Aaaand the river is flooded again. Got out a couple times before the monsoon and still picked up fish here and there. Much harder to work a painfully slow retrieve in fast current. 

Water is still a bit high for wading. Was tossing lures that run high in the water column or on the surface. Swimbaits, whopper ploppers, jig/grub burned at 6" or less, wakebaits. All have gotten some action. Got largemouth and smallmouth on the grub. Also had a good channel cat thump the grub. Pike were hitting the plopper. Missed quite a few strikes on the swimbait and wakebait as fish were bumping them but not hooking up. 

Hmm that's a shame. Yeah rivers are constantly changing environments. Was out early this morning and went 2-4 on a Whopper Plopper and Live Target Blueback Herring. Unfortunately the couple I landed were smaller than the couple I missed. Had a BIG fish on briefly but the violent thrashing unbuttoned it. 

You must have a nice spot dog. 

I live in Lemont and we used to kill the pike and bass but last few years         have been really lean. less people fishing here too ! all our spots dried up.   WE stick to some local ponds now.

Got out for about three hours on 07/15 in the a.m. Bites were a bit tough to come by. Water is low and relatively clear. Most of my hooked fish came deep in cover and/or shade. 1/2 oz Black/orange spinnerbait with a black paddle tail trailer was the most productive lure. Fish weren't really chasing and the lure basically had to be placed on top of them. 

Des Plaines and a small lake actually. All of the rain had the river jumping quickly so I had to change up to target still water largemouth once the river turned on me. Did manage to go 2 for 3 on a swimbait for pike before being chased off of the water on Saturday. Then spent the rainy Sunday morning pegging largemouths on a spinnerbait.  

ChicagoKid, I fish the DPR from Lake to Will counties, typically avoiding the mid-section of Cook. I live south and work north, so that kind of dictates where I wet a line.

JM.

Are you fishing north or south? Great catches and pics!

JM conquering another river. Huge props. Envious. 

In between the rumbling of thunder the pike were really aggressive this morning. Missed more than I landed, including my last four strikes. Left a bad taste. But in all it was a really good trip.

Got into 'em a bit on 04/29 on a 5" Live Target swimbait. Pike and largemouth. Flows are low for this time of year and very fishable, water pretty stained.