Snapshots from a packed opener at Braidwood Lake, shore and boat

Steps into walking out the south riprap Wednesday on opening day at Braidwood Lake, I saw an angler fighting a chunky largemouth bass only to see it come unhinged before I could grab my cell.

Just beyond him, I climbed down and caught a 2-inch shad first cast with a popper bigger than fish. I kept it and the one I caught four casts later. (Foreshadowing.)

Braidwood, the cooling lake in southwestern Will County, had an opener that felt like a 1990s throwback. I arrived at 5:30 a.m. and the line was out to Kankakee Road. When I parked half an hour later, the line still reached there.

James Baranski, who fished with Steve McClone of Moonpie Outdoors, had his four-year string of being first in line broken. Ten boats were in line already on “Braidwood Eve.” (Yes, the Braidwood opener is that big of a deal.)

Braidwood regular Pete Banach messaged, “Normally, at the spot I fish, I have a handful of boats show up or stop by. I counted 14 at one point.”

The long lines were worth it.

Even with the pressure, as Banach noted, “Everyone still caught fish.”

He had 80 degrees on the hot side; mid-pool was 68-70; cold side, 58.

Nick Turrise landed the first fish I saw caught, near the southwest corner. The 3.68-pound hybrid striped bass hit a white spinner bait. His group does an informal contest, hence the precise weight.

Dale Bowman

Beside the crowds, the day’s story was hybrid stripers.

Bob Johnson, who fished the opener with Joel Wilson, emailed, “I forgot how hard fighting the hybrid stripers are and saw four of them caught between our boat and others towards the end of the day.

Johnson emailed that they boated largemouth, a smallmouth bass (rare any more at Braidwood), hybrid stripers and “even a couple hungry bluegills on several baits” They used jigs/trailers, crankbaits including lipless, jerkbaits and spinner baits; but Ned rigs “caught the variety.”

Banach, who had four anglers with him, messaged that they boated 47 bass. eight hybrid stripers and a few catfish.

Baranski and McClone found spinner baits and ChatterBaits were the most effective, cold side better for big bass. McClone caught a 5-pound largemouth, a rarity at Braidwood.

Next to me on the west riprap, Ramon Martin waved me over when he caught a largemouth about 3 pounds, dragging a creature bait on the bottom.

Dale Bowman

I couldn’t raise anything on the popper. No feeling like doing slow baits, I switched to bait. First cast, with cut shad and a white jig, I caught a 17-inch blue catfish, soon followed by its twin. Occasionally I cast a spinner, but my remaining fish, a mess of small channel catfish, came on redworms.

I enjoyed my three hours, then, “It was time.”

I ambled back, checking anglers.

At home, I followed “How to Fillet a Blue Catfish Quickly Without Skinning” on YouTube. It was easy enough that I did it well.

Our youngest son and I wiped out the fillets.

But Johnson summed it up, “The best part of opening day is how enjoyable it is to just get on the water after another winter.”

Dale Bowman

Wild things

Many readers reported notable movements of sandhill cranes in the past week. . . . MaryLou Buchhaas messaged Sunday, “Migration time is here...a raft of lesser scaups [bluebills] on our Shorewood pond. . . . two years in a row.” . . .

Stray cast

Busch Light is only good for making beer batter, but their ad with Sarah McLachlan is the goods.