Just when I think i have seen it all on the Kankakee

kickinbass · May 31, 2005, 06:55:15 PM

Today i was fishing LaSalle wildlife area. in Indiana.. I ran into two guys that was fishing along my way to one of the spots i liked to fish. They told me there was a bald eagle sittinng atop of a tree . . So i grab the binoculars and i couldnt believe it. I almost fell out the boat.In all my life fishing the river ive never seen a bald eagle in NW Indiana. on the Kankakee.. The guys in the other boat aske me if i had a camera which i repilied i did.. Not the best camera but it takes decent pics..1 So i had to get through the shallows to get a decent pic and i did my best not to spook the eagle.. The eagle looked like it was drying it wings from what i could see.It was almost like it just took a bath. It was spreading its wings ontop of its perch letting the lite breeze dry them.So i snuck up closer until boat couldnt get any shallow. So i decided to put on the waders after snapping a few shots just in case i spooked it. Put waders on got into water and took about 3 steps and the eagle took off. I took as may pics as i could with my disposable camera . as possible.. Hope the photos turn out. Fished Saturday and caught some big bass probaly my biggest of the yr. Fish were released. Caught 5 bass today at sunrise then I did some searching.. Found some bass bedding so decided to get closer photo once again. Watched 2 Bass defending their eggs from the bluegill. The bluegill were pretty consistant.. they would attack from all sides. When the Bass would chase after 1 gill another would come from the other side. and suck up some eggs. and the bass would chase that one off but only to have another one come from the other side..Mother nature at work ! I had probaly the best memorial day weekend myself and I hope you all did too.

Best Regards
Don Chalmers

Fishaholic · May 31, 2005, 06:58:25 PM

Well it's about time someone from my neck of the woods showed up in here...

this is a great story, but it belongs in the North Central Fishing Reports/Indiana Fishing Reports.

Bassfshr4e · May 31, 2005, 07:32:27 PM

cool story i hope the pics come out good

keep postin about your fishin reports too!!

Mike Cork · May 31, 2005, 08:42:48 PM

kickinbass , awesome story. It's days like this that make it so enjoyable to be part of the out doors. Thank you for sharing your experience

Lipripper · May 31, 2005, 08:56:51 PM

kickinbass htey sure are some nice creatures to watch. I have seen them around Lake Shelbyville in Centeral Illinois every so ofter.

I could set and watch them soar around for hour on end.

Bassfshr4e · May 31, 2005, 10:12:37 PM

Quote from: Lipripper on May 31, 2005, 08:56:51 PM
kickinbass htey sure are some nice creatures to watch. I have seen them around Lake Shelbyville in Centeral Illinois every so ofter. I could set and watch them soar around for hour on end.

i was fishin with my bro and one of his freinds yesterday and he was talkin about shelbyville lake

i knew i heard it somewhere but i couldnt think of where!! if we ever go there this summer(im sure we will cause he said he liked it there) i will let you know lip and maybe we can go fishin

BIG PAPA · May 31, 2005, 10:58:37 PM

Great story

We see quite a few Bald Eagles here in Louisiana and I always stop whatever I am doing and just watch. Wildlife stories are always interesting a most welcome.

Thanks for taking the time to share.
papa

Fishaholic · May 31, 2005, 11:05:27 PM

Don't suppose you've seen any of the river otters out that way...there's two living at the Marsh and I was lucky enough to see one last year...living closer to the Dunes National Lakeshore, we're lucky enough to see eagles several times a year...it's always a treat for sure.

Lipripper · June 01, 2005, 01:29:28 PM

Fish several years ago they transplanted severl matched pairs in Lake Shelbyville and I see them just about everytime I go down there. That part of the deal of getting out of the city and getting out in a boat and floating around the lake while your fishing and watching all the wild life

Fishaholic · June 01, 2005, 01:33:59 PM

Last I heard, there were 193 otters reintroduced into Indiana watersheds...50 perished, some due to natural causes, some to poachers, some to trappers...but still, it's a start.

Lipripper · June 01, 2005, 01:44:01 PM

Thank goodness someone is doing something

They have all kinds of wild life around there now

years ago they reintroduced wild turkies there and now they are lot's of them donwn there and I have seen several Buck Fights whill floating around early in the morning

I just love being out in a boat and watching the beauty of nature. I don't think I will ever get tired of it.

I bet you see lot's of it over in the marsh too.

Fishaholic · June 01, 2005, 01:47:10 PM

I've got another spot along the river I fish where it's not uncommon to see herds of deer, somethimes as many as 30 in a herd, blue herons, sandhill cranes, falcons, red tailed hawks, golden eagles, vultures, kingfishers, cattle egrets, night herons, green herons, wood ducks, red fox, and occassionally a beaver...

Lipripper · June 01, 2005, 01:49:24 PM

Fish that sounds like a beatful place

Fishaholic · June 01, 2005, 01:53:24 PM

another one you see more often every year is commorants...a lot of people are against them, because they chase fish...but usually, with a little common sense, if you spot a bunch of commorants, you know there's baitfish nearby and the predators shouldn't be too far away either.

HoosierAngler · June 01, 2005, 02:11:59 PM

Cool story! I got to see a Bald Eagle last year at Patoka, got a few snap shots of it

I saw where last week someone had shot an eagle in Bedford near the bridge- I hope they catch the guy

They've got a $1000 reward for info on it.

Fishaholic · June 01, 2005, 02:17:34 PM

stiff fine and a jail sentence...

someone shot a bobcat in Indiana a few years back, they got a stiff fine and supposedly a 10 year sentence, but they probably had that reduced....they were caught when they tried to take the animal to a taxidermist to be mounted...

Lipripper · June 01, 2005, 02:45:45 PM

HoosierAngler who ever would shoot an eagle or any animal except for food needs to get caught and throw the book at them

To kill an animal just for the fun of it or to put his head on your wall is a crime in my book. Now I'm not against hunting or putting your trophy on your wall but just to kill one for that reason that's a diffrent story. Well that's how I look at it.

Fishaholic · June 01, 2005, 02:49:31 PM

Some years back, coyotes made a comeback in Indiana...personally, I love it! but there's farmers out there who are shooting every one of em, because according to them they're taking down cows..I don't believe this in its entirety..they say their proof is that the coyotes are taking deer down...now here's something I know for a fack...feral dogs, or abandoned dogs do in fact pack up and bring down deer all the time...but they don't shoot the dogs, so why are they shooting the coyotes.

Lipripper · June 01, 2005, 02:57:22 PM

Your right on Fish and like wolfs most of the time they take down the sick and injered animals and not the strong and healthy ones.
I don't know if you saw it on the news a couple of months ago where they were trying to pass a law that would let the hunters kill the feral cats around La Crosse Wisc. because they were killing off the wildlife up there.