Guiding Results

Guide Results 2020-2021

by

Guiding on Delavan and Geneva this year was a little out of the normal. Delavan was really off in May. After trips producing 13, 18, and 15 bass and cancelling several others due to unfavorable conditions, I switched to Geneva. (note:if we have bad weather conditions I opt to reschedule a trip. I am out there to catch fish not to take your money). Once we got on Geneva things got better. All trips except one produced 30 to 45 bass, with the last trip July 13 where we caught 32 bass. We didn’t get big numbers like we had in past years, but the average size seems to be getting bigger every year.

In 2018 we averaged 42 bass a trip on Delavan and 48 on Geneva. In 2019 we averaged 48.5 on Delavan and 36 on Geneva. Those numbers were helped with a 83 bass day with Greg Bedow and Ron Siever where we got 41 on the first spot we tried and 42 on the second spot. In recent years we have had many great days such as when Dan Zamen and I got 80 bass on Geneva (my two person record), or a 103 bass day on Geneva with the Shackleton brothers. My Delavan best…123 bass with Jeff Runge and his partner. And I am not counting rock bass!

If all goes well I will be guiding on a limited basis again next year. I you want to get out don’t wait till Spring to contact me. My only phone number is 815-451-8594. If I don’t answer leave a message and I will call you back.

Guiding Results 2018

by

Another great year on Delavan and Geneva! On Delavan we averaged 42 bass a trip, with 3 60
bass days. Last year we averaged 36 on Delavan. Geneva remained very consistent…averaged
48 bass a trip last year and 48 this year. This year the Geneva bass ran larger, with a lot of larger
bass in the 5 to 10 foot depths. It seemed like the water was a little dingier than normal on
Geneva which may have accounted for the shallower action. Even now (late August) guide
friends are reporting plenty of shallower bigger bass on Geneva.

Had a bunch of fun days fishing with some of my “regulars” this year. Roy and Al Shackleton
always seem to make something happen. In 2016 we caught 103 bass which is my all-time
record. In 2017 we caught 80 which was the record that year. This year we got 41 on Delavan
with Al getting his biggest largemouth ever (over 5 lbs.), then he got his biggest smallie ever on
Geneva which was 20-inches. One of the two brothers also caught the ugliest bass I ever saw. It
looked like you dragged it behind the car for a few miles. Paul Van Moffaert and I also had some
special days. After a 54 bass day on Delavan we nailed 59 on Geneva plus a big musky. A week
later we were joined by his buddy Pete and we got 59 on Geneva; including Pauls biggest ever
smallie, then went to Crandals and sent several chickens to “chicken heaven”.

Kade McDonald was the kid that was with me last year when we caught 69 bass, then as we were
leaving he had a 40-inch musky grab his rock bass. This year Kade his dad and I caught 62 bass
and he caught more that his dad and I. He let us know about it several times during the day.
Payback is great because a week later with his Mom in the boat we caught 71 and his Mom
kicked his butt! Andy Norocki and I had a 60 bass day on Delavan followed by a 57 bass day on
Geneva. Had lot of great days; 64 with Jeff Runge and Ron, 50+ with Jim Bubis, 61 with Mark
Babula. Actually my slowest two days were 25 and 24 bass, which would have been great days
for me 20-30 years ago. I cut down my guide trips but felt better than I did the previous year. The
last day I went out was June 29 with my neighbor Mike and we caught 43. If my health is ok
next year I plan on guiding again. It’s great seeing regular customers get better and better every
year.