WWW Chicago outdoors: Toward the light

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Hanging close and looking low or heading north to fish lead this Wild Weekend Wandering around Chicago outdoors. There’s a variety of stuff to do, and light to do it in.

I just realized that, for the first time in nearly half a year, it is nearly fully light outside as I pull together WWW Chicago outdoors.

With that, let’s look low. The YouTube video above captures the morel experience fairly well. And asks the right questions.

Kind of like it.

MORELS: From the photos I have received for Morel of the Week since last weekend, we are in the middle of finding them in northeast Illinois. I have found at least some every day but one since Sunday.

WISCONSIN’S INLAND OPENER: I am curious what the impact of the gas prices will do to it, but Wisconsin’s inland opener for fishing is Saturday. Especially with the competition with Mother’s Day, I am not sure if it will be as glamorous as most years.

But conditions, from a calls I made earlier in the week, it looks like a normal opener in the north with walleye done spawning on the smaller lakes, near the end on largest lakes and in the middle of it on the biggest ones.

Weather from wunderground.com looks fair decent by opening day standards. The forecast for Minocqua includes a chance of sprinkles on Saturday with a high of 59, warming to the mid-60s by Sunday.

PERCH: The bite is underway for Waukegan perch, but it still takes hunting and searching in 40-60 feet. In Indiana, when boats can get out, they have been finding perch in 48-51 feet north of Gary Light, and some shallower by places like Lake Street.

SALT CREEK CLEANUP: The Salt Creek Watershed Network holds the LaGrange Park Salt Creek Clean Up from 9 a.m.-noon Saturday. Roger Klocek will also present on the mussels of Illinois. Contact Stan Zarnowiecki at (708) 606-4148, if interested in canoeing and working. Large groups should contact Ron at (708) 354-4434.

WILD ASPARAGUS: I haven’t had any success yet, but I also haven’t looked at my best spot yet.

PADDLING: On Sunday, Chicago River Canoe & Kayak has its first First Friday Kayak Race today. It starts at 3400 N. Rockwell, Chicago. Call (773) 704-2663 or e-mail info@chicagoriverpaddle.com.

LAKEFRONT SMALLMOUTH: It’s time for shoreline smallmouth to start along the Chicago lakefront. But one of the great bites in recent years in Chicago fishing is just getting underway, about two weeks late. That said, I think the next two weeks should peak.

DALEY DERBY: The Richard J. Daley Sportfishing Derby is open. In May, the species are coho and perch. Register fish at Henry’s Sports & Bait, Park Bait or Vet’s Bait. Go to henryssports.com or call (312) 225-8538.

ARCHERY: Archery Bow Range Chicago has an introduction to archery clinic from 2-4 p.m. Saturday. Instruction is also offered there.

HUNTING: Turkey hunting is in the final week in the north zone, weather has made for a tougher season than expected.

PERSONAL PICKS: At this point, I am fairly confident our youngest son and I will continue a hot streak for morels. It is quite cool to see him get into it. . . . I think the town pond will warm up enough to make things interesting by Sunday afternoon, so I bet our daughter will be itching get out and try it. And it sounds like a good idea. . . . Will try at least one day to find wild asparagus. . . . As always, a fair amount of my spare time is spent working on “Outside,” the radio show Joel Greenberg and I are doing at 4:30 p.m. Mondays on WKCC-FM (91.1).

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