I saw my Fiancé off to work, poured the remaining coffee into a to go cup and loaded her Kayak up to head off. Today was going to be special. I was really excited because I was going to be fishing a lake I never even knew existed though it was less than ten miles from my home. As I took the back roads along Yellow Banks which intersects with the Big Muddy River I wondered how my fortunes would go. Would it be a slug fest from the get go? Would I have to work hard to catch a dinner? I crossed over the railroad tracks off of St. Route 14 just before 9:00 AM. As I wound around the home stretch I saw what any panfish fisherman would love to see. A secluded little lake with lily pads around the boat ramp. Now I admit I’m not a fan of fishing lily pads themselves, but rather the fertile vegetation is almost indicative of a healthy eco system so the potential was there for fishing Lake Buckner In Illinois. Read more