A pumpkin seed, trapped in the Hennepin Lakes
Dale Bowman
HENNEPIN: Sharks?
Between the things about Hennepin and Hopper Lakes at the Sue and Wes Dixon Waterfowl Sanctuary, bull heads didn’t even cross my mind.
But undervalued local species were detected through trap fish studies by Justin Seibert, the new asset manager, this spring.
“A lot of other people went fishing for them,” he said. Traditionally, they were very abundant in the Illinois River. They are river fish and used the wetlands when we had them. I don’t forget when we were kids, we used to fish with those big bamboo poles when [the Illinois River] flooded. My grandfather actually got to see one of the ones we interviewed.
Justin Seibert, asset manager of the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge, conducts a survey this spring through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources at Hennepin and Hopper Lakes.
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The Dixon Waterfowl Refuge is famous for its restoration, now a “mosaic of lakes, marshes, seeps, savannahs and grasslands,” designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 2012.
I love how the Wetlands Initiative is innovating and expanding wisdom by restoring the site.
Also, I love fishing Hennepin.
Nicholas Rolando set the state record for pumpkin seeds there (1 pound, 1. 92 ounces) on June 19, 2020, though genetic testing didn’t verify 10-inch pumpkin seeds until 2021. Research has uncovered pumpkin seeds of a world record size.
Last year, Hennepin
On Wednesday, the fishery’s inaugural day, it drew crowds of boaters and kayakers to Hennepin and Hopper Lakes.
Dale Bowman
That’s why I was dragged out of bed on Wednesday at 3:30 a. m. for the opening of Hennepin.
Hennepin
Fishing can be discovered in wetlands-initiative. org/dixon-paddling-fishing.
As I paddled my kayak along the East Coast, noisy ducks and swans (too far away to tell if they were silly swans and/or trumpets) brightened up the morning. Surprisingly, I didn’t hear any sandhill cranes.
A vein of bluegill sunfish and pumpkin seeds got stuck Wednesday, the opening day of Hennepin and Hopper Lakes.
Dale Bowman
I focused on bluegill and pumpkin seeds, but I had a rod fitted with a ChatterBait and fancastrated largemouth and musk as I paddled. Nothing.
But the breadfish was shallow and bitten. I got a blue gut when I replaced the reeds.
For the panfish, I used a 4-pound monofilament and Bluegill Chuck’s Custom Baits (purchased last Saturday at the Riverside Fishing Club swap meeting) on a number 10 template (yes, very small). The color made all the difference. Purple outperformed fluorescent green and white. At first, the soft plastics worked wonders, but, when the sun came up, I added waxworms to prevent bites from occurring.
On the east bank, where I worked, there were also other people pouring firewood. I guess they were looking for a type of fish.
“Quite a few types of fish [in the spring survey],” Seibert said. “In other years, we didn’t have many. Now that we open on May 1st, they would possibly have a greater chance of catching crappie.
Justin Seibert, asset manager of the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge, is conducting a giant crappie research this spring through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources on Hennepin and Hopper Lakes.
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Later, Seibert added, “It’s exciting for me to see crappie categories of various sizes, which they hadn’t noticed in surveys before. Obviously, the bass is so good, how can you not be excited about that? »
“Fishing in general is going very well,” said Paul Botts, president and CEO of TWI. “This is because the plant network is working well and the water quality is good. “
I caught about 15 sunfish per hour and lost twice as many. When the wind picked up in the domain where I was fishing and my pole was full, I knew. It was time.
In the evening, I fried my sunfish and pumpkin seed twine, then served them over a bed of country spinach and lemon wedges with a glass of chardonnay.
Fishing runs through Labor Day and is open from sunrise to dawn until 30 minutes after sunset.
Information about the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge can be found in wetlands-initiative. org/dixon-waterfowl-refuge-hh. If you have questions about paddling or fishing, please call (312) 922-0777 or email twi@wetlands-initiative. org.
Changes continue at the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge. After years of effort, Hennepin Mayor Kevin Coleman has secured investment for a bridge that connects the walking and biking trails to the shelter’s trails. He expects it to be finished by the end of this year or next spring. .
TWI added a 40-acre parcel, dubbed Sandy Knob through staff, in front of the Sandy Hollow portion of the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge. It will give you a prominent presence along Highway 26, making it more visual and available to the public.
The iconic tower of the Sue and Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge is always a must-see when visiting Hennepin and Hopper Lakes.
Dale Bowman
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