Braidwood CATS

[Jim Shell]

Fishing is always hit or miss during the late summer/early fall. Some lakes that are often overlooked this time of the year are cooling lakes. They receive lots of pressure when the open in early spring, but the pressure dwindles to near nothing at the end of the season. We went to Braidwood lake on Saturday. The catfish here are always very aggressive. You can see on the video how hard they initially hit the plug. It's a lot of fun! I was hoping to fish LaSalle, but the wind forecast was 15+ for Saturday so went to Braidwood. The state stopped wiper stocking for 2 years, so the action here is all cats. They are very fun to catch! The cooling lakes here close on October 13th. So anyone in the chicagoland area looking for some consistent action now, get on out!

[John Bales]

Another great video with Jim and the kid. Great job guys. John

[CHAMP]

I'm sure that was fun. But is there no bass in that lake?

[John Bales]

What's up champ? These are cooling lakes. The discharges make the water extremely hot which does not fare well with the largemouth spawn. Yes there are some but they do not thrive in this lake. Our water temps here at home are 67 and you heard him say it was 90 degrees. All the Chicago spoonpluggers fish this lake and not one of them knows when the largemouth spawn. The place doesn't open till a certain time of the year. Maybe they are done by then. There is another cooling lake a little more south and I think that one is loaded with bass. Don't know why it would be different. One thing about it, they offer a spoonplugger some great fishing no matter what species. I could not answer you question on Santee Cooper. I have a friend who fishes some of the best looking stuff in the lake and he does not catch the bass very often and he is not a bad fisherman. Did you ever troll the rip rap between the lakes for the catfish? Take Care. John

[CHAMP]

Hi John yes have trolled riprap on lake marion once last year in late august. Water was pretty damn clear vis down to bout 7'. But I never fish for catfish I'm always fishing for Bass. But that day yielded 3 warmouth and 1 cat. But as far as the fishing situation I was talking of this past weekend I'm pretty sure especially for big bass I would be better off fishing the cypress tress on the channel edge. Reason being both have very shallow drop off, but the trees offer lots of cover
and maybe better water color. But just up lake from this spot appears to be feeder cut coming into main river channel, needs to be checked. But its bout a 3.5 hr drive for me so not going to often . Also water temp was bout 72/73 from top to bottom. The bassmaster elite guys will be on this lake in about 2 weeks. I'm sure most of these guys will be fishing the trees and grass beds.

[CHAMP]

To say braidwood lake is not a good bass lake is truly an under statement!

An estimated 9,382 hours of angling effort was expended by tournament bass fishermen in 2019 which resulted in a total of 1,326 bass being weighed in. Tournament catch averaged 47.3 bass per event. The average size for the “biggest” bass in these tournaments was 4 pounds 8 ounces.
REALLY SUCKS!

[site admin]

Yes this lake has bass. There are many tournaments held on this lake. When this lake opens on March 1st, there are many bass caught, and a handful of spoonpluggers that get some then. It is vey hit and miss. I have caught occasional bass, but have not found any schools of bass. It is somewhat of a mystery why we can't catch them consistently or find the schools of bass. There are several deep holes and slots. A lot of spots you would think would be great, but don't produce. I was there during a tournament last year. Saw the weigh in, all but a couple were no bigger then 14". Not sure why we can't catch them throughout the year. I don't think it has anything to do with the high temps, as I use to fish a cooling lake (Coffeen) in central Illinois a lot in the 90's. My biggest catch of bass was during a heat wave in july. Water temp was at least 100 degrees then. We found a school and caught 18 bass on 20 casts. They were very warm to the touch! and very active! The only thing I can say about Braidwood bass, nearly all are caught by guys casting the shoreline. Maybe a situation where there are many "grass bass"(shallow ones). There are some caught in one of the deep holes, but other then early season, it is not consistent at all.

[John Bales]

Yep I said it, Jim said it too. Never ever have I seen a stringer of big bass from this place from the spoonpluggers. Have to stand behind my boys. John

[CHAMP]

John you and Jim do understand that I am saying this is not a good bass lake.
9,382 hours of angling effort
1,326 bass being weighed in.
Thats only 1 bass every 9 hours
thats not good bassin

[site admin]

It's a great catfish lake!
And wipers, when they stock them.
Still open till October 13th.

[Bink]

Are you talking the same Braidwood lake? This lake is loaded with bass. Tons of them. Big schools of them. One of the few lakes around with them. The bass spawn begging of March all the way into May Depending on location on the lake. They lake gets stocked yearly I believe by the state and has also received supplemental stocking from local fishing clubs in the past 10 years.
Things you need to know about this lake.
1. It’s a nuclear power plant witch is known to have leaked on multiple occasions. When I started fishing this lake in the 80’s it had grass beds covering the whole lake for years. Now there’s nothing but moss. It’s over run by small catfish but the bass can be excellent for northern Illinois.
2. It’s a flat land resivoir but unlike anything Buck really talks about. No channel just shallow flooded farm land with a couple flooded strip mines. Just big holes with straight vertical walls. Lure presentations is very difficult, a truly unique resivior situation.
3.weather has very little to do with fish movements on this lake. If they are not generating current you have very little chance of catching a bass. Can still load the boat with cats.
4. The lake is open March - oct. sun up -sun down. Has 2 very large no fishing areas that are unmapped. And is closed frequently during the season due to weather. All in all it gets very little pressure outside the first 2 weeks of March.
If you want to catch bass there now in 90 degree water you will need to fish deep (25+) and vertical is the only open of fishing deep on this lake

[site admin]

Yes, bass are in Braidwood. I recall you had a few good trips in March in past years.
It is hit and miss with the bass. Tons of bass.. big schools..?? Not that I have found or several other spoonpluggers. Not the kind of lake you will drop the anchor and get them on every cast. Or catch them with any consistency, unlike other cooling lakes (Coffeen, Egypt, Sangchris, Newton).
Have you been there in the summer months lately? Catching (tons of) them then? We've fished thoroughly down to 25ft, and others, you get one here and there. Other then your catches in March, any success in May thru now? I've made several trips the past few years mapping the lake. So much untouched structure, and good looking stuff that you think would be loaded with bass. Maybe the catfish population has changed things, not sure. I read that the state stopped stocking wipers was due to low baitfish population. The state has also aggressively been stocking bass the last few years.
I'll gladly meet you there anytime. If the lake is loaded with bass, show me what I'm doing wrong! It would be great to have a good bass lake within 1.5 hours away!

PS.. Walt is BACK?? When Terry made his 'comeback' Buck sent him to the Chain to see what was going on.
Walt.... get on Braidwood next year and tell us what's going on?! If anyone can do it, YOU can!

[Bink]

The lake is loaded with bass. Big schools of them. It has got consistently better every year the past 15 years. I literally called Brett ( Iv never called Brett before) this year and told him he had to get out there that the bass fishing was insanity. Yes after April fishing gets tough but the fish don’t grow wings and leave the lake until the next march. We are not doing what is needed to do to catch them. Just bc you didn’t catch them didn’t mean they aren’t there. Spot lock and a hugging spoon would be my approach right now

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[Bink]

He’s some email chains going back 3 years. There’s definitely a very healthy population of fish there

[site admin]

My point is after March/April.. I don't see anyone catching them. If there are BIG schools, they would be caught.
Show me schools of bass being caught in summer months and beyond....