Chicago fishing, Midwest Fishing Report: Ice fishing leads, but there’s also lakefront fishing

. . . Perch are still biting sporadically in the lake and river slips out south. Take care, Steve

Perch still good for boat fisherman fishing 105th street and farther up fathead minnows best

Marginal ice southside. Western burbs still 5 of ice with the edges soft from the rain last week. . . . Take care, Steve

Hey Dale, Here is recap of this past week’s fishing. Areas lakes-it’s been a while since we had fishable ice south of I-80. Ice is at 4 inches with some frozen slush on top. Bass have been good mid morning on tip downs with large fatheads. They can also be caught jigging Kenders t-rip tipped with multiple spikes or smaller fatheads. Bluegills have been excellent from mid-morning to late afternoon. Work the weeds lines in 8-10 feet adjacent to deeper water. Stay mobile to keep up with the fish. Best bait has been the google eye glow jigs tipped with wax worms or spikes. Here is the nature pic of the week. Someone else has been fishing my area. They have been eating the discarded roaches at night. TTYL — Ken Husker O’Malley Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team

My catches that pinner crappie was from Nielsen’s yesterday and walleye and catfish from Marie on Sunday

Oak Park Lounge . the best ice fishing parking in the chain! And they also have rental shacks from www.wetnwildoutfitters.com available

Hi Dale, It’s Anthony Hoovers. I attached a photo of a 9 pound catfish from the Fox River. I’ve been getting a bunch of these guys this winter; it’s been quite fun! Especially when they hit jigs. We can still find quality fish on the Fox right now, just have to keep hunting. Hope all is well with you. Tight lines! Sincerely, Anthony Hoovers

Fishing Report 1/1/8/2021 Mike Norris Big Green Lake – Last week I took advantage of light winds and an air temperature hovering in the mid-30’s to clear the snow from one of Big Green’s boat launch ramps. I then launched my boat and headed to one of my favorite early winter smallmouth spots. It was eerie feeling to be on Big Green in a boat in mid-January and I was hoping to encounter huge smallmouths which had not been disturbed by boat traffic for more than four weeks. Unfortunately, the smallies weren’t cooperating. But during last week’s outing I caught and released oversized northern pike with belly’s so packed with forage that I found the width of their stomach measuring wider than the height of the fish. And I found them foraging in less than 15 feet of water. Apparently, baitfish had migrated to the shallows where the surface water temperature was 38 degrees, which was 4 degrees warmer than I had observed on Big Green in mid-December. That evening I posted a couple photos of my catches online and I received a message from an angler who had successfully targeted lake trout. A third friend messaged me with photos of early evening walleyes he had caught. I am not ready to put my ice fishing gear away yet, but I am hoping mother nature gives me another open water opportunity to fish Big Green in February. Lake Puckaway remains iced over and anglers are still catching northern pike on tip-ups during the day while jig fishermen are targeting walleyes before sunrise and after sunset. For information on guide trips reach out to me via my Facebook page at mike.norris.7773 or email me through my website at www.comecatchsmallmouth.com

Illinois River coming alive

Burbot i caught jan 14 at the breakwall at Calumet park it hit a 1oz jig and 3 inch white tube great fight

Aug hasnt had much business, a few guys going down to the pier. Sounds like some trout here and there. Most guys are ice fishing [inland].

Isabelle Krawiecki keep an eye out for this young lady she is going to make a big name for herself in fishing Justin Lederer checking in from McQuoids Inn Millie Lacs Lake. If you stay moving the walleye bite is hot work 12-18 feet in the morning push out to deeper water for the afternoon. The evening bight has varied some guys are staying in the deeper water and doing good others are pushing back into the 12-18 foot range. Fish houses are producing the best at night. Buckshot,360’s, and forage minnow jigs are producing the best. Tip ups and dead sticking medium suckers.Northern are being caught in 7-12 feet on the edge of weed lines on tip ups and dead sticks with large suckers. The roads are plowed 1/2 ton pickups are the max right now. Stay safe on the lakes everyone.

1/19/2021 Following a very low-pressure system midweek that seemed to have shut down most daytime angling (after dark fishing was noticeably better), things improved by the weekend. Threats of snowstorms and polar vortex cold never really materialized in what has to be the mildest winter the Northwoods has ever experienced. Ice not building very much up through Jan. 18, but not losing either! Walleye: Poor/good – Following the mid-week slump, flags started popping better for anglers using the standard tip-up baits. Jigging also improved as eyes got more aggressive. Jigging Raps, Clam Tikka Mino, and Shiner Minnows tipped with a minnow head scored well this past week on fish in the low to mid 20 range (slot fish!) Crappies: Poor/Good – Mid-week it was nighttime only for the most part - glow jigs tipped with waxies on small minnows. By the weekend, daytime angling improved for tip-down anglers using rosies! Northern Pike: Poor/Good – Fishing river shiners, goldens, and suckers in the 6-12’ cabbage best. Action improved by weekend. Bluegill: Poor/Good – Small dark jigs tipped with mousses or waxies. Some larger gills found outside weeds over mud in 12-18’ mixed with crappies and perch. Yellow Perch: Poor/Good – While still nice, perch are mingled in with smaller fish in weeds (use small lake shiners or medium fats to keep the little ones at bay). Better average fish and fewer little ones plying the mud flats using tip-downs with crappie minnows or wigglers on fast dropping chained spoons! Largemouth Bass: Poor/Good – While medium shiners on tip-downs are good, some anglers are doing better on small Jigging Raps or Slender Spoons Despite reports of a truck breaking through on the Willow (the current is always a problem there) ice is getting somewhat better this week with lows in the single digits and little snow cover to help build more ice. Kurt Justice Kurt’s Island Sport Shop Like us on Facebook

Lots of groups fishing ice still on sketchy side tho. The cold that’s here will do us some good. Some coho at portage river walk and up to the 249 bridge by izzak waltons squid and jigs tipped with waxworms taking few fish Boat fishernsn around Gary light for coho and few browns has been decent casting spoons and small crankbaits Perch still good for boat fisherman fishing 105th street and farther up fathead minnows best Some steelhead being had in area tributaries nothing fast and furious but some coming on voodoo jigs tipped with waxworms and few on spinners

Templeton Bayou has been giving up some good catches of perch. Other than that, it’s been slow.