Sportsman Fishing Club

Enhancing the Environment and Fishing Experience at Shadow Lakes

April 2013

The next meeting is Saturday September 15, 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 - Tom Lydon

Visit Us On The Web At: www.sportsmanfishingclub.com

Club Mailing Address: Sportsman Fishing Club

Shadow Lakes II 24727 W. Amenity Ctr. Dr.

Wilmington, IL 60481

Officers President - Tom Lydon

Cell (630) 776-1625 tlydon44@gmail.com

Vice President - Mark Tullos

Treasurer - Andy Kaminsky

IDNR - Ed Matykiewicz

Fund Raising - Betty Lydon

Secretary - Lisa Tullos

September 2013

August Club Financial Report Beginning balance $ 3,157.88 Income $ 1,082.50 Expenses $ 1,014.58 Club end balance $ 3,225.80 Stocking costs $ NIL Association balance $10,329.81 Total Club/Assoc. balance $13,555.61

UPCOMING EVENTS September 15th, Club Meeting; election of 2014 Officers and review the end of 2013 stocking plans and Club funding. September 28th, Cat & Carp Derby and Oktoberfest picnic. 5 to 10 PM TMV point. Fishing, awards, brats, sauerkraut, strudel and other German foods. October 20th, Club meeting; discuss and firm up 2014 stocking orders and we will firm up our activity calendar for 2014 . November 17th, Year-end Club meeting; “Thank you brunch” to end 2013. December- NO MEETING. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

AUGUST 18th 2013 MEETING MINUTES

Fishing Roundtable: 18 ½ inch LMBass, deep on a jig; 21 inch LMBass, a 19 inch Walleye and a 16 inch LMBass were the larger reported fish. Lot’s of big gills in deep water. Two anglers repoted catching 21 LMBass in 3 hours, with some fish up to 20-22 inches, All very healthy.

See Treasurers report above. No fish stocking activities this month with warmer water. Bigger Trout plans for the Fall.

A very big “THANKS” to all who made the 3rd annual Fish Fry such a success this year, a financial report on this event is included later in this newsletter.

POAC/Board: Several Shadow Lakes residents underwent 16 hours of Community Emergency Response Training. Future classes will be offered. If you would be interested, contact Wayne Kancler, a Board and Fishing Club member. Wayne, Andy Kaminsky and Al Skoczylas. all Club members gave up two Saturdays to attend this training. The need for Shadow Lakes to be better prepared for any and all emergencies requires that we become more involved. So please contact Wayne if you want o help out in the event of a major disaster. Water Willow Presentation: Mike Green reviewed the installation, progress and other possible options in this endeavor. It included possibly harvesting our own Willows rather than purchasing them. Mike is conducting a test of this option. The Saturday afternoon meeting did not draw a larger group, so we will stick to our normal 3rd Sunday, 9 AM meeting schedule. Rearing SMBass, a discussion was held. See article in this issue with some points to consider in the future. No decision made at this time.

Club's 20th anniversary will be June 14th 2014. A spirited discussion was held on how to celebrate that event. Discussions to continue. A pig roast was discussed, and whether to have it in addition to the Fish Fry next year.

New fishing station on the Conservation trail. The Club supports these efforts and would like to see more such sites. The Association is considering additional ways to create these spots.

A proposal for a new 24 hour bait machine was presented to the Board for consideration. See Tom, if you want to see what this unit is like.

Plans to clean out the Club's shed at the pond are in the works. We plan to add some shelves to help organize the Club materials.

Sunday September 1st, is the Kid's Derby.

The Club approved holding a Fall and Winter 50/50 Cash Raffle to increase our stocking funds in the coming year to offset the Water Willow expenditures.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:30AM

BEST LMBASS FISHING IN YEARS

This year, Shadow Lakes is seeing some of our best LMBass fishing in a number of years. Many fish in the 18-22 inch range have been reported. While we are not seeing many of the smaller 8 to 10 inch fish in our channels, folks are catching 2 to 5 pound LMBass right off their docks. This is a great sign for fishing in the coming years. Here are some Fall tips for locating these larger fish.

FALL LMBASS PATTERNS Fall is a transitional period for bass. As waters cool, these fish stock up on food for the winter and gradually move to their cold-water haunts. September is also a great time to fish. Most of the pleasure boaters are gone and bass will bite on a variety of presentations. But you have to find them first. Luckily, there are a few simple tips to help you home in on September bass.

FOLLOW BAITFISH September is often the time of year when baitfish transition from deep to shallow water and bass often follow. Clumps of baitfish can be seen near shorelines. Look for pieces of isolated shallow cover with baitfish nearby; these areas will often hold bass. Exactly how shallow depends on the lake; 15 feet or less is often a good depth, but this is not a firm rule. Drop-offs, points, channels, rock piles and irregularities in a weedline are good producers. Places with current are attractive to bass as well. Bass may be well-fed, in which case you will have to agitate them into biting.

COVER A LOT OF WATER When you come to an area that you believe holds bass and baitfish, start by covering a lot of water with a fast-paced lure. This will catch most of the more active bass, as well as give you an idea of what specific spots within the overall area hold the most fish. Some anglers swear by a buzzbait when you see bass breaking the surface or when the surface is rippled but not choppy. Top-water poppers, crankbaits and spinnerbaits are also popular techniques to cover water and find bass.

BE THOROUGH Once the fast bite slows down, switch to a slower, more subtle technique and focus on small areas and specific pieces of cover. This will target bass that are too full or inactive to bite. It is important to make repeated casts to a piece of cover; making one cast and moving on will inevitably cause you to miss fish. Professional anglers often casts a series of different lures to the same piece of cover in an attempt to get a strike. If you are fishing around structures, tie on a diving crankbait and bang it into the cover. Carolina-rigged soft plastics are also great for thoroughly exploring an area.

RECOGNIZE THE CHANGING CONDITIONS The changing of the seasons from summer to fall represents a transitional time when all living things prepare for the approach of winter. Bass are no exception. The smart angler will adjust strategies to meet these changing conditions in the life cycle of a big bass, as summer gives way to cooler autumn temperatures. Understanding how this affects bass can make the difference between a productive fishing day and a merely pleasant day of peace and quiet on the water.

COOLER WATER TEMPS EQUAL NEW HOLDING PATTERTNS The cooler days of autumn prompt bass to shift their territory toward the back of coves and inlets, further distances from deeper water to shallow areas. When the water temperature begins to drop into the mid-50s Fahrenheit, look for fish in shallow water. Crankbaits, buzzbaits and rubber worms will continue to produce good results in shallow water. Try silver and white colors.

MATCH LURE SIZE TO FISH SIZE Although it may seem counter-intuitive, big fish will continue to have big appetites in the fall months, so

a larger lure will produce larger bass. Although bass metabolism begins to slow down as the water temperature drops, larger bass will still require more to eat than their smaller, younger siblings. The

(continued) same holds true for their prey. Baitfish hatched in the spring will have reached full size by the fall, so the minnows and lures you threw in the water in May will bear little resemblance to what the big bass are eating in October.

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE SKIES Bass are more active in the fall during overcast days, when the water may be murky and predators have a better opportunity of sneaking up on prey. Fish the shallow waters where baitfish dart near the banks. Start the day with topwater baits along banks, floating vegetation and beneath tree limbs jutting over the water. Switch to soft, plastic worms at midday when the sun is directly overhead and the bass are getting lazy. Try crankbaits and buzzbaits in the later afternoon and early evening hours.

IN LATER FALL, HEAD FOR DEEPER WATER Bass will shift back to the depths in late October and early November after fattening themselves on baitfish in the shallows during early autumn. You'll need a boat or a baitcasting combo with fair amount of line on the reel to reach your fish. Jigs, wacky worms and worms rigged Carolina-style with twin hooks embedded in the bait, and spinnerbaits can produce good fish in late fall.

Our LMBass population seems to be getting bigger. SO PLEASE REMEMBER THAT A 20 INCH LMBASS CAN LAY OR FERTILIZE UP TO 35,000 EGGS EACH TIME THEY SPAWN, SO PLEASE PRACTICE "CATCH, PHOTO AND RELEASE" FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR FISHERY.

INITIAL SMALLMOUTH REARING RESEARCH

As we discussed at the recent meetings, we are looking into more productive uses of the FV rearing pond. We agreed to do some in-depth research on the possibility of rearing a different species in the pond. The Club was successful in raising catfish one year, but getting them into the lakes proved to be a major challenge. The Club gave it’s permission to see if there was a possibility of rearing SMBass.

The initial research shows that it can and is being done in similar ponds in our climate. A number of pond managers have raised SMBass in very small pond situations in the Midwest. Here are several quotes from their research:

• “In Northern lakes and ponds SMBass reproduction and survival seems to be quite high.” • “Well-fed fingerling SMBass can grow to 10 to 12 inches in as little as one year”: • “It is preferred to rear SMBass only in such an effort, stocking only SMBass and forage.” • “Smallies can be fed minnows, shiners, crayfish, yellow perch, red-ear sunfish and pellet fed.” • “We have raised thriving numbers of SMBass up to 20 inches long in a small, seven foot deep, clay

bottomed pond where water temps in mid-summer frequently reached the low 90’s. at Northern Ohio locations.”

An effort to do this would require a lot of time and resources. We will continue to review the information available, including discussing it with IDNR biologists at our Illinois hatcheries. A total review of costs and requirements will be made before any final decisions are reached.

FISHING DERBY

September 1st Kid’s Fishing Derby

Last Sunday our Annual Kid’s Derby was held at the Rearing Pond in Fisherman’s Village. Thirty anglers were signed up and 29 fished. It was a beautiful day and the kids and adults had a great time. Our face-painter and tattoo artists were a big hit with the kids. Every child received a goodie bag of surprises. The youngest age group (six and under) stole the day as usual. They tallied a total of 182 fish and one five year old girl, Addie Kirby, caught a 7 pound catfish on her trusty “Barbie” fishing rod. A total of 186 fish were caught and the following awards were given out to the top 3 winners in each group. The winners were: SIX AND UNDER: Name # Fish Award Logan Maracle 18 Rod and Reel Alden Willemin 17 Tackle Box Emma Sammons 9 Rapala Game Carson Morando 9 Rapala Game 7-8-9 YEAR OLD: Caleb Maracle 25 Rod and Reel Danny Gervase 20 Tackle Box Noah Willemin 9 Rapala Game 10-11-12 YEAR OLD: Camryn Gervase 19 Rod and Reel Mikey Matlock 5 Tackle Box Kennedy Hakey 3 Rapala Game Madison Tullos 3 Rapala Game

The Six & Under group caught 76 fish. The 7-8-9 group caught 72 fish and the 10-11-12 group caught 34 fish; after the Sun came out fishing did slow down. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped out, especially the Bembenek,

Maglone, Midona, Grabowski and Tullos families, and the maintenance staff for having the pond in such good shape.

Addie Kirby Danny Gervase

6 and under winners Tattoo artists - Mary Midona & Betty Lydon

2014 OFFICER ELECTIONS At the September meeting, we will vote on the 2014 Officers. The current slate of members offered to continue into the new year. There will be one change Ed Matykiewicz has asked Mike Green to take over the DNR responsibility temporarily as Ed will be helping his son relocate to the West Coast for several months this Fall and Winter. The duties include ordering fish stocking and delivery of game and forage fish from several vendors. The Officers for 2014 will be Mark Tullos as VP, Andy Kaminsky as Treasurer, Lisa Tullos as Secretary, Peg McQuarters as Newsletter Publisher, Betty Lydon as Fund raiser, myself as President and Mike Green as the DNR representative. If any other Club members wish to run for a position, please notify me before September 14th so we may set up an election.

2013 SUMMER ACTIVITIES AND FINANCIAL IMPACT Normally, the club adds about $3,000 a year to the Association’s funding for fish stocking. This year, we will be slightly under that amount due to the expansion of the “Water Willow” erosion effort. The Club estimated that we would spend about $1,000 for this effort. Mike Green headed up the project and devoted countless hours to this effort. We were able to bring the project in under budget at $986. This also means that future “Water Willow” efforts will be cheaper, as we have the basic materials (mesh, wiring, etc) on hand. The major costs is the future will be the plants, and we may be able to harvest some of our own for this effort. This is being tested.

The other two major Summer events were the All-Resort Fish Fry and the Children’s Derby. The Fish Fry was an all you can eat event, open to the entire resort for $5 for adults. We made $512 on this event because so much of the materials were donated by Club members. The Children’s Derby lost $270 dollars, as we always invest more in this fun event. Overall our two Summer events made a profit of $242. The Club puts all excess funds from our dues and events BACK INTO OUR WATERS in the stocking program. We will again add about $20,000 worth of Game and Forage fish to our lakes this year. This is an absolute necessity to keep our “Put and Take Waters” fishable. Thanks to all for their support in these efforts to maintain a quality Fishery.

NEW IDNR OFFICER VISITS AND ISSUES CITATIONS We recently had a visit from a new CPO officer for our area. I was told that he issued several citations for expired boat registrations and failure to have a valid fishing license. I am certain that we will be seeing more attention in the coming year, so be forewarned. Also, the IDNR no longer sends out boat registration notices. It is up to the boat owner to insure they stay current. You can apply on the IDNR website and see details on other ways to obtain the required stickers. I am not sure if this is a permanent change or just a test. I am trying to get a definitive answer.

A YOUNG ANGLER LEARNS A GREAT LESSON At our Kid's fishing derby, 9 year old, Danny Gervase did pretty good catching 20 fish. But, his big thrill came a couple of weeks ago when he landed a 20 inch LMBass while fishing on Big Shadow. Like most anglers, he estimated his fish to be 7 pounds. On most charts that 20 in bass weighed a solid 5 pounds. Danny was fishing deep with a rubber worm when he caught that beauty. Danny's Dad was very proud of him as he took pictures and then released that fish to fight again. He was rewarded by catching another large bass a couple of days later. A picture is included in this issue. We may also use it in our 2014 ads for our community.

ANNUAL TROUT STOCKINGS This year, we had a great Spring Trout season. I had many comments on how much fun folks had catching Rainbows and several new members said they joined the Club because of the great Trout fishing. We try to stock Trout twice a year, if possible. Occasionally, we run into the following problems; too small a fish in the Spring or a shortage of Trout due to the Illinois DNR buying larger quantities some years. We add the Trout in late in the season so the survival rates are higher in colder waters. For years the DNR said our Trout would not survive the summer in these lakes. This was not correct. We have caught 4 to 5 pound Rainbows in the middle of August when it was almost 100 degrees. We have a number of 40 foot holes and several very cold natural springs in our waters. This is enabling our Trout to survive and grow. We plan a strong stocking this Fall, if the fish are available. So don't miss out on this fun period of fall fishing at Shadow Lakes!

Sportsman Fishing Club 24727 W. Amenity Center Drive Wilmington IL 60481

Sportsman Fishing Club

Membership Application for 2013 $35.00 for Individual or Family Please provide the following information for Club records and newsletter mailing purposes: Date: ______________________ Renew: ________________ New Member :__________________ Name(s): _____________________________________________Village Lot #:: _______________ Home Address: ___________________________________________________________________ City: __________________________________ State: ___________ Zip: _____________________ Home Phone: ( ) Shadow Lakes Phone: (_____)___________________

E-Mail address (only needed if you wish to receive the Club Newsletter by e-mail) Email address: ______________________________________________________

I will view Newsletter on Web Site ________ Please mail newsletter _________ Membership dues cover the calendar year 2013

�Bring this form to the next meeting and make check payable to: The Sportsman Fishing Club �Mail to: Sportsman Fishing Club, 24727 W. Amenity Center Drive, Wilmington, IL 60481

�Drop off the application and payment in the Association office