Shadow Lakes Sportsman Fishing Club

Enhancing the Environment and Fishing Experience at Shadow Lakes

Officers

President - Tom Lydon Cell (630) 776-1625 tlydon44@gmail.com

Vice President- Fred Cowell

Treasurer - Jane Hill Secretary - Lynn Schuler

IDNR - Fred Cowell Fund Raising - Betty Lydon

The next meeting is

JULY 15th Club meetings, of about one hour, are held the third Sunday of each

month at the

Shadow Lakes Amenity Center.

Meetings begin at 9 AM Free coffee &

donuts provided.

Newsletter

Peg McQuarters Tom Lydon

Website/Sue Kielnik

Visit Us On The Web At: www.sportsmanfishingclub.com

Club Mailing Address:

Sportsman Fishing Club Shadow Lakes II

24727 W. Amenity Center Drive

Wilmington, IL 60481

JUNE 2018 Treasurer Report:

Starting balance $ 3,091.84

Expenses $ 1,175.54

Income $ 378.00

Ending balance $ 2,294.30

Association bal. $ 8,409.12

Total funds $ 10,703.42

$1,000.00+$9,590.88 stocking & deposit paid out in 2018.

$500 Wayne Walsh Scholarship Award paid in June

Club applications are available in the SLKS

Association Office. DUES ARE DUE!

Switch from US mail to e-mail and save the

Club some funds. THANK YOU!

NEXT MEETING: JULY 15TH

REVIEW CHEMICAL USE FOR WEED CONTROL, LILLY PADS?

UPDATE ON FATHEAD MINNOW SPAWNING STRUCTURES

CLUB 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, JUNE 2019

UPCOMING EVENTS THIS SUMMER

GOLF CART FISH SCAVENGER HUNT ON JULY 21ST with LUNCH & PRIZES ALL RESORT FISH FRY & POTLUCK LUNCH ON AUGUST 13TH

KIDS DERBY: SEPT 2ND &. CAT DERBY-OCTOBERFEST, OCT 6TH.

1994-2018 JULY 2018 24 Yrs

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JUNE-JULY FISHING ROUNDTABLE

The changing weather patterns and very warm weather makes for tougher angling. The best catches now are

during early or late hours. Big and small Gills are all over the place. Walleyes are not very active with the

high and bright sun. Perch, are being caught on the trail as a new added bonus. Tons of forage being seen in

our waters. A four pound LMBass was caught off the handi-cap pier. A lady in FC caught a 20+ pound cat.

REPEATING ARTICLE: THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR SPAWNING FISH

Remember, if you are fishing our LMBass on the beds, please do NOT tire the fish out too much, and return

them to the water as quickly as possible...actual bass spawning takes place when the water temperature

reaches between 58-63 degrees. A female LMBass will lay from 2000 to 7000 per pound of her body

weight. The 6 lb bass in the picture on the next page would lay up to almost 50,000 eggs. While walleyes are

not territorial, and no nest is built. An egg is only about one-sixteenth of an inch (1.6 mm) in diameter and a

top spawning female can lay as many as 400,000 eggs. The eggs are sticky and cling to the bottom, hatching

in about two weeks. Crappie spawn between May and June. During this time, the male fish will make an in-

dented nest on the floor of shallow water. The female will then lay between 5,000 and 60,000 eggs. The

eggs take approximately 2-5 days to hatch. While Perch usually lay their eggs in the evening or after it rains,

right after ice-out. Each female can lay between 20,000 and 200,000 eggs. The eggs stick together in a

clump and may also stick to the bottom. So you can see the importance of protecting our spawning fish as

much as possible, for the future of our fishery.

FISH OF THE MONTH CONTEST WINNER JUNE 2018

Here is Mike Trinka with his 22 inch 6 pound+ LMBass from Dinosaur Lake.

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FISH OF THE MONTH CONTEST

We run this contest every year to encourage our anglers to take a picture of their catch and re-turn it alive to the water. The future of our “PUT & TAKE” fishery depends on it. Entry blanks are around our lakes at key points. The monthly winner is not based on just the biggest fish, rather on overall angling prowess, We had many 2-6 year old winners.

The winners get their name and picture in our newsletter, on the bulletin board and website. A Club member wins a club hat or t-shirt. A non-club member wins a Bass-Pro hat. So keep your cell phone or camera handy to catch that picture and enter it in the contest. This contest enables us to show our community the quality of our fishery. So often, we hear folks say there is no good fishing in our Lakes. The Club is dedicated to keeping the quality of our waters and fish strong. Our anglers demonstrate that we have a viable fishery and we stand ready to help and train others so they enjoy the same results; here are some of our next generation of new anglers learning how to fish by Bob Sadowski, a City of Chicago Professional trainer.

MORE PICTURES IN NEXT MONTH’S NEWSLETTER

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RE-RUN NEW IDNR BOATING REGULATION CHANGES, MANY ?’S

Starting Friday, June 1, boaters who captain non-powered watercraft will no longer have to purchase Water Usage Stamps from the State of Illinois. The stamps are still required up until that date, however, according to the Illi-nois Department of Natural Resources, which issued a press release about the new policy earlier this month. According to the release, several changes have been made to the boat regulations. Other changes in the act do affect the timing of the boat registration process, however: "The changes push back the expiration date of three-year Illinois watercraft registrations from June 30 to Sept. 30. For example, watercraft owners who re-new their three-year registrations that are expiring on June 30, 2018 will have new registrations that are valid until Sept. 30, 2021. All new and transfer re-newal watercraft registrations issued on or after June 1, 2018 will have expira-tion dates of Sept. 30 in the calendar year of expiration. "Another change removes the requirement of a certificate of title for watercraft under 22 feet in length. Titling is optional for watercraft under 22 feet in length." For more information on boat regulations in Illinois, visit IDNR’s boating regis-tration page.

____________ Stay up to date on the happenings in Will County's forest preserves by subscribing to our digital newsletter, The Citizen. Signing up is easy, free of charge and provides subscribers with weekly updates on Forest Preserve news, upcoming events, and other fun and useful information for the whole family. Usage Stamp that has been required for use of non-powered watercraft in IL." The change affects kayaks, canoes, rafts and tubes. IDNR spokesman Ed Cross explained the removal of the water stamp requirement in an article posted on the Illinois News Network. He said people were having trouble with the heat-transfer paper that the stickers were printed on because the stickers would fade, making them hard to read. "One of the other complaints we often heard was that the stamps could not be easily affixed to the watercraft," he added.

The Water Usage Stamp change does not affect powered boat registrations. “All watercraft powered by machinery (this includes trolling motors) or sail are required to be titled and registered in Illinois,” according to an IDNR response to a Forest Preserve inquiry. Thanks to Bill McQuire, Tom Stec & Bill Vocelka for alerting us to these changes.

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BEST FISHING DATES FOR 2018, HUMOR+THANKS

• July 12–27, August 11–26, September 9–24. October 8–24, November 7–23 and December 7–22, 2018

It has always been my private conviction that any man who pits his intelligence

against a fish and loses has it coming. ~ John Steinbeck

A BIG THANK YOU to the Schuler Family for a $50 donation to the fishing club.

Three Easy Ways to Make the Most of Summer Bluegill Fishing

1. Keep it simple; a cane-pole or light weight rod & reel, light line, a small weight, long shank small hook and most of all a thin pencil type bobber. Preferably, a slip-bobber to fish deep.

2. Use live bait; a waxworm, spike, small worm bits, crickets OR a small leech for BIG GILLS.

3. Fish where there are Gills. They are all over the shorelines of Shadow Lakes. A great eating fish.

TACKLE BOX BASICS

Of course, the contents of your tackle box will vary, depending on the type of fish you plan to catch, but this is a typical tackle box for you (or a loved one) to get started.

TACKLE-BOX CHECKLIST

• Extra fishing line, Lures or flies, Bobbers (or, floats), Swivels, to keep fishing line from twisting

• Leaders, Sinkers (or, weights), Different sizes of hooks (for different types of fish) • Needle nose pliers, to help remove hooks out of fish (and may be you!) • Stringer, to hold all the fish you catch, Sharp knife (such as a Swiss Army knife) We suggest “CATCH, PHOTO & RELEASE” • Ruler/scale, a small flashlight, First-aid kit (with basics just in case a hook gets stuck. • Insect repellent and sunscreen. Be prepared and have a great time CATCHING …...

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JUNE 17th CLUB MEETING MINUTES-38 MEMBERS

Intro: New members Susan and James Knuth were again welcomed to the Club. Several more new members submitted their forms and checks this past week. Peggy has redone our mailing lists to bring them up to date. We should be doing this every year.

Fishing round-table: High heat has slowed down our angling results. As fronts run through, it affects the fishing. The bright sunny days have hurt our Walleye fishing. Plenty of nice Gills and Perch on the trail. A 4 lb LMBass caught off the handi-cap pier. A FC lady caught a 20+ lb cat, picture will be in next month’s newsletter.

Financial report; See first page for report. Please make dues checks to: SPORTSMAN FISH-

ING CLUB. A 50/50 raffle will be drawn at the Aug Fish Fry. Cash prize is over $500 to date! DNR report: Many thanks to all of the helpers. Fish and forage continue to be added to the Conservation Trail lakes with every stocking. Fall stocking: Walleye, Crappie and forage.

Board/POAC: The next POAC meeting is July 21th. At the BOARD meeting in June: Chemicals were to be added by the Rolling’s Company in several areas: the Main, FV and a Hawk Channels. Our minnow delivery was delayed until the chemicals had dissipated. The next Board meeting is August 25th for 2019 budget approval.

Old business: Thanks to all for finding the problem with timer at the pond. Lloyd Maglone fixed it. We will run it 24/7 until the heat breaks. Looking into solar power for pump. Maintenance trimmed interior of pond. Several new areas and a couple of repeated areas were chemically treated for weeds, this past month.

New Business: Reviewed a solid list of activities for the summer. Thanked so many folks for helping out at these events. All of your help lets us continue to provide great fun and activi-ties for our community.

Youth Angler Training Seminar: A class was presented by Bob Sadowski on July 7th. 16 kids and one adult were signed up. All students got to catch a fish at the handi-cap pier and they received a rod & reel. Bob did his usual great job and they learned a lot and had fun. Some pictures are in this issue, more will follow next month.

The Family Pan-fish Derby on June 23rd was a fun day. 12 families caught over 300 pan-fish. The trophy for the event went to the Schuler Family, who also won the biggest fish prize. We did lose 3 or 4 families to Graduations and Sports regional competitions. Not sure if we will look at a later date in 2019. But the event was fun, lot of laughs, as we tallied up.

The Scavenger Cart hunt The Scavenger Cart Hunt is July 21st, with a cash prize, games, raffles, door prizes and lunch. All Resort Fish Fry on August 18th is a great feast. A 50/50 raffle drawing and tons of food plus a great fish recipe. A free event; just bring a pot-luck dish that feeds 6 people.

Raffle was held and the meeting adjourned. Minutes submitted by Lynn Schuler.

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TIPS & TIDBITS

• Board Election: three members running; Fred Cowell, Wayne Kancler and Mark Meyers. Fred and Wayne won.

• Amenity Center sells ice & bait (red worms & crawlers) in the hallway by pavilion. HONOR SYSTEM.

• We have been discussing adding a 10 Perch limit on our waters, signage at the boat ramps include a Perch limits.

• New Crappie size limit will be 9 inches and over, signage to be updated.

• Boat ramp signs now show added wording that periodic creel checks for limit compliance may be made.

• Waters that have been treated by chemicals appear to be green and not very clear, also Lilly Pads spreading..

• APRIL 1st, new fishing licenses and Trout stamps are required to fish in Shadow Lakes waters. • IL boat registrations need to be checked, notices not sent out by the State. New rules repeated in this newsletter.

• SLKS stickers must be DISPLAYED on carts and boats by July 1st.

• Association has expanded the weed chemical control program in more channels, watch & report fish kills! • Tick season is here, Lyme disease spread last year and is a real concern in our woody and grassy areas.

• Weed season is here. Don’t pollute the lake waters. Use a mix of 1 gallon of vinegar, 2 cups of Epson salts and a quarter cup of Dawn dishwashing liquid. Be careful, it will kill everything. Just use it on weeds near the shore.

• Your village and lot numbers should be visible on the Lakeside for water emergencies, this past years situ-ation with a possible missing lady, raised issues for the dive/rescue teams on the water side.

• “TASTE OF SHADOW LAKES” ladies cook books are on sale for $5.00. Sign up for a book at the Office. SHADOW LAKES FISHING: DAILY FISH SIZE AND LIMITS

• LARGEMOUTH BASS DAILY KEEP 6 FISH 12 inches & UNDER

• SMALLMOUTH BASS ARE CATCH & RELEASE ONLY

• BLUEGILL NO SIZE/ NO LIMITS

• CATFISH NO SIZE, DAILY LIMIT 2 FISH

• CRAPPIE (9 inch + over)/REDEAR & PERCH NO SIZE, DAILY LIMIT 10 FISH

• MUSKIE, DAILY LIMIT 1 FISH, MINIMUM KEEP 52” & OVER

• TROUT, NO SIZE LIMITS, DAILY 2 FISH

• WALLEYE, SLOT SIZE 15 TO 18 INCHES, DAILY LIMIT 1 FISH

• Random creel checks will be made at the boat ramps for limit compliance

• RETURN SPAWNING FISH AS QUICKLY & SAFELY AS POSSIBLE. CATCH/PIC/RELEASE!

Please adhere to our limits to help keep our fishery strong. Thank you!

DROP-SHOT RIGGING

1.

Tie on a weight at the bottom of your line, weight depends on lake depth.

2.

Tie a hook FACING UP using a Palomar knot. This is a must.

3.

Add a live bait, GULP ALIVE or soft plastic lure, etc. Fish the bottom.

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The Sportsman Fishing Club 24727 W. Amenity Center Drive Wilmington IL 60481

Sportsman Fishing Club Membership Application for 2018 $35.00 for Individual or Family Household

RENEWALS: Just list names, village/lot and check renewal if no changes. Please provide the following information for Club records and newsletter mailing purposes:

Date: _____________________ Renewal: _____________ New Members: _____________ Name (s): __________________________________________________Lot #: ___________ Home Address: _____________________________________________________________ City: ____________________________________ State: _____________ Zip: __________ Home Phone: ____________________ Shadow Lakes Phone: _____________________

Mail address (only needed if you wish to receive the Club Newsletter by e-mail

E-Mail: __________________________________________

I will view Newsletter on Web Site __________ Please mail newsletter ___________ Membership dues cover the calendar year 2018

• Bring this form to the next meeting and make check payable to: The Sportsman Fishing Club

• Mail to: Sportsman Fishing Club, 24727 W Amenity Center Drive, Wilmington IL 60481

• Drop off the application and payment in the Association office

SAT, JULY 21ST 11 AM - LUNCH 2 PM

PAVILION $50 TOP PRIZE $5 @ PERSON

FOOD, FUN, RAFFLE SIGN-UP ON CLUB BB