[RiverRat]

Launched out of SR today, figured would fish the afternoon bite with the full moon so got on water around 11am. Headed down to Peru and fished the Peru sign up past Maze lumber, nothing.. nothing on the graph, no bites, nothing. Gave it good working from 22-30FOW but after about 1.5 hours with no bites left for 39 Bridge. Passed over snag hole slowly and watched graph but was empty so headed to 39. Jigged and pulled and again nothing, this time working 17-20FOW.

I was losing patience and was prepared to pack up and just go back to Morris and fish dam for the night walleye bite but decided to give the front of Vermilion a try. While setting up wind pushed me into about 8FOW, instead of motoring out I figured I would just fish my way out and once I hit 13FOW I got my first bite, short fish but still a fish. Got another in 15FOW, once I got into the hole 19-20FOW I got nothing for the rest of the run. Jigged down deep again with nothing so I setup and pulled shallow. 13FOW-15FOW was the key for sauger, if you wandered up to 8-9FOW you would find walleye. Pulling floaters and minnows got the numbers, jigging minnows got the size. They would not touch a plastic, but did get some borderline legals on a stickbait.

Bite really picked up at sundown into dark with a huge full moon shinning down on the river.

Got 3doz minnows from the guy right off the Utica exit - stop in a talk to him, great old timer with a lot of knowledge, and used all but maybe 5-6.

Water temp was 43.5 ALL DAY - did not lower at all, was a weird slight fog hanging over the river. Water was dirty, but at the Vermilion was cleaner.

Good luck out there and see you all on the water

[Mike V]

Good report. I wonder if the water temps are keeping the fish shallower. Maybe the fish are stuck in that November water temp mode. These are similar results I had two weeks prior with similar water temps one pool up. Definitely have to adjust. It's not as easy as hitting the deep holes and automatically catching quality (legal) fish.

[retired trucker]

It's tempting to go down there but the perch are going crazy up this way.

[schrofer]

Do you guys know if the bait store on top of Utica hil is open mornings during the week? Thinking about going for jig bite but finding minnows down there these days is a challenge

[RiverRat]

There used to be a baitshop in every town along the river, now its thin and hit or miss.. here are the ones I know have a chance of being open:

Off Utica Route 80 exit, he is open every day but would call ahead..
Applebee’s Bait Shop
815-667-7036

If he is not open B&B in Ottawa will be open till 10am on weekdays

1007 Lasalle St, Ottawa
815-433-0432

AND if they for some reason are not open there is a guy out of SV who sells out of his garage.. no idea if he still does



AND there is always the Feed Loft in Channahon

23930 S Northern Illinois Dr, Channahon
1-815-467-9040

and don't forget Angelos - probably the best quality/quantity of the bunch but out of the way

708 W Baltimore St Wilmington, IL 60481
815-476-7524

The way its going I'm probably going to have to start trapping and seining just to get live bait