Kings, coho, perch, bass, bluegill: Chicago fishing, Midwest Fishing Report

I am not sending this photo as a candidate for fish of the the week even though a 24 pound king is noteworthy. I am sending it as an example of the size of kings we have this year. I caught it yesterday right next to the R4. Dan Wheeler on Kingfin charters caught a 27 pounder on Friday up in Waukegan. I have a prediction that a 30 pound king will be caught in Illinois this year. I don’t know when that happened last but my guess is mid 80’s or earlier. 30 pound kings might be more common off Ludington or Algoma but not here. The DNR has done a great job with the predator prey balance. FYI I am going to try my darnedest to catch that 30 pounder. Hope you had a great 4th. Your friend in fishing....Andy

Hi Dale, Things are about the same as last week. I fished a couple of local ponds over the weekend; the one with all the aquatic vegetation produced some nice bass on poppers in the weeds; the other one is deeper, clear and not much in the way of vegetation. A popper didn’t produce a single hit; I went back a few nights later and fished streamers and leech patterns and got into good numbers of small and medium-sized largemouths. . . . Pete

Hey Dale, Here is a recap of this past week’s fishing. Area lakes-bass remain good on power worms and creature baits Texas rigged worked along the outside weedlines during morning hours. Work a topwater bait during evening hours. Best bait has been poppers. Area rivers-with very little rain in this week’s forecast, area rivers should be prime. Something we haven’t been able to say much of the year. TTYL -- Ken Husker O’Malley Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team

Delavan Lake 7/8/19 through 7/15/19 Fishing remains very good. Even the hot weather hasn’t hurt the productivity or the size of the fish. The only factor continues to be the excessive boat traffic. Bluegills remain on the deep weedline in 15-18 ft of water. They can be caught on leaf worms and nightcrawler pieces. Look for the fish by Assembly park point, Willow Point or by the Village Supper Club. They are still schooling by size so you continue to need to move if you are into the small fish. Largemouth bass are located on the deep weedline with weeds and hard rock. Good locations have been by the Oriental boathouse, Browns Channel or the island. They can be drop shotted or split shot rigged with nightcrawlers or 4 inch finesse worms. Green pumpkin is the best color for the finesse worms. Most of my trips last week, were in excess of 15 bass for a 4 hour trip. Some bass are also being caught off of the north shore boat docks. Northern Pike have been very good. If you find a school, you will catch a bunch. . Again, the right size suckers has been the key, 6-7 inches has been the best size. Any bigger and the smaller fish will take them and run but will ultimately kill the bait. The best location has been by the Slow No Wake buoy, just west of Willow point or by Browns Channel. You need to keep moving as the legal fish can be had. I caught several last week over 32 inches. Walleye fishing has been slower this week. The fish are still in the 20-24 ft depth range. They can be caught near the Yacht Club or by Browns Channel. The best approach has been lindy rigging leeches or nightcrawlers. As a rule, the first light and dusk have been producing most of the fish. Once you get on an active school, you can catch several of them so don’t move too soon. Perch are starting to show up in the shallower weeds in 12-14 ft of water. Already in July, I have caught 5 times as many as I caught all of last year. Most of them are small, however I did catch some in excess of 12 inches last week. The best bait has been hellgrammites. You want to fish them on a single hook or a Thill slip bobber rig. Most of my action has been coming in front of the old Boy Scout camp which is on the west end. Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 608-883-2050

Hi Dale, . . . I fished far upstream on a couple of Fox tribs. One was a little high, but clear; the other was a little high and off color; neither produced for me. The Fox itself in downtown Aurora was a little high for the middle of Summer and with some color. Smallmouth could be found near shore in current breaks. Pete

Lake Geneva 7/08/19 through 7/15/19 Fishing on Lake Geneva is pretty good right now. It’s tough to get out on Geneva since Delavan fishing is outstanding but plenty of fish can be caught on Geneva too and the boat launch is much more pleasant. Smallmouth bass are suspending off of the weed flats. They are in anywhere between 18 and 22 ft of water. The best approach is drop shotting 4 inch worms in green pumpkin or Carolina rigging Arkie crawlin grubs. Look for the fish by Elgin Club, Maytag point or over by Belvidere Park. If you are a live bait fishermen the best approach is lindy rigging nightcrawlers. Largemouth bass can be caught either on top water or on the deep weedline in 18-20 ft of water. On the deep weedline you can catch the fish dragging All Terrain football jigs tipped with an Arkie Crawlin’ grub. Root beer or green pumpkin colors are the best. Or you can Carolina rig 6 inch green pumpkin lizards, I’ve been using Zoom. You still can catch some fish while drop shotting 4 inch finesse worms however, I feel Carolina rigging and dragging jigs cover a lot more water. The best location has been by Trinkes or by Geneva Bay. Top water fishing is still good in the early morning in 8-10 ft of water. You want to use Chug Bugs or Pop-R’s. The best location is Williams Bay or by Linn Pier. Bluegills have moved out into the 18-20 ft depth range. My best spot is by Knollwood or by Elgin Club. Use leaf worms on a split shot and single hook straight beneath the boat. The fish are averaging 9 inches, so it’s actually been quite a bit better average than on Delavan. Northern Pike are on the thermocline in 30-35 ft of water. They can be caught lindy rigging suckers. The best location is the hump in Williams Bay or the North shore in the narrows. The fish are sporadic so you need to keep moving. Lake trout are hitting in the main lake basin. The can be caught using down riggers, 65-70 ft down with a bottom depth of 108-135 ft of water. Nickel/Green and Nickel/Blue spoons have been producing most of the action. The floating weeds are the biggest problem. The best action has been just before the sun comes up. Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 608-883-2050

07/08/2019 Fishing Report Big Green Lake -- Smallmouth bass fishing on Big Green remains excellent as anglers continue to locate concentrations of these hard fighters wherever sunken rock piles are found. In the early hours of the day smallies are falling for both topwater baits and crankbaits. Switch over to bottom hugging jig and plastic combos as the sun gets higher in the sky. Artificial lures that imitate crayfish are responsible for most catches. Check out shoreline structure midday with soft plastics as largemouth bass seek out the shade that both piers and overhanging trees provide. Walleyes are still active in 12 – 15 ft of water with many anglers catching them on leeches floated under slip bobbers. Trollers are also combing deeper structure for walleye with deep diving crank baits and bottom bouncers in 15 - 28 ft of water. Lake trout action is good with most catches coming trolling spoons in 100 – 150 ft of water. Little Green Lake – Largemouth Bass are active and are being caught on plastic worms around piers and where fallen trees are found in the water. Bluegills are biting but you will need to sort through several small gills to get enough to make a dinner. Muskie fishing has slowed down a bit with the arrival of the warm weather. Lake Puckaway -- Trollers are reporting mixed catches of walleyes, crappies and perch on small crankbaits trolled within the western basin of this shallow 5,000-acre opening of the Fox River. Other anglers are floating leeches beneath slip bobbers along the edges of the cane beds in and around Hay Island.. Lake Winnebago -- Word is out that the much-anticipated perch bite is on at Lake Winnebago. I have received several reports of 9 to 11-inch perch being caught on half a night crawler being trolled behind a split shot and hook. Look for areas where the rocky reefs transition to softer bottom. Walleyes continue to be active along the reefs which line Winnebago’s western shoreline. For guide trips, please contact Mike Norris, Wacky Worm Guide Service, at 630-842-8199.

Well those North East Winds on Saturday and Sunday really turn things up so as far as I know right now perch have become very scarce. Sheephead going great on the Horseshoe on soft shells. They’re not gone they’re just being finicky at the moment

Some perch off Johnson pier, and south rocks, and yacht club wall, nothing crazy. I don’t know if any one is perch fishing off the boats , they all seem to be waiting for the magic report that guys are getting limits. Maybe YOU need to say not to wait for a report, they need to get out there and try it!

Hi Dale - Waukegan - Fishing continues to be very, very good. Thankfully the big blow over the weekend didn’t chase the fish out. Solid catches of mostly coho are being taken and the coho are just huge. The average coho is about 6 pounds with 9 pounders common and 10-15 pounds being taken often. There are some Steelhead and kings mixed in and again huge size as the bait is abundant. I know of 3 kings just under 30 pounds taken this past week by Waukegan Charters. Trollers are still working 140-190 feet of water between Waukegan and the Illinois state line. Trollers need to pay attention to currents and work in currents for the best action. Most fish are still in the top 40 feet of water. Big red Luhr-Jensen dodgers with large Jimmy Fly or Lake Michigan Angler trolling flies in black, green and purple patterns have been best. Orange spoons like Warrior Steelhead Candy and Orange Easter Egg are taking some coho and bonus Steelhead and kings. Chicago - Fishing out of the Chicago harbors continues to be fair at best. There are coho and some kings and lakers in 90-140 straight off Chicago. Reports are very good further South for boaters out of the Indiana ports. After the blow this weekend it’s likely the fish slid north and areas off Evanston to Wilmette should be better this week. Have a good week Dale. We have open full 6 or 8 hour charter slots July 20, 27 and 28 and 3 seats open for a shared charter on July 21 if anyone is interested. Capt. Scott Wolfe School Of Fish Charters 630-341-0550 www.schooloffishcharters.com

Good, stable summer weather has allowed for some typical summer patterns to develop. Late bug hatches are finishing up (some I thought were already done, sorry) and high water and high water temps are the norm for right now. Largemouth Bass: Very Good – A variety of techniques working as LMB appear to be all over. Early morning and evenings top-water action has been hot! Mid-mornings through late afternoons, jig and creature, wacky worms and Ned rigs can’t go wrong. Spinner baits and chatter baits for those who just have to keep casting. Numbers and size have been good Smallmouth Bass: Very Good – Early AM cast twitch baits along inside weed edges. As sun moves up, Ned rigs and drop shot rigs along outside weed edges of 12-16’. Lipless cranks worked parallel along same edges, count down to proper depth, also effective. Bluegill: Very Good – Up along flats of 6-10’. Small jigs tipped with small leeches. Poppers towards evening, wet flys and nymphs during day. Bobbers and worms? Give it a try. Northern Pike: Very Good – Fan casting across cabbage flats of 6-10’ best using Boonie Baits (spinner baits) and 4 swim baits. Weedless spoons tipped with 4 Mr. Twister tails also hot! Yellow Perch: Good-Very Good – Along outside weed edges fish thunderbugs, medium leeches or ½ crawler. Same baits, but look for drowned wood on flowages. Musky: Good – Top-water action in full swing. Key times early and late, the more noise the better. Mid-morning through late afternoons work big spinner baits through and along big weed flats or along coontail edges leading to deep water. Crappie: Fair-Good – Not strong patterns, but good fish being caught in tall, narrow leaf cabage beds of 8-12’. Small Beetle spins, tiny jigs with tinsel (Gapen Freshwater Shrimp, Bunny Butt jigs) working. Walleye: Fair – Bug hatches are winding down so anglers may have better success getting Walleyes to bite now. Weeds of 12-16’ using crawlers and X-large leeches. Water temps in upper 70’s, cresting 80’s in small lakes and flowages. Use care on releasing fish, and ice or well oxygenated wells on those you keep. Kurt Justice Kurt’s Island Sport Shop Like us on FaceBook

Dale, If you need a report , I fished Vilas county the last week. The 4th and it’s associated festivities made fishing tough, but we managed. Perch were deep 16’ plus on mud flats adjacent to weeds hitting crawlers and leeches right off the bottom. Many quality fish were taken. Walleye were in deep cabbage and Eloda around 14-18’ taking leaches jigged with pink being the best color, though orange produced too. Trolling bite at night was non existent. Large mouth were feeding everywhere, shallow to deep, though good action was seen up tight to shore in pads and grass on twister tails and plastic worms. The surprise were crappie. I found them by complete accident at night suspended 1’ under the surface over the main basin of the lake eating bugs off the surface but also the schools of shiners. Needless to say a Aberdeen hook and a crappie Minnow produced well. The crawfish I found had yet so shed, so I imagine that will help the bronzeback bite on the rocks bars real soon. On a sad note, it appears that some careless boaters may have caused the demise of one of our two loon chicks on the 4th. My daughter and I were following them around from a distance watching with binoculars and one disappeared after some roudy boat traffic in close proximity. Enjoy your time in Pennsylvania. Happy birthday to your Dad! CHRISTIAN HOWE

Baby roaches and lil fatheads best bait fished 12 ft of water to 30 ft of water from mouth of burns ditch to mt baldy lots and lots of perch caught Perch all last week up until sat afternoon good as it’s been in years sat afternoon all day Sunday north wind kept everybody off water Some coho on state line still but slower dodger Flys best bait Lake trout with few silver fish good in 90 to 100 ft of water a lil northeast of burns ditch fish east towards Michigan city 250 and 300 coppers best with spoons and dodgers and spin n glows fished near bottom Catfish at dusk into the night good at portage riverwalk on triple s stinkbait and cut shad fished on bottom That perch bite all last week from the ditch to Michigan city was as good as it has been in many a years I was opening way before my usual 5am cause of the crowds