Fall variables, some lakefront Chinook, rivers settling some around Chicago fishing: Midwest Fishing Report

Sounds good!! I trolled lures from my kayak this morning at the waukegan harbor for about 3 hours! This fish was caught around 10am on a reef runner crank bait! Im from lemont and this was my first king from the kayak! I will have a video up for it tomorrow on my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-ItikJflm4ZKMJDf75J4OA Let me know if you use it! Thanks, Jon

Hey Dale, Here is a recap of this past week’s fishing: . . . Area lakes- cool nights are starting to setup fall patterns. Bass are good on topwater baits during overcast mornings. Wopper ploppers are the best choice. Chatterbaits worked along outside weedlines are taking a few. Crappie are slow but should pickup with cooler water temps. TTYL

Hi Dale Wishing I had more to report on the fining line but can only report that The last Anglers Choice tournament is this Sunday October 12th. The Announcement on the website read; Sunday October 12th is our last tournament; and it is an open. Come on out and fish. The tourney will go out of the North Ramp. Braidwood has had heavy pressure this season and catching the bass is very challenging right now. Soft plastics and crankbaits are still the best baits to get bit. I did not fish last weekend as I am getting the house in Melrose park ready to put on the market. Painting, staining cleaning and getting ready for showings is a lot of work for a fishing musician but if I want a lakefront home the time is now. Also Sunday is a huge day for me musically. I have a recording session with some great reggae players scheduled at my house on Sunday to record some of my original reggae music after 30 years of writing and performing. A dream coming true for sure. Tight lines

Hey Dale, Good evening. Just a bit of information as to how fishing for me on the Fox has recently been in Southern Wisconsin. Even with the high water, fish have been stacked at certain spots, such as river bends or deep pools. Had a great multispecies day, catching 6 smallmouth, 3 white bass, a yellow bass, and five walleye in the span of an hour and 30 minutes. Hopefully this applies to the Fox in Illinois as well(personally, not sure). Sincerely, Charles Zheng

Hi Dale. Photo is from a guide outing last week on Big Green with clients Renee and Art Cybul.

Fishing Report – 10/07/2019 Mike Norris A combination of rain and wind dominated the south-central Wisconsin region early last week with up to 9 inches of precipitation falling in some areas. For the most part anglers stayed away from the lakes. . . . Big Green Lake – I guided on Big Green before the rain fell last week and found smallmouth bass active in 8 – 12 ft of water. Key areas were points with scattered rock bottoms. Drop shot rigs tipped with Roboworms worked over the rocky areas worked best for me as did jig and plastic combos. While the bass my clients and I caught were some of the smallest caught this year I expect bass fishing should improve soon in both size and numbers. Water temperature on Big Green has dropped into the low to mid 60’s and we are very close to the fall turnover. Mild weather through the first part of this week will probably stabilize the water temps but a major cold front coming in late this week should drop water temps into the upper 50’s. Big smallmouth bass start to stage up in numbers on flats adjacent to steep drop-offs and go on a fall feeding binge when temps reach into the mid- 50’s. Fox Lake – This area received the most rainfall last week and the lake has dirtied. Nonetheless friends of mine are catching northern pike on Chatterbaits in and around weedy bays. Other anglers are drifting along the main basin with split shot rigs tipped with minnows and finding crappie, some of which are running from 10 -12 inches. Bass and walleye fishing remain slow here. Little Green Lake – Anglers targeting muskie by casting or trolling were catching 2 – 3 a day before the rain came along. Water levels remain high on the lake, but it is fishable and muskie fishing should resume as the water clears. Contact Mike Norris, Wacky Worm Guide Service, at 630-842-8199 for Big Green Lake and other south-central Wisconsin guided fishing trips.

Not a big one but skein bite is working

Trout on the bottom on sacks and shrimp, some kings and cohos on spoons and our custom painted flicker shads, and of course snagging

4) Snagging for chinook and coho salmon only is permitted from the following Lake Michigan shoreline areas from October 1 through December 31; however, no snagging is allowed at any time within 200 feet of a moored watercraft or as posted: A) Lincoln Park Lagoon from the Fullerton Avenue Bridge to the southern end of the Lagoon. B) Waukegan Harbor (in North Harbor basin only). C) Winnetka Power Plant discharge area. D) Jackson Harbor (Inner and Outer Harbors).

Last 2 weekends at LaSalle lake had been good for Blue Cats.. My tournament partner Dom and I

Fishing Report – 10/07/2019 Mike Norris A combination of rain and wind dominated the south-central Wisconsin region early last week with up to 9 inches of precipitation falling in some areas. For the most part anglers stayed away from the lakes. Madison Chain - An Entire Lake - Slow No Wake order went into effect last Wednesday for all the Madison Chain of Lakes, which includes Mendota, Monona, Waubesa and Kegonsa. The order remains in effect as of this writing. As the weather improved this past weekend anglers began returning to the lakes. With the no wake order in place I opted to fish from shore on Lake Monona last weekend and shoreline bluegill fishing remains good. Try the shoreline access areas at Monona Terrace and at the Triangle area. Both are located along the west side of the lake. Fish slip bobber rigs with 1/32 oz. Cubby Jigs tipped with red worms or maggots. . . . Contact Mike Norris, Wacky Worm Guide Service, at 630-842-8199 for Big Green Lake and other south-central Wisconsin guided fishing trips.

It’s FALL NOW! Trees are popping with color, water temps are dropping and nice, big fish are being caught! On many lakes of small to medium size (1,000 acres or less, depth not more than 30-35’) surface temps have fallen into the low 50’s, below turn-over stage. On larger lakes, while no reports as of this writing, with nights in the low to mid-30’s (and a weekend forecast for HIGHS in the 30’s with SNOW), every lake will probably be done turning by early next week. Musky: Good-Very Good (but not as good as expected) – Reports of nice, heavy fish in mid-40 range and above3 (50 being tops at shop). A good mix of fish on lures (Deep Crank – 50, Bucktail – 47 ½, Suick – 42 ½, Crane – 41) and fish on suckers. Not the numbers expected (usually the best #’s weekend of the year), but nice fish overall. Crappie: Good – When able to withstand wind, good numbers and size (fish to 14 ½ this past week). Medium fatheads, ½ crawlers or 1/16 oz Bunny Butt jigs under slip-floats in 14-18’. Watch for schools suspending 4-6’ off bottom. Bluegill: Good-Very Good – Not your typical October target, but anglers targeting drowned wood in 13-16’ making nice catches of Gills 8-10+ on ½ crawlers, small Crappie minnows. Northern Pike: Good-Very Good – Mostly incidental catches of larger Pike (30-35) while targeting Musky using twitch baits or suckers. Anglers working shallow weeds reporting #’s but small Pike on jig/minnow or Mepps #3. Largemouth Bass: Good – A few anglers targeting largemouth reporting good action back up where green weeds are found. Swim baits of 3 as well as sucker minnows in 2 ½-3 ½ range. Walleye: Good-Fair – Spotty reports best on waters further north this past week. Some very nice fish including 28 ¾ on 3/8 oz jig and chub. Vertical fishing jig/minnow combos and jigging Raps best. Smallmouth Bass: Good-Fair – Limited reports. Most on drop-shot rigs using 3 Gulp Alive minnows or similar minnow imitations over gravel humps of 22-32’. As reported, this weekend looks a bit chilly, but should get us past the turn-over on almost all lakes. Patterns will stabilize, then its up to how weather conditions will effect angler participation. Kurt Justice Kurt’s Island Sport Shop Like us on FaceBook

Some nice perch caught yesterday around the doughnut in 35ish ft of water same 2 or 3 boats going out. Baby golden roach and xl fatheads best Few salmon being had in upper stretch’s of area tributaries spawn saks and in-line spinners best Crappie bite starting to take off really good minnows and or crappie jigs tipped with waxworms burns ditch and deep river in the log jams on lake George in Hobart around Wisconsin st bridge This weekend starts winter hours at slez’s 5am to 5pm daily