creek in far southern IL

[amason]

Ken I found one of those magical creeks that you mentioned looking for earlier thisyear.

This week I was down on our farm in deep Southern IL turkey hunting. Once 1 pm hits you have to stop turkey hunting so I decided to fish. There is a creek that we've swam in our whole lives but I've never explored it beyond the "swimming hole" that we go to when it's super hot. It turns out to be an ideal wading creek. The bed is all rocks and gravel that are super easy to walk on, the water is from a spring fed creek and is crystal clear, and the creek was all pools and downed trees. You couldn't make a better creek if you were constructing it from scratch. I caught a little bit of everything all on my smallest jig I had in my box. There were super amazing pumpkinseeds, smallies, creek chubs, largemouth, all manner of hybrids, and a bunch of huge fucking gar that looked like they were mating or getting ready to set beds. They weren't interested in anything I had to throw, and I really don't know what people catch them on. I've heard of people catching them on flies, but regardless they were cool to see. I looked on the map, and it turns out that the creek goes all the way to the ohio river, so if I ever get super ambitious some day I guess I can follow it all the way down. Perfect day.














Sam haven't you mentioned Kentucky red eye smallies before?

[heysambennett]

Man, that does sound like a perfect day. Get any turkeys?

That pumpkinseed is gorgeous. Those look like rock bass to me instead of redeyes. The redeyes are longer and skinnier, like a SM, but do have that kind of horizontal marking on their bellies:

http://instagram.com/p/QR_3e-JKM8/
http://instagram.com/p/NSHMz2JKPT/

Can't find my pics of the longear sunfish we get down in Bama. They're like a pumkinseed, but blue and yellow instead of orange and blue. Great creek fish. I'd love to get a pumpkinseed.

I'll bet you a dollar there's some nice flatheads in there too. Probably ambushing those pumpkinseeds.

So when are we following your creek to the Ohio? My August is fairly open.

-SB

[ThunderStick]

I've had similar experiences fishign small creeks in the Shawnee Nat'l forest. The pumpkinseeds we were catching were like yours......stunning fish, never seen them in full rainbow mode anywhere else.

[Special Ed]

Great report! I love finding hidden gems like that.

I actually think that sunfish you have in the first picture is a longear sunfish. Pumpkinseeds have a different color variation and usually have a bit of red around the edge of their ear (opercle).

I think the longear is the more dazzling fish in the sunfish family. Reminds me of the discus my Dad used to breed.

[ThunderStick]

After comparing both fish using Google Images, I think you are right Ed. F'n awesome looking fish.

[amason]

Man, that does sound like a perfect day. Get any turkeys?

No turkeys, saw some, didn't have a shot. They have some wile.

I actually think that sunfish you have in the first picture is a longear sunfish

Long ear it is.

I've had similar experiences fishign small creeks in the Shawnee Nat'l forest

ding ding ding

[Ken G]

The longears I used to catch in Virginia had much longer "ears" tipped in red.

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/species ... fault.aspx

Who knows with pan fish, there's so many varieties.

There's just not enough time to hit all the creeks I've wanted to fish. That is one hell of a good looking one.