Ever wonder how to decipher clues in the Kankakee River Fishing Derby?
Kyle Plein caught a 2-pound, 4-ounce tagged smallmouth Sunday morning east of Momence that offers an example of decoding derby clues.
A clue for Plein’s fish, dubbed “Dr. Pete Hears All,” was scheduled to run in Monday’s paper.
The clue was pulled after Plein captured the smallie sponsored by the Hearing Rehabilitation Center of Kankakee.
Here’s how the clue would have read: “As the high water ran down through the isle, Dr. Pete hears all his young little patients starting to panic.”
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Sunday afternoon brought out an old rivalry between two veteran anglers in the Kankakee River Fishing Derby.
Joyce Siwicki, Momence, bumped Jeff Dummer, Kankakee, into second place in their yearly battle for the best northern pike. Siwicki weighed-in an 8-pound, 13-ounce northern to take the lead on the pike board. Her northern topped Dummer’s pike by only five ounces.
Darrell Benoit, Bourbonnais, holds the lead in the smallmouth bass race with a 3 pound bronzeback. The fish also makes him a contender for the $100 cash prize in today’s “Smallie Seachin’ Day.”
Two new leaders – Thomas Wiater, Beecher, and Elizabeth Bacham, Momence — popped to the top of the crappie board. Wiater holds the lead at 14 ounces with Bacham only 1 ounce behind.
Four derby tags had been claimed as of 5 p.m. leaving 116 tagged fish still to find.
~ Bill Byrns
Kyle Plein of Momence has claimed the fourth tagged fish as cooler weather brightens hopes for anglers in the Kankakee River Fishing Derby.
Plein, a derby veteran, caught a 2 pound, 4 ounce smallmouth bass early Sunday morning while fishing along the river east of Momence.
The tag belongs to the Hearing Rehabilitation Center of Kankakee and is worth $500 in services or $100 in cash according to derby chairman Sam Thomas.
Plein’s smallie is also the leading contender for $100 cash in today’s Derby Dollars Day.
“Saturday was pretty busy with the derby and today is looking even better,” said Mike Lee who runs Frank’s Bait in Momence. “We’ve had a lot of guys coming in about the derby this weekend.”
Cooler weather has sparked more action today as new leaders emerge on the derby’s Big Board contest.
Randy Zolner, Momence, has taken the lead in largemouth bass at 4-pounds, 6-ounces. Two others have claimed top spots in the rock bass race, Ed Golik, Momence, at 14-ounces, and Therssa Deem, Manteno, with an 8-ounce entry in second place.
Adrian Maiden Jr.’s top spot on the walleye board at 3-pounds, 15-ounces, is being challenged by a 4-pound, 15-ounce walleye weighed-in by Rylan Lane at 9:30 a.m. today at the Kankakee River Trading Post at Altorf.
“The wind will make casting a bit tougher this morning,” said the Trading Post’ Nick Carr. “Still, I guess that a little wind is better than all that heat.”
Randy Zolner of Momence won $100 in Derby Dollar Days cash Saturday with a 4-pound, 6-ounce largemouth bass..
Click HERE for more information at the derby’s Web site.
~ Bill Byrns
Fishermen hit the banks of the Kankakee River Saturday hoping to harvest some prizes with the early evening bite.
“We should see some good cats here tonight,” said Rob Bailey of Bradley. “If not I can still go to the Friendship Festival later this evening.”
Tagged fish managed to avoid the hot sun and hopeful anglers in the second round of the Kankakee River Fishing Derby.
So far only three tags have been claimed with 117 yet to find as the derby continues through July 5.
Two new leaders, Rick Lovell of Bourbonnais and Adrian Maiden Jr. of Kankakee, jumped to the top of the smallmouth bass and walleye contests.
Lovell holds a slim lead at 2-pounds, 14-ounces in the smallmouth race where only ounces separate the top contenders. Jason Kelly, Manteno, hold second place at 2-pounds, 10 ounces; and Jeff Overbeck, Grant Park, hangs on to third place at 2-pounds, 7-ounces.
Mainden holds a better lead, for now, in the walleye contest at 3-pounds, 15-ounces. Look for walleye in the four-pound range to start showing up as derby action continues.
“It looks like we had a lot of people out fishing today,” said chairman Sam Thomas after checking along the river. “There were a lot of people out fishing at Momence, Aroma Park and at Bird Park Quarry.” Boat traffic on the river also showed a mix of recreational and fishing craft.
“We’re up over 300 registrations today and I’ll be picking up more on Sunday,” Thomas said noting that turnout for the derby continues to grow.
Registered anglers may also win one of the randomly-awarded “Mystery Catch” packets that are now being distributed. Mystery Catch grab bags are valued at between $10 and $35 each.
Change set the pace for the opening day of the Kankakee River Fishing Derby with new leaders claiming top spots on the Big Board early Saturday morning.
Current leaders include Joe Kostecka, St. Anne, with a 12-pound, 11-ounce channel catfish; Jeff Overbeck, Grant Park, 2-pound, 7-ounce smallmouth bass; and Frank Rink, of Bolingbrook, with a 16-pound 7-ounce roughfish.
Rink’s lunker was big enough to win $100 in Friday’s roughfish contest. Derby Dollar Days continue today with a cash reward on the biggest largemouth bass. Sunday’s cash goes to the best smallmouth bass.
New results should be posted by 5 p.m. today. Click HERE for the latest update on the derby’s Big Board contest.
“It looks like we have a pretty good turnout of people fishing today,” said chairman Sam Thomas. “Bird Park Quarry had a good crowd as did Aroma Park and Momence.”
A total of 117 tagged fish, worth between $200 and $5,000 are waiting to be found before the derby ends on July 5.
This weekend derby volunteers are starting to distribute Mystery Catch prizes at randomly selected locations along the river from Momence to Wilmington. The Mystery Catch packets are valued at between $10 and $35 each.
Anglers must be registered to win. Forms are available at local bait shops and area businesses. For details, check the derby’s WEB site.
Anglers are quickly gathering cash and prizes in the 26th annual Kankakee River Fishing Derby.
By 1:30 p.m. Friday, opening day, three tagged fish have been caught and some early leaders have already been bumped off top spots in the channel catfish contest.
Brent Flynn of Bourbonnais landed a second tagged fish at Bird Park Quarry just hours after catching the derby’s first tag.
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I recently received an e-mail query from Kathy Treece who believed she had found an “abandoned” fawn browsing among the plants in her front yard.
She feared the youngster may be in trouble. A natural and very humane reaction when people first encounter young wild animals.
It is also a very common question at this time of year when young deer are just beginning to explore their world.
Kathy’s instincts were exactly what wildlife biologists recommend, wait and watch.
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Swamps are just possibly my favorite places on Earth.
Places such as the Momence Wetlands, Black Oak Bayou and the LaSalle Fish and Wildlife Preserve along the Kankakee River in Illinois and Indiiana have always held a fascination for me.
So its not so surprising that, on my 40th anniversary at The Daily Journal, I would flee to the sanctuary of the swamplands.
I am now enjoying a two-week trek across the coastal marshlands of Louisiana. What better way for an outdoor writer to celebrate a lifetime love affair with nature, than by exploring the Atchafalaya River Basin. The basin is considered to be the greatest river swamp system in the United States.
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June is National Rivers Month, a good time to reflect upon the economic and recreational bounty offered the thousands who live within the Kankakee River valley.
Early settlers saw a far different landscape than what we now know. In his memoirs Alfred H. Meyers, a nationally-known geographic researcher from Valparaiso University, vividly described the early Kankakee territory:
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