Early Chinook spice up summer doldrums: Chicago fishing, Midwest Fishing Report

Hi Dale, It was a great ending to the Summer on Saturday in Plainfield. I attended the reggae pool party put on by my friend DJ Fyah of Fyre Productions at the Clublands in Plainfield. The party featured reggae music by one of the best in the midwest Gizzae. The Clubhouse and pool is located by a nice size lake and we couldn’t resist some angling before the show. Myself and Joe Schatz of the Schatzee Lure Company took some nice Largemouth Bass on Senkos around the floating moss mats. Black and blue proved to be true as well as green pumpkin with green n purple flake. A father and son reported catching 15 bass between them on creature baits. Joe somehow caught a beautiful bullfrog that was released alive. Looking forward to the resumption of Tournaments at Braidwood in September.Tight lines

Hey Dale, Here is a recap of this past week’s fishing.area lakes- bass remain very good during evening hours. Work a baby 1-minus along the inside weedlines as well as slowly working it on top of the weeds. Last half hour of light throw a top water over the top of the weeds. Poping baits have worked best.TTYL—Ken Husker O’Malley Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team

Chicago River and Lake Michigan Report, Well to say the least last week was interesting bluebird sky Sun and water temps have changed the game quite a bit. We are catching fish but not the numbers or size that we were tough bite in clear water for sure. Some game changes have helped a bit but still not what I’m looking for. Clients say we understand that’s fishing you can’t predict the weather you can only fish it I appreciate that but as a fishing guide finding fish is what you do. Tough bit means more thinking on my end and I am trying to figure out what it’s going to take. I thank those that have contacted me and say they enjoy reading my report every week because it’s Honest. I post how it goes so I am not misleading anyone. Fishing has it’s Good days and Not so Good Day’s any day on the water is somewhat Good but fish in the boat make it an even better day. Last week I had 3 trips we caught fish every trip but the Bass bite was way down 1 or 2 Bass a trip the Pan fish were there to play so were the Cat Fish. So fish were caught and fun was had, part of the enjoyment for clients is just being on the boat downtown catching fish with tour boats, pleasure boats, water taxies, Tugs and barges going by People on the riverwalk and bridges watching some clapping as we catch fish. So yes its still fun to be out but fishing is what the trip is about so I am putting on the thinking cap to try to locate fish in some new and different areas on the river to improve the day on the water. I haven’t really seen any difference in the main branch of the river with the dam being removed on the North branch but time will tell. I plan to spent a day running in the north branch to see if the water clarity is improving just to stay in touch with the environment of the river I do think it is a positive for the system. So fishing, as usual white jig and twister tail is still getting panfish and cats on the pilings and wood structure fishing the down current side. The few Bass came on 1 ½ inch Tube over a ½ oz. jig fishing the rocks out on the main lake and breakwalls casting out and pulling back into about 25 fow. Soon the salmon and Trout will be headed back inshore so I’m going to start flat lining some shad Raps, Flicker shads, Rapalas, spoons and flies. Have a Great week Hope you catch some fish. Thanks, Capt. Pat — www.patharrisonoutdoors.com Thanks Pat

Delavan Lake Fishing Report 8/13/18 through 8/19/18 Delavan Lake remains consistently good. Some days are a touch slower but overall the bite is strong. The bass are still schooled up and the bluegills are hungry. Largemouth bass are in 15-17 ft of water. You want to fish just west of Browns Channel or just west of Willow Point or the Yacht Club. They can be caught on drop shot rigged 4 inch finesse worms or nightcrawlers fished on a split shot rig. In early morning hours, the top water bite has also been very good. You want to fish a depth of 8-10 ft of water over the weeds. Good locations have been by Assembly Park or in the Highlands Bay. Bluegill fishing has been fantastic. The fish are shallower than they have historically been. Look for them in 11-13 ft of water within the weeds. The best location has been by Browns Channel or in the Highlands Bay. Try using a small split shot and a leaf worm. For the best success you need to have the bait moving not leaving it stationary. There have been some bluegills suspending over the main lake basin about 14-16 ft down. It’s been sporadic at this point so some days they are there and then the next their gone. Northern Pike fishing has been average. There are fish to be found but the bite has been a bit slow. Fish for them in 15-17 ft of water off the deep weed line. Use a medium sucker on a lindy rig about 1 foot off bottom. The best success has been by the gray condos or just west of Willow Point. Walleye action has slowed tremendously. The only walleyes I’ve been catching are on lindy rigged leeches in 14-15 ft of water at first light or at dusk. The numbers aren’t strong, so you need to be patient. As fall comes in, the bite should improve significantly. Smallmouth bass action has been improving. The bass are in some of the same schools with the largemouth. They are on the deep weedlines in 17-19 ft of water. The best locations have been just west of Willow Point or the south shore by DelMar subdivision. Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 262-728-8063

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Lake Geneva Fishing Report 8/13/18 – 8/19/18 Lake Geneva is having one to the off years for fishing. I cannot believe that the lack of bite is attributed only to the cold spring. There has been a lot more boat traffic but it’s always a busy lake so the jury is still out on why the bite is off. Bluegill fishing has been very good though. The bluegills are in 18-22 ft of water. The best location has been by Elgin Club or by Gage Marine. You want to fish leaf worms about a foot off bottom. A vertical presentation has been the best so keeping your boat anchored is working well. Smallmouth bass fishing has been hard. I’m catching a few here and there with no discernible pattern. The fish may be deeper than I’ve been fishing so try for them deeper than 25 ft. Try 4 inch finesse worms on a drop shot. Largemouth bass have been biting on two different methods. The early morning/late afternoon top water bite or the mid day deep weed line bite. The top water action is best in Williams Bay or by Fontana Beach. You want to use chrome/blue or chrome/black Chug Bugs or something of that nature. I fish the top water in 6-10 ft of water. With the clear water the fish will attack very aggressively in that depth range. For the deep water bass, I’ve been fishing by the 700 club, Pebble point or Black Point. I’ve been drop shotting finesse worms in green pumpkin color or 6 inch zoom lizards in green pumpkin on a Carolina rig. Northern pike fishing has been okay in a depth range of 33-35 ft of water. The best approach is lindy rigging medium suckers or chubs right on bottom. The best location has been just east of Cedar Point or by the Channel in Fontana. The best bite continues to be the walleyes at night. Medium diving crank baits in 15-17 ft of water have been the best. Look for them in Trinkes, Cisco Beach or Abbey Springs. You want to fish when there is a slight chop on the water for the best success. Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe 262-728-8063

Good morning fellas Here is what I have as far as the fishing is concerned Fishing out on the lake for Salmon and Rainbows has been very good as of late. 100 to 180 feet of water has been the best depth and fishing the top 60 feet of the water has been the best. Flasher and fly combos has been the best followed by an assortment of spoons and meat rigs Perch fishing can also be classed as good to very good pending on the day of course. Areas to try include…Sturgeon Bay ship canal, Sawyer Harbor, the Flats, Little Sturgeon and Riley’s Bay. Crawlers and fathead minnows have been the best live baits Pike fishing is also starting to heat up as it usually does this time of year. Both trolling and casting large crank baits and spoons along with spinner baits and large plastic swim baits can be very effective. Sturgeon Bay, Sawyer Harbor and Little Sturgeon have all been very productive spots Walleye fishing has been fantastic pretty much throughout the whole county for both the trollers and jig fishermen. Trolling with crawler harnesses and crank baits like flicker shads and minnows, husky jerks and bandits. And for the rip jig fishermen, Moonshine shiver minnows, Rapala jigs and some rippin raps have been the best Thanks; Lance LaVine Howie’s Tackle 1309 Green Bay Rd Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 Ph: 920-746-9916

Hi Dale – Out of Waukegan fishing has been very good in the morning and much tougher in the afternoon. 85 to 120 feet of water has got King action as well as lake trout and occasional steelhead. It’s been best to stick with blues and greens. Orange, yellow, blacks, purple have been non-productive. Both spoons and flys have been taking fish. Our best lure by far this past week was the Warrior Lures Magnum Green Menace run on 300 foot copper. It took several lakers to 20# and several steelhead to 13#. Afternoon trips have been less consistent with a few good trips and a few bad. If you get fish in the afternoon they have been great quality with big kings, lakers and steelhead roaming those depths. Copper presentationa have been best in the afternoon while in the morning diver and downriggers have been good. Most of the fish have been at least 85 feet down. Off Chicago trollers need to run up to near the R4 area for any numbers of fish. There lakers are abundant and there are also kings and steelhead sometimes mixed in. Any more than about a mile south of the R4 the action has been, very, very slow. Capt. Scott R. Wolfe School of Fish Charters630-341-0550http://www.schooloffishcharters.com

Chicago River and Lake Michigan Report, (the Lake Michigan part) . . . The few Bass came on 1 ½ inch Tube over a ½ oz. jig fishing the rocks out on the main lake and breakwalls casting out and pulling back into about 25 fow. Soon the salmon and Trout will be headed back inshore so I’m going to start flat lining some shad Raps, Flicker shads, Rapalas, spoons and flies. Have a Great week Hope you catch some fish. Thanks, Capt. Pat — www.patharrisonoutdoors.com Thanks Pat

Lake trout fishing good for some in 100 to 110 ft of water straight out of ditch and east towards Michigan city a few steelhead kings and coho mixed in Perch slow and smallDogs days of summer a lot of places weedy and water hot groups say mainly slow