Every time the weather just turns perfect for fishing, it goes right back to being downright rotten for doing anything outdoors. The fishing has been getting better at our local fishing hotspots in spite of the changes. I think the fish sense it’s the right time for spawning and pre-spawn activity, and that signals great opportunities for fisherman.
The Chain of Lakes has been really good these past weeks. With current picking up in the channels because of the rain, the crappies are starting to show up in numbers and in size, too. The trouble is that they move a lot as well, so here today moved on for tomorrow following the current looking for food.
Just a note of caution about the rain – it has made fishing any of the river areas pretty difficult, so if you’re heading for a day of fishing on the river, call ahead to check conditions and river height. Two anglers who were fishing at Skokie Lagoons said they were having some really good bass fishing in pools 5 and 6 (north of Tower Road). Speaking of Skokie Lagoons, anyone there on Thursday saw something pretty unusual – bass boats working the water. This was the sectional qualifier for the Illinois High School State Bass tournament and the top three schools will move on to the final on May 6 and 7 at Carlisle Lake in central Illinois. This is the third year for our state tournament, which has grown to 232 teams across the state competing for the championship. Best of luck to those young anglers.
Hope you will be joining me for my seminar “Hooked on Fishin’ in the ‘Burbs” this coming weekend, Saturday, May 7, at noon at the Evanston Ecology Center. It should be fun for everyone, going over the basics of getting started, from equipment to bait, from knots to where to fish the lakes. Looking forward to being able to talk fishing with all of you. Until next time, keep a tight line.
Visit Dick at hookedonfishing@comcast.net.