Mayor’s Fishing Advisory Committee: June notes, Chicago fishing

Here are some of my notes and notables from the Mayor Emanuel Fishing Advisory Committee meeting Thursday at 31st Street Harbor. It is chaired by Tom Gray.

Meant to get this up before, some of it is time sensitive,

Brenda McKinney, who heads the Illinois Urban Fishing Program for Chicago, said she needs a clinic instructor for her fishing programs in the Columbus Park area.

Normally, hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., June 27 through August 29.

You may reach her at (312) 771-9741 or (847) 294-4137.

She said the stockings of the Chicago lagoon stockings are underway with bluegill and channel catfish, and on schedule.

Tom Palmisano said he and a buddy checked physically and with side-imaging sonar to see if anything was in the water off the launch at the Richard J. Daley Boat Launch at 3150 S. Western (southwest corner of Western Avenue and the Sanitary and Ship Canal).

Only thing he found was a floating stick. But he was not certain whether Scott Stevenson at Westrec Marine had sent a crew out to clean it up or if it got moved. But the launching area is as clear as it can be.

Palmisano said Henry’s Sports and Bait is hoping to do a perch derby at Navy Pier in July, date and details to be determined. Well, and the perch may help determine if and when.

Palmisano said the Henry Palmisano Memorial Fishing Foundation received a Coastal Grant. They hired a couple people for the summer and will be fishing Palmisano Pond five days a week. The kids who will be bussed in will be coming generally on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you want a group to fish the program, call (312) 225-FISH.

Steve Silic, fisheries biologist for the Forest Preserves of Cook County, said the aquatic vegetation control is being done on 13 lakes. He wondered if zebra mussels may be impacting the vegetation growth because of clearer waters. Skokie Lagoons in particular will be taking some serious work.

He said Cermak Quarries, Flatfoot Lake and Shiller Pond were stocked for the suburban portion of the Illinois Urban Fishing Program.

The walleye stocking is finished with 20,000 fingerlings (1 1/2 to 2 inches) stocked at Busse Main and Busse South, 12,000 at Skokie Lagoons and 10,000 at Tampier.

He gave a rather cool explanation as to why they are stocked at that size. It is because that is just before they become piscivorous (fish eating), which is more expensive. (I hope I got that right.)

McKinney said bullheads are going like crazy at some of the lagoons.

She also said the West Ridge Nature Center has been stocked. That is the new park area by Rosehill Cemetery on the southeast corner of Western and Peterson.

The fishing advisory committee now goes on summer break. The next meeting is tentatively Thursday, Sept. 15.