ON A CHILLY MORNING IN MARCH NEAR SPRING VALLEY, WE JOINED TOURNAMENT FISHERMAN DAN
VIN AS HE FISHED FOR SAUGER ON
THE ILLINOIS RIVER.
>>.
>> STRETCH OF THE RIVER WE ARE
FISHING IS CALLED THE CLAM BED,
SOUTH OF SPRING VAIL.
IT IS A GOOD AREA FOR SPAWNING
FISH.
BOB AND I HAVE BEEN RUNNING ALL
OVER THE RIVER TODAY OF WE FOUND
A LOST SMALL MALES UP NORTH ON
THE FLAT.
TODAY WE ARE FISHING WITH BOB JOHNSON. BOB AND I HAVE BEEN FISHING
TOGETHER NOW FOR 16 YEARS, BOB?
BUT BOB HAS BEEN FISHING IN THIS
RIVER, HE FISHES JUST ABOUT
EVERY DAY.
HE IS MY HOUND DOG.
>> ALL YOU GUYS I FISH AGAINST
IN THE TOURNAMENT, HE IS USUALLY
THE ONE COMING OUT FINDING THE
FISH WHEN I AM WORKING MY
REGULAR JOB.
THE REASON WHY THE FISH ARE HERE
IS THEY ARE SPAWNING.
THE CLAMS, MUSSELS STICK TO THE
CLAMS AND IT MAKES GRAVEL.
THEY ARE IN HERE SPAWNING.
WE ORIGINALLY STARTED HERE THIS
MORNING, THROWING CRANK BATE,
CAUGHT A COUPLE NIGHT FISH OR
CRANK BAIT.
>> THAT'S A GOOD FISH, ROBERT.
NICE SAUGER.
ON THE CRANK BAIT, YOU HAVE
EVERYBODY OUT HERE GIGGING.
FIRST FISH OF THE DAY, BOB.
LOOK AT THAT.
SPRINGTIME UP ON THE RIVER.
THIS FISH IS STARTING TO DROP
RAIDS.
EARLIER TODAY WE HAD COUPLE
FEMALES THAT WERE DROPPING EGGS.
BUT NOW THIS AFTERNOON OUT OF
THE DEEPER HOLES WE HAD FEMALES
STILL HARD.
EGGS WEREN'T QUITE RIPE YET.
HARD AS A ROCK STILL.
SHE HASN'T -- NOT ISN'T EVEN
READY.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED OVER THE LAST
FOUR OR FIVE DAYS, THE WATER
TEMPERATURE DROPPED DRASTIC NINE
DEGREES.
THE FISH THAT WERE SHALLOW,
EIGHT, SIX, SEVEN FEET MOVED IN
THE DEEP HOLES.
IS THAT A GOOD FISH?
NOW, THE FISH THAT WE WERE AT UP
THERE WERE COMING OUT OF 23 FEET
OF WATER.
NORMALLY THEY WOULD BE DOWN HERE
IN 14,12, 10 FEAST WATER.
OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS, WE HAD A
COLD SNAP COME THROUGH, AND THE
FISH MOVED BACK DOWN INTO DEEPER
WATER.
I WILL TALK ABOUT WHAT WE WERE
DOING.
WEESH USING CRANK BAITS IN THE
MORNING, BUT WE SWITCHED TO
VERTICAL GIGGING.
VERTICAL GIGGING IS MERELY USING
YOUR BOAT AS THE ROD.
YOU GET ON TOP OF THE FISH, AND
LIFT THE ROD UP AND DOWN JUST A
FEW INCHES.
NOT MUCH TO IT.
I WAS USING PINK HAIR GIG.
ONE THING YOU NEED TO GET ON
YOUR JIG.
THIS IS A STINGER HOOK.
THIS IS MADE BY WASP.
THE REASON I LIKE THIS, IT HAS A
REVERSE TRUBLIN, THE BAIT IS PUT
ON HERE, MINNOW TODAY, THIS
STICKS IN IT.
THE SHORT STRIKING FISH ARE
CAUGHT.
YOU WILL GET A LOT OF IT WHEN
THE WATER TEMPERATURE IS
41 DEGREES.
HOOK ANOTHER ONE, BOB. (LAUGHING) THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED, THE FISH ARE COMING UP UNDER
THAT BAIT.
THE SAUGER FISH IS RANKED IN TOP
TEN IN THE COUNTRY THIS IS
AWESOME FISHERY.
IT IS A LOT OF STOCKING WITH THE
DNR, AND WORKING WITH THE FELLOW
TOURNAMENT FISHERMEN.
>> THAT'S THE FISH WE ARE
LOOKING FOR, ROBERT.
>>
COME HERE GIRL!
THEY ARE GETTING BIGGER. WE ARE WEARING THEM DOWN. LOOK AT THAT, YOU BARELY HAD
THAT FISHHOOKED.
THAT'S ANOTHER FEMALE THERE.
STILL REALLY HARD.
NOT READY TO GO.
NICE SAUGER, LITTLE HEAVIER.
FOR THOSE WISHING TO HIRE THE SERVICES OF DAN VINOVICH CALL (309)347-1728.