bahmer Loc: Northern Illinois Rockford

I don't live to awfully far from Lake Shabbona in Illinois and was wondering how to fish it. If anybody fishes this lake maybe you could give me some pointers. Probably won't go until the weather warms some and the coronaviruse stops.

Ron620DVS Loc: Guntersville Alabama

Bass Tips For Mega Weekend – April 20 & 21..🎣🐠🐠🐠🐠🐠



Shabbona Lake is a man made impoundment, a large farm pond, full of structure. It is also full of very large Bass. Every year we have many, many Bass over 20 inches caught. Bass in our Northern Illinois climate do extremely well. Shabbona Lake, with its historic structure and abundant food chain, has produced hundreds of Bass in the 5-7 pound range. The Lake Record being 23”, 7.85 Pounds caught 04-21-07. Please note the date April 21st. Can history repeat itself this year on April 21st!!!

Starting with the premise that Shabbona Lake is like a giant farm pound, what is the best Bass bait for farm pond fishing in the early Spring. In the Spring we get a lot of moisture or rain that softens ups the ground for growth of grasses, trees & plants. It also brings out nightcrawlers. We have all seen the roads and sidewalks covered with “crawling crawlers” after a Spring rain.

Bass have seen them appear also, after Spring rains, and the Bass will line up for a “chow down” near drainage areas and shorelines. So what is the best bait for Bass in Early Spring? Bass love nightcrawlers.

The best technique is to hook the crawler once in the head end, with a #2 thin wire Aberdeen hook, tied directly to the line. No swivel, no weight. Just you, your pole, a #2 hook and a nightcrawler. Cast the crawler next to a tree stump in the NMZ or next to one of the standing trees in the South end of the lake. Let it float down naturally. Look for a sudden twitch in your line. That means a Bass has inhales your crawler. As your line takes off, reel up the slack, set the hook and “Bass ON!!!”

Many fishermen come into the baitshop and ask what they are biting on, or what they should use. I generally asked them how do you fish? Live bait, spinnerbaits, casting, trolling, etc.? What is it that you like to do? I can tell them how I fish and where I fish, but I have learned that they will always go back to how they have always fished. So I try and steer them to the most productive areas for how they fish.

Since I have already given you my best technique for early Bass, we will cover some other productive techniques and where to use them, in hopes that I hit your favorite technique.

Spinnerbaits, particularly white ones, work along tree stumps, over & along cribs and retrieved over emerging weedbeds. Chatterbaits, work over & along rock piles. Rattle traps are very productive early in the NE Cove, if you can keep a Muskie from biting you off.

Shad Raps, work the dam face & along or near drop offs. Husky jerks, use a pause and retrieve over and along fish cribs. Red Eye Shads, East Bay over emerging weed growth. Craw Papi’s and other crawdad plastics will catch numerous bass on or near drop offs. Use a #3/0 hook and a 3 ¾” Craw Papi with no weight, no swivel for best results. Drag it slowing along in short jerks, simulating a crawdad movement.

Now there is only one proven technique left to mention, but you can not repeat this tip to your fishing partner, a floating B— R—–. If you don’t know what that stands for, ask one of the regulars on Fish Tails, who know what my favorite lure is! Twitch and dive that lure next to tree stumps and again “Bass On!!!”

We have heard reports of 8+ pound Bass being caught, but none have ever been verified on a certified scale. Maybe this year you can change that!!! Can history repeat itself on April 21st!!! Will we have another Lake Record Bass Caught on April 21st? Will it be you!!!



https://shabbonalake.com/bass-largemouth-smallmouth-for-mega-weekend/


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Fishing Hot Spots Map:

https://www.fishinghotspots.com/e1/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=392

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Ron620DVS Loc: Guntersville Alabama

Shabbona Lake has been declared the “Muskie Capitol of Illinois” and “Illinois Best Fishing Lake”


https://shabbonalake.com/fishing/


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FREE Lake Map

https://shabbonalake.com/fishing/free-lake-map/

Ron620DVS Loc: Guntersville Alabama

SHABBONA LAKE PROFILE:


https://www.ifishillinois.


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FISHING HOT SPOTS MAP


https://www.fishinghotspots.com/e1/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=392



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Ron620DVS Loc: Guntersville Alabama

Rockford (IL) Fishing Spots


Alpine Dam 3.5 miles.

Angler's Edge Fishing & Marine 3.4 miles.

Beaver Creek 8.7 miles.

Bessie Creek 10.7 miles.

Candlewick Lake 12.5 miles.

Candlewick Lake Dam 12.5 miles.

Coolidge Creek 11.9 miles.

County Lake 12.7 miles.


Rockford (IL) Fishing Reports, Times, Licenses, and Shops:


https://www.hookandbullet.com/c/fishing-rockford-il/



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Ron620DVS Loc: Guntersville Alabama

The Best 10 Fishing in Rockford, IL


https://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=fishing&find_loc=Rockford%2C+IL


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Fishing « Winnebago Forestwinnebagoforest.org › fishing

Hot Fishing Spots. Four Lakes. Four Lakes is 186-acres containing four small man-made lakes. Kilbuck Creek. This small picturesque stream offers catfish at its mouth, and upstream, in the deeper slow pools, by logjams, and below the small dam west of the Highway 51 bridge. Kishwaukee River. Pecatonica River. Sugar ..


https://winnebagoforest.org/fishing/


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Mike Herron

I fished there 4 - 5 times a year for about 3 years. Here is an example of a 90 minute outing from a few years ago.

Mike

bahmer Loc: Northern Illinois Rockford

Is this from Lake Shabbona?

Mike Herron

Yes

bahmer Loc: Northern Illinois Rockford

Thanks. What did you use for bait?

Mike Herron

minnows and worms

bahmer Loc: Northern Illinois Rockford

Hey Mike thanks for the info. In the future use the Quote Reply tag when responding to people here on Fishing Stage because then the other persons statement or question is carried over to your response. That way others here on fishing stage can figure out as to who and what you are responding to. The Quote Reply tag us right next to the Reply tag to the right. Thanks for the tip and the info.

Ron620DVS Loc: Guntersville Alabama

Shabbona - 03_01_2020 - good🎣🐠🐠🐠🐠🐠

Really had to move around for the fish but there were there in the deep trees. Most 18 to 25 feet down in 30 FOW. The shallower water in the deep trees (18 feet) seem to hold gills. Kept one 7 inch gill for a few minutes for a quick photo shoot among the crappie. A lot more white VS black crappie so the black ones seem to be migrating somewhere else. No motor zone perhaps?

Ice was 9 inches but with the warm air I am sure it is going fast, especially near the shoreline. Very few folks out. Not sure if it was because of the high winds or they though the ice would not be safe?



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bahmer Loc: Northern Illinois Rockford

Thanks the ice should all be gone now.