When is bass season in illinois

According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, bass, as well as all other fish, are measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail. The mouth of the bass must be closed and the lobes of the tail fin pressed together to get an accurate measurement. It is recommended to lay the fish on a flat board and place the ruler above it. It is also illegal to practice culling on the Illinois waterways and lakes, which is replacing a smaller fish in your catch with a larger fish.

In most cases, the smaller fish would have already died. Therefore, once a fisherman has kept the daily limit, he cannot keep fishing and replacing the dead smaller fish in his possession with larger ones. Section While taking from areas designated as "Catch and Release Only", all harvest and release species must be immediately released back into the waters from which taken.

There are no daily harvest or size limits except in those waters listed under Site Specific Regulations. A Daily harvest limit is 6 bass, either singly or in the aggregate, except as specified under Site Specific Regulations. B In streams and rivers excluding the mainstem of the Mississippi, Ohio, including the Golconda Marina and Wabash Rivers the daily harvest can contain no more than 3 smallmouth bass.

Blues and channels turn up most frequently in angler creels. Flathead catfish typically require a little more effort to locate and catch. One of the best locations to find all three species is in the tailwaters below one of the navigation dams.

Other good spots are holes and depressions on the bottom — especially scour holes on outside bends of the river — as well as chunk rock, bridge pilings, wingdams and log jams. Clinton Lake Wipers: Look for good surface and sub-surface action this month on hybrids averaging 6 pounds. Some will tip 10 to 15 pounds. Most of the lakes throughout Illinois still offer good daytime bass-fishing action, but August is a great time to be on the water after dark. When the water temperature rises, recreational lake traffic increases, and the bass fishing gets tougher during the day.

Many anglers choose to wait until the evening to chase largemouths that feed more comfortably under cover of darkness. Fishing can be phenomenal after dark, plus anglers get a reprieve from the sun and much of the lake traffic.

Electronics often play a big part at night. Find bottom humps, grass mats or other features on a graph to pinpoint likely spots to find bass. Slow-roll a large spinnerbait. Jigs, and soft-plastics are sometimes used, too. Illinois River White Bass: Throw crankbaits, curly-tailed soft- plastics, inline spinners or minnow-imitating baits.

The muskie fishery at Kinkaid Lake in Jackson County is kept in great shape through annual stockings of fingerling muskies. Several quality fish longer than 40 inches are caught every year, with some larger individuals approaching true trophy size. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources stocks threadfin shad into Kinkaid to provide additional forage that helps its muskies put on the weight and length. Lures that resemble shad are excellent choices for muskies. Other top lures include large spinnerbaits, swimbaits, top-water offerings and some of the baits specifically designed just for muskies.

Anglers catch plenty of them up to about 6 pounds, with some real dandies anchoring impressive stringers. In lakes all across southern Illinois, the water temperature come October has fallen into the magic zone.

Lake traffic is very light, except for the few other anglers. Smart anglers also take advantage of the situation. The fall bite is often some of the hottest fishing action of the year.

Locate schools of shad or other forage and match baits to the prey. If you live in a private subdivision lake, you are not the landowner and are not exempt from having a fishing license.

No owners of property may fish on their land without a license. If anglers catch a tagged fish, it is upon the law to report the following information to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources:. There is nothing in the Illinois Fish Code that prohibits the use of legally taken bluegill or sunfish as bait for another species of fish.

There is nothing in the administrative rules or statutes that disallows the use of goldfish as bait. In this article, we'll cover the general limits.

For Illinois, there is no nationwide limit for white and black crappies, bluegill, and redear sunfish. For fish such as striped bass, white bass, and yellow bass, the maximum length you are allowed to catch is 17 inches.

Anything over is unlawful. The bag limit or harvest limit for these fish is three a day. With species such as the largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass, the daily bag limit is limited to 6 only. With streams not including the Mississippi and Ohio River, the threshold for smallmouth bass is 3.

Check the fishing guide to see specific closed seasons in your local river. Some rivers and tributaries have the policy to catch and release from April 1 to June For trout and salmon, you are unable to keep more than 5 per day. Paddlefish have a limit of 2. Species such as the walleye, sauger, and saugeye have a limit of 6 per day and must be measured at a minimum of 14 inches long. For methods and equipment, there are specific guidelines and limitations to follow.

For example, culling is illegal in Illinois.