Shadow Lakes Sportsman Fishing Club

Enhancing the Environment and Fishing Experience at Shadow Lakes

Officers

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

Vice President- Fred Cowell

Treasurer - Jane Hill Secretary - Lynn Schuler

IDNR - Fred Cowell Fund Raising - Betty Lydon

The next meeting is

SEPTEMBER 16th Club meetings, of about one hour, are held the third Sunday of each

month at the

Shadow Lakes Amenity Center.

Meetings begin at 9 AM Free coffee &

donuts provided.

Newsletter

Peg McQuarters Tom Lydon

Website/Sue Kielnik

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

Club Mailing Address:

Sportsman Fishing Club Shadow Lakes II

24727 W. Amenity Center Drive

Wilmington, IL 60481

AUGUST 2018 Treasurer Report:

Starting balance $ 4,018.37

Expenses $ 1,425.07 *

Income $ 215.00

Ending balance $ 2,808.30

Association bal. $ 8,409.12

Total funds $ 11, 217.42

* $575 paid out in 50/50 raffle + $325 for emergency pump

Club applications are available in the SLKS

Association Office. PASS ON THIS

NEWSLETTER TO A NEW NEIGHBOR

AFTER YOU READ IT, THANK YOU!

NEXT MEETING: SEPTEMBER 16TH

UPCOMING EVENTS THIS SUMMER

CAT DERBY-OCTOBERFEST, 10/6, FV REARING POND ANNUAL “THANK YOU BRUNCH” NOV 16TH AT

9AM AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER

CLUB’S UPCOMING 25TH ANNIVERSARY

25th YEAR CELEBRATION IN JUNE 2019

1994-2018 SEPT 2018 24 Yrs

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AUGUST-SEPTEMBER FISHING ROUNDTABLE

As we go to print, it appears that the water temps may begin to drop, which should turn on fishing.

Some recent great catches were during early or late hours, but now, we should see better fishing throughout the day. Many 3 - 4 lb LMBass reported. Mostly caught on rubber baits, Wacky Worms,

Carolina Rigs and just plain rubber worms on hooks. Some very nice Gills and Red-ear being

caught. Few Walleyes being reported. Perch, still being reported on the trail. Concerns were dis-

cussed about a turn-down in LMBass fishing in Hawk Lake, comments about seeing much less for-

age in Hawk Lake. The Club agreed to review our forage stocking formulae and try to adjust it ac-

cordingly. We may also boost the “Breeder Gills” added to Hawk. All Bass viewed this past Summer

appeared very healthy and well-fed.

FISH OF THE MONTH CONTEST: WINNER, AUGUST 2018

Candy Hackewicz catches her first ever Largemouth Bass!

CANDY, NICE CATCH PAUL GARDNER 3RD DAN HILL NICE BASS

We continue our “Fish of the Month” contest all year round. The forms are stocked in our boxes

around the lakes. Monthly winners are announced in our newsletter. In addition to their picture in the

letter, they are on our website and bulletin boards. The contest is open to ALL residents. Winners al-

so get: Club members, a Club hat or t-shirt; non-club members win Bass-Pro fishing caps. Enjoy our

great fishing and we encourage our anglers to take a picture of their catch and return it alive to the

water. The future of our “PUT & TAKE” fishery depends on it. The monthly winner is not based on

just the biggest fish, rather on overall angling prowess, We have many 2-6 yr old winners, so drop

your entry forms and pictures at the office.

SO PLEASE, SEND IN MORE PICTURES!

EMAIL: tlydon44@gmail.com TEXT: 630 776-1625

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FA L L F I S H I N G T I P S

TAP THE AUTUMN BITE FOR PANFISH AND BASS: Fall offers ample op-portunities to catch a variety of gamefish, as cooling water temperatures spark hot bites for everything from catfish and crappies to bass and big panfish. To help you reap the autumn harvest, the following tips may aid you catch more fish and have more fun.

BASS BLITZ, Bass of all stripes strap on the fall feedbag. Many anglers believe bass gorge themselves in preparation for winter. But biologists tell us the fish are simply reacting to invigorating declines in water temperature, and also taking advantage of seasonal concen-trations of baitfish. Forage fish school and hungry bass move in for a meal, savvy anglers en-joy epic action, often along the shorelines.

Points and weed-beds or flats offering any type of structure are prime areas. In natural lakes rich in minnows and small sunfish, weed edges can be dynamite. Crankbaits are lethal weap-ons for covering water and triggering strikes. To find fish fast, strain water in a variety of depths, starting shallow and working your way out.

Shallow-running baits top options near shore. Keep the bait in contact with the bottom in four to six feet of water for the best results. Deeper means slender minnow imitations Use two sizes, A number 5 runs 6½ to 7 feet, while a size 7 should reach 8 to 9 feet deep.

SLAB FEST: If panfish are your forte, follow the seasonal migration from the outer edges of deep weed-beds onto nearby drop-offs and finally into deep holes, often in 25 to 35 feet of water for the bigger fish.

Top presentations include small jigs in the 1/16- to 1/8-ounce class, dressed with a dainty, scented soft-bait such as a 1-inch Gulp Alive or numerous other Gulp options. When the fish school in deeper water, add small jigging spoons to your repertoire, tipped with Gulp alive minnows, wax-worms or live bait.

COOL CATS : Schools of hungry, 5 to 10-pound channel catfish converge in shallow wa-ter to feed at night. Watch a lighted bobbers to add to your fun.

To catch them, fish a dip-worm slathered in catfish baits on a slip-sinker or three-way weighting system. For ease of use after dark, you can try luminescent bobber glow-sticks on cat rods spooled with 40-lb-test line.

Soaking your bait in high-percentage hotspots such as hard-bottomed areas at the mouths of channels, along sandy points and beaches to find catfish all night long.

Whether you target these cats in the darkness or any of the many other gamefish that are on the bite throughout autumn, putting these tips into practice can help make this your best fall yet. Hit the waters, in the cooler weather after the 90+ degree days are over.

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ALL RESORT FISH FRY

This year’s Fish Fry came off great with the help of so MANY super volunteers. The fish prep folks, cooks, table helpers, maintenance crew, clean-up folks all worked to make the day go smoothly….AND then we have to give kudos to the many dishes brought by the great cooks of Shadow Lakes. We fed close to 200 folks counting the helpers and Association Staff. The only complaint I heard was that the plates were too small, I told folks to go back for seconds and thirds….no one was counting. Here is a collage of pictures. The 50/50 raffle raised $1,150. The winner, a friend of Fred Cowell, split the pot, winning $575. The fish fry made a $25 profit, after all expenses…….

The Kids Fishing Derby was great fun on Sunday 9/2, a smaller turn-out than some years, so everyone got a nice prize, see an article on page 6 for more details. Here are a few group shots.

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KID’S FISHING DERBY

On Sunday, September 2nd, we held our annual Derby for young anglers. Several parents and grand-parents said they had being bringing their kids to this Derby for years. We had 20 kids signed up and 17 fished. 203 fish were caught and all were gills and rock-bass. No cats were caught, as most kids just fished for Pan-fish. The top anglers were: 6 and under: Benny with 30 fish; 7-8-9, Alden with 26; 10-11-12, Noah with 40. Since we had fewer anglers, we gave all top prizes. Selections were made from rods & reels, tackle boxes, footballs, soccer or basketballs. All received Club frisbees that light up at night. We will look for more pictures in the coming issues….

AUGUST 19TH FISHING CLUB MEETING MINUTES-45 MEMBERS

OPENING: We welcomed John Bernacchi, TMV149; Kim and Zoren Uskokovic, 48 Hole-In-The-Wall Rd. This makes 3 new members joining the Club after our Fish Fry, making that event a profit by $25.

FISHING ROUNDTABLE: Cooler waters means fishing should be picking up. Lots of LMBass being caught. Many anglers report catching a good number of LMBass well over the normal 12 inches. Most are biting on rubber worm rigs. Quite a few in the 2-4 LB classes. Billy Pittman caught an even DOZEN off his dock. 6 of them on September 8th. Also, he reports many nice cats being caught. A 18+ inch SMBass reported on 3rd Shadow. This makes about 8-10 SMBass reported since last Summer. We have included an article on the next page to help ID the different Bass. It is not that easy. Gills up to 3/4 LB hit-ting all around the lakes. Fish weed edges (inside & outside) with wax-worms and live baits or GULP ALIVE products. Dan Hill and Paul Gardner have been catching lots of LMBass off their docks. See pic-tures on page 2. Dan has a nice 3+ LB healthy fish and Paul caught 3 LMBass in row. Bass are now schooling up. Chuck & Hope Woody caught 4 nice gills and their first Shadow Lakes Walleye.

FINANCIAL REPORT: See page one for a full report. We did have to buy a good pump for the pond, but may have a buyer for it after the main pump is repaired and set-up properly to raise/ lower pond levels.

DNR REPORT: Fall stocking in late Oct-early Nov. Trout, Crappie, Possibly more Walleye and Perch, plus forage. We will go heavier on the forage for Hawk lake, based on recent reports. If we see the SMBass population coming out of hiding, we may consider adding some SMBass to future stocking. They are a great sport fish, but we will keep the SMALLMOUTH BASS ON THE CATCH & RELEASE ONLY LIST. We will be adding more Black Crappie as they tend to grow faster than White Crappie. We will also test a new local vendor for a small Trout stocking of Rainbow, Brown and Brook Trout. We will again add game and forage to our trail lakes. We discussed Shad additions and tried to address the Hawk Lake re-port of thin LMBass by adding more forage to Hawk Lake this Fall and next Spring.

OLD BUSINESS: The Fish Fry was a success. The Club made $25 after all expenses . That includes dues from 3 new Club members. See article & pictures on another page. Again, thanks to the volunteers. Chemical Weed Control has been wrapped up for this season. We saw progress for boaters, but it seems our water clarity has been reduced. Also, we have seen a proliferation of Lilly-pads. We have acquired a Secchi Wheel to begin checking and tracking our water clarity. Kid’s Derby, see article and pictures. Re-seeding the TMV point has been tough with the dry weather, it may do better now, after the recent rains. We will review some info on Ninja props to see if they can help boaters as Chuck Woody suggested. Ter-ry Hintzel questioned the use of Copper Sulphate in our waters; a report will be made this next meeting.

NEW BUSINESS: 25th Anniversary discussions continue. We need to decide on the plans to get a head-start for next year. A tagged fish contest is planned, a donated picnic table or bench to the Assoc. and a balloon release suggestion sounds like fun. We hope to have the plans finalized at our Annual Brunch event on Nov 18th. Hawk Lake Bass issue was discussed in the DNR report. Shad issue also covered in that report. We will review SHAD issues this month. A “golf cart-wash” was a suggested as a FUNd rais-er. The guys will wear wet t-shirts, since none of us have bikinis. Kids can wash as well and will be paid. Our Catfish Derby and Oktoberfest will be held at the rearing pond on October 6th. Brats, kraut & strudel will be provided; other German dishes and libations are welcome. Sher Sohol still needs more help at gate four. Raffle held, meeting adjourned. Many thanks to Lynn Schuler for providing the minutes.

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MEET THE BASS SPECIES: LARGE-MOUTH AND SMALL-MOUTHS

Bass are a native species to North America, existing in very healthy numbers throughout nearly all of the lower 48 states. Both species are present in Shadow Lakes. We have a healthy population of Largemouth and a SMALL population of Smallmouth. SMBass, while stocked for several years, do NOT appear to reproduce in our waters. Stocking SMBass is expensive, so we have not done so in a couple of years. In the last 18 months, 6 to 8 SMBass have been reported. We may want to reconsider adding SMBass into our future stocking plans. Here are comparisons to help you know what type of Bass you are catching. Our Smallmouth Bass are still “CATCH & RELEASE ONLY”.

BEST FISHING DATES FOR 2018 & A THOUGHT

• • September 9–24. October 8–24, • • November 7–23 and December 7–22, 2018

“There is certainly something in angling

that tends to produce a gentleness of spirit

and a pure serenity of mind”

—Washington Irving

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TIPS & TIDBITS

• RUBBER BAITS ARE HOT FOR LMBASS, RIGHT NOW! Wacky worms, drop-shots & bottom rigs are best.

• Amenity Ctr. now sells ice ($2), bait ($4, worms & crawlers) in the hall by pavilion. HONOR SYSTEM,!

• We will be adding a 10 Perch limit on our waters next year, signage at the boat ramps include a Perch limits.

• New Crappie size limit will be 9 inches and over, signage to be updated. 2019 new limit will be 6 fish.

• Boat ramp signs now show added wording that periodic creel checks for limit compliance may be made.

• Waters have been re-treated by chemicals, weeds appear to be controled, Lilly Pads spreading & clarity down.

• IL boat registrations need to be checked, notices not sent out by the State. New rules repeated in this newsletter.

• Association has expanded the weed chemical control program in more channels, watch & report fish kills!

• Mosquitos will be bad after the heavy rains, West Nile Virus case in Illinois, dump standing waters & wear Deet.

• Weeds will be dying soon. We will evaluate the water clarity with a Secchi Disk monitoring.

• Your village and lot numbers should be visible on the Lakeside for water emergencies, this past years situ-ation with a possible missing lady, raised issues for the dive/rescue teams on the water side.

• “TASTE OF SHADOW LAKES” ladies cook books are on sale for $5.00. Sign up for a book at the Office.

SHADOW LAKES FISHING: DAILY FISH SIZE AND LIMITS

• LARGEMOUTH BASS DAILY KEEP 6 FISH 12 inches & UNDER

• SMALLMOUTH BASS ARE CATCH & RELEASE ONLY

• BLUEGILL NO SIZE/ NO LIMITS

• CATFISH NO SIZE, DAILY LIMIT 2 FISH

• CRAPPIE (9 inch + over)/REDEAR & PERCH NO SIZE, DAILY LIMIT 10 FISH

• MUSKIE, DAILY LIMIT 1 FISH, MINIMUM KEEP 52” & OVER

• TROUT, NO SIZE LIMITS, DAILY 2 FISH

• WALLEYE, SLOT SIZE 15 TO 18 INCHES, DAILY LIMIT 1 FISH

• Random creel checks will be made at the boat ramps for limit compliance

• RETURN SPAWNING FISH AS QUICKLY & SAFELY AS POSSIBLE. CATCH/PIC/RELEASE!

Please adhere to our limits to help keep our fishery strong. Thank you!

USED WITH RUBBER

WORMS, LIZARDS, CRAYFISH

OR ANY IMITATION BAIT, GULP

ALIVE ADDS TO A GREAT COM-

BINATION FOR FISHING OUR

LAKES. GIVE IT A TRY ……..

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

Sportsman Fishing Club Membership Application for 2018 $35.00 for individual or Family Household

RENEWALS: Just list names, village/lot and check renewal if no changes. Please provide the following information for Club records and newsletter mailing purposes:

Date: _____________________ Renewal: _____________ New Members: _____________ Name (s): __________________________________________________Lot #: ___________ Home Address: _____________________________________________________________ City: ____________________________________ State: _____________ Zip: __________ Home Phone: ____________________ Shadow Lakes Phone: _____________________

Mail address (only needed if you wish to receive the Club Newsletter by e-mail

E-Mail: __________________________________________

I will view Newsletter on Web Site __________ Please mail newsletter ___________ Membership dues cover the calendar year 2018

• 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

October 6th, free, FV rearing pond

Cat-fishing at 5 PM, then

brats, kraut & strudel. Bring a German dish &

libation!