Chicago fishing: Perch, coho, spring variety and LaSalle opener

Breaking the doldrums of winter… Shorewood retention ponds…

Hi Dale, got out to a few ponds, managed a few small bass. Lots of Sandhills passing overhead, what a great sight and sound

Hi Dale

All the harbingers of spring and then some seemingly arrived in three days. The fishing swap meet set the tone as I made my way around the tables I couldn’t resist a pistol grip ugly stick combo. My fishing club members Tim and Alex found some interesting items including a radio and small dry tackle boxes. On the way home water birds were returning to the wetland trees off lake Cook rd and rte 12. Back at home as I prepared the boat Sandhills circled high above, cardinals called, Robin’s were mating and a Redwing flew through the yard. Yesterday evening a big white swan arrived. Saturday after going through my haul from the swap meet and prepping the boat I couldn’t resist a few casts. With ice still by the dock I drove to the park. It only took a few casts and the red arucu shad lipless crankbait began to produce. The water was very cold but pretty clear. The fish were hitting pretty close to shore on the relieve. I landed a real giant for island lake. The bait was hooked to the top of the fishs’ head. If it was ever in its mouth I can’t say but I went into the water to land it. A nearby angler was amazed and helped me photo the big bass. Sunday I launched the boat and again caught a few on the red lipless crankbait. Last night the ice was gone from our corner of the lake so I gave the lipless crankbait a few more casts and was again greeted with a couple aggressive bites only one of which I landed. But it was a fat clean specimen. It had a line coming out of its Anusara which I could not quite remove. Hopefully it will pass the line as it was clearly healthy. There were a few people out trying for panfish with not any success. Hopefully as the water warms the Gills and crappie will pick up.

On the music front it’s travel planning week for Gozortenplat as we book our flights to Las Vegas for our June 7th show at the Sand Dollar lounge. Hopefully I’ll be joining midnite mile for a birthday show of a top fan in Apri. And the Conscious Rockers looking to book into Sundance saloon for an outdoor patio gig. Yes the spring has sprung the grass is rizz i do know where dem birdies is.

Hi Dale,

The temps approaching 70 yesterday afternoon were enough to get me to make a few casts before sunset. Early March is not usually productive, but the warming water was enough to activate some fish. The one in the attached image is the first fish of 2025 for me that didn’t come from a warm water outflow. Right around sunset, the wind quit, some midges started to hatch and fish began to feed in shallow water. None of that was coincidental: I think those events were part of a cascade. I landed a few bluegills and lost many more fish, including a few largemouths. They are willing to hit tiny flies this time of year in the cold water.

Hello my friend ,

. . . . also crappie at sag quarry,sag slough

Spring is here and I don’t think I’m the only one ready for it.

. . .

Pan fishermen are using wax worms on ice jigs and a small float. Don’t forget to get a new fishing license before April 1st.

Dale hope all is well!! My cousin Bryan “Catfish” Konczak caught this big Flathead last week at Braidwood on a Berkley Frittside. He thought he was snagged until the fish started towing the boat. The flatheads are starting to take hold at Braidwood. Bass fishing has been good too.

Cousins Bryan & Ronan pictured with a big Braidwood Flathead and some double bass action.

Mike Lynch

Hi Dale –

More of the same at Braidwood. Quality down a bit with nothing over 4lbs but solid Largemouth action all day. Water temps at low 60s by north ramp, high 60s at south. Caught majority of bass flipping jigs Saturday.

Riverwalk still doing good, crappies hitting really good and LMBs are slowly getting better, only drawback are all the floating driftwood finding spots made it difficult but between me and my brother, we got over 50 fish in total, caught a few crappies on plastics but most were caught with live minnows also no surprise the King got in the 1st carp of the season, nothing too big, only 8lbs

Hello my friend ,

. . . nice northern in deplaned river ,golden roaches ,slip bobber

Spring is here and I don’t think I’m the only one ready for it.

I have had many people fishing the dam in McHenry for walleye’s. A jig and minnow is working well. The bites are light and may feel like you picked up a floating leaf on your line and just gets heavy, set the hook!

Sorry double pic. Bottom yesterday top today. Kenosha on Cleo’s.

Hi Dale,

Hit the big pond again this past Sunday (3-9), off of the Chicago lakefront. Since last week the water has warmed up from 33.5 to 38 degrees now. Did not have any fish casting, but the trolling bite for Lake trout just off of the Chicago skyline remains good. Just like the week before with Casey, spoons on dipseys close to the bottom caught all (4) lake trout. Also caught 2 bonus coho’s, which was a surprise for this time of the year.

Good Fishing,

JIm Shell

Hey Dale,

Quick early spring lakefront update for you. In the past week Luke Hein and I have covered Montrose to 63rd winds depending and it’s been similar in all spots in between. We’ve had very short bite windows with scattered hits on set rods with shrimp and drift rods with hair jigs tipped. Friday AM was best but nothing after that weather moved in. While the bites been sporadic, most coho I’ve seen or caught have been a really nice size for this early. It’s definitely been a power line bite.

Happy Spring!

^Quinn

Father and son catch yesterday on the pier

Monster Steelhead on the tight line yesterday 63rd

Ruban and Leo

22 inches, 10lbs

Hello my friend ,

just thought I would let you know, no perch at dusablle, [but] 85 and 87ts still a good bet ,cohos moving around ,39th ,63rd,montrose

Good morning
All looks good
Bait coming Friday
Open shop Saturday at 6am
Hours will be 6am to 5pm 7 days a week to start with.

Got my first ever sturgeon today on the Muskegon river. 6 pound test, was using fish bum tackle raddle tail paired with their 1/4 ounce jig head

Fish was 54 inches and took 30-45 min to get in. What a rush!!!

Hey Dale,

Here’s a recap of this past week’s fishing.

A visit to the Northwoods of Wisconsin was in order over the weekend to put a cap on the ice season. As of yesterday there was two feet of ice, but the forecasted temps will start eroding shorelines. The goal was to chase down a PB gill. We hit a different lake each day but those big gills didn’t get the memo. Plenty of smaller one’s were caught but the bigger one’s played hard to get and were just tight lipped. Small perch, pike, and a few decent crappie were also caught.
It was a great season with 34 days on the ice, but now I’m ready for some open water action.

TTYL

Ken “Husker” O’Malley

Husker Outdoors
Waterwerks fishing team

The 10” of snow that was part of the storm last Wednesday (3/5) has now been reduced to near nothing due to the recent warm snap! Water and slush remain on the ice, 3-4” at most. Ice thickness has held up (17-30”) so far, but without that padding of snow to protect it from sun and warm winds, we will expect to lose ice from this point forward.

Crappie: Excellent – Anglers experiencing some of the best action of the season as melting snow running down the holes brings oxygen and energizes life below the ice. Basin bites are still going strong, with anglers preferring Jointed Pin Heads, Tikka Flashes and Rattlin Kastmasters tipped with waxies or spikes. With the warmth and the Crappies feeding like they are, tip-downs and Jaw Jackers are scoring, fished with Crappie minnows or rosie reds.

In conjunction with the melt, shallower water action has heated up! Fishing plastics by slow dropping jigs amongst narrow leaf cabbage in 8-12’ as well as tip-downs in the same areas have been working very well. A few reports of anglers catching Crappies right under the ice in lakes with shallower weeds of 4-8’

Bluegill: Very Good – Gills working weeds, sometimes just under the ice like the Crappies. Slow dropping 2.5-3mm tungsten jigs on windy days or old-style lead tear drop jigs to lower dark plastics, live waxies, spikes or butter worms providing great action.

Yellow Perch: Good-Very Good – Tip-downs with medium fatheads or Northland Rattling Spoons loaded with waxies or spikes over mud flats of 14-20’. Some nice Perch to 13 ½” this past weekend using the tip-downs. Anglers also reporting nice Perch mixed in with lots of smaller Perch in 6-10’ weeds.

The effects of the sun, wind and forecasted rain (possible 3/15) will definitely take its toll on the uncovered lake ice. We should be good for this coming weekend. The following week (16^th-20^th) temps drop and ice melt will slow (highs in 30’s, lows in 20’s) that should give us one last weekend of safe fishable ice through the 23^rd. But Mother Nature will have the final say.

Stop by the shop for lots of end of season discounts, while supplies last

Rods, tackle, augers, shacks, clothing…

All boots are 25% off with the exception of LaCrosse (Ice Kings, Cold Snaps and Hunt Pac only – 50% off)

Kurt Justice

Kurt’s Island Sports Shop
– Like us on FaceBook

Hi Dale –

Made it out to the big lake Sunday for some old school Perch fishing. We were able to limit out early on before the winds kicked in. Tom Spence had the hot hand putting us on some jumbos mixed in with other quality size perch all on minnows. Perfect day to be on the lake in March.

Doing it now been in biz 38 yrs yesterday was biz est Monday in 38ys crazy perch mainly but other stuff too

Coho bite for trollers good fishing 15 to 30ft of water from cal park to Gary light using killer fish and thinfish And a variety of small crankbaits.

Shore bite for coho isn’t hot and heavy yet. But few fish have been caught using squid and skein.

Crappie bite fishing around the bridges on lake George In Hobart has started. Minnows and Rufus jr jigs tipped with waxworms best.

The Wolf is open, and the walleye are starting to get more active. The deeper water is holding fish midday, shallower, 6-9ft early and late in the day.