Chicago fishing, Midwest Report: Salmon/trout, fall trout info, derby, cat-on-dog, Shabbona tale

Hey Dale,

Last week kings have been super scattered, patience and slow rolling spoons have been the ticket. When you find them fresh lakeside, there are usually more close cruising.

Yesterday was pretty epic with the cool weather. Midday window was hot and tons of big coho hitting up and down the water column with some silver jack kings mixed in as well. Spinners & spoons, hot color patterns. Sunlight kills the midday bite. For now. Should be an exciting fall. Especially if the Sox sneak in.

Quinn

3/4 little Cleo glow . I started casting at 8pm . Didn’t hit until [late]. As I always say, what I lack in intelligence I make up for in determination

Good morning Dale

Not many reports over the weekend probably due to the icky weather but before that they were still catching salmon. My reports are that they are still hitting lures and crankbaits but have been selling some spawn sacs. Not many trout reported. . . . Have a great week!

Hi Dale.

Harbor fishing is defiantly picking up. Cohos are starting to poke their heads in. Some coho, kings and occasional steelhead are being taken. Most are coming on small spoons and cranks. Lake Michigan Angler in Winthrop Harbor and The Salmon Stop in Waukegan will have latest hot lures. My recommendation would be to downsize this year. With more coho than normal use smaller size spoons and cranks. Jigging inside the harbor is taking some. Jiggers must make sure to stay out of the path of boats. There are big issues in Michigan ports now where no fishing areas in navigable channels are being discussed. Let’s avoid that here. I’m hearing guys are already getting bites on skein. So floating skein in one rod while casting with another is a good option if there is room.

. . .

I think the rain yesterday will trigger more fish to enter the harbors. Have a good week.

Capt. Scott Wolfeschooloffishcharters.com312-933-0552

Still some salmon to be had outside of burns ditch in 15 to 40ft of water. Plugs, spoons and crankbaits baits to use.

The fall run of salmon in nwi tributaries is now a good batch of fish are in the area creeks. Spinners, spawn saks and skein are baits to use in the area creeks.

HI Dale,

I owe you one-I got out to Shabbona last night and really enjoyed it. Imagine if I’d actually caught a hybrid. I’d probably be back out there right now.

I arrived 30-45 minutes before sunset and it was a beautiful evening: 70s, sunny, light winds. As soon as I crested the hill and could see the lake, there was nervous water along the entire face of the dam. Seemed early for shad but there were fish feeding. It turned out to be a massive midge hatch and there were being eaten by baitfish, which were in turn being fed on by game fish. I’m confident at least some of the gamefish were hybrids-I got a look at them when they cleared the water to take a baitfish. There were others within a rod length of shore: I’d see a big wake moving parallel to the shore and then a noisy eat. I’m a more than adequate caster, but I won’t win any distance competitions. Still, there were always fish within casting distance. I didn’t make a single blind cast: all were to the middle or edges of baitfish balls. It makes things so interesting when there is a possibility of an arm wrenching take on every cast.

As far as fly selection, I started with a big white streamer in an attempt to mimic the shad. Later on, after sunset, I switched to a black minnow pattern, thinking it would provide a better silhouette to a hybrid looking up at the moonlit sky. Let me send this now. I can’t read down any further and have more to tell. I’ll get right at it

(Continued) I tried a strip/pause retrieve to mimic a baitfish wounded in a previous attack waiting to be finished off. I also tucked the rod under my arm and did a hand over hand retrieve as fast as I could (that comes from having spent many Winter days at Stateline Edison and watching the shad swim for their lives when being chased by brown trout; they were fast but were no match for the browns). Nothing worked. I was surprised at how small the baitfish were. I may have left more appropriate flies-smaller white streamers with silver flanks-on my tying table at home. One thing I didn’t try but should in the future is some glow in the dark flies. Nothing phosphorescent in fresh water, but there may be some remnant memory for the striper side of the hybrids of eating some glowing squid in the ocean. That seems to be the case for Lake Michigan salmon and steelhead as well as stream dwelling browns and brookies: they willingly eat glow in the dark patterns. Half the fun of fly fishing is overthinking these sorts of things.

Pete

That was my cat on a dog picture... catfish on a hotdog!

Hey Dale,

Here is a recap of this past weeks fishing.

Area lakes-before the rain and cold front bit over the weekend, summer patterns were back in full swing.

Bass are very good. Work a texas rigged senko with a Vector extra wide gap hook worked along the outside weed lines.

Crappie have been very good on an IJO Plastics pannie crawler worked under a slip float. Switch colors until the fish let you know what they want. Areas to focus on are wind blown bays and weed edges.

. . .

TTYL

—

Ken Husker O’Malley

Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team

Hi Dale,

I left my phone at home so I am sending this sans pictures. After the all day rain on Sunday I wanted to check how it affected the action. It seemed to cool the water temps considerably as the fish were now cool to the touch. I caught several nice bluegills as well as three yellow belly Bullhead cats. The lures were a white jig head with mylar and a northland jig with mylar hair both tipped with the trout worms. The mylar is a new revelation for me as far as bluegill are concerned. Some of the gills were again very good size and have me looking forward to some bluegill bites in the near future. As well as cooling the water temps the rain seemed to improve the water clarity as the algae is waning. My Neighbor across the street reported catching some bass on a chartreuse spinnerbait saying the bass seem to be coming in a little more. This Saturday I will be taking the fishing club to the Salmon Unlimited Kids Derby in Waukegan. Last time out one of the members landed a 17 pound king so we are looking for something big again!

On the music front I have been contacted by the Wild Hare saying they would love to get us on the schedule for a show in the near future. This would be a big one for me as we have played there before but doing other peoples music. This would be us playing all original music for the reggae massive as they say. Also I have been asked to play at the Zappafest in Milwaukee in December with Gazortenplatt. This too would be a great thing as they have original Frank Zappa Band Member Ike The Thingfish Willis to play with them each year. Things you never thought would happen can happen. This from a guy chasing a muskie on a senko.

Tight Lines and Good Health

Rob

31 pounds, caught on the cal sag

Dale,

Hope you enjoyed the weekend.

Fox River, Kane County…..heat & lower water levels made the smallie fishing tough the past couple of weeks. Persistence yielded some decent numbers, but found it a challenge to find anything of real good size.

Got out for a couple hours before dark today, much different story out there. Levels up several inches from last week, river is flowing pretty good right now. Much cooler temps, really did feel like fall tonight. Lesser quantity, but the handful I hooked into were much better size, probably 15 to 18 inches or so. And a bonus flathead on a crankbait this evening too.

Hoping to make the best of these last couple months of open water before we freeze over again.

Fishing Report – 9/11/2022

Mike Norris

Big Green Lake – This past weekend’s heavy rain event combined with air temperatures that dropped 25 degrees slowed the bass bite. It took nineteen pounds to win a bass tournament on Big Green before the rain moved in last Saturday. By comparison, only fourteen pounds won a tournament this past Sunday with most contestants not even reaching a five fish limit of bass. As expected, the big bluegill bite slowed also. The massive schools of bluegills I graphed and caught over the last couple of weeks thinned out and the size of the gills were smaller. The good news it both the bass and bluegill bites are far from over and should recover by mid-week and continue to be good through the remainder of September.

Fox Lake – Largemouth bass fishing picked up last week and I expect it to continue to improve as the lake recovers from last weekend’s rain event. Crappie fishing is decent. You can locate them in the main basin of the lake and just off Maple Point. Local anglers reported catching two muskies in the mid forty-inch range in the past week.

Hi Dale -Heidecke has improved with shorter days and declining water temps. Lake is at 76 degrees and getting active. Caught a healthy 23.5 4 lb Walleye late along with bass and drum on finesse baits dark colors. Also fished Saturday morning and boated some quality largemouth and smallmouth using jigs along riprap and casting Rapala crainkbaits off island in 7’ of water. Sundays rain should be good for all lakes and rivers for the week ahead. Fall fishing is here!

Good morning Dale

Not many reports over the weekend probably due to the icky weather but before that they were still catching salmon. My reports are that they are still hitting lures and crankbaits but have been selling some spawn sacs. Not many trout reported. Still a lot of Northerns. Nothing else to report.

Have a great week!

Hi Dale.

Harbor fishing is defiantly picking up. Cohos are starting to poke their heads in. Some coho, kings and occasional steelhead are being taken. Most are coming on small spoons and cranks. Lake Michigan Angler in Winthrop Harbor and The Salmon Stop in Waukegan will have latest hot lures. My recommendation would be to downsize this year. With more coho than normal use smaller size spoons and cranks. Jigging inside the harbor is taking some. Jiggers must make sure to stay out of the path of boats. There are big issues in Michigan ports now where no fishing areas in navigable channels are being discussed. Let’s avoid that here. I’m hearing guys are already getting bites on skein. So floating skein in one rod while casting with another is a good option if there is room.

For boats, the fish were definitely shallower this week. Trollers going to the 200 foot levels did not do well. 125-135 seemed to be the best with early morning in the 85 to 115 range. Cohos make up most of the catch with occasional kings, lakers and browns. White/Aqua and white/green combos in flies and spoons still seem to be best for us. Warrior Hey Babe, Two Face, Froggy and Fighting Irish took fish.

I think the rain yesterday will trigger more fish to enter the harbors. Have a good week.

Capt. Scott Wolfeschooloffishcharters.com312-933-0552

September 10 Fishing Report

Hot Topwater Bite

Read Report

Things starting to move into the right direction for September as warm afternoons, followed by cool nights, have started to lower surface temps. Friday’s (9/9) highs in the mid-eighties was followed by cool (mid to high 40’s) and rain. Reports of surface temps as high as 75 degrees Friday have scaled back into the upper 60’s by Monday (9/12)

Fish have been found all over the place, requiring searching for what you’re looking for.

Largemouth Bass: Good-Very Good – Most anglers finding Bass up shallow in 4-8’ with green weeds flipping jig and creature baits or Wacky Worming. Some Largemouth on deep, clear lakes also being caught on drop-shot rigs over sandgrass beds in 17-22’ by anglers targeting Smallies. Still others casting inside weed lines on those warm evenings finding top-water action on Whopper Ploppers and Jitterbugs. Bite best on warmer evenings.

Smallmouth Bass: Good-Very Good – Once again, varied locations. Deep rock humps of 20-25’ holding Smallies coming on drop-shot rigs. Sandgrass flats in 17-22’ holding Smallies while some Brown Bass still found relatively shallow (8-12’) on tube jigs. Lots of reports cracking 5#’s this week.

Northern Pike: Good-Very Good – As the water temps drop, these fish will keep getting more active. Spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and 4-5 swimbaits over green weeds of 5-10’. If slow, jig a 4-6 chub or sucker to entice action.

Crappie: Good – Better lake action than Flowages over the weekend. On lakes Crappies active in 7-10’. Small-medium fatheads or 1/32 – 1/16 oz jigs tipped with 1 or 2 twister tails.

Musky: Good – Keep an eye on the shallow bite! Nice fish moving in 4-8’. Top-water time, high riding bucktails and big spinnerbaits.

Bluegill: Good – Finding schools suspending out from coontail edges over 14-18’, as well as over drowned wood. Nice Gills of 8-9 this past week, 1/2 crawlers or beavertails all that’s needed on 1/16 oz jig or below slip floats.

Yellow Perch: Good-Fair – Most reports from anglers dropping down towards base of green cabbage with crawlers or fats. Keep bait within 12-18 of bottom in 8-12’.

Walleye: Good-Fair – This is where things are mixed up a bit. Example: Caught Walleyes jigging Shiver Minnows in 26’ while also catching Eyes in weeds of 7-10’, same lake, same day. The move to deeper water should be on, but any green weeds still holding nice Walleyes on chubs, large fats and crawlers.

Following Wednesday morning (low to upper 40’s), the rest of the week looks very stable with lows of 60’s and highs in the 70’s. Like to see a little more cool down to spike the bite, but headed in the right direction.

Kurt Justice

Kurt’s Island Sport Shop - Like us on Facebook

Still some salmon to be had outside of burns ditch in 15 to 40ft of water. Plugs, spoons and crankbaits baits to use.

The fall run of salmon in nwi tributaries is now a good batch of fish are in the area creeks. Spinners, spawn saks and skein are baits to use in the area creeks.

Panfish action on Loomis and long lake in Valparaiso has been decent using jumbo red wigglers and crickets

Hi, Dale! I hope you’re enjoying the beautiful weather, & the warm days ahead will be a great excuse to get outdoors! Here’s what’s been going on lately in the fishing world around these parts:

Fishing still remains pretty steady on Lake Michigan, with some good numbers of King Salmon. Spoons have been working best-mostly blue ones.

Perch have been kinda scattered, but anglers are still catching some.

Inland anglers are still catching Bluegill & Crappie in moderate numbers.

River action has been Walleye & Smallmouth Bass mostly; it has been just fair, with every day being different.