Sportsman Fishing Club

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Sportsman Fishing Club Enhancing the Environment and Fishing Experience at Shadow Lakes 1994 NOV 2017 23 Years Officers President - Tom Lydon Cell (630) 776-1625 tlydon44@gmail.

1 Sportsman Fishing Club Enhancing the Environment and Fishing Experience at Shadow Lakes 1994 NOV Years Officers President - Tom Lydon Cell (630) tlydon44@gmail.com Vice President and DNR Rep - Fred Cowell Treasurer - Jane Hill Secretary - Lynn Schuler IDNR - Fred Cowell Fund Raising - Betty Lydon The next meeting is November 19th. Club meetings, of about one hour, are held the third Sunday of each month at the Shadow Lakes Amenity Center. Meetings begin at 9 am Free coffee and donuts are provided. THIS BRUNCH MTG IS AT THE 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 Center Drive Wilmington, IL October 2017 Treasurer Report: Beginning balance $2, Expenses $ Income $ Ending balance $1, Association bal. $5, Total funds $ Novy Rd. Fish Barrier parts paid Association to repay Walleyes and Perch deliveries in Oct-out of Assoc. funds Dues Reminder, If you pay now, dues cover balance of 2017 and all of Switch from US mail to and save the Club some funds. COMING EVENTS Next meeting is November 19th. Thank You brunch, at 9 AM at the Community Center. 9 AM, great foods, fun, big raffle, year end fun! 1

2 Crappie and Trout deliveries in first week of November FISHING ROUNDTABLE The weekend of Oct 21st saw THREE Musky caught by different anglers. The Serchuks caught a nice fish, estimated at about 30+ inches, released alive. Jake Wyderski struck again with a nice Musky, about a 10 pounder, and about a 40 plus inch fish by a third angler. All released alive, thank you anglers. See Jake s picture below. Jane hill filled her live well with some nice gills, including a 10 1/4 inch Gill, see picture below. Don Fisher, TMV, and another angler landed THREE 2 pound SMALLMOUTHS. Reports of some nice fishing continue along the trail. The HARD WATER coming soon. REMEMBER: ICE FISHING YOU NEED A MINIMUM OF 4 INCHES OF ICE TO BE SAFE, AND DON T FISH ALONE! LIVE PANFISH FILLET DEMO AT OCTOBER MEETING A big thanks to Ron Midona and Jane Hill for holding a LIVE fish cleaning display at last months meeting. Jane provided the fish and Ron did his usual great job of filleting, without losing any fingers. We plan a repeat of this in the Spring after our Summer folks are out. Panfish are our best eating fish that are in great abundance. Our Gills provide great fish frys. ANNUAL BRUNCH IS HERE-NOV 19TH AT 9AM AT COMM. CTR. The club s final event of 2017 is our annual THANK YOU Brunch for the club. It is usually the highlight of the year with great food, a giant raffle and lots of laughs. Be there to celebrate the Club s success in The menu, thus far, includes egg dishes, potato dishes, biscuits and gravy, sausage and ham. Pick out your best Brunch dish and join us for a great meal. We always have some great dishes prepared by our great cooks. Looking forward to seeing you all there on Sunday November 19th at 9AM at the Gate One Community Center FISH STOCKING PROGRAM IS ON TARGET FOR NOVEMBER Fred Cowell has been busy having our Fall fish stocked. Unfortunately, the fish are coming in one load at a time, so Fred has had to make a number of trips out. We did get some new folks to sign up to help out. Thanks to Tom Heckawicz and Greg Cholek. We had a crowd for the Walleye stocking the third week of October followed two days later by the Perch; Black Crappie came in Nov 1st, Trout Nov 3rd. The Club added more monies for additional Walleye, Perch, Crappie and Trout. We cut back on forage a little this year. Everyone enjoys seeing the fish go in the Lakes, it is a fun event. See several pictures in this issue. NOVEMBER 18th POAC COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE Our Club members, Mary and Ron Midona asked if it was possible to hold a Community Blood Drive in honor of their Great Grand-daughter, who died as an infant. Ron had worked with Heartland Blood Centers. The POAC agreed to hold this drive on November 18th after the 9 AM POAC meeting, from 10AM to 1 PM. Sign up with Ron Midona at NOVY ROAD TEMPORARY REPAIRS-THANKS GUYS 2

A big thanks to Terry Hintzel A big thank you to the Bills, McQuire and Grabowski. They removed the pond pump, cleaned and stored it away and Jane Hill: 10 1/4 in Gill. on part of a nightcrawler.

He caught it on a Mepps #3 comet, pictured to the left. Nice catch, Rd. fish barrier.

BEST FISHING DATES FOR NOV/DEC 2017 THE VERY BEST TIMES TO FISH During the morning rise (after sunup for a spell) and the evening rise (just before sundown and the hour or so after).

3 A big thanks to Terry Hintzel A big thank you to the Bills, McQuire and Grabowski. They removed the pond pump, cleaned and stored it away and Jane Hill: 10 1/4 in Gill. on part of a nightcrawler. Fred Cowell for the temporary repairs to the Novy Jake Wyderski from FC158 caught a Tiger Musky in the backwaters on 10/15/17. It measured 35 inches long and 10 pounds. He caught it on a Mepps #3 comet, pictured to the left. Nice catch, Rd. fish barrier. The guys went out and straightened the poles and tightened the fencing; as we wait for approval to install the new PVC barrier. This will probably be in the Spring of BEST FISHING DATES FOR NOV/DEC 2017 THE VERY BEST TIMES TO FISH During the morning rise (after sunup for a spell) and the evening rise (just before sundown and the hour or so after). When the barometer is steady or on the rise. (But even during stormy periods, the fish aren t going to give up feeding. The smart fisherman will find just the right bait.) When there is a hatch of flies caddis flies or mayflies. When the breeze is from a westerly quarter rather than from the north or east. When the water is still or rippled, rather than during a high wind. So go fishing! 3

4 4 FISH STOCKING 2017

5 October 15 th Fishing Club Minutes 41 attendees; Club member ship is 146. FISHING ROUNDTABLE: Crappie and Walleyes have NOT shown up yet in our channels. Not sure if we missed the proper temperature this year, with the wild swings in temps. It may be very late this year. As water temps continue to drop, we will see the Trout coming out of the deeper holes to cruise the shallows. New Trout stocked Nov 3rd. Don (TMV) caught a 2 pound Smallmouth Bass on a rubber worm. Also, two more 2 lb Smallies caught with mini crankbaits. Jane Hill filled her live well with some nice panfish and cats. Included was a 10 1/4 inch Gill, nice catch Jane (see picture on another page). Jake Wydersky caught a nice healthy 10 pound Musky, see picture later. Two other Musky were caught and released, both fish were 30 inches and over. Caught on a minnow spinner and crankbaits. Thanks for releasing these healthy fish for others to enjoy catching them in the coming years. Nov will see Trout fishing until the ice-over starts. FINANCIAL REPORT; see report on page one. DNR REPORT: 2017 stocking is complete. Fall saw Walleye, Perch, Crappie, and Trout stocked. All were good size fish. Some 18 in Walleye, 10 in Perch, Crappie up to 12 inches and nice Trout about a pound plus on average, with some nicer 2-3 pound fish. Stocking is over, MANY thanks to the 8 to 10 guys for their help and Fred for spearheading this effort once again this year. POAC/BOARD NEWS: POAC meeting is November 18th at 9 AM in the Community Center (gate 1). Comm. Ctr. After the meeting from 10 AM to 1 PM a Community Blood Drive will be held. Walk-ins welcome or sign up with Ron Midona, his phone is listed in a later article. Ron Midona suggested this event in honor of his infant Great Grand-daughter who died at 3 months. OLD BUSINESS: 2018 activities dates firmed up and ready to be published in New Year and on posters. The new events of the Family Panfish Derby and the Scavenger Hunt will be held again in Club dues paid after Labor Day will cover the balance of 2017 and all of Also, if you can convert to for delivery of the newsletter, it will save the Club some funds. See article about November Brunch meeting on the 19th at 9 AM in the Community Center. The Catfish Derby & Oktoberfest was on Oct 7 th at 5 PM at the Fisherman s Village Rearing Pond. The rains did not stop the serious anglers. Article and pictures were in last months issue. NEW BUSINESS: NOVY ROAD FISH BARRIER: temporary fix for this winter by Terry Hintzel and Fred Cowell. The Association advised us that they had to secure an additional approval from one of the engineers that worked on the Braidwood law suit against SLKS. We are waiting for this approval; we probably have to put this project off until Thanks to Fred, Terry for the temporary winter fix to the barrier and Mike Green for designing and building the new barrier. We will hold a Big 50/50 raffle for 2018, to increase our stocking contribution. The raffle will begin in January and the drawing will be at the Summer all-resort Fish Fry. Tickets will be $5 each and two will be mailed out before the end of the year. Help us add more Gamefish in The Association will be expanding the 2017 Chemical control test to other dead end channels. We will be monitoring these areas to see the effectiveness of this chemical use. Please notify the Club if you see any fish kills. Let s see how this works to help reduce some weedy areas. Please remember, we need healthy weeds to have both healthy waters and fish. Raffle held and meeting adjourned, folks stayed, talked and enjoyed coffee and treats. 5

6 Don t Miss Out On Late Fall Bass Fishing Bass behavior is highly affected by water temperature, they are typically most active in 60 to 75 degree water. In temperatures colder or warmer than that range, bass begin to get more lethargic. Naturally, a lethargic bass is more difficult to catch than an active one, making this temperature range a highly sought after window for bass anglers. As these more comfortable water temps move in, and with bass sensing that winter is fast approaching, they go into what is known as the fall feed. This is a time when bass tend to gorge themselves in preparation for winter. When winter sets in, bass become so lethargic that they barely need to eat at all. In fact, since their bodies burn such little energy in these cold conditions they can survive on a single bait fish for an entire month. There are certain baits that are especially great for fall bass fishing. Granted, lure selection should be based more on water temperature than the date of the calendar but if you re fishing in a sweatshirt, then you can almost always rely on this one lureo produce in the cooling waters of fall. There is no overall better performing lure for fall bass fishing than a jig. The fall is a time when bass are feeding on small baitfish, and a jig can represent that nicely in many different ways, just add a trailer. Most anglers automatically think that a jig represents a crawfish, which isn t necessarily wrong, in a lot of instances, but jigs are much more versatile in how they can be presented. A lot has to do with color: you should be trying to match the natural prey that bass are feeding on in a particular body of water. Dark colors are great in SLKS. And a variety of colorful trailers can add to strikes, Try them. Color selection is especially crucial in the fall when bass are feeding aggressively for hibernation season, dialed into a pattern of targeting the color of a particular baitfish. The nice thing about jig color is that between the head, skirt and trailer, you have the ability to zero-in on the exact color-combinations you want to present. The other advantage to fishing jigs in the fall is you have the ability to slow them down. Towards the end of fall brings cooler water temperatures, making bass sluggish and less aggressive. This is when slowly hopping a stand-up style jig on the bottom can be deadly. Simply put, Jigs with trailers are a go-to lure in late Fall to early Winter for Bass. CATCHING STOCKED TROUT This is a fun way to spend a morning and afternoon. Even better when you re catching fish! Here are some little known facts about the habits of stocked trout. Understanding the habits of the fish you are trying to catch will help you catch them. Important highlights are what trout eat, what triggers them to strike a lure, at what depth they swim at, how they react when freshly planted and how they behave after some time has passed. Knowing these facts will help you catch stocked trout. SLKS limit 2 fish. Freshly stocked Trout are accustomed to eating brown food pellets. They don t generally know to eat anything else. If you cut open the stomach of a stocked trout it is very likely that you will find things like brown leaves, parts of acorns, and bits of twigs. The one thing in common to all of these stomach contents is that they are brown and arrived in the water after having been blown into it. This matches the feeding pattern of stocked trout: they are accustomed to brown pellets splashing down over them. To Trout, during the first couple of weeks after having been planted in a lake, food is brown things & anything that splashes into the water. This changes as the stocked Trout adapt to their new habitat. 6

7 TIPS & TIDBITS SMALL-MOUTH BASS: three fish, around 2 pounds each, caught at the end of Oct. One on a rubber worm and two on a small diving crank-baits. Nice to see our Smallies active again. Sports Shows: Jan 5-7, Chicago Muskie Show, Sears Center, Hoffman Estates; Jan Boat & RV show; Feb 10-11, Tinley Park Fish & Outdoor Show. Water temps Jumping around, especially in channels, check every few days for visiting Crappie and after/around dusk, for Walleye and Cats, also some SMBass now active. Get your Trout gear out, stocking was first weekend of November, they will be cruising the shores like their rearing ponds, looking for food. They should be catchable until we ice over. Your vil/lot numbers should be visible on the Lakeside for water emergencies, this years situation with a possible missing lady, raised issues for the dive/rescue teams. Winterizing your boat, check prop for fishing line and lube, put a full charge on the batteries. TASTE OF SHADOW LAKES ladies cook books for sale for $ Sign up for a book at the Office. One of the ladies will deliver your book to you and collect at that time. All profits will be used for improvements at Shadow Lakes. Betty needs help selling off the last box. As the Lakes ice over (we hope) this year, PLEASE exercise caution if you venture out on the ice. You need at least FOUR inches to be safe. Have someone with you, have a whistle or ice safety picks or a floatation device and or rope. Better safe than sorry. Hypothermia can kill in less than 15 minutes when water is 32.5 degrees. Wind chills reduce that time down to minutes. So be very careful. Test the thickness at several spots as you go out. Stay away from open water or springs. Have safety gear or a friend with you. Ice fishing: keep your feet warm, have a piece of carpet or cardboard to put under your boots. Keep minnows alive in the frig for weeks, a small Styrofoam cooler, about a dozen small minnows, on the lower shelf and change the water every 5 days. Remove dead ones. Try it, if the wife APPROVES! FOR SALE: Call Dan at SLKS (708) following items: Eight New Plano 3750 tackle storage boxes: $55.00 Plano 7771 Tackle box Reg $ 79.99, $45,00 HELP KEEP OUR PROPERTY NEAT, PLEASE DON T LITTER AND PICK UP AFTER YOU, ESPECIALLY ON OUR WATERWAYS! 2018 DAILY FISH SIZE AND LIMITS LARGEMOUTH BASS DAILY KEEP 6 FISH 12 inches & UNDER SMALLMOUTH BASS ARE CATCH & RELEASE ONLY BLUEGILL NO SIZE/ NO LIMITS CATFISH NO SIZE, DAILY LIMIT 2 FISH CRAPPIE/REDEAR NO SIZE, DAILY LIMIT 10 FISH MUSKIE, DAILY LIMIT 1 FISH, MINIMUM KEEP 52 & OVER TROUT, NO SIZE LIMITS, DAILY 2 FISH WALLEYE, SLOT SIZE 15 TO 18 INCHES, DAILY LIMIT 1 FISH Please adhere to our limits to help keep 7 our fishery strong. Thank you!

8 The Sportsman Fishing Club W. Amenity Center Drive Wilmington IL Sportsman Fishing Club Membership Application for 2018 $35.00 for Individual or Family Household RENEWALS: Just list names, village/lot and check renewal if no changes. Please provide the following information for Club records and newsletter mailing purposes: Date: Renewal: New Members: Name (s): Lot #: Home Address: City: State: Zip: Home Phone: Shadow Lakes Phone: Mail 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 2018 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

Sportsman Fishing Club

Sportsman Fishing Club Enhancing the Environment and Fishing Experience at Shadow Lakes 1994 OCT 2017 23 Years Officers President - Tom Lydon Cell (630) 776-1625 tlydon44@gmail.com Vice President and DNR