Southern Illinois Fishing Report – November 2nd, 2012

Crab Orchard Lake

Crappie action is improving. Fish are being found at varying depths, depending on cover. Minnows and jigs seem to be equally effective. Catfish action has slowed somewhat. Bluegill shave slowed, although some fish are still being caught along the rip-rap on crickets and wax worms. Bass action is good on a variety of baits fished around shallow cover.

Baldwin Lake

Catfish are biting on night crawlers and stinkbaits. Bass hitting plastics and crankbaits around rip-rap and in shallows. Bluegills picking up on meal worms or wax worms.

Horseshoe Lake

Catfish remain steady. Anglers are catching fish by drift fishing night crawlers just off the bottom. Some crappies are being caught in brush piles at the outside edge of the tree line.

Carlyle Lake

White bass are biting well below the spillway, with a few fish coming from near the trestles and the silos. Whites are also biting on the main lake on the flats. Crappies fair on minnows below the dam. Channel cats are good on the lake for anglers drifting or jug fishing with cut bait or leeches. Good catches reported in late evening and early mornings. Flatheads biting on cut bait  and liver. Bass hitting spinners and spoons thrown up along the rock wall.

Kinkaid Lake

Muskies hitting spinner baits. Crappies are good at 6-10 feet on minnows and jigs. Catfish good on liver and worms. Bass good on plastics and on spinnerbaits. Bluegills fair on waxworms.

Lake of Egypt

Crappies good on minnows and light jigs. Bluegills fair on rooster tails and worms. Most fish are being located in 6-8 feet in front of weedbeds. Bass are still rated good on topwaters and spinners, and some on soft plastics. Catfish good on shrimp and stinkbaits.

Lake Murphysboro

Catfish action remains excellent, particularly in the morning and early evening. Most anglers are using chicken liver and night crawlers. Bass are also rated fair to good. Crappie anglers are finding fish are various depths. Minnows are the preferred bait. Bluegill action is slow.

Little Grassy

Fishing traffic has been light during the past week. Bluegill and redear anglers are picking up some fish in about 10 feet of water. Catfish good throughout the lake. Night crawlers are the most effective bait. Crappie action has slowed somewhat. Fish are still deep. A couple of nice fish were taken in the past week, but numbers were down. Minnows are the primary bait. Bass action remains fair.

Rend Lake

Crappies are still rated good on minnows, chartreuse jigs, white jigs and pink/green jigs. Fish are being caught over Christmas tree sets and near bridge pillars in 6-10 feet of water. The Route 154 rip-rap, Gun Creek bridge and the sailboat harbor wall have all been productive areas. Catfish action has also been good. Catfish anglers are working rip-rap areas, Gun Creek, the subimpoundment dams and shallow areas. Shrimp, night crawlers, shiners and stinkbaits have all been effective.
Bass are rated good, with some fish being caught on spinnerbaits, black and other dark-colored buzzbaits and soft plastics. White bass also are good on the flats in evenings. Many fish have been  taken just before sundown. Anglers are fishing curlytail jigs in shallow areas and using minnows in rip-rap areas or whites. Bluegills picking up on waxworms and other live bait.

Pinckneyville Lake

Largemouth bass have been fair to good. Bluegills are biting on worms in 6 to 8 feet of water. Crappie and catfish fishing has been fair.