Bullheads to pumpkinseeds to alligator gar: Bounty and wonders at Hennepin & Hopper lakes
A fat pumpkinseed, caught at Hennepin & Hopper lakes, set against a blue wet bag.
Dale Bowman
HENNEPIN, Ill.--Bullheads?
Of things to think of about Hennepin & Hopper Lakes at Sue and Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge, bullheads never even entered my mind.
But the under-appreciated native species jumped out to Justin Seibert, new property manager, during trap-net fish surveys this spring.
"Not many people to fish for them any more," he said. "Traditionally, they were very plentiful in the Illinois River. They are riverine fish and utilized wetlands when we had them. I remember as a kid we would fish with those big bamboo poles when [the Illinois River] flooded. My grandpa actually got to see one of those we surveyed."
Dixon Waterfowl Refuge is renowned for its restoration, now a "mosaic of lakes, marshes, seeps, savannas, and prairies," designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 2012.
I love how The Wetlands Initiative innovates and expands knowledge as it restores the site.
Plus I love fishing Hennepin & Hopper, the gloriously restored backwater. Largemouth bass and muskie are the big draws for anglers. But, for some of us, it is the panfish.
Nicholas Rolando caught the state record pumpkinseed (1 pound, 1.92 ounces) there on June 19, 2020, though genetic testing only confirmed the 10-inch pumpkinseed in 2021. Surveys found world-record sized pumpkinseeds.
Last year, Hennepin & Hopper became the northern most spot to have alligator gar introduced; 432 8- to 10-inch alligator gar.
That's why I pulled my arse out of bed at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday for opening day at Hennepin & Hopper. More than a dozen rigs and vehicles were already launched when I pulled into line third.
Hennepin & Hopper is unique in its regulations. No gas-powered motors allowed, not even raised ones. Only electric trolling motors allowed (or kayaks and canoes). No shore fishing. Only live bait allowed is red worms, wax worms and night crawlers. Hennepin-Hopper takes its restoration seriously and doesn't want any accidentally introduced species arriving via minnow buckets.
Fishing regulations are at wetlands-initiative.org/dixon-paddling-fishing.
As I paddled out in my kayak, hugging the eastern shore, raucous Canada geese and swans (too far to tell if mute and/or trumpeter swans) kept the morning lively. Surprisingly, I did not hear any sandhill cranes.
I focused on bluegill and pumpkinseeds, but I had one rod rigged with a ChatterBait and fancasted for largemouth and muskie as I paddled out. Nothing.
But the panfish were up shallow and biting. I caught an immediate bluegill when I switched rods.
For panfish, I used 4-pound monofilament and Bluegill Chuck's Custom Baits Soft Plastics (bought last Saturday at the Riverside Fishing Club swap meet) on a No. 10 jig (yes, that small). Color made a difference. Purple outperformed fluorescent green and white. At first, the soft plastics alone worked wonderfully, but, as the sun rose, I added wax worms to keep bites coming.
The east shoreline I worked also had people casting wood. I assume they were targeting crappie.
"Quite a few crappie [in the spring survey]," Seibert said. "In other years, we haven't had many. Now that we open May 1, they may have more of a chance to catch crappie."
Later, Seibert added, "It is exciting for me to see multiple size classes of crappie, which they haven't really seen in surveys before. Obviously, bass are so good, how can you not be excited about it?"
"The fishery in general is doing very well," said Paul Botts, TWI president and executive director. "Which means the plant community is doing well and the water quality is good."
I caught about 15 panfish an hour and missed twice that many. When the wind increased in the corner I was fishing and my stringer was full, I knew. It was time.
In the evening, I battered fried my stringer of bluegill and pumpkinseed, then served them on a bed of fresh homegrown spinach and lemon wedges with a glass of chardonnay.
Fishing runs through Labor Day and is open sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
Information on Dixon Waterfowl Refuge is at wetlands-initiative.org/dixon-waterfowl-refuge-hh. For questions on paddling or fishing, call (312) 922-0777 or email twi@wetlands-initiative.org.
Changes keep coming at Dixon Waterfowl Refuge. After years of trying, Hennepin mayor Kevin Coleman found funding for a walking/biking bridge connection with the refuge trails. He expects it to be done late this year or next spring.
TWI added a 40-acre parcel, dubbed Sandy Knob by staff, by the entrance to the Sandy Hollow piece of Dixon Waterfowl Refuge. It will give the site a major presence along Route 26, making it more visible and accessible to the public.
