Illinois Fishing Photos

Dana Wherley of Eureka got this catfish on the Mackinaw River on Father’s Day. Brought back a lot of memories of fishing with her own father Russell Hansen for catfish on the back waters of the Mississippi when she was a kid

My grandson caught this large mouth Bass 9/1120 At a retention pond at a Huntley, Ill. He used a night crawler, 20 incher. His name is charley Conley.

Our grandson, Aiden Bertie of Aurora, IL, caught this 22" large mouth bass on Sand Lake near Moose Lake, MN on July 14, 2020.

Jackson Cook 7 years old Caught in the rock river on a bluegill. It was his first flathead. He was proud because he out fished his dad.

Robby Wright, 14 yrs old, of Oakwood IL, caught this 22" 6lb 4oz largemouth bass on June 24th at Sportsman's Lake in Kickapoo State Park in Vermilion County. I was caught right after a downpour with a 7" Culprit Fat Max in Red Shad color, with a .25oz bullet sinker rigged Texas style on a 3/0 Gamakatsu offset EWG hook. He's starting his first year at Oakwood High School this fall and excited to be on the Bass Fishing Team. He and another student took 1st at the Paris, IL bass tournament July 28th, 2019.

6.2 pound, 22 inch large mouth bass. I caught the bass at a private pond in Macon county. I used a red Yamamoto grub with a jig head a little smaller than 1/4 oz.

My Grandson, Taylan Leal was fishing with his Dad, June 5, 2019 in Whiteside county. I can't even imagine the look on his face when he pulled this bluegill out. They do catch and release, so maybe next time it will be a little bigger. Way to go Taylan.

70lb blue cat! 70 on the dot. This was caught on the Embarras River using live bait. Picture, left to right, brothers Cole Borries, Jake Fuesting, Danny Borries

I caught and released this Flathead Catfish kayaking down the Sangamon River outside of Decatur, IL on June 6th. I caught it with Scat, she put up a good fight but I won!

Joey Sprinkle, 14, caught 7.5lb, 22 in Bass in private lake in Piatt County on Sunday, Sept. 23.

Smile! Aaron Miller (7 years old) caught this catfish on August 17, 2018, at Wakonda State Park in Missouri near his home town of Quincy, Illinois.

Mandie Smith and baby carter having fun catching this 2.5lbs at lake Jericho in Montgomery Il

Steve Marcotte, of Bourbonnais, Ill., caught this 5.13lb Largemouth Bass from Clinton Lake May 1, 2018

Caught this 22-inch largemouth hopping a jig at a local nursery pond. Great way to start the year with a personal best! Photo take 3-28-18

Huge Grass Carp Hooked near Victoria, Illinois. Steve Cicciarelli was fishing with Shaun Cusack on a small lake near Victoria, Illinois. Steve was fishing for muskies when he hooked into this 72-pound grass carp. It pulled them around for a while before scooping the head into a net and cradling the body of the fish into the boat. After measuring and checking the internet they found the posted state record was 66-pounds. They did the math on their fish and it showed 72-pounds so they decided to get it certified but it was Sunday around 5pm and everywhere was closed. So Steve took the fish home, put it in freezer and the next day had the weight certified and sent the info to the Illinois DNR and they told us that someone else had recorded a 75-pound fish but they had not updated website.

95" Striped Marlin caught by Mike Lowder in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Estimated weight 130lbs.

Jeff McGlade, a 21-year old business student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, spent a weekend in Scotland while studying abroad in Barcelona Spain this past Spring to go fishing with a guide on Portmore Loch (Scottish for lake) about 15 miles South of Edinburgh, Scotland . Jeff was fishing in wadders from the shore with a spin casting reel and rod with live fish bait. Jeff caught and released this 38 inch, 15 lb. Northern Pike. Jeff hometown is Palatine, IL. Looks like the famous Loch Ness Monster!

20.5" smallie. Kankakee River. Wilmington, IL. Guessing its about 5lbs. Caught it last sunday about 7pm. CPR'd it.

Richard Stults, of Paris, caught and released this 4lb 8oz largemouth bass while fishing in a farm pond in Clark County on May 28,2017. He was a plastic worm for bait.

Tom Pozdol, of Mount Morris, IL. Catch and Release 24" walleye on Rock River below Oregon, IL dam. Caught February, 2017 on 1/8 oz.jig with 3" grub.

Largest Bass Kellen Price ever caught. Was just a little over 5lbs. Caught in Pekin, IL on Lake Remington

Jay Timmermann, of Aviston, IL. First Canada Fly-In Trip. 40" Northern Pike caught and released on Blackstone Lake in Kenora, Ontario on July 9th 2016

Samantha Laman of Saint Michael Minnesota caught this 34 inch Northern on Hydes Lake in Waconia Township . First fish ever caught bigger than a bait fish!

Jolene Connelly caught and released her first muskellunge, a 36-incher, on the Susquehanna River.

Fishing with my best friend Scott Becker in the Boundary Waters Tuesday morning on Basswood Lake. Caught this nice 22-inch walleye at 6 AM.

Gavin Stamberger, 3, of Mendota, caught (was helped bringing it in) this 9 1/2 lb. carp on April 15th while fishing at Mendota Lake.

Dominik Stamberger, 10, of Mendota, caught this 6 lb. largemouth bass on April 17th while fishing on a farm pond.

Daniel Kennedy of Decatur, Illinois caught and released his biggest flathead catfish in Lake Decatur.

This is a picture of one of my favorite places to kayak canoe fish enjoy scenery near my house at the Mazon River in Morris Illinois

Jon Tiso, of Spring Grove, caught this 17-inch, Black Crappie while fishing on Chain O lakes Illinois on June 8, 2015

Laura Fisher, of Rock Falls, caught and released this 10-pound carp while fishing the Rock River on 08/22/2015

two and a half year old Fletcher Accetturo and proud dad Nick from Momence Illinois, Fletchers first fish caught in Hayward Wisconsin July 29.

Stan Valinskas of Rankin, Illinois caught an 11 inch 1 pound 4 oz Red Ear at the Strip Mines at Monster Lake in Braidwood, IL on July 11, 2015.

Bass bit off more than he could chew. Photo by Rob Powell. Both were released alive. 1# & 3#

Bryan White, of Oakley, IL caught and released this 3' - 50+ pound channel cat at Clinton Lake on a magnum lizard fishing for bass.

Kevin Hein, of Crystal Lake, caught and released this 36-inch muskie while fishing at Lake Atwood in Cary on April 5, 2015

Ali Hoesman, of Bradley, Illinois caught this 5-pound largemouth reeling in a bluegill!

This muskie was caught mid June from the Lake of the Woods walleye jigging around islands. We stayed on a houseboat near Morson, Ontario which kept us close to the area we were going to be fishing.

Sophia Frye, age 6, of Philo, caught and released her first catfish at her uncle's in Olney

James DeSomer, of Oswego Ill., caught and released this big walleye while fishing on Green Bay on May 09, 2013.

Laney Stark of Chicago, caught and released this largemouth bass in a Subdivision pond June 2013.

Anthony Maggart caught and released this 114.4-pound, 59-inch long, 43-inch girth blue catfish while fishing in the Mississippi River at Alton, Illinois on July 21, 2013.

Ryan, age 8, caught and released his first fish. A 13" large mouth with Uncle Craig at Axehead Lake.

Kolby Cauemaker, of Atkinson, with help from her brother Knox, caught and released a nice largemouth bass that was over 5 lbs. It was caught in late May on a Barbie pole rigged with a black and blue chatter bait.

Daniel Kennedy of Decatur, caught and hesitantly released a 1 1/2 lb, 16-inch crappie at a farm pond by Shelbyville.

Dalton Vinnedge, caught this 30 1/2-inch, 10-pound walleye at the Yellow Creek in Freeport, Ill. One inch shy of the state record on May 19, 2013.

Kelly Frey of Kendall, Wi caught this 23 inch walley while fishing with her dad on the Wold River outside of Weyauwega, W April 27,2013i

Jeff York, of Columbia, caught and released this 23.5-inch, 7lb 8oz Largemouth Bass while fishing his fathers pond in Columbia, IL.

This is the President, Kris Gaertner, of the Happy Hookers Bass Club hooking a Toad on a crankbait at Lake Braidwood in early spring 3/4/13 (it weighed in at over 5 lbs)

Roger Willmon and Dave Buchanan fishing on the Illinois River on August 13, 2012 using stink bait

This big cat was caught on cut shad in the Illinois River. With the help from his dad he was able to pull the monster in after a 30 min fight!

I caught this monster in local lake early March from the bank. I had a spinning rod with a whitechatterbait and saw something big breach the water about 70 yards to my right. I walk over and caught him on the 3rd cast !

Caught this 24 x15 /8lb largemouth bass on a spinning rig with a plastic frog. He engulfed the frog as soon as it hit a water from the weed line.

Caught this nice 25" approx 6lb hybrid striper on a spinning rig with 4lb test and a small stickbait. The fish hit the lure and ripped off 30 yards of line.

Bluegill fishing on Borah Lake on April 14th, bobber, white jig, wax worms!!!!

This Whopper was caught through the ice on Bangs Lake on 02/09/2012 Photo Courtesy of Bangs Lake Bait Co.

 

My daughter, Hayley Cahill, 13 of Wauconda, IL  caught this northern, her first, on Bangs Lake in Wauconda on Feb. 12th.

caught while bass fishing and if you cpr anyway what could give a better fight than a mean grunnel