Illinois fishing noob

[Rolldogg]

dont go out during the blazing hot days. a cool overcast day will almost always produce fish. i went out fishing today( july 30th) in the kishwaukee river(its only about an hour from your lake busse.) and brought home three blue cats all about 4-5lbs. all i used was a size 6 hook with a half a "crawler" and a decent sized split shot about eight inches above the bait.

Usually i will bring two rods. i'll leave one out for the cats with the above rig and then i will rig the second rod for either bobber fishing for pan fish or lures for the bass. im a big fan of the rooster tails and the small spoons with a medium to fast pased retrieve.

hit downed brush entering the water, rock beds, and sunken logs for good bass. watch the currents in the water. if you see any areas where a decent current is pushing thru a narrowed area i would bottom fish for some cats there. usually at or around dusk. ive had some good luck between 6 and 9 PM for cats.

you can also do some research online. find out if there is anywhere near you that stocks. i've found a few places near me that will stock both bluegill and blue cats.

if you have any other questions about anything feel free to PM me. happy hunting.

 

[cichlidfinder]

Try chitown angler and chicagoland fishing web sites. I've never fished busse but many at those sites have.

 

[Plec123]

For future reference, use black or dark purple baits at night and in the evening.
When im fishing for largemouth bass, i use the Reaction Innovations "sweet beaver". Works wonders on the edges of pads!
And when im fishing the edges of a lake from a boat, and the only cover is the trees like 3-5 feet off the water, i use a sanko worm, rigged wacky style (put the hook through the side of the worm, in the middle so that its hanging down on the 2 sides... It looks stupid but tons of fish fall for it!)