5/20/2008

I copied this article from the LEAPO Website (see front page link) and it was written by the Southern Illinois Power Cooperative:

2008 Fish Stocking

Lake of Egypt used to be touted as one of the premium crappie fishing lakes in southern Illinois, but over the past few years they have become harder and harder to find and catch. Crappie have long been sought for their table friendliness and hours of fast paced fishing action for anglers young and old.
In the November 2007, SIPC asked Dr. Roy Heidinger, PhD to perform a sport fishing population study on Lake of Egypt. Since 1971, Dr. Heidinger has completed several such studies and he is considered by many to be the local expert on fishery management. The study confirmed what many anglers already knew. Bass and bluegill populations are strong, but crappie are another story.

Approximately 15,000 black crappie fingerlings (2-3 inches long) were stocked on May 18, 2008. Crappie come in two species, black and white. According to Dr. Heidinger, the black crappie population has remained relatively stable over the past several decades, but only one white crappie was collected in the fall 2007 sample. Dr. Heidinger noted that Lake of Egypt water clarity has improved significantly over the past decade and he hypothesized that this may be the primary cause to the reduced white crappie population in the lake.

In the recommendation portion of his report, Dr. Heidinger suggested that SIPC stock crappie to increase the number of fish per acre. On May 18, 2008, SIPC began a three year stocking program to increase the crappie community on Lake of Egypt. Fish hatcheries typically don’t offer white crappie due to their exceptionally low stress tolerances so black crappie are the preferential stocking species.

Following Dr. Heidinger’s recommendation, Southern Illinois Power Cooperative has taken actions to implement a 3 year stocking program of black crappie. The stocking plan calls for 20,000 2-3 inch fingerlings in 2008, 2009, and 2010. The balance of the 2008 stocking, approximately 5,000 fish, will be completed in the fall of 2008 and each of the remaining two years will be completed in their entirety in the spring of the subsequent years.

Mr. Pete Reiff, owner and operator of Logan Hollow Fish Farm, stated that this year’s stocking class could reach 5 to 6 inches in length within a year and slab size (15 inches) in up to 5 years. Growth rates are dependent upon food availability, but SIPC’s efforts should provide improved crappie fishing on Lake of Egypt for years.

Thank You SIPC!

Fish On!
Mike O.
UBetcha Outdoors

5/19/2008

Water Temperature = 70 and Rising
Water Clarity = Cloudy and Clearing
Water Level = Normal pool.
Last Rain = 5/19/2008

Good news and not so good news!

I’ll lead in with the not so good news. Crappie and bass catching have all slowed down. The spawn has happened and the fish are guarding nest or suspended at mid-depth on their way to summertime patterns. You can still catch’em because not all the fish spawn at the same time. Some are just going to the beds and others have spawned and are already in their early summertime pattern. So you can fish shallow and catch a few or you can fish deeper and catch a few. The common denominator is your going to catch a few, not a lot.

Now the good news! My neighbor Greg and I were out fishing hard Saturday afternoon from 3:00 PM until dark. For the most part we were fishing shallow to catch the few that were up. We caught fish, probably a dozen or so. All were small and it was a mix of crappie, bass and gills. Nothing we felt like keeping. A good time was being had just swapping stories and the weather was perfect but the fish catching looked like a bust.

So the sun was setting and we went to the last spot. Hoo, hooooo did Greg get hot. Greg had a new rod. A light 7 ½ footer and he was having a ball with it making long cast with light tackle. Greg mad a cast right against a concrete shore wall and his bobber disappeared! He cranked in a bigger than hand sized blue gill! For LOE that’s a big gill. To make a long story short he netted 7 more gills that size and bigger (a couple were red ears) 2 crappie, 11 inches long and 1 bass out of the slot. You talk about turning things around! Now that’s what I’m talking about! Greg smoked me! The gills are biting! This weekend I’m going see if I can catch’em that size again.

Now some more good news! I got from a very reliable source, that a stocking program plan is underway for LOE. The plan is to restock 20,000 black crappie over the next 6 years. Based on a study the water quality on LOE is better than what it has been and improving. For some reason this hasn’t been a good thing for white crappie and the speculation is it increases the predation on the species. So, black crappies are surviving better than the whites and that’s why they are stocking the black. Like my neighbor Clarence said “They both eat the same.” And thanks a million to those responsible for the re-stocking program.


Fish On!
Mike O.
UBetcha Outdoors

05/15/2008


Middle South Main Channel – 68 to 70 Steady
Water Level = 12 inches Above Normal Pool Rising
Water Clarity = Murky
Last Rain = 05/15/2008

Crappie and bass continue to spawn and because of that fishing is good to fair. Crappie are hitting on minnows or jigs fished at a medium speed with cast from the shoreline out being the most effective. The only trick is to keep the bait moving at 18 inches or shallower and keep the boat moving as well. Cover as much of the shore as you can. The crappie are either there or not. Some fishermen are dragging jigs at the 6 to 8 foot mark catching crappie coming from or going to the beds.

Bass fishing is good with jigs and worms doing the best followed by spinner baits. Once again the main bite is from the shoreline out. Keep the boat moving and fish the whole shoreline not just the points and flats. Some fish have spawned and are dropping into their summertime pattern. So the points and flats will produce a few fish.

Weather is the bigger issue. Our weather patterns continue to be cooler and wetter than normal with the worst weather centered in the weekends. Monday through Wednesday seem to be the best fishing day with average/warm air temperatures and no rain. On those days the bite is fantastic!

Water temperatures have really been almost perfect for the spawn. We've been holding in the mid to upper 60's for 3 weeks now! Letting the fish spawn in a more stable environment. This should mean a more productive spawn and better than we've had in four years.

Jim was out last week briefly between the storms and wind and had a poor outing. He talked to another crappie fisherman who worked all around Beaver Bay and caught 3 fish total. Not so good. I talked to my buddy Tim he was on the lake just before the storms hit and caught a few bass on a white spinner bait. Not so bad.

My brother and I went up north to surprise Mom. You would think after raising 9 children, mostly boys, you couldn't surprise her, but we did. Pretty good!

And yes Mom we did have clean underware on just in case we had an accident.

Fish On!
UBetcha Outdoors

05/08/2007

Middle South Main Channel – 67 to 69 Steady
Water Level = 8 inches Above Normal Pool
Water Clarity = Murky
Last Rain = 05/07/08

Crappie fishing continue to be good. Overcast skies and warm rain have the water temperatures holding at the magic temperature of 68 degrees keeping fish in the shallows. Use jigs or minnows and fish'em 6 to 18 inches deep and work the shoreline. Don't hold in one spot unless you are catching fish. The bite is spotty and you have to keep on moving in order to catch a bunch! Road Runners may be a good way to fish as well. For some reason the afternoon bite has been better but don't pass up the morning.

Bass fishing continues to be great and like the crappie some fish are on the beds, most are staging and a few are moving to deeper waters. Once again cruise the banks but spend a lot of time on the shelves and points. Jigs and rubber presentations are working the best and spinner baits are working as well. Steve and Juice recommend top water baits, so go figure!

Steve & Juice Write:

Hey Mike, we haven't really had the time to head out to Egypt in a few weeks, but we have done some crappie fishing out at Crab. We've gone three different times now and all together Juice and I have caught around 120 total for those 3 trips. We have been fishing right up next to the banks around brush piles. The size hasn't really been all that great, but i did catch a one that was a little over 2 pounds, with probably 20 right at about the 1 pound range. jigs, minnows, and crickets have all worked. I think were gonna try to head out again today and fish a different spot that I haven't been to since i was a kid, but if I remember correctly, we used to hammer em out there. Also, the bluegill fishing is still crazy hot, and far as bass fishing goes, the last time I was at LOE which was about a week ago, we caught 5 or 6 bass on topwater lures like a zara spook, buzzbaits, and soft plastic ribbet frogs over the weeds.


Good luck out there and DO WORK!
Steve & The Juice

I got pretty much the same report from a Possum Club member about the ponds and strip pits from here to St. Louis were giving up some fantastic blue gill fishing along with bass and crappie.

And when you can't go fishing there's wild asparagus to pick along with morel mushrooms. My wife and I have been picking asparagus for the past 2 weeks. At least once a day we come back with a handful and I swear I can spot an asparagus spear while traveling at 30 miles and hour. Steve of the Possum Club was out this past weekend mushroom hunting and came back with some dandies! See the UBO front page!



Fish, Asparagus, Morels On!

Mike O.

UBetcha Outdoors

05/06/2007

Middle South Main Channel Temperature = 64 to 68 Rising

Water Level = 6 inches Above Normal Pool

Water Clarity = Cloudy and Clearing

Last Rain = 05/02/08

My neighbor Greg was down this weekend and I made him a promise we would go fishing. Greg just bought a cottage on LOE and for the last couple of years all he's been doing is working on it. The remodel is just about complete, the cottage looks great and I guess he decided it was time to kick back at least a little and enjoy. Greg arrived on Friday evening and we discussed at length when we would go fishing and fishing strategy while enjoying a couple of refreshments and pizza.

Neither one of us could go fishing Saturday morning but made a firm commitment to fish Saturday late afternoon. We were rewarded with 7 crappie all about 10 inches long. Sunday morning we got on the lake at 6:30 AM and fished until 9:30 AM. Fishing was slow that morning. We boated 2 bass and one was 17 inches long. We were fishing for crappie but sometimes you gotta take what you get! Saturday evening we were back on the lake by 5:30. Well Greg got out by himself earlier that afternoon and caught 1 crappie about 12 inches long! That evening we had a great time catching 10 more crappie and 2 bass that fell out of the slot. Greg got the biggest crappie at 14 inches! It is the biggest crappie he ever caught and the old boy got so excited he actually smiled!

The crappie ranged in size from 14 to 10 inches and one nice blue gill! It was a great time! And the most crappie caught in an evening fish. All the crappie were caught fairly close to the shore using a tube jig and bobber. The bobber was set 18 inches above the jig and fished at a medium retrieve. No tricks just keep it moving! And red and chartreuse caught the most. Most of the crappie were females. About 70 percent of them. The majority of the females had eggs which were still firm and yellow with the veins just now going to the eggs. Two of the females had soft orange colored eggs.

What this means is the crappie are just starting to spawn with most of the fish staging just off the shore chasing minnows or shad. Crappie fishing should be good over the next 2 weeks!

Bass fishing continues to be excellent with most fishermen changing to rubber presentations. Like the crappie some fish are spawning but most are staging for the spawn.

Oh, and if you ever meet Greg on the lake he doesn't liked to be dogged and knuckled and he doesn't like country western music either unless you are cleaning the fish and make it a requirement !!!!

Fish On!

Mike O.

UBetcha Outdoors

5/1/2008

Water Temperature Middle South Main Channel – 65 to 68 Steady
Water Level = 6 inches Above Normal Pool
Water Clarity = Cloudy and Clearing
Last Rain = 04/25/08

The water temperatures are steady. The crappie continue to bite and can be found on structure in water 10 to 5 feet deep. The best structure is wood next to weeds. Jigs under floats would be a good way to fish. Some reports of fish spawning are coming in.

Bass fishing continues to be hot with some fish going on the beds. Spinner baits seem to be the popular choice with chartreuse/white skirts and copper blades catching the most. Sinkos are still catching it's share of fish and black jigs may be catching the biggest.

I'm building docks!!!???!!!

Fish On!
Mike O.
UBetcha Outdoors