Gone fishing leads this Wild Weekend Wandering around Chicago outdoors.
Both for many others with this weather, and sorta for myself.
As in, I am disappearing for a few days in southwest Michigan. It will be doing what a group of a dozen or so men have done for the past quarter century: Hang out in a summer cottage, watch the first two rounds of the NCAAs, play cards and consume too much.
There will be hiking on the sand dunes, bird watching and usually I try to sneak in some fishing on the St. Joe River or off the pier there. My time is short this year, so it seems unlikely.
If I was home for the weekend, these are the things I find interesting.
Henry’s holds its annual coho derby Saturday morning at north seawall by the Adler. I have missed it for years because they hold it the same weekend as the opening rounds of the NCAAs.
Second, coho fishing is underway. I’ve had a couple options already with Capt. Bob of Confusion Charters, and I have meant to try it from shore, too. Especially at Montrose, the coho are coming in.
Third, this is a good time to fish crappie on ponds and lakes. And it almost seems warm enough to trigger a good early bite on our rivers, especially the Kankakee.
LaSalle Lake is open Wednesday through Sunday. That is my favorite fishing spot this time of year. But it will have to wait until next week.
But mostly I am disconnecting this weekend and will only check in on a limited basis.
It’s called relaxing.