Sportsman Fishing Club

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Sportsman Fishing Club Enhancing the Environment and Fishing Experience at Shadow Lakes April 2016 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 April 2016 Officers President - Tom Lydon Cell (630) tlydon44@gmail.com Vice President and DNR Rep - Fred Cowell Treasurer - Jane Hill Secretary - Open IDNR - Fred Cowell Fund Raising - Betty Lydon The next meeting is Sunday April 17, , 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 MARCH 2016 FINANCIAL REPORT Club Balance $3, Income Expenses 2, Total 2, Association Funds 14, Cash Negative Month by $1, March: $1,000 stocking deposit $4,000 in Association funds paid out Purchase of EV ramp blankets Association will reimburse this expense FAMILY PANFISH ROUND-UP JUNE 25TH UPCOMING EVENTS APRIL 17TH WILL BE OUR NEXT CLUB MEETING 2016 CLUB MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS IN THE ASSOC OFFICE Please make checks out to: SPORTSMAN FISHING CLUB"-THANK YOU!

2 CLUB WELCOMES MORE NEW MEMBERS IN 2016 As we enter 2016, we already have over 110 members, including 10 new and returning members. Our latest new member family is: Mike & Cathy Miller, FC43. We want to "THANK" everyone for their support of our Lakes & Fishery in 2016! FISHING ROUNDTABLE Reports include Crappie, Bass, Walleye and some Musky catches. Two Musky were reported, both in the 28 to 30 inch size range. We got a picture of one caught by Mike Mueller. This fish was very healthy and well fed. it appeared to be a 2013 or '14 stocked fish that gained about 6 to 8 inches a year. Last Fall, we had several sightings of groups of 3 or 4 smaller Muskies swimming together. Usually these fish spread out as individuals. These are all great signs of the Club's success in our earlier Musky stockings. This years' early season fishing has been up and down, based on the crazy swings in air temps, wind and water temps. As the waters warm up, some better fishing is coming. The pre-spawn feeding begins for most species. Your channels will see visits from LMBass, Crappie and Walleyes. The canal and channel waters warm up faster than the deeper lakes. Check your channels daily until you hit the exact conditions that may be bringing in the fish. We support "Catch Photo & Release" for future generations. BEST FISHING DAYS FROM ILLINOIS GAME & FISH SOLUNAR TABLES April 16-17, AND May 1, 6-7, 9-10, 20-21, 29 & 30. EV BOAT RAMP PROJECT DETAILS By our April meeting, the Club should have installed approximately 100 feet of the LAKE BOTTOM BLANKET product. This was done to allow easy access to Hawk Lake using the new boat ramp. This product is weighted down by rebar sections. It will be 10 foot wide and extend about 80 feet out into the Lake. The Association will reimburse the Club for these costs. The Assoc. wants to see how this works before using a similar approach around the front area to provide better fishing access. The early and frequent use of the new weed boat may keep this area open in These blankets can be bought and used by homeowners. See how they work this year. Order yours at : lakebottomblanket.com Many thanks to: Mike Green, Fred Cowell, Bill Grabowski and Bill McGuire for their volunteer time devoted to this project. Also, Bill McGuire was recently trained by Lloyd Maglone to operate the big weed boat this summer. Say hi to Bill as he makes his rounds STOCKING UPDATES In April, $4,000 worth of forage (fathead minnows) were stocked by 10,000 Lakes Hatchery from Minnesota. The week of April 18th we will stock Catfish, including several Albino Cats, breeder Gills, Perch and possibly large Crappie and Walleye depending on availability from Keystone Hatcheries. Again, many thanks to the Club members who come out to help and witness these stockings.

MARCH FISH OF THE MONTH Our best fish of the month were both Crappies, caught by Lisa Tullos and Bill McGuire, both crappies were caught on minnows from shore and were over 11 inches. Nice catches.

May a 23 inch, 7 lb+ Bass and then an 11 pound 3 ounce Striper. These were three of our best fish of 2015!

3 MARCH FISH OF THE MONTH Our best fish of the month were both Crappies, caught by Lisa Tullos and Bill McGuire, both crappies were caught on minnows from shore and were over 11 inches. Nice catches. See pics below. Tullos FISH OF THE MONTH: Drop your pictures off at the Office for this year's contest! McGuire Our big fish winners in 2015 featured: Jan, a 20 inch Walleye through the ice. May a 23 inch, 7 lb+ Bass and then an 11 pound 3 ounce Striper. These were three of our best fish of 2015! Fish of the Month winners get their pictures on our bulletin board, in our newsletters and on our website. They also get 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. The Fishing Club is a Shadow Lakes social community organization. MARCH 20th, 2016 MEETING - 37 MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE BUSINESS: TREASURER report, see page 1 for March 2016 accounting summary. POAC meeting on March 19th discussed the EV boat ramp weed issues and again asked the Board to try for early season attacks on the weeds. Concern that all dogs should be vaccinated against the current dogflu outbreaks. In November, it is estimated that high-speed trains will be using the tracks in our area. More work will be done on track/road intersections this Summer to accommodate the faster train/gate issues. A Meth lab was busted in Braidwood, also 3 overdoses saved by an Officer using Narcan...one in SLKS. Community clean-up scheduled for April 30th. Boats may be returned to the common areas on April 1st. Two open houses will be held this Summer. Be sure to be out here to show your property on June 5th and August 21st, 12 Noon to 4 PM. The Association is holding another raffle for dues. Tickets are on sale in the Office. Last year the Kopeckes won the $1,800 prize of free dues for a year. DNR update; $1,000 deposit to Keystone Hatcheries. $4,000 in forage delivered in April. Catfish, breeder gills, Crappie and Walleyes due week of April 18th, subject to availability. OLD BUSINESS: At meetings we decided to use Lake Bottom Blankets at the EV boat ramp area and we have Board approval for this project. The work should be done by April 16th. Two fish gate signs have been rebuilt thanks to high winds blowing them down. The new signs are now up

4 at gate 3 and 4A. Thanks to John Kloth for rebuilding them, and maintenance for installing them in concrete. Thanks guys. Both weeds boat are running and going out on the waters. The Club has purchased some of the UV lures for our raffles. NEW BUSINESS: Ten Club members signed up to help clean up the community on April 30th, alternate rain date is May 14th. Members with boats in the water are needed for the Lakes clean-up. Dead floating eelgrass is all over the lakes. This Spring and Summer, if you are on the canals and channels and see floating clumps of Water Lettuce, pick them up and throw them away off the water. They are invasive and can spread rapidly causing closed off waterways, etc.. See reminders on some of our new Summer events in other articles in this newsletter. FAMILY PANFISH ROUND-UP JUNE 25TH Our Bass tourney this year will be replaced by a family fun event - A PANFISH ROUND-UP! Here are the details for this event...it will run from dawn until 11:30 AM. Check-in at the Pavilion will be from 11:30 until Noon for family tallys. A FAMILY trophy will be issued to the family with the best catch averages as well as trophies for the biggest fish in the adult and junior groups. No boat needed; our shores are teaming with panfish. You do NOT need to keep your fish, just stroke count the numbers caught. An added bonus: should you want to keep your catch, bring in your panfish on ice or alive (must be over 6 inches), and a Club member Ron Midona will filet and debone your catch, put them on ice with your family name to take home for a very fresh fish fry, along with an easy cooking recipe. At Noon a hot-dog luncheon will be provided, with chips, drinks and desserts. Additional fishing prizes will be given out and a 50/50 raffle will be held. PLEASE sign up on the sheet on the Fishing Club bulletin board in the Amenity Center, just list your FAMILY LAST NAME, VILLAGE & LOT # AND THE NUMBER OF ANGLERS...this is mainly to help us determine how much food to prepare. We will have both beef and turkey hot dogs with all of the trimmings for Chicago dogs. There is no charge for this event, so get the family signed up and get your tackle ready. Your family may just become "SHADOW LAKES PANFISH FAMILY OF THE YEAR". BRUSH UP ON YOUR GILL ANGLING FOR THE PANFISH ROUND-UP We all love bluegill fishing especially when we can catch some big gills. If you know where bluegills live during each season, you will save lots of fishing time and fill your stringer faster! Here is some ideas for baits and lures. But first, it's time for a little...bluegillology: The Enjoyable Study of Tasty 'Gills. Bluegills are freshwater fish. They thrive in vastly different ecosystems. These include natural lakes, ponds, mining pits. They prefer to live in areas with still water or just a slight current.

5 Bluegills are awesome creatures. The fish have incredible vision; they can see really small stuff like phytoplankton and zooplankton. For the bluegill, zooplankton are a major food source. Bluegills use their eyes to spot food above and below themselves. They then swim up or down in the water column and suck in the food with their small mouths. Gills feed all year. However, the amount they eat varies. Usually, the warmer the water, the more they eat. People who know how to locate fish can catch big bluegill. Folks who don't understand them can only rely on luck. It's that simple. Here are some bluegill fishing tips that will help you find them. Generally, in late winter the bluegills are bunched together tightly in deep areas. They remain in these groups until the water warms up to between 50 and 60 degrees. The fish then move closer to shore. They use shallow weeds left over from the last year plus new weed-growth. At this time in the year, the shallow areas of a lake (canals and channels) are the warmest. Weeds hold food at this time, and the bluegills show up to eat. These areas are usually 5-15 feet deep, depending on how clear the water is. Bluegill fishing is a little slower at this time of year and the bluegills are not very active. A few can be caught if you're patient. As spring ends and spawning time grows near, water temperatures increase and bluegills eat more. They are more active now. They spend time in relatively shallow areas close to spawning sites. On warm days they move into the shallow spawning areas; on cold days, they move back out again. When the surface temperature gets to about degrees, the bluegills spawn. Males build nests in really shallow water. We're talking between 1 and 2 1/2 feet deep. The bigger bluegills tend to be slightly deeper than the others. Bluegill fishing now starts to heat up. Nests are built on bottoms composed of sand or very small pebbles. The male bluegill fans out the nest with his tail. The nest is circular, usually inches across and a few inches deep. There are usually dozens of nests right next to each other. They should be visible from the shorelines. Females then move onto the nests and breed with males. You can observe fish spawning and it's pretty neat to watch. A male and a female bluegill circle each other over the nest, As they swim in place the reproductive cells from both come out of their bodies into the water. The eggs are fertilized and sink to the bottom of the nest. The females then leave the nest, and they begin to eat and recover from the act of spawning. Males stay put, guarding the eggs from predators, which usually include other fish. The males guard the newly hatched fish (called "fry"), for a few days, then abandon them to their own luck. Most will be eaten by predators, but enough survive to keep the bluegill population intact and provide good bluegill fishing for the future. Bluegill fishing is easiest during the spawns. There are often hundreds of fish using a small area, so you get a slew of bites. Gills may spawn 2 or 3 times a Summer. The biggest and prettiest bluegills come off the spawning beds. You can have a real blast doing this every year! Here are a few key bluegill fishing tips: Fish will use the spawning areas you've found year after year, so your efforts at locating bluegill bedding sites could pay off for decades. Another thing to keep in mind is that some bluegills will spawn multiple times during the summer. So you'll want to check again for nesting areas as the year goes on. Bluegills spawn deeper each time. The fish are said to spawn in the days around the full and new moons every month during summer.

Tackle and baits: light and ultralight rods and reels are tailor made for panfishing. Light lines will increase your catches; two or four pound test lines are recommended.

6 Tackle and baits: light and ultralight rods and reels are tailor made for panfishing. Light lines will increase your catches; two or four pound test lines are recommended. A bobber, split shot and plain gold, size 3 to 8 or 10. A slip bobber set-up will give you an easy way to change depths. Popular baits are waxworms, crickets, worms or worm pieces, GULP ALIVE baits. Also, small jigs, ice fishing and similar jigs below a bobber work as well. You can tip them with live baits. Small hard lures can be real fun to watch fish hit them. A fly below a bobber will also work. Best Cooking: Bluegills are very easy to cook and delicious. There are many ways to cook them to create a tasty meal. Bluegills are smaller fish, but after you have them cleaned and filleted, you can cook them in a deep fryer, broil them in the oven or make them into a casserole. To make the perfect fish dinner, you need only a few other ingredients. Bluegill is a delicious freshwater fish with a light taste that is best fried or cooked quickly on the stove top or baked. Here is one popular gill recipe: Baked Bluegill Parmesan Easy Recipe. Bluegill is a delicious freshwater fish with a light taste that is best fried or cooked quickly on the stove top. They have sweet, white, flaky flesh with a very meaty taste without being too fishy. Delicious baked bluegill fillets recipe with parmesan cheese and great flavor of fresh seasoned crumb mixture, parsley, oregano, basil, paprika, bread crumbs and butter. The crumb mixture produces a crispy coating for baked fillets that really stays on. Ingredients: 1 lb fresh Bluegill fillets 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated 1/4 cup butter, melted 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced 1/4 tsp. dried oregano 1/4 tsp. dried basil 1/2 tsp. paprika 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper How to cook Baked Bluegill Parmesan: Place fillets in salty water and let it soak for 10 minutes. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Place melted butter in a shallow bowl. Mix well bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano, basil, paprika, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Dip fish in melted butter, then coat well with crumb mixture. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Place fillets in a greased baking pan. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. REMINDERS FOR 2016 GOLF CART SCAVENGER FISH HUNT JULY 9TH A fun family event on wheels. The hunt; following clues to find and "LAND" fish with point values; detours, roadblocks, prizes, raffles, lunch in the Pavilion will round out this fun event. ALL-RESORT FISH FRY AUGUST 13TH We are bringing back this very popular event. A 50/50 raffle will cover the costs of the fish fry and add the additional funds raised to our stocking in hope of having a record fish stocking year in More details will be announced this Summer.

7 TIPS AND TIDBITS GO FUND ME ACCOUNT FOR BABY KENDRA: Baby Kendra is the first grandchild of Club member Ken Watts. This beautiful little girl was born with major health issues. See the details on her GOFUNDME.COM webpage. Donations will help her family during very difficult times. PERSONAL NEWS: Ken McClory is out of rehab, his cell number is (708) A call may help pass his long recovery time. He hopes to be back at SLKS before years end. NEW 24 HOUR ICE & WATER MACHINE: a new ice and water machine has been installed in the Berkot's Wilmington parking lot. ILLINOIS CAR & BOAT STICKERS: Due to budget cuts, reminders for both autos and boats will no longer be mailed out. You can get an alert by signing up to get an auto reminder at the following website: cyberdriveillinois.com 2016 FISHING LICENSES: April 1st, new fishing licenses are required for anyone under age 16. You can buy your license online at IDNR.com We do require licenses as we are part of an Illinois waterway system. FREE FISHING DAYS: June this year will be FREE FISHING DAYS in Illinois. WEED BOAT(S) UPDATE: Both boats have had a lot of work done on them and are out on the water the 1st week of April, training the new boat operators. Thanks to the Association for meeting their commitment to attack the weeds earlier this year. WEED BOAT TRAILER NEEDED: The Assoc is still looking to buy or borrow a pontoon trailer for the new pontoon weed cutter. It costs $50 every time that boat has to be moved. The larger boat also costs to be moved from lake to lake. They want a center mount trailer. Contact the office if you want to discuss this further or have a trailer available. COOK BOOK: Some Shadow Lakes ladies have started to collect recipes to possibly publish a cookbook with our greatest cooks highlighted. Place your recipes in the box in the Office. Include your name, village and lot number. WE HAVE SOME GREAT COOKS - SHARE YOUR BEST KEPT SECRET RECIPES. TURN IN THOSE GREAT HOLIDAY DISHES YOU ENJOYED THIS PAST SEASON! The group has almost 200 recipes so far. They want at least 300 to begin putting the book together. They hope our Summer folks will put them over their goal. MEMORIAL GARDEN: the Club members who worked on the Flagpole Memorial Garden project will add two pine trees at the back of the garden. These trees will be decorated for CHRISTmas instead of putting up an artificial tree. A fund raising drive will hopefully fund the trees, to be installed late this Fall. BOATS FOR SALE: - 12 foot aluminum v-hull with trailer $150. See boat EV 54. Ask for Rich or Sue. - NEW LOWER PRICE:A 9 ft fiberglass 2 seater, NOW $50, boat at FC 234, Jonnie or Jo. - PONTOON FOR SALE: A 16' 2002 Gilgetter, asking $3,800 on lot FC234. Jonnie or Jo.

8 The Sportsman Fishing Club W. Amenity Center Drive Wilmington IL Sportsman Fishing Club Membership Application for 2016 $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 1984-2016 July 2016 24 Years Officers President - Tom Lydon Cell (630) 776-1625 tlydon44@gmail.com Vice President