Chicago fishing: Shoreline salmon/trout and a shift toward fall weather

With the rain we got the salmon in nwi creeks are moving around better. Spinners, skein and spawn saks are baits to use.

Fall weather is finally here! The hours of daylight diminished everyday. Lake weeds are dying off. One key for me has always been finding the last good green weeds or grass in the lake. There you should find the bait and the fish feeding on them. Chatter Baits, Buzz Baits, Spinner Baits and Top Water Baits all are go to choices for me in the fall. It’s also a great time for panfish! Use wax worms, red worms or a 1 inch Gulp minnow.

Hey Dale,

Here’s a recap from this weeks fishing.

Area Lakes-The bite started out slower than it has been the past few days. It may have been the overcast conditions. Once that cleared out the bite started going. The bass were just swiping at the buzzbait. In fact I missed the same fish twice. I threw back a senko and missed it again! Now you have my attention. Bass seemed tighter to cover so a jerk shad rigged on a Vector Hooks 4/0 EWG with FINS Braids spin 5 braid got the call. It was game on. Throwing that bait into weed pockets was the winning presentation. More hot dry days to come. The summer patterns will be back.

. . .

TTYL

Ken “Husker” O’Malley

Husker Outdoors
Waterwerks fishing team

Hi Dale,

I finally got out to fish still water, yesterday afternoon after most of the rain had fallen. Conditions were much better with all the additional water. Bluegills were very active. Nothing big, but they were numerous and nicely colored. Only a few bass, but one was of respectable size and unfortunately, camera-shy. Water-and air-temps had dropped and there was enough of a breeze to keep the biting insects away. Looking forward to more of this in the coming weeks.

Hi Dale

. . .

On island lake I fished largemouth around the slowly dying algae and got a few to hit my standby wacky rigged senko. Lake management crews are trying to harvest and remove the pesky stuff. I still think it doesn’t hurt the fish and only mildly irritates anglers.

I’m needing to get back up to Merrill Wisconsin for the fall blitz.

On the music front a gig is set for November 30th in Wauconda at main street outfitters. Gozortenplat is set for 2 shows in December at Reggies in Chicago and Shank hall in Milwaukee. This time with zappa band member Ray White originally from Illinois…yes he’s the one singing Illinois enema bandit.

Tight lines and good health!!

Rob

Hey Dale,

. . .

Regarding the Chicago River, I fished the riverwalk almost every day last week. I found a few more crappie and a school of good sized rock bass. Also caught a handful of nice sized smallmouth, mostly in the evening hours just before dark. A few fish have hit artificial lures after sunset. The key for me has been to keep moving and never stay in one spot too long. Better exercise that way too…

Delavan Lake Fishing Report 9/23/24 through 9/30/24

Fall has officially arrived on both the calendar and the temps. After about 10 days of high temps and high pressure, we’ve seen a significant drop and for the past few days high temps have struggled to get into the lower 70’s.

Largemouth bass are biting again with the weather change. The fish are on the inside turns off the main lake points. They can be caught on lindy rigged nightcrawlers or drop shotting 4 inch finesse worms or white chatter baits. As the water continues to cool, the bait will switch from nightcrawlers to shiners and fat head minnows. Look for the fish by Assembly Park Point, Willow Point and by the gray condos.

The walleye pike fishing is also continuing to improve. The fish I’ve been seeing are coming out of the 22-24 ft depth range. They can be caught on jigging Rapalas in chrome and blue or pearl color. I prefer the size 7. The best bite has been in the pre-dawn or dusk period of the day. The best location has been by the concrete point or by Browns Channel.

Bluegill fishing has been spotty. Most of the action has been with suspended fish in the main lake basin, about 10-15 ft down in 40 ft of water. The best presentation has been ice jigs with wax worms or leaf worms fished on a split shot rig.

Northern pike action remains consistent in the medium weeds in 13-15 ft of water. Use spinner baits or chatter baits for the best success. The best location has been by Lake Lawn Lodge or the bay by Browns Channel.

Good luck and I hope to see you on the water, for guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 262-728-8063

Hey Dale,

Here’s a Fox River report from Len Cajic:

“The Fox River the last week has been the lowest it’s ever been this year. The water level came up a little with the recent rain on Sunday. The water clarity is stained / dirty. Fishing from shore continues to be tough along with on the weekends from a lot of fishing pressure from anglers. The smallmouth are active and feeding for fall. Now is the time to catch a personal best. The bigger smallmouth can be caught near structure, slack water, anywhere there is oxygenated water, and the deeper holes. Small & shallow running crankbaits, subsurface lures, along with finesse baits in bright colors and craw patterns work best.”

Hi Dale,

. . .

This Fox report is already obsolete: I fished late last week and it was much more Summer-like and water levels were low. It was a study in contrasts: water temps had dropped, but only a little, so wading was comfortable; trees were changing colors, but air temp was 90 when I started. It was a chance to fish some new water since wading was so easy. I was able to get all the way across to an area that is inaccessible from its near bank. It looked prime, but I didn’t do much, other than see a lot of carp in the slack water and suckers in the faster flows. On the way out, after sunset, I did land the gar in the attached image. I think it’s a long-nosed gar, based on comparison with a photo in an atlas. 36 hours later, somewhere between three quarters of an inch and an inch+ of rain fell along much of the Fox watershed. Levels have likely come up and that’s no bad thing, not after the past few weeks.

Lake Geneva Report 9/23/24 – 9/30/24

Largemouth bass fishing has been improving. The fish are off the weed lines in the deep water approximately 23-25 ft of water. The fish can be caught on lindy rigged nightcrawlers or drop shotting 4 inch finesse worms. Green Pumpkin and watermelon seed have been the best colors. Look for the fish by Covenant Harbor, Maytag Point and the weed line by Gage Marine.

Bluegill fishing remains excellent in the 18-20 ft depth range. The best location has been by Elgin Club or the Lake Geneva Yacht Club. You want to fish leaf worms, 6 inches to 1 foot off bottom. The schools are very large and are visible on your graphs and fish finders. I like to use a vertical presentation using my Minn Kota trolling motor to keep me directly over the schools of active fish.

Rock bass fishing has been a little slow. I’m catching a few here and there but without any great numbers. I haven’t isolated the reason yet other than to say I haven’t been specifically looking for them either. The few I have caught have come off of nightcrawlers fished right off bottom.

Walleye fishing remains excellent at night. The fish remain in their same general areas by Trinkes Bay, Williams Bay and Abbey Springs. Trolling remains the best presentation. Medium diving stick baits in chrome/blue or chrome/black are the best choices.

Smallmouth bass fishing is starting to improve with the cooler water temps. They are just off the main lake points in 20-25 ft of water. Look for the fish by Conference Point, South Shore Club or Black Point. I’ve been using lindy rigged nightcrawlers or fat head minnows.

Good luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 262-728-8063

Fishing Report – 9/23/2024

By Mike Norris

Big Green Lake: I’m catching large and smallmouth bass up to 4 lbs. along drop-offs adjacent to sand flats using a drop shot rig in 14 – 20 feet of water. The bass bite was steady all week. Bluegill fishing slowed down much of last week, but as a cold front approached last Saturday, the bluegill fishing fired up big time and my clients and I caught gills up to ten and a half inches. Last Friday, Major League Fishing held its General Tires Team Series Heritage Cup Championship on Big Green. Team Redcon1, consisting of Ott DeFoe and Andy Montgomery, caught 29 basses weighing 55 lbs 8 ozs to win the Heritage Cup Championship. Under a bright sunny sky, the duo flipped jigs and Senkos under piers to win the $40,000 first-place prize. This will be the last whole week of fishing for lake trout. The season for trout closes at the end of September 30th and doesn’t reopen until January.

Fox Lake: Fishing for bluegills and crappie was excellent last week. A redworm on a 1/16th oz. jig suspended beneath a float worked well. Try along the north side of Chief Kuno Island. Bass fishing along the cane edge in the Government Marsh area was also good. Chatterbaits accounted for most of the bites.

Little Green Lake: Muskie’s and northern pike fishing is steady. Try speed trolling with oversized crankbaits outside the weed edge where perch and bluegill are present.

Hi Dale

On Saturday we had the Leyden fishing team out on Heidecke lake. The continued hot weather had the water at 73 degrees. Smallmouth bass were hitting but tough to catch. Anglers had hits on plastic worms tossed shallow around rocks but the woms were getting bit in half. I hooked into a couple nice smallmouth and landed one on a Rapala og Rocco crankbait in black and silver. Bass were jumping around the boat and banging into the sides of the boat. This I had never seen before. One bass literally was on the gunnel and slipped back into the lake. This was occurring on the west side of the center like between marker 20 and 17.

. . .

Tight lines and good health!!

Rob

Hi Dale – River temp at 70 this day most likely a few degrees less by this weekend with 70 air temps. River is low but smallmouth are beginning that fall feed. A few smaller sized bass on Ned rigs with fat bellies along with this 17” chunk also taking a Ned rig. Was able to get 1 Walleye on a swimbait 16” catch and release. Weather is getting right for fall frenzy coming soon

Decent smallie in the harbor the other day. I think It had more fight than the team that plays in the building seen in the background! Also, what do you think the chunk in its side was from? Pike attack? Lamprey?

Hope all is well.

Andy

Hi Dale

Salmon have been pretty constant. Of course there are some days that are slow but overall a good season so far. Hoping with cooler temps and a little rain lake temps will begin to come down and get fish more active.

North /East winds will have Sheephead active. They are hitting live crayfish which we still have in stock. There has also been some huge ones caught by guys casting spoons for kings. A few Smallmouth caught here and there. No other species to report this week.

Have a good one!

Looks as if fall is finally on its way. Following nearly two weeks of high temps in the 80’s, things look to cool off a bit, hopefully bringing some consistent fall patterns back in order.

Bluegill: Very Good – One nice consistent, despite full moon, high temps and not usually on the radar. Very nice above average (8 ½”-10 ½”) Gills still being found outside coontail edges of 14-18’ and in drowned wood of 10-14’. Beavertails (small crawlers) and worms suspended under floats, as well as, small plastic grubs working best.

Northern Pike: Good-Very Good – Despite looking not so good last week, Pike shot up the charts with some nice reports of anglers catching Pike of 24-31” working chubs in deeper, cooler slots on jigs with wire leaders. But the best report was of a large 41” Pike caught on a #5 Mepps.

Yellow Perch: Good-Fair – Medium fats and beavertails on 1/16-1/8 oz jigs or under slip-floats along 8-12’ cabbage beds and flooded timber. Nice Perch of 9-12”+.

Musky: Fair – Early and late, due to high skies. Top-water and bucktails over weed flats. Water temps in upper 60’s to low 70’s as of 9/21, same pattern should hold, even get better as water cools.

Crappies: Fair – Suspended fish on medium fatheads and swimming plastics. Coming weeks, as waters cool, should pick up bite and concentrate fish.

Largemouth Bass: Fair – Still some top-water reports, but bites tougher to come by. Wacky Worming, looking for slow bites best.

Smallmouth Bass: Fair-Good – Rock/Gravel off shore humps/bars. Drop-shotting and football jigs or tubes best. Anglers working jigs on Lindy rigs for Walleye reporting some Smallie play as well.

Walleye: Fair-Poor – Spotty reports. Getting some catches using black chubs and redtails. These fish seem to be most affected by unseasonably warm temps, full moon and sunny skies. Like Crappie and Musky, best is yet to come.

Looking forward to seeing surface temps drop, that will get fish in the mood and snapping! Most lakes very quiet, lots of room for anglers.

Kurt Justice

Kurt’s Island Sports Shop
– Like us on FaceBook

With the rain we got the salmon in nwi creeks are moving around better. Spinners, skein and spawn saks are baits to use.

Crappie action on lake George in Hobart fishing the bridges and gazebos using minnows.

Pine lake in Laporte giving up crappie at night for boat fisherman using crappie light and minnows in 20 to 24ft of water fishing 10 to 15ft down.

White bass action is still slow, but should improve by the weekend with nights in the 40’s. Crappie and bluegill remain strong.