Husker should have them all ears at Tinley show

Ken ‘‘Husker’’ O’Malley put skirts on Husker Bugs as he prepped for the Tinley Park Fishing, Travel and Outdoor Expo.

The show runs Friday through Sunday, filling the Tinley Park Convention Center. The fish fry, a tradition at the old Tinley Park show at the high school, returns.

O’Malley is a regular right-here fishing guy. His weekly reports in the Midwest Fishing Report come whether the weather sucks or the bite is tough. He does what most anglers do: He gets out when he can, not just when conditions are optimal.

‘‘It’s a combination of things,’’ he said. ‘‘The opportunities we have here locally, we don’t have a tendency of exploiting it enough. Don’t get me wrong, I spend time in northern Wisconsin, but pay attention to what we have here. I know everybody thinks of Illinois as dead water. I would like to be an educator of our local resources.’’

While he is focused on local lakes and ponds, he also fishes cooling lakes, local rivers, Shabbona Lake and strip pits.

O’Malley just ice-fished 14 days in a row. (He works in the financial industry.)

‘‘I knew [the ice-fishing season] was going to be short,’’ he said. ‘‘As soon as it was 3 inches, I was on it. Fourteen days later, I stopped when it started flexing when I go off. Two weeks ago [Jan. 29] was the last time on the ice. Seems long ago, but I only started open-water fishing Friday. That slushy, flexible ice didn’t want to get off.’’

O’Malley said bluegills, crappie and bass are his three main species of focus.

‘‘Of course, it expands when I am on the boat to include walleye, muskie and smallmouth bass,’’ he said.

How he fishes varies.

‘‘I love to ice-fish,’’ O’Malley said. ‘‘I love to wade. I love to shore-fish and love it when I am on the boat. Bottom line, I am happy when I have a rod in my hand.’’

O’Malley will share his passion and sell his baits and Vector Hooks in his Husker Outdoors booth (604) and will do the last seminar of the show at 3 p.m. Sunday.

‘‘A big part of that [passion] came from my father [Bob],’’ O’Malley said. ‘‘Like a good Irishman, he was born on New Year’s Eve and died on St. Patrick’s Day [2020]. I always make a point of fishing that day, and I have always been very successful. It’s like he is with me.

‘‘I had the opportunity to pass it down to my kids and, hopefully, someday their kids.’’

During the weekend, O’Malley joined the pro staff of Wack’em and Stack’em Custom Baits.

Illinois hunting

Rabbit and squirrel seasons end Thursday. ... Windshield-card reports are required Thursday.

Stray cast

Travis Kelce sings like an old aluminum canoe drags through low-water riffles on the Kankakee River.