of the time. We'll have to get together and sample as a group as soon as it warms up.

As far as your gear....everything appears to be in order but we usually stream hop via car and not canoe/kayak.

Thanks for joining the forum and I look forward to a good sampling season ahead.

#5 Guest_tadpoleboy_*

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Posted 08 February 2010 - 09:07 PM

So i just checked my dipnet, and it seems mice have caused some damage. I may be able to make it work, but it has some chew holes. Uland, how many dipnets do you have? And where would you reccomend i get a new one?

#6 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 08 February 2010 - 09:28 PM

The Perfect Dipnet from Jonah's Aquarium in the Vendors section is always a fave; it takes catastrophic spills in the water to lose one(!).

#7 Guest_natureman187_*

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Posted 09 February 2010 - 01:28 AM

The Perfect Dipnet from Jonah's Aquarium in the Vendors section is always a fave; it takes catastrophic spills in the water to lose one(!).

The Perfect Dipnet is an amazing piece of work Ian, well worth the money. Mines been hastily used for butterflies and salamanders in the past as well as it's original intent. I hear they're hard to lose from the 'bama crew

Can't go wrong with one, A+ in my book!

#8 Guest_Uland_*

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Posted 09 February 2010 - 09:11 AM

Ian, I think the Cummings net is also worthy of mention.
http://www.cumingsne...ge2Catalog.html

I have dipnets you can use but with a group we usually use seines (which I have an abundance of).

#9 Guest_Kurisuchan_*

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Posted 09 February 2010 - 11:55 AM

Tadpole boy, I live in Hanover Park, and work/go to school in Elgin. Most of my warm weather weekends are spent fishing (as an excuse to get out to the local waters). While I'm not as well equiped as you (no kayak), chances are I'd be more than willing to tag along on any type of sampling trip.

#10 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 09 February 2010 - 10:24 PM

The Perfect Dipnet from Jonah's Aquarium in the Vendors section is always a fave; it takes catastrophic spills in the water to lose one(!).

Yeah, and even then they sometimes find their way home!

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

#11 Guest_Mike_*

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Posted 12 February 2010 - 01:54 AM

I live in Northwest Indiana but Elgin is not that far I've worked out there a lot.

I have a saine net & a square drop net.

Also I have 2 kyacks, but like Uland said (& the one time I went with them) they stream hop with cars. But they are still there if the groupe wanted to do something different.

Mike

#12 Guest_icasey_*

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Posted 15 February 2010 - 04:47 PM

Via kayak i imagine it would be easiest to find a river with an decent amount of tributaries within a reasonable kayaking distance. This way one can cover both sides of the river very quickly, and reach spots that may be hard if one were to park somewhere farther and walk out. I know on the Fox river by me i could nail 2-3 streams in one day if i explored them a bit, and more if it was just the mouth to the river. Heck, you may even be able to cast and dip net from a kayak.