I guess I cant spill all the beans.  Hope to share a few of the patterns and techniques working and not working. Simple enought, no?

Illinois River

• 9/23/07 Jigged some more near Spring Valley and Coal plant.
• 9/30/07 Jigged some with fireball in 3/8 and a minnow.  Usual break from Peru to Spring Valley. 
• 10/06/07  Some smaller fish on 3way rigs near the snatch. Water clarity about 10 inches.  Flow so-so.  Expected a bit more.  75 on the water temp. Upstream at less than mile working the breakline.  Fish are south.
• 10/12/07 Had good day prefishing. Pulled some floaters near Lacon and Henry with some decent fish 18 to 19. Found a shallow bite jigging in 8 to 9 feet of water off a water inlet near henry.
• 10/13/07 Fishing was ok.  Snatch was pounded today, with a lot of fish being caught. This isnt going to be good for sunday IWT tournament day.  The dock chatter about Chilli and Lacon is unbelieveable.  A bunch of people are fishing south, or so they say.  Jiggin and pulling the main ways we got fish.
• 10/14/07 Tournament day.  As expected, the fish at the snatch were pounded into submission. They left.  We worked out spots near henry and got fish. We also worked the channel near snatch.  Lots of lead core and 3 way guys working the edge.  Lots plowing right down the channel.  I think we finished 11th with a 3 fish bag weighing 5.83 lbs, big fish was 2.52.  Winner was Randy Carroll with just under 12 lbs.
• 10/20/07 Water coming up, still clear, still warm at low sixties.  A bit windy.  Nothing but sheepshead
• 10/21/07 Too windy, though water temps at the low 60's.  Keep in mind we had snow on the ground this time last year.  The season is shaping up nicely.
• 11/2 Leadcore didnt give me anything, but found some fish 3 way trollin with a F9 jointed.
• 11/3 Jiggin was slow.  Very windy.  Some fish near Hennepin.  Pullin floaters seemed to work better. 55 degrees water temp
• 11/4 Fall Classic.  One sauger 14 1/32 long for .98 lbs.  Ughhh.  Boat control was tough.
• 11/11  Took Matt out for his first run at the Illinois river.  A few fish, he was happy.  Coal plant
• 11/18 Went out for a few hours, off by noon. Fished senach, and south.  1st full skunk this year, not even a sheepshead/or white. Water at 49 to 50.  Cloudy in the morning.  Sun helps.  Jigged and pulled. 
• 11/24 Jigging was working, as in fireball style.  Depths were 12 to 14, mostly breaks and blowoffs/creekmouths. 46 on temp. Slow flow.  Be sure to use a smaller jig if presentation allows.  With the low flow, 1/4 oz seems better suited.
• 11/25 Henry IWT.  We weighed on fish.  Sanachowine was hot in the AM (typically a afternoon spot). Some big weights got pulled out.
• 12/1 Ottawa brutal with the ice storm.  3 way floaters worked good at the mouth of the fox, and up stream. Water at 41 or so.  Clarity good.
• 12/2 Ottawa IWT. We weighed 4 fish for 5.97 lbs.  Good enough for 5th. We should make a nice jump in points.  Pulling floaters was the ticket for us.  We found some fish and worked them hard. Chartreuse/Green on the floater.
• 12/25 Merry Christmas.Havent seen the river in almost a month. Maybe in 08.

This cool weather should help pick up the fishing on the illinois.  Its already starting as reports are starting to come.

10/9 Fish on leadcore cranks from henry to hennepin.  Snatch seem to be putting out some fish.

A darker color crankbait on leadcore in purple firetiger may be a good choice.

 Pulling floaters has been working too. No real color pattern, but brighter and larger seem to be getting more action.

Jiggers have been, are, or will ever be, have been getting fish. Typically ledges off channel producing.  Vertical jig upstream then pull trolling motor the boat sideways toward the channel, then back up the ledge.  Sorta like a big reverse Z.

Lastly the 3 way river trollers have been successful. Vary the droppers between rigs. Some high, some low. A #5 jointed shad rap in, lets say, firetiger, would be hard to beat!

Good luck to all the IWT this weekend.  Cooler weather is nice.  A bit more flow wouldnt be bad either.

Hats off to Bob Kidd.  Makes to look like another great year.