So rambling off this morning with Lady, our family’s mutt, I could not believe how many leaves came down overnight. Nothing like a night in the teens to finally send the leaves dropping en masse.
And this is a notably different weather for this Wild Weekend Wandering around Chicago outdoors.
As to my plans, I will wander around this afternoon with Norm Minas, who is still on the recovery road. Have no idea what where we will end up, but I look forward to it.
Tomorrow I am giving blood and visiting my younger brother who is in town for a convention, so nothing outdoors other than I expect we will walk around, hopefully, by the Chicago River or Montrose Harbor.
Sunday, I am doing the Early Show early in the day.
Yes, the outdoors show season begins.
Considering the weather shift, it makes sense to have the winter outdoors show season kick off Sunday with the Early Show.
The Early Show, co-presented by DRiFT and Illinois Smallmouth Alliance. is at Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oak Brook from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.
It is the Chicago area’s only all fly-fishing show.
Click here for more details.
I think the greatest thing this weekend in the outdoors will be for bowhunters chasing bucks during the height of the rut. I am real curious to see the harvest numbers come Monday.
Speaking of deer hunting, the firearm deer season–next week, Nov. 17-19–should catch a bit of the rut. I do not think I am alone in focusing this week on prepping for firearm deer season.
As to fishing, there’s a several interesting possibilities on the Chicago lakefront.
If conditions (as in not too muddy water) hold, the perch bite on the Southeast Side should hold or build. At least I hope so.
In another sign of the weather and seasonal change, lake trout have started to come near shore in Illinois and Indiana. Even some shore fishermen are picking them up at Michigan City, Ind. Weather and winds have limited effort by boaters.
And there’s been some nice whitefish caught at Michigan City, too. There had been a good run of whitefish at St. Joseph, Mich. before the weather shifts. For years, I have been on a quixotic quest to catch a whitefish on Lake Michigan. This would be a good week to try, if it weren’t for deer hunting coming.
One last thing, I suspect with the weather change, you will need to drive pretty far into southern Illinois to find good fall color. But some still lingers along the Illinois River valley.
Wander on.
