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Fishing a New Lake Do as the Romans Do
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When I put this trip together, the intention was to introduce some northerners to the southern hospitality and outdoor possibilities of southern Illinois. Most all guests who came have never been to this part of the state and many left wanting to come back.

Built into the trip was lodging at the Rend Lake Resort; a hub from where we can travel from a half hour to an hour away to dozens of other lakes. A lesson for all who attended was simply, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

Rend Lake was not producing fish. The water was cold and muddy. Even the local guide who fishes out of the resort, Todd Gessner, fished for crappies on other lakes. It would take several days for Rend to settle down and we just didn’t have time to wait it out. We had to travel to other nearby waters.

Some of the lakes that we fished were Lake of Egypt, Boulder, Pinckneyville, Hamilton, Benton, DuQuoin and Cedar. All of these lakes are different in their own way and we had to follow the lead of those who figured out how to catch the fish.

I was able to produce a good television show with guest Holly Bangs. Bangs works the reception desk at the Rend Lake Resort and is the fiancé of guide Jason Johns of Todd Gessner Outdoors. I wanted to get a nice show from one of the small lakes. We learned that the DuQuoin Reservoir was doing well and the crappies have not yet spawned. This meant that the fish were shallow and hungry.

To put things in perspective, this past March, I did a show on Lake of Egypt catching crappies and some big ones at that. But now, the fish were all spawned out and the fish were in deep water, over eighteen feet deep. At DuQuoin, the fish were shallow, in water about three feet deep and hiding in the midst of the lily pads. Yes, in mid-April the lily pads in southern Illinois are up and in abundance.

We could not fish for the crappies in a way that we typically thought that we would. We had to go to micro-sized baits. We learned this from other anglers on our trip that used small one inch long black hair jigs or plastic minnows. On thirty-second ounce jigs were the biggest that could be used. Anything baits that were larger would produce a crappie now and then, but consistent action came from small, small, small baits.

The point of this article is simply this. We have to adapt to existing conditions and accept the fact that we may have to move around. Never lock yourself into fishing on one lake when you go on a fishing trip. You may just find that the fish are not cooperating. To save the day or to save the vacation for that matter, you have to do as the Romans do.

When it comes to fishing techniques and baits used, here again, do what other successful anglers are using. We must follow their presentation in the same way. If someone is using a one inch minnows and catching fish, don’t think that an inch and a half long will produce the same.

If you learn that fluorocarbon line was necessary because you are fishing gin clear water and the fish are skittish, get some and put it on the spool. At least, put on a fluorocarbon leader. If catching fish required using live bait, don’t get stuck on using artificials only because you want it to be more of a challenge. It may be a challenge alright, but you have to understand that there is a chance that you may end up fishless.

When you hear of certain lakes producing fish, don’t be afraid to trailer your boat a few extra miles. Just because you may be lodging at a resort on a particular lake that doesn’t mean you have to fish there. Sure, we would all like to walk out the door and jump in the boat, but sometimes your trip will be saved if you just take a ride down the road.

Sometimes a better day on the water means fishing the lake across the street or in the next county. Be open minded and do what the locals do. Take the ride and you just may see that great fishing is not that far away.

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