Lake Mendota

[Whopperhead]

Tass and myself went to Lake Mendota on Thursday from 12:30 till 3pm. We went in at Governors Island and swam around until we found a nice weeded area south of the Island. The water Temp was 48 degrees and the vis wasn't the best- maybe 10-12 in some areas and less in others. But the fish are in the Weeds! We saw some Huge LM, SM, Large Catfish, Drum, some Monster Bgills, and some Suckers. There weren't a ton of fish, but enough to keep me interested. There were alot of carp, but because of the vis you didn't see them until they were swimming by you. so we had to be quick on the draw. I ended up getting 3 Carp 10-12#. Tass ended up getting 1 sucker and several shots at carp. I did see some good size carp, but couldn't get the shot. Still had a blast! Sorry no video. Not enough to make one.

 

[ILDiver]

Tasser looks a bit angery there! I need to get back in the water. This is nuts...pffftt staying dry, what kinda crap is that!

 

[bgill]

He's not mad...HIS FACE IS FROZEN and only halfway thawed out!!!rofl

Did you guys check out "the outlet"...Or is that pretty much an "ice" spot?

How big were them HUGE gills?...This "staying dry is killing me too" I'm tempted to get a 5mm Diveskins suit...I know ELIOS would be MUCH better...But if the Diveskins suit would last me two full years I'd be happy at only $159.00 U.S. I bet I could "swing it" by New Years at that price fairly easily if I just pinch some more pennies.

I'm dying to try out my NEW ICE FINS....:inlove

I think I might even go to the YMCA to see if I can get in their pool somehow! IF they'll let me use my fins!

Whopperhead...You must be a "sharpshooter" by now with all that practice! Are you "stoning" them more often now? Good job you guys...But your faces DO look CCCccccold!!!!

Can't wait 'til we can all get together again!!! I sure wish Jon would jump back on the bandwagon...I miss reading his almost daily post's...

 

[ILDiver]

I've read on here I think that the diveskin suits are pretty good.

Scott, make a decision bro, are you coming down next week!? There are two lakes we can dive and they are only a a couple hundred yards apart. The one is low vis, but the preferred target of interest, the other has better vis and supposed to have carp too. Dan, you could probably come down too. Scott mentioned Thursday or Friday. I got keys to the dive shop, we could probably get you another suit to wear over yours

 

[Whopperhead]

Bgill- The problem with the 5MM Diveskin suits are = they are NOT opencell on the inside - only with the 5mm. My 5mm that is in this pic with shipping from Elios ran me about $250.

ILDiver- I'm not sure- I can't do friday cause I work that night and have to sleep before work and Thursday - I'm not sure- cause- I have to pick one of my kids up at 11am from school and to daycare- so that gets me to your place around 4pm- which now it starts to get dark-

We didn't go to the OUTLET, JON told me he ran by it the other day and it was still pretty bad vis. Plus, we were short on time.

 

[ILDiver]

Scott, I'm not real pleased with you at the moment! You got my hopes all up, then you crush me. Crush my spirit, crushed it all!:waterwork

I guess I still have the monkeys to look forward to. If you find a free day to come down, let me know.

 

[Whopperhead]

You have no idea how happy I am about the monkies! I would like to come down when i can get there by 10am- I'll have to look at my work schedule. It doesn't freeze down in Illinois anyways- does it?

 

[ILDiver]

I just looked at diveskin.net. It appears their 159.00 camo suits do come in "slick" interior. I assume that is open cell, but you would have to contact them to make sure. Also note knee, elbow and chest pads are a "slight additional fee", but I would opt for them. So you would want to compare apples to apples when looking at Elios, I think theirs has the pads included.

BTW, when is the next dive? My skin is drying out here!


PS, it does freeze, but not real solid thick ice. The monkeys, seriously...Those are my favorite monkey, I have liked them since I was a kid. My daughter is not pleased that I am going to a place like that without her As for diving down here, if you want to come down the night before, I have a bed. We could get out and dive early and you could head home earlier...??? Just ideas.

 

[bgill]

It appears to me that I CAN get a 5mm with open cell on the inside as long as it's NOT a camoed suit...Looks like $169.00 with all the pads.

I really dont care about the camo aspect anyway. Grey & black are cool...See the link below:

Oceanos Grey - DiveSkin - Quality Neoprene Products

What do you guys think?

I really don't have the time to get to or near Peoria - But thanks for the invite...I wish I could but my Mom's is in town from Florida & I also got deer to kill!

 

[ILDiver]

Green Army Cammo - DiveSkin - Quality Neoprene Products

This link is the green camo, it has the Slick interior option.

Edit: Just read closer. The digital and green camos are open cell only. Blue Abstract is open or Nylon interior

 

[bgill]

Thier (Dive Skin) Green camo comes only in 3mm with "slickskin interior" I think I want a 5mm for sure..especially if its NOT gonna be an Elios.

The Custom Dive Skin Oceanos Grey comes hooded in 5mm "Slickskin interior" Nylon Coated exterior and chest, knee pads, and is "open cell" inside.

It seems that upon investigating that "any" regularly used - open cell or slickskinned freediving/spearfishing wetsuit's life expectancy is only 3-4 years maximum anyways. For $169 bucks the Custom Dive Skin Oceanos Grey seems like a deal...IF it's a good fit - and IF it last 2-3 years with good use I'd say your getting your moneys worth... I think I'm opting for the Oceanos Grey this spring just cuz' I'm kind of a cheap-skate these days! If I can get it quickly like they say and If It'll do the job I'm good. I think the $169.00 is EVEN WITH shipping!

In the summer I'll just go in shorts and a t-shirt or my "scuba suit" in most lakes...But I want the 5mm for Lake Michigan too...It can be super cold in the middle of a month long heat wave. Not too mention to EXTEND my season earlier & later into the year.

Scott...I really like the pic of "the hole in the head" carp!!!! NICE SHOT! Both camera & spear! And hey...DOES Mendota or Kegonsa get "stay" REALLY clear in the spring? I know there are some king-sized gills in both of 'em. Me likey the big gills...Gutted, scaled & fried whole...YYYyyyUuuuumy!

"But I don't like to take TOO many from one lake." - Them REALLY bigguns' are like breedin' stock!

 

[Whopperhead]

diveskins 5mm suit- I was only looking at their camo suits- and notice none of the 5mm were opencell. But yeah you can get a custom fit one for $169 from them- Give it a shot.

I believe Mendota stays fairly clear till about June- from what JON was telling me last year. Lake Kegonsa, I'm not sure. Yeah I only saw maybe about 6 HUGE Gills- So, I didn't want to shoot any- At first, from a distance, I thought they were Large Crappies. When I got closer- HOLY CRAP! Them are blue gills!

 

[bgill]

Mendota has some absolute behemouths of all kinds of fish. Its a really big and volumous lake...I think most of the lake is pretty deep too - relatively speaking...

At 9437 Acres -
It's 83 feet at its deepest point and has an average depth of 41 feet.Thats ALOT of water! That water hold's ALOT of fish!

I've caught huge fish all all kinds On Mendota thorough the ice and on a boat back when I used to fish alot! Now I just like to look at 'em mostly and get me some nice panfish to eat once in awhile.

Last year a buddy of mine showed me an impressive bucket of blue gills he caught from Kegonsa (icefishing) - He had 25 fish and all were 10" inches or bigger! I myself just could'nt take that many of THE BIGGEST specimen's in a lake and feel good about it - But thats just me...Plenty of guys do it however - It's legal.

I'm hoping to order the 5mm Oceanos Grey and get it before the end of April...But now I gotta lose the 10 pounds I gained since my wife came back from S.A.!:chatupIt seem's that pregnant women have all these goodies laying around everywhere. She and her mother made sure she came back with all of her FAVORITE candies foods and such too...And a large supply might I add! Infact - two extremely large suitcases full of all sorts of yummy but no so good for you stuff - mostly!:chatupBut hey...She's eating for THREE now as she always says! She said she had two suitcases full of goodies because she needed one for each twin! :inlove

Her Dad's chemotherapy for bone cancer (lower leg) has gone well so far...Ofcourse there were - and probably still will be some bad days. They gotta hit 'em (chemo) two more times yet. He has been FISHING and has played a few rounds of golf recently though!! Seem's his Daughter's and his Grandson's presence in South Africa for 6 weeks helped to keep him going and gave him some of courage and the strength and help he and his wife needed - He now is planning on coming here from South Africa in September of next year...He really wants to catch some salmon on "The Big Lake"...from shore...I got some places me & him are gonna be going come the fall run next year-God willing!

 

[Tass]

I was upset. I didn't get to stop by the nut-house for popcorn and movies like Scott promised.

 

[ILDiver]

Man Scott, you disappointing people lately Tass, we'll pay him back!