smallies by bridges

[jim cosgrove]

[jim cosgrove]

something like this John?

[John Sheehan]

wow yeah , like that Jim! That water looks shallow for such a large smallmouth!

[jim cosgrove]

[jim cosgrove]

there are some holes and just up stream this creek runs thru a concrete aquaduct for a few miles thru joliet il and then returns to a natural creek further up.kind of a semi urban fishery that runs thru woods and old industrial areas.20 years ago this water was toxic.downstream a bit this spills into the des plaines river which was mentioned in the classic 1800s book the black bass as the best smallmouth stream in the united states,people are getting lots of 5lb class smallies every year in this system.this is just the easiest access point for me.they are my favorite fish.

[Slip Sinker]

nice healthy fish Jim...and looks like a great place to fish.

Does the area get alot of fishing pressure?

whats your favorite setup for a swim like this?

[jim cosgrove]

it all gets pounded slip but every one seems to understand that they gotta go back in the water.nice spot once you get down into this little canyon but an old industrial area.but this creek has some wooded sections.

[jim cosgrove]

slip you guys got smallies in roadside ditches over there.i think the first fish my son caught was a michigan smallmouth.he reeled it up to the first guide dropped the pole in the water and ran.

[Slip Sinker]

yep i agree Jim... all these deep river systems where i live that end up in Saginaw bay just ooze smallmouth bass. the reservoirs just are huge shiner and shad breeding grounds the game fish in general are larger than avg especially wixom lake. the little creek on my property has smallmouth and browns but they are usually very small for the system. however my son did find a brown trout over 23". the smallmouth are usually topped at 12" that ive seen and caught . however the main lake avg size smallmouth i would say is about 16 to 17"

[jim cosgrove]

since the goby invasion lake michigan is growing some big ones,i expect a state record or two to fall in the next few years.

[Slip Sinker]

and because of that it is nothing to catch a 6lber out of lake eerie or lake st clair ... just awesome smallmouth bass factories

[jim cosgrove]

i like my fenwick 6' light action 10 lb braid,think the reel is a decent spool drag diawa.if i'm in the river i beef it up to my berkley bionix medium with a heavier reel cause there are pike and stripers and other beasts out there.

[Jim Gronaw]

Stream smallies are hard to beat! Nice fish!