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catfish
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06/01/2008 07:31PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Caught these last week. Does this spot look familiar? I stopped by TGO's and thanked him for the jigs. We had fantastic smallmouth action all week on topwater, jigs and leeches and spinners. The biggest was 4lb 3oz, 6 others were just shy of 4.
 
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Snipit
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06/01/2008 09:55PM  
iron
 
zimrl
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06/01/2008 10:04PM  
Nice catches!
 
MagicStik
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06/02/2008 08:42AM  
Very nice smallies! Hope to hook into a few of those later this week on Knife.

MagicStik
 
06/02/2008 09:28AM  
Very nice.
 
06/02/2008 03:03PM  
Dang, got yerself some pigs there!
Nice work.
 
catfish
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06/02/2008 03:26PM  
We were on Iron 5 days and the first 2 they only hit deeper stuff. We had a hard frost the first night. The third day it was warm and windy and there was a mayfly hatch. The topwater action exploded and by the last day they were jumping and head shaking during the fight. Last Friday it was overcast and drizzled and we had great action all day. Only ate one 2 pounder that was gill hooked and bleeding bad. Her eggs were still yellow and small. These pigs are still sitting on the beds we pulled them off.
 
06/02/2008 06:40PM  
Sounds like a lot of fun to me.

It's also cool you didn't have fish every night for dinner. Kudos to you guys.
 
06/02/2008 08:31PM  
We will probably eat only smallies this year. Help to get rid of the rough fish and let the walleyes alone.
 
06/02/2008 08:33PM  
catfish?

ENN EYE CEE E FISH! how long was the heaviest? just so i can make a comparison.....
 
catfish
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06/03/2008 11:11AM  


Being from IL I never got in the habit of measuring the length of fish. We bring a Berkley digital scale. I don't think this was the largest but the paddle blade gives it some perspective. The thing that impressed me most was the consistent action from 2-3 pounders. They all had that football shape and deep bronze color. And the setting back there is like a Japanese rock garden.
 
motdur
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06/03/2008 11:54AM  
catfish...I'm heading to Iron for the first time in two weeks. So I'm not familiar with the hotspot. Are you willing to share the exact location?
 
catfish
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06/03/2008 12:32PM  
Oh heck yes, we're all pretty much catch and release people. Call me in the evening sometime after today at 847 924-5611 and I'll tell you everthing I have learned in 5 yrs of fishing this wonderfull lake.
 
motdur
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06/03/2008 12:49PM  
Will do...
 
bobby726
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06/03/2008 01:27PM  
Awesome fish! Even better that you're willing to share your spot with other folks. Thank you and congrats.
 
catfish
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06/04/2008 02:56PM  
I want to catch the pike that had this one in it's mouth. The width and lenghth of the bite marks are pretty impressive and were on both sides. They were fresh wounds but didn't happen while I was fighting it.
 
fishnfreak
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06/04/2008 04:42PM  
Keith,
Did you use EP 16 or 19 to get in there. I have used 16 to get to Iron but lately I have been thinking 19 may be a better trip. I too think that Iron is the cats meow. There is a certain hump on Iron that had and has huge fish of all kinds on it.
 
Themyth
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06/04/2008 05:56PM  
Beautiful SMALLIES Catfish!!! I will be going into Iron July 7th and I hope to get into the fish like that, I almost exclusively fish for smallies. I have never been to Iron before though, any secrets for that time of the year?
 
catfish
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06/05/2008 07:31AM  
We've gone in through Nina-Moose, Stuart and this time had Mark Zup shuttle us over to Bottle Portage. This is a little costly but quite enjoyable, gives you another day of fishing and he knows this area like know one else. Mark will sit down with you at his lodge on Lac La Croix and pinpoint every hotspot. I have fished Iron as late as late-June post spawn. At that time we fished the Three Island area reefs and boulders pretty heavy with X-Raps and had terrific action. Bring a portable depth finder and a bouy. Troll with Shad Raps etc until you get a hit, mark the spot with the bouy and then work it hard with jerk baits or leeches (purchased at The Great Outdoors in Ely) on slip bobbers. During early and late day low light conditions any interface between rock and water will give you topwater action. Bonus walleyes for dinner on jig and leech are almost a sure thing at Curtain Falls. This time we took a jaunt up into Argo and had some good laker action too.
 
XYpaddler
member (31)member
  
07/10/2008 09:50PM  
Looking at those fish out of Iron really have us chompin at the bit. My cousin and I and our 2 12 year old daughters are going in for 5-days thru Canadian Waters on 8/11 at Bottle Portage or thru the 300+ rodder(which ever might be easier at the time given the mud pits on Bottle I read about on another thread.) I took my daughter on her first trip last August(my fifth or sixth trip) and she is eager to go back. The other two have never been and I am hoping to maximize our fishing success and overall canoe camping experience.

I am thinking base camp for three days and start our way out to EP16 on the 4th day perhaps staying the last night on either Agnes or Nina-Moose.
Kids are more confident/comfortable with live bait so we will probably go with leeches and slip bobbers. How many pounds is enough?

Maybe Iron becomes a day trip and we stay on Tiger Bay or Fish stake. I expect the best campsites to be tough to get this time of year.
Any tips on hot spots, techniques, campsites, must see stuff etc...will help us plan our route. Any thoughts?
 
catfish
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07/11/2008 11:47AM  
1/8 oz jig with a fat leech under a slip bobber drifted by or over any offshore structure such as little islands or rocks is pretty good for both smallies and walleye. Paddle slowly or let the boat drift in a light wind and watch your bobbers. Cast a Heddon Baby Torpedo at shoreline rocks in the morning and evening. Troll a medium sized Jointed Rapala along shore lines. If you use Bottle portage, take the trail to the right about 50 yrds in to avoid the mud.
 
07/11/2008 06:19PM  
Was there (snapshots above) last year one day and weather prevented us from getting back until this year. Were on turtle island campsite and it became our "go to" spot. Caught similar smallies all week as well as some eyes. Yes, it looks familiar and after just a taste of it last year, I drooled all year in anticipation. Boys went up 16, us oldfarts took the tow to bottle. Best fishing in a long time and they were stacked like you said. Nice camp .We got there on 6-3 just behinb you like last year.My boys still rave about it. Must learn how to scan and send 35 mm pics! I have some pics of the "garden area" from 72,85,93,and 07. It's still the same! Hard to go hungry there too!
 
XYpaddler
member (31)member
  
07/11/2008 11:32PM  
Great info guys... thanks!!

Hey catfish looks like you're from the northwest part of IL too. Those shots of you with small falls behind you..the rock garden I think you called it...Where on Iron is that? Most all our fishing will be catch and release.

BTW, my cousin has little apprehension tying into a larger pike, landing and releasing it. Whats the best way you guys think for beginners handling large toothy fish? Net, fish handling gloves, gripper,....? Even our girls will need something secure to land and release the fish they catch.
 
Irishstone
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07/13/2008 02:58AM  
great looking fish. congrats on finding the spot!

 
kensofe
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07/13/2008 06:53AM  
Great fish Catfish! Looks like a TON of fun.

Hey, let me ask you and XYpaddler- where in NW IL are you? I live in the Dixon area and travel throughout IL and the midwest...small world, eh?
 
XYpaddler
member (31)member
  
07/14/2008 09:32AM  
Man O man....I hope my sense of direction is better come August. What I meant was north EAST...EAST IL. ARrgggg.
I'm in Mundelein, just west of Libertyville.
 
john 800
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07/16/2008 10:12PM  
the one in the first pic is a monster, I have been wanting to head into iron for a while. Would you mind if I also called you? Also great job releasing them, thsoe are some old old fish, and the bwca is getting more and more pressure, and if we all ate what we could It wouldnt be worth portaging rods and tackle in, Thank you
 
catfish
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07/20/2008 10:17AM  
We just got back from a week in a cabin on Eagle Lake Ontario. Smallie fishing was nowhere near as good as Iron! We did pull a few nice ones out though. We also stopped for a day of channel cat fishing on the Red River in Lockport MB. That was wild! XYP: I live in Lake Bluff. If you live in Lake County, don't miss Independence Grove. Both my son and I have caught 5 lb+ largemouth in addition to hundreds of other nice fish there. It is catch and release only.
 
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