LaSalle wonders, yo-yoing toward spring: Chicago fishing, Midwest Fishing Report

Anglers will need both a fishing license and an Inland Trout Stamp to participate, unless they are under the age of 16, blind, disabled, or are an Illinois resident on leave from active duty in the Armed Forces.

The Spring Catch-and-Release Fly Fishing season opens at nine sites on March 24. Anglers can use fly fishing gear to catch trout at that time, but they cannot keep the fish. All trout must be released until after the opening of the regular spring trout season, which begins at 5 a.m. on April 7. Anyone attempting to take trout before the legal harvest season opening will be issued citations.

Dale, Fished the opener at La Salle yesterday with Bert Quinn from Elmhurst. Had a blast!!! Boated 14 hybrids 10-14″ and one big boy 18.5″hybrid. See pic. of Bert. Six blue catfish 17-24″ and four scrawny dink channel cats. Kept us busy all day! We did lose a monster blue catfish at boat side, on a blade bait. My guess was a 30-35 lber! Looked like a four footer in the water. Did an alligator roll at net side, and side fin cut the 20 lb. super line. Bert originally thought he was snagged, as this mule would not budge off the bottom. Losing the bait bothered me more than losing the fish! But; My personal best is 40.75″ blue on this lake and it weighed approx. 31 lbs. This fish was definitely larger! Now, points of interest: Water temp at boat dock read 46 degrees. I was trolling in section three on a 4-8″ flat that was 62 degrees.—– all fish caught there! Water temp at the outside edge on section four ( discharge outlet) was 70 degrees. I did not go any further in to discharge section. Definitely a small bait bite nothing over a #5 size crankbait produced any fish. Viewed tons of baitfish on and around water surface! Did not mark any clouds of shad in deeper water? Appeared as if baitfish were reacting to the warm sun , that we were having. Sunny, Calm in the morning , but got windy in the afternoon. We caught fish all day, no time better than other, but bigger fish came in the late morning bite . Please give a huge shout out to Exelon Power Plant station for me. Exelon was kind enough to stock approx. 60,000 hybrid fingerlings last year , with Mr. Wyffels approval! Thank you David!!!! These stockings are deeply appreciated , as our good state of Illinois, has a suspension on the hybrid and striper stocking program to our lakes! I am sure some of these smaller fish were from last year stocking class. I hope the power plant can repeat this again! Luv all you guys , and hope to see you on the water ! Looking forward to the opener at Heidecke on April 1. Yours truly, James Hartley.—— Jim MMC .

Hey Dale, Here is a recap of this past week’s fishing.Area lakes- the time change has been great. Extra fishing time! Now the weather just needs to cooperate. Focus on sunny days and during early afternoon hours for the best bite. Bass have been good along outside and inside weedlines. Shadow raps using a cadance of 3 jerks and a pause of 3-5 seconds worked best. Muskrats have been active as well so spring is slowly waking up.TTYL—Ken Husker O’Malley Husker Outdoors Waterworks fishing team

Hey Dale, thought you might like to hear a few buddies and I hit up Braidwood Sunday morning and got a few good largemouths. Also had a nice 22 5.5# hybrid hit a Senko which was a great surprise. It was quite the fight! Cheers!

Hi Dale I had some members of the West Leyden High School Bass Fishing Club out at Braidwood lake on Saturday on the cool side learning crankbait and other tactics for the cooling lakes. Despite ice, snow and some wind in the midlake area some nice bass came to the boat. Again it was crankbaits in and around the rocks. The cold front had water temps back in the low 60’s on the cool side. Soft plastic bite slowed.

Chicago River and Lake Michigan Report, Last week I got everything ready for the 2018 season. Saturday I spend the day on the river with a Group called ROW Recovery On Water, it’s a group of woman that have Breast Cancer, are fighting it or are in Recovery from Cancer. We spend a few hours on the Green River with 5 members in the boat following the rowers from the group. It was the first time I was on the river for St. Patrick’s Day it’s a busy time on the river. While we were on the river Jeff a young guy that fishes the river from shore a lot was on the River Walk Catching Perch. He sent me a picture of an 11 fish. I thought it was interesting as the shores and thw water were full of people he was still catching fish. I tell my clients that you don’t have to sneak up on the river fish they are accustom to the noise I guess I’m right. I have one more show for the season The Chicago Outdoor Sports Show that has moved to the Arlington Park Race Track. Runs Thursday through Sunday. It is shaping up to be a really Good Show. I have 2 seminars a day through out the show. The Boat yard has 8 boat dealers and a large display of RV’s . There are a lot of New tackle Reps and vendors that signed up for the new venue. Have a Great week Hope to see you at the Show. Next week I will be back to fishing can’t wait to start posts some Great fishing reports. I did watch the Garmin Saturday and I can say the fish are there I just need to get out there and Play. Capt. Pat — www.patharrisonoutdoors.com Thanks Pat

Dale,Hit the river a couple times over the last week for a multi species bite. Did the DPR hat trick a few times over. That is smallmouth, largemouth, white bass. Occasionally you substitute a white bass for a rock bass, but this early in the year white bass are a good bite, especially south.Highlights were a 3.5lb large mouth and couple smallmouth over 17 inches. One stray gar made a cameo and white bass were really healthy, all were about 15inches or better.Water levels are normal and water temps were floating between 41-45 degrees.Marcus BeneschGurnee, Illinois

Probably won’t get out a lot this year, but I have to go catch fish so Ican play with the pictures. Thought I’d send a sample of what I’ll bedoing with them. Since nobody else is stepping up to send you anything,thought I’d try now and then at least.For Wednesday Fox report it you want one. Haven’t been out yet, but Iwill be. Thought I’d send a reminder/update kind of thing. Put this upalong with the picture if you want…_________________For those buggy to get out, weather is just about perfect for earlyseason smallies. Slow flowing areas on the river itself, think eddiesand behind things. Creeks might be worth checking out. From a creekmouth up for a quarter mile and if you know deep pools inland where somemight have wintered over, would be worth going to look. What you usedoesn’t matter, just move it very slowly.For those that have forgot what a Fox River creek smallie looks likeover the winter, here’s a reminder…

Good Afternoon Dale. Brief Kankakee River update for you. Not alot has changed other than water clarity. We are looking at about 2 feet of visibility and last week it wad about 6 inches. Water temps are kinda lingering in the low to mid 40’s as an average. The water level is still above normal pool for this time of year amd is not dropping very much if at all. Walleye still seem to be hanging in pre spawn areas and we have yet to see the big push of fish that many are anticipating. Fish are still being caught on live chubs. Also some anglers are starting to get one here or there on jerkbaits and also jig and twister tails. Most guys saying last light was much better than first light and i concur. We also saw smallmouth action pick up briefly over the weekend in the afternoon hours in slower shallow water. Saw the first crawdad of the year in the shallows so that explains why the smallies moved in. Warmer weather this week could put things over the top for the walleye and should make for a very good week of fishing especially Thursday into Friday with a winter storm and cold front coming into the area Saturday morning.

Dear Dale – Not much to report from Waukegan this week. The water is still too cold to hold many coho. There are a few reports of an occasional coho taken casting Rapalas off Government Pier. The big boats are not yet in the water and the trailer boats are going to Indiana and absolutely crushing coho out of East Chicago and Gary Light. Again, trolling body baits, mostly rapalas. A couple of buddies told me big bonus brown trout and lakers mixed in with the coho have been coming on purple custom painted Rapalas. The Purple Rain and POP patterns (pink spots on a purple body) from Warrior took big brown trout and coho. Some friends fished Chicago Light and its still too cold there for the coho to be in numbers. A fish here and there but still slow. Overall I think it will be at least 2 weeks before the coho get to Chicago and 3-4 weeks for Waukegan. Anyone heading out of Waukegan should rig up for browns and lakers with body baits and spoons with orange, like Warrior Fin Girl and Steelhead candy. If they get a few coho, then do some re-rigging to flies to target the coho better. FYI – we are booking our Fish School trips begining the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend and running every other Sunday after that until Spetember for anyone who wants to learn the Lake hands-on and in the boat while fishing. Slots are on an individual, pay per person basis and you do not have to book the whole boat. Schedule is on the website. Have a great week. Capt. Scott R. Wolfe Manipulator/ School of Fish Charters 630-341-0550 www.schooloffishcharters.com

Great weather and improving conditions on the ice led to lots of angler participation over the weekend. Crappie: Very Good – The warm weather helped with the functioning tip-down bite. Oddly, some reports on Crappies in 22-25’, some in 13-18’ and others up as shallow as 7-10’. Rosies and small minnows on tip-downs. In shallower water dipping plastics, especially dark colors such as black, maroon, red and purple best. Lots of reports of 11-13+ fish. Yellow Perch: Very Good – Wiggler bite hot over mud flats, varying depths depending on lakes from 14-28’. Tip-downs with minnows also producing. Bluegill: Very Good – Lots of action but some sorting. Small #10 rockers, as well as Moon Glo jigs tipped with waxies, mousees or plastics. Dark colors on bright days, but bright colors working when Gills very aggressive. With ice 22-30 thick and still plenty of snow cover, add in nights in single digits to teens and we should have another 3 weeks of ice fishing to go. Kurt Justice Kurt’s Island Sport Shop www.kurtsislandsports.com Like us on FaceBook

FISHING REPORT For a full report on fishing trends, be sure to visit http://eagleriver.org/fish/. If traveling on any lake ice, be very weary of thickness and be sure to thoroughly check before punching holes. State-funded snowmobile trails will officially close today at 5pm. Bluegills are being found in the weeds using small jigs tipped with waxies, spikes or tipped with plastic. Perch are being caught on the deep weed edge where the mud meets. Crappies are being caught in the weeds mixed in with some gills and are still out suspended over the deeper holes and mudflats.

Coho steady trolling at Gary light area coho really growing fast nice fish for this time of year thinfish in all colors j9 and J11 rapalas flicker shads and dodger and peanut flys all taking lots of fishCrappie at cedar lake lil tube jigs or crappie minnows on plain hook Coho action on shore day to day one day ok one day sloooowSquid shrimp crawlers and skein along with minnows all taking fish Guys casting cleos and ko wobblers taking some too