Unusual trip to loweer Illinois River

Fishing Fishing Reports
1

I just got back from the Lower Illinois River below Tenkiller Reservoir in OK. It was unusual for 3 reasons. First I have never fished for trout in the summer time it Oklahoma( crowds and heat). Second it has rained hard in the area a day before are the the river was like mud. I have never seen it as bad before, and third I caught 10 diffrent species of fish.
My buddy and I got to the river at 5:35 am and not a soul was there. the river looked awful but we were there so we started fishing. One of the first fish I caught was a 5 lb striper on a size 10 marabou jig. A few lost fish later I realised I had to change out my tippet because the striper had over stretched it ( I probably had my drag a little tight) A few people straggled in between 9& 10 am but there were very few people wherever we went on the river. We wet waded so it made the afternoon temperatures bearable.
Here is a list of fish that I caught

Rainbow trout ( lots of them) :sunglasses: all released to feed the stripers
Striper
Sauger
Small mouth bass
Channel Cat
Fresh water Drum ( the 2 largest were a 12-13 inches)
Bluegill
Green sunfish
Crappie
Buffalo ( in the sucker family )

2

Nice variety!! Sounds like some good fishing, despite the condition of the river.
What did the Buffalo hit?

3

A drifting size 10 marabou jig. They will take any nymph that is drifted to them. In slow to still water they will some times take a slow decending fly cast near them. They do get big like a carp and can wear you out on trout tackle . The one i caught on this trip was a junior.
We have had huge stripers ( guess-to-mated at 15 to 20 lbs) trying to eat the 10 to 16 inch trout we were fighting on a couple previous trips. I hooked a bigger one 2 years ago that simply kicked my behind on trout gear. if I bring an eight weight they are a no show

By the way I enjoy reading your fishing posts.

I am going to fishing our local public ponds and smale lakes more once my kayak comes. I am very sensitive to poison ivy and don’t dare walk through it to fish the shoelines( I can it catch from the wind but i can usually keep it from going systemic)