Kankakee River State Park – Float Tube Fishing

Sunday, June 8^th found me and dad off on another ‘road trip’; this time we were headed to northern Illinois for some smallmouth float tube fishing and golf. My oldest son, Harrison, which many of you remember from a few years back, is now finished with college and working at Mistwood Country Club. Our plan was to dead-head to Kankakee, Illinois … grab a camping spot at the state park just a few miles up the road on Illinois highway 102 … and by 10pm dad and I were settled into a nice camp spot just a couple hundred feet from the big and flowing Kankakee River.

Monday found me up early … I turned a quick right out of the state park and took the first road to the south where I eased into the Kankakee River Trading Post just as a very polite lady was unlocking the doors to the establishment; it was 6:03am. A few minutes later I left the shop with an Illinois fishing license, a map and a lot more information than I hadn’t entered with. I must say that in all my years of trying to gather in licenses, maps, info, etc. … this was by far the most pleasant experience ever!

A quick jaunt back to the campground and within minutes we were both up and moving around … dad would once again be my drop-off/pick-up man this morning. I surveyed the map, left the park and headed northwest on highway 102 to Warner Bridge Road; a left and then a right and we had found a nice pick up point (according to the map would be about 4 river miles). We journeyed back up to within about ¼ mile of our camper whereby I readied all my equipment including my Voyager float boat and within 15 minutes had shoved off on yet another new river and an awesome morning…I was to meet dad 3 ½ hours later.

Now here is where I will quickly admit that I got skunked on this trip; yep, I said it, didn’t catch a thing. Probably you’re thinking it was a bust …. but the truth is that it was one of the best floats I have ever had. Whether you will believe it or not, catching fish isn’t the only highlight. I love the outdoors and this river system was simply awesome; the potential for catching a big smallmouth was everywhere. Sadly the river was about two feet higher than usual, with a stain about the color of a cup of creamy coffee … heck maybe hot chocolate! The bottom line is that I knew it was going to be a tough day … but let’s be real, it was a Monday morning, it was gorgeous outside, I had the entire river to myself … oh, and I wasn’t teaching school today!

I have talked about it before but the Voyager, which is a big float tube on steroids, is about as perfect for this type of fishing as any vessel can be. There is simply nothing else that would allow you to fly fish, hop out and walk/casts while still within the boat, hop back in and float easily and smoothly through almost any set of rapids … and then just like a water bug, cross the river quickly to fish the other side when it looks great. If you have ever wanted or thought of giving this type of adventure a try then please check out the Voyager, made by The Creek Company. My friend Dennis at PortableKayaks.com can quickly hook you up with one of these awesome float boats.

Our day continued as we hurried back from the river, grabbed a sandwich on the run and drove north to meet Harrison and his girlfriend Nicole at Mistwood. I would love to tell you that since I didn’t catch any fish … maybe, just maybe God granted me with one of those golf rounds of a lifetime … that simply wasn’t the case. While I played well, playing an unfamiliar course with two collegiate golfers makes for both a tough and at times frustrating day; if the truth were to be ‘snuck out’, Nicole took top honors amongst us much to the chagrin of my number one son.

I would be really upset about getting beaten on the golf course if golf were my only game. I had a very tough time keeping my focus during the day due in part to the fact that we played several golf holes around a large lake that was just crying to be fished. At one point I was collecting a stray golf ball (gathering up one of Harrison’s wild shots?) and found a bluegill nesting area that would have been the size of about a half a volleyball court. It was full of spawning gils … but the impressive part was the big bass that were cruising in and out of the beds, just looking for a meal. All I could think about was grabbing my fly rod, a hopper and landing a bunch of these big bullies!

If you are looking for an adventure that won’t break the bank (especially in this time of $4 gas) … cruise a bit north and west to the nice little town of Kankakee, Illinois; grab a 3-day non-resident license for $20 and give the Kankakee River a try. One note of wisdom…go to the National Weather Service and check the water and clarity levels before shoving off. As I said earlier the folks at the Trading Post were awesome and full of great information. You can also call them at 815-933-9652; ask how the water is as well as what the fish are biting on … don’t forget that Walleye might just be the main fish of the river!

Would I have loved to catch a lunker smallmouth; you bet, but it wouldn’t at all have changed my mind on this river, the state park or my first day of the adventure … did I say first day … that’s right, I still have another couple days to golf, fish, enjoy the company of my family as well as being able to Enjoy the Great Outdoors.