Quote Originally Posted by FishnDave View Post
Will do, Brandon. Whereabouts in Illinois do you visit? For seven years, I lived in the DeKalb/Sycamore/Genoa area, and worked in the Naperville/St.Charles/West Chicago areas. The Fox River and Kishwaukee River are both good fisheries for smallmouth bass, along with the occasional rock bass (nice ones!), pike, musky, walleye, etc.
About half way between Peoria and Bloomington is a small town (village actually) called Goodfield. That's where my wife is from, and all her family is still there. She has a great uncle that has a pond loaded with bluegill and largemouth, also a few crappie. So far bluegill are my favorite fish to target with a fly rod. My grandpa-in-law got me into fly fishing a couple years ago, and when we visit he takes me to the local ponds and we also fish for smallmouth on the Mackinaw River and Walnut Creek. I caught my first smallmouth last summer on Walnut Creek my first time smallmouth fishing...on my third cast. A nice 15" fish. What a rush! No trout in Arizona ever fought (or jumped) like that. I'm hooked on them now. I just recently found out a section of the Verde river and Wet Beaver Creek here in AZ hold smallmouth, so you can bet I'll be fishing for them hopefully soon.

Sorry for the lousy phone pics and goofy hat, but here's a couple pics of me and two bluegill caught on the above mentioned pond:





I love fishing for trout, but if I could only catch one fish the rest of my days it would be a bluegill. Anyways I'll quit hijacking your thread now, and keep up the great reports.