MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
LaSALLE: Reopens to fishing Thursday. Prospects are good ( see column). Open daily 6 a. m.- sunset. AREA LAKES: Cold slowed crappie effort, but it should pick up by weekend. Ken ‘‘ Husker’’ O’Malley: Cold slowed bass; try X- raps slow along weed lines.
AREA RIVERS: FOX ( DEPERE, WISCONSIN): Jason Fox: Excellent walleye on jig and medium roach or extra- large fathead. ILLINOIS: Mike Hanson: ‘‘ Pockets of debris. Ramp at Spring Valley is high, but [ water] for the most part is clear and [ sauger] are biting.’’ KANKAKEE: Kyle Lund: Water receding to manageable level. Walleye are ready to spawn ( fishing turned Friday night); best on seams or top sides of eddies with twistertails and jigs or live bait.
CHAIN O’LAKES: Triangle: Crappie are good in back channels and around boat docks. Walleye are good in river from mouth to Silver Lake ( look for gravel spots). Bluegills moving into creeks or quick- warming mud flats.
COOLING LAKES/ STRIP PITS: LaSALLE: See top. BRAIDWOOD: Lake is open daily from 6 a. m. to sunset. Rob Abouchar: Bass on squarebill KVD crankbait working on warm side ( 70s) or Senkos slow- worked on base of rocks.
MAZONIA: Open daily from 6 a. m. to sunset. HEIDECKE: Reopens April 1. GREEN/ STURGEON BAYS, WISCONSIN: Howie’s Tackle: Whitefish remain very good, but use caution walking out. Perch ends Thursday. Walleye limit is down to one during spawning run. LAKEFRONT: CHICAGO: Henry’s: Weather slowed coho fishing a bit recently, but there was a very good weekend stretch, especially by powerliners. WAUKEGAN: Capt. Scott Wolfe: Shore fishermen picking up a few salmon with casting Rapalas. NORTHERN WISCONSIN: Gamefish season is closed. Thursday is final day for removing permanent ice shacks on Michigan boundary waters. Kurt Justice: Slush making getting around tough, but plenty of ice ( 22 to 30 inches). Bluegills ( weeds in 7 to 10 feet), perch ( over mud) and crappie ( staging away from bays but moving closer) are good. NORTHWEST INDIANA: Slez’s: Boaters doing great for coho with ThinFish and J9 Rapalas on walls at East Chicago and Gary Light. Shore coho picking up at Michigan City, Portage, East Chicago and Hammond on squid, crawlers, roaches, shrimp or casting spoons. Steelhead in upper Salt and Trail on spawn sacs or Voodoo jigs with bee moth. Capt. Scott Wolfe: A captains’ day out produced limits in less than two hours at Gary Light.
ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN: Some steelhead by Berrien Springs dam.
SHABBONA: Lakeside — ( 815) 824- 2581 — is closed, but Clint Sands is there most mornings. Boat rentals are by appointment. Park hours are 8 a. m. to 8 p. m.