Jer Loc: N. Illinois 🇺🇸

I was able to make a final trip for the year to visit my brother and fish Lake Jacksonville in central Illinois. The city closes the lake each year to boating and fishing, giving way to duck hunting from blinds at specific locations base on drawings.

We hit the water at first light on Monday. The air temperature was 38° and the wind was WNW @ 6MPH with gusts of 10MPH. TOLERABLE, but our finger tips could feel it. Fished a buzz bait, whopper plopper, medium diving crank bait , lipless crank bait, fluke, chatterbait, and swimbait.
We landed 21 bass, 4 crappies, and 2 bluegills. Water temperature was 58°.
The crank bait accounted for 2 bass, the buzz bait for 1, and the swimbait for 18. The swimbait used was a 2.8” Keitech on a sixteenth ounce weighted, 1/0 hook.

On Tuesday, we were greeted by air temperature of 34°. The water temperature was 59° in the morning and 60.4° in the afternoon. South winds around 5MPH.
We got 16 bass and 2 crappie. 2 on a buzz bait, 1 on a fluke, and all others on the swimbait.

Wednesday was BALMY 😉. Air temperature was 43° and the wind from SSW at 12MPH gusting up to 26MPH.
Luckily, there are many coves to tuck into and the leaves on the trees really made for fisherman comfort. The fish cooperated on the final day and we got 21 bass and 5 crappie.
Again, the swimbait was the big producer at 20 bass. The buzz bait got the other.

Monday’s starting temperature.


2.8” Keitech in color “Light Hitch”.


Not big, but no skunk 🦨


Tuesday’s starting air temperature


2 lbs. 7 oz.


White Egret


Wood and/or weeds were key




Fall color


Fall color

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

Awesome catching Jer! Those are impressive numbers in any conditions, but especially in those cold mornings. My fingers were getting numb reading this, LOL. It looks like the Keitechs were the bait of choice out there. We're supposed to get a little heatwave next week, I'll be looking forward to that. I run into Duck hunters on Lilly and Zoar every year. Beautiful pictures and great report buddy, thanks for sharing.

fishyaker Loc: NW Michigan (Lower Peninsula)

That's a lot of steady action during your trip! Great report ans statistics on the best bait/lure! Thank you!

orion72 Loc: Southern Maryland

Nice report. Sounds like a good time. Great pics btw.

Jer Loc: N. Illinois 🇺🇸

Thanks Fred. Yeah, if you got a small swimbait, maybe give it a shot. Even wackies didn’t work.
Good luck brother.

Jer Loc: N. Illinois 🇺🇸

You’re welcome Yaker. I hope it’s a little hedge for your next trip if things are slow.

Jer Loc: N. Illinois 🇺🇸

Thank you sir.

Still above water Loc: San Francisco ca

Great report! Glad u did well! Nice pics. Love that underspin swim bait!

Jer Loc: N. Illinois 🇺🇸

Thank you. We had a great time being together and we were rewarded with fish.
It doesn’t get much better.

Billycrap2 Loc: Mason county,W(BY GOD) Virginia, 🇺🇸🦅

Congratulations Jer for sharing y’all days,
Nice catching on the swim bait,
Thank for sharing your visit with your brother and the pictures 👍🏽👍🏽🎣🎣🎣🎣🐟🐟🐠🐠🐋🐋🇺🇸🇺🇸🦅🦅

Jer Loc: N. Illinois 🇺🇸

My pleasure, Billy. I hope you enjoyed it.

NJ219bands Loc: New Jersey

Nice 👍

OJdidit Loc: Oak Creek Wisconsin

Great post Jer, I will definitely start with a swim bait if I get out today!

Jer Loc: N. Illinois 🇺🇸

Thanks Bands. It was a good trip.

Jer Loc: N. Illinois 🇺🇸

Good luck, John. We were fishing it really slow and working it with the rod tip.
Slow was key.