Sportsman Fishing Club

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Sportsman Fishing Club Enhancing the Environment and Fishing Experience at Shadow Lakes 20 Years August 2015 1994-2014 Officers President - Tom Lydon Cell (630) 776-1625 tlydon44@gmail.

held the third Sunday of each month at the Shadow Lakes Amenity Center. Meetings begin at 9:00 am Free coffee and donuts are provided.

1 Sportsman Fishing Club Enhancing the Environment and Fishing Experience at Shadow Lakes 20 Years August Officers President - Tom Lydon Cell (630) tlydon44@gmail.com Vice President - Fred Cowell Treasurer - Andy Kaminsky Secretary - Lisa Tullos IDNR - Fred Cowell Fund Raising - Betty Lydon The next meeting is Sunday August 16, , 2013 Club meetings are held the third Sunday of each month at the Shadow Lakes Amenity Center. Meetings begin at 9:00 am Free coffee and donuts are provided. Newsletter Peg McQuarters/Tom Lydon Website/Sue Kielnik Visit Us On The Web At: Club Mailing Address: Sportsman Fishing Club Shadow Lakes II W. Amenity Ctr. Dr. Wilmington, IL No July Report Due to Braidwood Summerfest JUNE 2015 FINANCIAL REPORT CLUB BALANCE $3, INCOME SUB-TOTAL 4, EXPENSES * TOTAL 3,286.41** ASSOCIATION FUND 6, TTL 2015 funds 11, * Net negative cash ** $1,000 Fish stocking deposit ** $500 Scholarship CAUTION: Mosquitoes found with West Nile Virus in Will County, cases are being reported. UPCOMING EVENTS AUG 16TH WILL BE OUR NEXT CLUB MEETING TOTAL MEMBERSHIP 158: PAID 133: DUES TO BE PAID 25 PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR 2015 DUES, THANK YOU SEPT 6TH IS OUR CHILDREN'S FISHING DERBY

2 FISHING ROUNDTABLE Late July fishing was still impacted by high water and a weed explosion caused by the high waters. Hawk: Some nice LMBass up to 4 pounds and a GIANT 11 pound 3 ounce Striped Bass. See more info in the "Fish of the Month" article. Some nice big gills up to 8-10 inches. Two anglers reported catching 20 LMBass, all averaged 12 to 14 inches. Several 2 pound Trout reported. A few scattered reports of Crappie and Walleye in early August. PLEASE RETURN OUR WALLEYE ALIVE TO THE LAKES. Northern Lakes: Many nice gills, lots of hunky Red-ear and plenty of Cats up to 8-10 pounds. Interior/cart trail lakes, Some nice perch and gills reported. Weeds are starting to die early. It may mean an early Winter. KIDS FISHING DERBY Sunday Sept 6th, we will hold our Children's Derby at the FV Rearing pond by gate two. Kay and Dennis Bembenek have volunteered to help out once again this year, These two veteran Club members have been the backbone of this event for several decades, Our "THANKS" to Kay and Dennis and the many other volunteers who help out at this event and work to keep the pond clean and neat, CAT/CARP OCTOBERFEST Saturday Sept 26th, we will hold our fifth annual big fish round-up and Octoberfest. Cats & Carp (we hope) brats, sauer kraut, strudel, beer (root) and all things German. Last year, over 60 folks joined us for a really fun evening at the Common area in TMV. Don't miss out on this great event. BEST FISHING DAYS FROM IN-FISHERMAN SOLUNAR TABLES AUG 15, 21,29 AND SEPT 7, 8 AND 9TH. FISH OF THE MONTH Our winners thus far in 2015 include: Jan, a 20 inch Walleye through the ice. Feb, a nice Rainbow ice fishing. Mar, a 19 inch, 4+ pound LMBass. April, a 28 inch Musky, May a 23 inch, 7 lb Bass and 10 inch Bluegill. Then an 11 pound 3 ounce Striper. This is a great variety of the most popular fish species in Shadow Lakes...so go fishing! Fish of the Month winners get their pictures on our bulletin board, in our newsletters and on our website. They also get a Fishing Club Hat if they are a Club member. Non-members win a Bass- Pro fishing Cap. This contest, along with EVERY event we sponsor, is open to ALL Shadow Lakes residents and their family members, whether they are a Club member or not. (See July Winners on Next Page)

FISH OFMONTH: JULY 2015 Our JULY 2015 Fish of the Month winner is Justin Rhodes.

LMBass that were between 4 and almost 5 pounds. A great month for Justin, See pictures above.

John landed a 24 inch Catfish that is estimated at about 6 pounds. Nice job John.

3 FISH OFMONTH: JULY 2015 Our JULY 2015 Fish of the Month winner is Justin Rhodes. Justin not only caught an 11 pound 3 ounce Striped Bass on Hawk Lake, but he also caught 2 LMBass that were between 4 and almost 5 pounds. A great month for Justin, See pictures above. An honorable mention goes to John Hunt (below)of Lighthouse Cove. John landed a 24 inch Catfish that is estimated at about 6 pounds. Nice job John. See pictures on a later page. John released his Cat alive and the fish returned to John's dock the next day to "THANK" him for letting him go alive.

4 BUSINESS JULY 19th, 2015 MEETING - 36 MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE REAL ESTATE OPEN HOUSE On a personal note, Betty and I have been absent from SLKS quite a bit lately. My 94 year old Aunt has been in and out of the Hospital in the city since July 3rd. As her only living relative in the States, we feel the need to be near her as much as possible. TREASURER'S REPORT: No report this month as Andy was working at the Braidwood Summerfest. The June report was reprinted this month. POAC: next meeting is Sept 19th at 9 AM at the Community Center. BOARD: Next meeting is Aug 22nd at 9 AM at the Community Center. Strong Cash & Reserves of $665,000. EV boat ramp area will be worked on in the coming months. DNR: All Spring stockings have been completed. Awaiting availability of $200 worth of Crayfish. OLD BUSINESS The Handi-capped fishing pier donated table now has a dedication plaque on the table. The pier is getting great use for fishing and as a place to sit and have a beautiful view down Dinosaur Lake. Fish limits discussion; open issue Walleye, low end slot size or not? Previous Walleye slot at SLKS was 15 to 17 inches, with a 2 fish limit. This was years ago, and may be where we wind up next year. Carp kill contest. IDNR felt our balance of game/rough fish was good. Dead Carp on shores would mean odors and flies. Group left it at individual discretion, but Club did not endorse a Carp kill policy. Rearing pond was hooked up: pump and waterfall, Trimming to be done and solar lights to be added. Weed boat status. The 2nd boat new set-up helped in the "under bridge" channel, with good feedback. NEW BUSINESS Plans are being discussed to hold a "Bluegill Round-up" next year instead of a LMBass tourney. A discussion on ways to improve fishing around the EV fishing pier may have resulted in a possible permanent fix of poly tarp placed around the pier. It will be presented to the Board for budgeting. Volunteers for the 1st Responders picnic were firmed up. The event was a great success, except, for the Braidwood folks. So, we honored our resident 1st Responders both active and retired. An article was sent to the BW Journal. The Novy Rd fish barrier issue with Claypool was resolved, see the Tips and Tidbits article for details. Eel grass expansion is creating long-term problems and we will be talking to our DNR Biologist to see what can be done with this species, as well as the fast spreading Water Lillies. BASS FISHING AND BAROMETRIC PRESSURES We are not fish biologist, but we try to offer various opinions on topics that are of interest to our anglers. One such area of debate revolves around barometric pressure and the impact it has on Bass fishing. This is an article on that subject that is interesting. See what you think. Some anglers will tell you that barometric pressure is critical to their fishing success and that it is the most critical element of bass fishing. Then they will tell you that that they have no idea how barometric pressure directly affects fishing. What makes it more difficult to understand is the quick variances in the pressure, by day and even hours. So what is barometric pressure? Simply put, it is the weight of the atmosphere placed on objects, including water. We start at sea level and then move up and down in (inches) from with the air temperature at 59* and dry.

5 Remember, warm air is not as dense as cold air so the colder the air the more pressure is placed on the earth's surface. High humidity will make the air lighter so there will be a lighter pressure. So what does this mean to us when we fish? It means that a bass will feel or sense the pressure bearing down on them depending on where the bass lives. Bass have air bladders and the slightest variation in water pressure affects these bladders. It is important to understand that all of the above means that when changes occur in the water pressure, bass will react to it. You know that when we have a front approaching and the barometric pressure starts to fall, bass fishing is great. Either the bass' bladder shrinks with the lower pressure and makes the bass feel better so he feeds or lower barometric pressure will allow the small vegetation to float to the surface where the minnows and small baitfish eat them and the bass follow the minnows and baitfish. A high barometric pressure may expand their air bladder causing restrictive movement and discomfort and the bass believe they are full and won't feed. Fishing a falling or low barometric pressure is best. A steady, moderate pressure is the second most favorable pressure to fish. And a high or rapidly rising pressure reading is the worst. So how do you know what the barometric pressure is without an actual barometer? Many cheap portable units are available. BassPro has one for about $20. Otherwise, you can see the fronts moving through and then blue bird skies follow. The front is the lower pressure and the blue bird skies illustrate the higher pressure. Remember that while a bass will react to the increasing pressure on the first day, the second day is always the toughest because the pressure is generally the highest on the second day. The third day after a front passes the fish are getting acclimated to the higher pressure and the pressure will begin to drop. So start fishing at the end of the second day and into the third day after a front is passing. A largemouth bass will move into the thickest, heaviest cover they can find when the pressure starts inching up. They rarely drop deep to find cover. They simply move over to find it. And when you have high pressure the strike zone may be only a few inches wide so you have to throw a jig and pig or plastic bait and put it right in front of their faces time after time. And fish s-l-o-w. Remember, blue bird skies may not be a problem. It is more important for you to know the day the front passed through and if you are on the front or back end of the high pressure day(s). One more thing. We all know (or should know) is that when the wind blows from the east the fish bite least. In North America the prevailing winds flow from the south or west. A north or east wind is caused by atmospheric disturbances that disrupt the south-west pattern. This indicates a pressure problem. Air temp doesn't matter that much. The problem is that usually the cause of the temperature drop is a cold front or a low front passing through. Don't know if this helps, but it explains how the pressure changes affect our friends, the LMBass. RECORD RAINS/WEED GROWTH HAS A BIG IMPACT ON THIS YEAR'S BOATING & ANGLING Due to the high water event, we saw an explosion of weeds on our waters for a few weeks. The weeds have already started to die off. This seems to be several weeks early this year, which may mean an early Winter. The Association now has two weed boat cutters and offers a loaner cutter and rake for use by homeowners. The Association is also looking at newer generation options for our lakes. Remember, the weed-boat can NOT get close to the shorelines. That is the homeowner responsibility.

6 KAYAK FISHING TIPS Why is kayak fishing such a big deal? It is exciting, inexpensive, simple, and healthy sport where you set your own pace and also catch great fish. Kayak fishing is considered a new sport since it is still in the early developmental stages. That means there is not much information available. Here are some suggestions to help the beginner from a great source: YakAngler. 1. Consult a Kayak Fishing Expert: Expert is a relative term. Many of the serious kayak anglers have been at this sport for three to four years. They usually do not consider themselves experts, but they are a gold mine to the inexperienced or first-time kayak angler. 2. Where to Kayak Fish: Kayaks are very versatile; there is no limit of places to fish. Your choices will depend on paddling distance, time frame, and/or ability. Kayaking is great exercise and age is rarely a barrier to the sport. Our back waters and the Cemetery area are GREAT kayak fishing spots. 3. Develop Multiple Species Versatility: LMBass, Gills and Crappie and the occasional Musky are easy targets from a kayak. On the other hand, kayak fishing is fun even without the catching. 4. Kayak Selection: Before looking into purchasing a kayak consider these questions: Will it be Bass or bluegills? Will you be fly fishing? Or perhaps you will do all of the above. Some of the more important considerations are: stability, comfortable seating, storage compartments, and how you will transport the kayak. Also, keep your fishing tackle minimal as storage is a real issue in a kayak. 5. Customize your Kayak: Whether you have an old kayak or are purchasing a new boat, you will want to customize it. Some of the most important aspects of a fish-friendly kayak are a comfortable backrest, rod holders, a paddle leash, paddle holder/clip, an anchor, a cooler, and tackle storage. 6. Transporting Your Kayak: In most cases one of the greatest things about a kayak is that it doesn t need to be tailored. Vans and pickup trucks are the most convenient ways of transporting your kayak. Portable wheel carriers can help get you to the launch area. A couple of wheels can turn your kayak into a wagon that can carry all of your gear. If you encounter soft sand, mud, or rough terrain you may need a cart with all-terrain wheels. Commercial kayak carts are available but usually expensive. A cheaper alternative is to make your own. Yakangler.com has several designs of DIY kayak carts. 7. Kayak Angling Skills and Techniques: These skills range from handling the kayak, paddles, anchors, and other kayak equipment, to how well you access and handle your fishing equipment. Boat positioning: You should practice using the paddle with one hand while holding the rod in the other hand. Drifting Techniques: Generally speaking, you can locate more fish by kayak, while drifting. Fishing Upwind: One of the most difficult kayak fishing situations is when you need to travel and cast up current or upwind. You can paddle onto matted vegetation if the wind is not too strong. It will hold you in place while you cast. A shoreline bank can be used by partially grounding the bow of the kayak as you advance. An anchor or a stick-it pin attached to an anchor trolley will keep you facing your target and your direction of travel. Sight Fishing: Sight fishing is traditionally done from a raised platform. The low position of a kayak makes it difficult to see below the surface. However, the low perspective that takes away from underwater visibility may allow for other visible cues to the presence of fish. Dimples on the surface. 8. Fighting Fish from a Kayak: A kayak is a backup drag system for your reel. Even a strong 4 or 5 lb fish can tow your kayak around. If your drag is too tight or your reactions are too slow, the fish will still have a difficult time breaking the line in open water environments. If your tackle is very light, you may need to increase line capacity to allow for longer fish runs. 9. Kayak Fish Handling: Releasing your fish alive is important. If you do keep a few, try to practice conservation and only harvest the amount of fish that you will need for dinner. If you do release a fish, it should be given every chance to survive. Take any extra time required to fully resuscitate the fish before

7 releasing them. You will need to keep water moving over their gills in order to transfer enough oxygen to their bloodstream. Only move the fish forward to get oxygen flowing. Gills do not work in reverse. Catch, Photo and Release are best practiced from a kayak, as fish storage is a big issue. 10. Kayak Fishing Safety: Be careful. Fish with a buddy & let someone know where you re going. Weather: Weather should always be checked and taken into account. The two most common and violent causes for storm activity are frontal conditions and summer thunderstorm activity. Wind: Wind means rough water, which creates a potential for overturning. Kayaks can take quite a bit of rough water, especially when paddled by an experienced kayaker. The key is not to allow the waves to catch you broadside. If a big wave hits you broadside, you should be wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) with a whistle attached. The most important thing is not to panic. Stay with your kayak, even if you are unable to reboard. Lightning: If you are on the water when a storm is coming and you hear a faint vibrating or buzzing sound coming from your fishing rods, get off the water. This usually indicates that the ions in the air are highly charged, and lightening could strike at any time. While paddling toward shore, lower your rods from the upright position so they don t act as lightning rods. Once on shore, stay low and reduce your contact with the ground (e.g. by getting into your car). Fog: It s easy to get lost when you can t see. It is also a good idea to stay in close contact with the shoreline to prevent getting disoriented and traveling in circles. Exposure to the elements: Hypothermia is a threat any time you re on the water. The weather does not have to be freezing. It just has to be significantly lower than your body temperature for an extended period of time. If you re wet in windy conditions, your body temperature can drop without you realizing the danger. Be sure to dress appropriately plan to get wet. In warm weather, a kayaker can become overheated and suffer exhaustion or heat stroke. If this happens, cool down. Look for a shady area. You should always have plenty of water to drink onboard. Hooks, fins, and teeth: With such a low profile on the water, a kayak gets an angler closer to the prey than any other watercraft. With fish fighting for their lives, some extreme behavior is displayed. Fish with mouths full of sharp teeth or barbed trebled hooks can launch into aerial displays with wild head shaking attempts to throw the hooks right back you. It is a good idea to restrict the use of treble hooks, or crimp your barbs so the hook is easier to remove from your skin. Use caution when handling fish at the end of a fight. Many fish have sharp teeth as well as sharp or spiny areas. A minimum list of safety equipment: PFD with whistle attached, safety belt (attaches to bow line), drinking water, paddle leash, first aid kit and sun block. Hope these ten tips are helpful to get you starting in kayak angling! Kayaks are now very popular and great for our lakes, no pollution and quiet. TIPS AND TIDBITS Novy Road Fish Barrier issue resolved: The Claypool Water District challenged our barrier. Mike Green and I met with the Claypool Trustee and an engineer. After viewing the barrier and hearing about the planning and construction of the barrier, they have OK'd it with a few minor adjustments. Overall, the meeting went very well. Claypool will be surveying/reviewing our other drainage areas. Boat removal from all Common areas: The Association is requiring ALL boats, canoes, etc., to be removed from these areas by Oct 31st. After that the Assoc. will remove them as a cost of $50. BOATS FOR SALE: Pontoon boat: 714 Gil-getter, asking $4,500. Has new 2013 E-Drive, very few hours, See at TMV152, call Ed at foot aluminum v-hull with trailer $150. See the boat across from EV 54. Ask for Rich or Sue at EV foot Coleman Crawdad fiberglass 2 seater, $125, see the boat at FC 234, ask for Jonnie or Jo. Be sure to check under your propeller for fishing line. Had to have mine rebuilt due to "Braid" wound around prop shaft. PLEASE DON'T THROW LINE IN THE WATER! Please do NOT leave fishing lines unattended. They are dangerous.

8 Sportsman Fishing Club W. Amenity Center Drive Wilmington, IL Sportsman Fishing Club Membership Application for 2015 $35.00 for Individual or Family Household Please provide the following information for Club records and newsletter mailing purposes: Date: Renew: New Member : Name(s): Lot #:: Home Address: City: State: Zip: Home Phone: ( ) Shadow Lakes Phone: ( ) address (only needed if you wish to receive the Club Newsletter by ) I will view Newsletter on Web Site Please mail newsletter Membership dues cover the calendar year 2015 Bring this form to the next meeting and make check payable to: The Sportsman Fishing Club Mail to: Sportsman Fishing Club, W. Amenity Center Drive, Wilmington, IL Drop off the application and payment in the Association office

Sportsman Fishing Club

Sportsman Fishing Club Enhancing the Environment and Fishing Experience at Shadow Lakes 20 Years September 2015 1994-2014 Officers President - Tom Lydon Cell (630) 776-1625 tlydon44@gmail.com Vice President