The historic 2024 co-emergence of two cicada broods is coming to an finish. The Nice Northern Illinois Brood, a.ok.a. Brood XIII, reached peak emergence practically two weeks in the past, and the variety of bugs within the air has been declining steadily since. The excellent news is that fish—smallmouth bass and carp—within the Midwest are nonetheless dialed in on cicadas and ought to be for a short while longer. So, whereas the bugs might have stopped hatching, the fish proceed to search for for large cicadas on the floor.
This week, we spoke with Jayden Daniel of Chicago Fly Fishing Outfitters and information Mike Allen of Midwest Waters Angling Co. about what they’ve been seeing on the water. Each experiences confirmed fewer bugs within the air, however aggressive fish exercise. And whereas the co-emergence is nearing its finish, Illinois’ annual cicada hatch will start popping off quickly. Meaning the yr of cicadas isn’t over simply but. Listed below are some suggestions, ways, and methods for late-season cicada fishing.
Area Report: The Brood XIII Hatch is Slowing Down
June has been an unbelievable month for cicada fishing in Northeast Illinois. The emergence lived as much as its billing and fish have been gorging themselves on these bugs. As anticipated, the hatch is lastly slowing down, and fewer bugs are within the air. “I’ve guided three totally different rivers within the final couple of days, and many of the cicada exercise has died off significantly,” says Northern Illinois fishing information Mike Allen. “Although the precise bug exercise has slowed, the fish are nonetheless on the lookout for that meals supply. For a way lengthy they do that is the million greenback query.”
Earlier this yr, I spoke with cicada fishing professional Dave Zielinski, who stated, “Fish will eat cicadas for weeks after they’re gone as a result of they’re used to seeing them within the water.” Up to now, this appears to be the case in Illinois, however as Allen stated, it’s arduous to inform how lengthy fish will proceed to take cicada patterns. Within the meantime, when you stay within the Higher Midwest, get out on the water and fish cicada flies and lures even when you don’t see bugs within the air. The fish are nonetheless on the lookout for them within the water.
Anglers within the Chicago space are additionally seeing fewer bugs, however just like the north, it hasn’t slowed down the carp and bass fishing. Jayden Daniel, a store hand at Chicago Fly Fishing Outfitters, has been concentrating on river carp in gradual water. “I’ve been fishing the DuPage River and on the lookout for gradual, swirling again eddies,” says Daniel. “Fish are nonetheless cruising round on the lookout for bugs, however we’ve had our greatest success with small packs of carp.” Daniel explains that the singles will nonetheless eat cicada flies, however faculties of fish create competitors and produce higher strikes. He expects fish to proceed to eat cicadas for not less than one other week.
Begin Switching Your Consideration to Seasonal Cicadas
Whereas the 221-year cicada emergence is almost over, anglers in Northern Illinois don’t have to attend lengthy earlier than one other cicada hatch. Like different areas of the nation, Northern Illinois will get an annual cicada emergence. These bugs are bigger and have a white and inexperienced coloration in comparison with the smaller black and orange 17-year periodical cicadas.
“We often begin to see our annual cicadas someday in July,” says Daniel. “I’m to see how the fish react to the annual cicadas in a month or so, however both manner, extra bugs are coming.” These annual cicadas are often known as the “canine days cicadas” as a result of they emerge when floor temperatures are a lot hotter in comparison with the periodicals, which hatch at 64 levels. Both manner, extra and larger cicadas are on the way in which for Illinois anglers.
So don’t put the rod down simply but. Maintain fishing patterns and lures that imitate the 17-year cicadas till fish refuse your flies and lures. Then wait just a few extra weeks for the summer season cicadas to get going. That ought to hold you a lot busy till fall.
