Wednesday, May 7, 2008 10:37 PM CDT
Crab Orchard fishing jewel of 'Little Egypt'
By DAVE SHADOW
The Hawg Dawg Bass Club ventured to a portion of Southern Illinois known as Little Egypt on May 4 and again savored some of awesome favors of this part of the country.
We fished Crab Orchard Lake, where Rosalie and I again visited an eagle nesting spot. The eagle wasn’t present, but we got a rare chance to watch a pileated woodpecker as he devastated a large log that was on the shore just a few yards from us. These very solitary birds are seldom seen, especially in such close proximity. This species is as big as a crow and very colorful as well as unbelievably destructive to old trees as he searches for food.
Before embarking on last weekend’s fishing experiences and results, I should explain to those not native to the region the “where and why” of Little Egypt. Egypt, more the commonly called “Little Egypt,” is a section of Southern Illinois that is still somewhat controversial. Its exact boundaries and the origin of the term will probably never be justified to everyone’s satisfaction. That unrest and unwillingness to compromise is what led to much of the bloody history and colorful background surrounding the area. The area is bordered on three sides by the Mississippi, Ohio and Wabash rivers with several other smaller waters traversing its countryside.
In recent history (around 1500 A.D.) the Illini Indians inhabited the area, and thus the state name. Before that, however, were early dwellers that left artifacts including stone forts and mysterious mounds resulting in some of the local town names. A giant earthquake, reportedly the equivalent of an 8.0 on the Richter scale, (not existing at that time) resulted in large-scale changes in the area on Dec. 17, 1811. There’s a world of history available on the area, much of which agrees on basic subject and disagrees on a lot of the trivial things that add to the still evident intrigue of the area today. The area name probably originates from physical characteristics from Biblical times and the fact that food was available here during famine times when starvation would have resulted otherwise.
By any angler’s standards, Crab Orchard Lake is an outstanding fishery and recreational hotspot. This lake lies between Carbondale and Marion just south of Illinois Route 13. At almost 7,000 acres and a maximum depth of 30 feet, we used to think this was a really big lake. That was in the years before we had Rend, Carlyle and Shelbyville. It’s an impoundment of Crab Orchard Creek and several smaller ones. Normal lake elevation is 405 feet above sea level, and although all the tributaries are intermittent, its level seldom fluctuates more than three feet or so. This stable water level allows for an abundant growth of aquatic vegetation, including large areas of lotus pads and water willow, which grows to about three feet depth. This abundance of weed growth has protected the lake from pollution and erosion to a great extent for many years as well as supplied a retreat for the small fish. The upper lake is also somewhat protected by inlet areas that act as settling basins, allowing much of the silt to settle out before reaching the main lake. This in turn, provides for much better water quality in the lower lake areas.
The Hawg Dawg Bass Club fished Crab Orchard Lake with the following results. I was fortunate to capture both the Prairie Outfitters first-place award and associated pot and the Driskell Bass Baits “Big Bass” award. I weighed in a total of 8.1 pounds in two bass, one of which was 4.7 pounds, capturing the “big bass” pot. At this point I would add that a bass must be 16 inches in length to be a keeper. This limits the numbers at the weigh-in scales but does not hurt the enjoyment and satisfaction of the experience. Sam Strader of Neoga placed second with 3.2 pounds. I caught all of my fish using Driskell jigs and a half-ounce black Driskell “short-arm” spinnerbait. Man, I just love this lake! The fishing was good, but the important thing was the camaraderie and enjoyment of a nice day in one of the prettiest of God’s creations.
Lake Mattoon, Wednesday Night Bass Tournament, April 30
This was the first event of 2008 to be followed by another each Wednesday night through the summer months. Ryan and Gerald Dowd took first place in this event with three fish totaling 7.14 lbs. Second place went to Eric Ballinger with two bass totaling 6.4 lbs. The “big bass” pot went to Dan McDowell for a nice 4.9-pounder. We need more participants for these and the Saturday morning events. (which have already started) They are a fun way to learn more about the lake and hone your bass fishing skills for a very small investment. No prior commitment is necessary — just show up and fish.
Illini Team Trail, Northern Division, Lake Shelbyville, April 20
Phil Parsons and Darrell Juvinall, both of Mahomet, won the Illini Team Trail Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Shelbyville with a total of 76 teams competing on April 20. Parsons and Juvinall collected $4,450 for their two fish weighing in at 6.54 lbs., which included big bass of the tournament of 4.84 lbs. Their fish were caught on a white crankbait and a white spinnerbait on flats and laydowns on the south end of the lake in 2-4 feet of water. The winners also receive this year a certificate each from Ranger Boats good for a Ranger lifejacket. Second place went to Steve Peck of Arthur and Mike Peck of Lovington for two fish weighing 6.36 lbs. Third place went to Gerald Dowd and Doug Shull, both of Mattoon, for two fish at 4.21 lbs. In fourth place were Greg Coleman of Butler and Travis Gilette of Iuka with two fish at 3.99 lbs. Fifth place went to W. Richard Dust of Effingham and Joe Kreke of Dieterich for two fish at 3.92 lbs. In sixth place was Wayne Shaw of Urbana and Jeff Scrimager of Mattoon with a pair of fish weighing 3.08 lbs. Seventh place went to Greg Harkins of Lake Villa and Mark Kattenbraker of Charleston with one fish at 2.30 lbs. Eighth place went to John Sallee of Mattoon and Mitch Howard of Neoga for a single fish weighing 2.16 lbs. Each received tackle packs from Prairie Outfitters of Charleston.
It’s faith, family and fishin’.
Dave Shadow is the Journal Gazette/Times-Courier’s hunting and fishing columnist.
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