A tip of “The Lip,” ice-fishing events: Just super WWW Chicago outdoors

UPDATE CANCELLATION: The night fishing at Shabbona Lake on Saturday has been canceled. The park will be open regular hours on Saturday.

It’s no accident that there are no outdoors shows for this Wild Weekend Wandering around Chicago outdoors.

It’s the weekend centered around the football game that borders on a communal revival meeting. I do remember one year when a show tried to go on this weekend. That show did not last long.

Speaking of shows: as usual Rich Komar gave me a stack of tickets to give out for the Tinley Park Fishing Show, which celebrates its 25th year on Feb. 10-11.

On Wednesday, I offered free tickets, one or two, to anyone who told me who was the first speaker. Apparently, that was a tougher question than I realized. I have a hint, a very loud hint, in the title at the top of this entry. Send answers by email (straycasts@sbcglobal.net), Facebook (Dale Bowman) or Twitter (@BowmanOutside).

Before the big football game on Sunday, there is a an ice-fishing event, the Island Lake Lions Club Ice Fishing Derby. and the second late-night of ice fishing at Shabbona.

The football game and the surrounding hoopla will be my focus this weekend. I am picking up our oldest son tonight after he finishes work and the whole family will be gathered for our traditional gathering. I am the only one who usually watches the football. Everybody watches halftime and tries to catch the better commercials.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of touring one of the great personal collections of fishing-related stuff in the Chicago area for a story I will do later.

And, for all my fellow weather nuts, I plan to do a spotter training Wednesday night. I am curious what it will be like.

Now to the regular stuff of the Wild Weekend Wandering.

SHABBONA LATE NIGHT: Shabbona Lake has its second late night of ice fishing on Saturday. I am glad they are doing two nights and that both nights had workable ice conditions. Keys are that Lakeside will be open until 7 p.m, you need to be off the ice by 9:30 p.m. and out of the park by 10.

Here are the details from Clint Sands at Lakeside:

ICE FISHING DERBY: The Island Lake Lions Club Ice Fishing Derby is 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. It is headquartered at Eastway Park. Adults are $15, those 15 and younger are $5.

FREE DAYS: The Field Museum has free days through February for Illinois residents. Click here for details. . . . The Shedd Aquarium has a free day today for Illinois residents. Click here for more information.

BLUES AT POWERTON LAKE: The cooling lake near Pekin has been on fire for big blue catfish, according to notes sent by both Luis Gonzalez and Darryl Turner.

ICE FISHING: Around the Chicago area, conditions for ice fishing are very variable. Yesterday, I drove from south of the city to the near north suburbs and saw some lakes with open water. Other lakes were thick enough to hold ice fishing for weeks.

Key is know your lake or pond and their conditions.

Click here for the update on ice-fishing regulations for local waters.

SHOWTIME: No shows this weekend, but next weekend is another weekend with shows, led by Tinley Park. Click here for the complete general list of shows this winter. If you have any adds or tweaks for the master list of shows, please let me know.

RABBIT HUNTING: Rabbit hunting in Illinois runs through Feb. 15. If and when we get snow forecast, I hope to be out doing it.