Buck on hill, fly fishing Illinois, bait shops: Chicago outdoors

Notes from around Chicago outdoors.

FIELD NOTES

BUCK OF THE WEEK: UNPLUGGED

Sandy and Steve Melovic wonderfully photographed this buck standing on a rise on the Texaco property in Lockport.

Buck of the Week: Unplugged, a celebration of live big bucks around Chicago outdoors, runs on Sundays on the Sun-Times outdoors page as warranted. Send nominations by Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or email (straycasts@sbcglobal.net).

ILLINOIS TROUT FISHING

Illinois’ spring catch-and-release fly fishing-only season (fly fishing gear may be used to catch and release trout) begins Saturday, March 18, at nine sites around Illinois: Apple River, Apple River State Park: Rock Creek in Kankakee River SP; Pine Creek in White Pines Forest SP; Siloam Springs SP Lake; Gridley Lake, Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area; Horton Lake, Nauvoo SP; Morgan Lake at Nichols Park, Jacksonville; IDOT Lake, Springfield; Willow Lake at Peabody River King SFWA. Even for the catch-and-release fly fishing, those who are 16 or older must have a valid fishing license and an inland trout stamp.

DALE’S MAILBAG

Q: “I can’t find any bait shops near me in Lyons sell wax worms, shiners or minnows. Could you help me out. I like to take my grandkids fishing with something other then worms.’’ George Bahnick

A: Shops with a commitment to bait and local knowledge. Beginning in Chicago, circling south, west, north and east. Henry’s Sports and Bait, 3130 Canal, (312) 225-8538; Park Bait at Montrose Harbor, (773) 271-2838; Angler’s Outlet, 16300 S. Cicero, Oak Forest, (708) 331-5711; Chicago Bait and Tackle, 37 Normantown Rd, Romeoville, (815) 900-2248; Lee’s Bait and Tackle, 1400 W Army Trail Rd, Carol Stream, (630) 830-5337; Lee’s Global Tackle, 23 S Arlington Heights Rd, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 (847) 593-6424; Dave’s Bait, Tackle & Taxidermy, 4419 Route 176, Crystal Lake, (815) 455-2040; Triangle Sports & Marine, 23480 W. Grass Lake Rd., Antioch, (847) 395-0813; Salmon Stop, 1019 Belvidere Rd, Waukegan; (847) 244-2525.

LAST WORD

“It’s an overreaction with real-world consequences for fish, wildlife, and the American people.’’

Joel Webster, director of Western lands with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, on Senate vote to nullify the Bureau of Land Management’s revised land-use planning rule, commonly known as Planning 2.0

WILD TIMES

HUNTER SAFETY

(Click here for full package of northeast Illinois hunter safety classes)

March 16 & 18: Mundelein, (847) 918-6145

March 25-26: Chicago, http://carryinillinois.com/hunter-safety-course.html . . . Ingleside, go.fishfry@gmail.com

April 1-2: Hainesville, (847) 223-5700

April 29-30: Palatine, click here and it is Program number 203560

FISH GATHERINGS

Tuesday: Lake Vermilion guide Dusty Carlson on pressured muskies, Chicagoland Muskie Hunters chapter of Muskies Inc., Giuseppe’s La Cantina, Des Plaines, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday: Father-and-son, Rich and Rich Mathews, on meat rigs for trolling. Salmon Unlimited, Elk Grove Village VFW,, 7 p.m.

Thursday: Tony Krizek on Fox River walleye, smallmouth and muskies, Fish Tales Fishing Club, Oak Forest Community Center, 7 p.m.

SHOWTIME

(Click here or the exhaustive list of shows, seminars, swap meets and auctions)

Thursday-Sunday, March 16-19: Ultimate Sports Show, DeVos Place, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Saturday, March 18: Fish and Hook Sport Show, American Legion Post 13, Downers Grove

Saturday, March 18: Fishing School (basics for beginners and novices for trolling salmon and trout in spring), Lake Michigan Angler, Winthrop Harbor, (224) 789-7627

DUCKS UNLIMITED

(Click here for the general list of Illinois DU events)

NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION

(Click here for general list of banquets and events)

PHEASANTS FOREVER

(Click here for general list of Illinois PF events)