MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
BRAIDWOOD: Water temperatures were 50s to low 70s on packed opening day Sunday. Big bass (wide variety of lures), some blues. (See today’s column). Rob Abouchar: Did well with Berkley Max Scent General stick worm and Creature Hawg, and squarebill crankbaits.
SEMINARS: Free salmon- and trout-trolling seminars Saturday at the Lake Michigan Angler in Winthrop Harbor. Capt. Harley Goodman goes at 9 a.m., Capt. Dan Wheeler at 10:30. Info: (224) 789-7627.
AREA LAKES: Southern lakes rapidly opening; other lakes will soon, too.
AREA RIVERS: CALUMET: Slez’s: Good perch for boaters near old General Mills plant. CHICAGO: Tim Adkins: Crappie and perch tough, but some good carp. DUPAGE: Frank Macikas: Smallmouth on chunk rock in slack water in deeper, slower sections on craw-colored squarebills. KANKAKEE:
Guys hitting traditional walleye community spots; water relatively stable for time of year.
CHAIN: Triangle proprietor Greg Dickson said, ``In my opinion, we are going to wrap up pretty quick. We will still get some dogs going out. I think it is time to start thinking of open water.’’
COOLING LAKES: Braidwood open daily, 6 a.m. to sunset. LaSalle reopens March 15; Heidecke Lake on April 1.
GREEN/STURGEON BAYS, WIS.: Jeff Norris: Continues to catch quick
limits of whitefish.
LAKEFRONT: Hints of coho, Chinook, steelhead and browns when weather allows. The weather looks promising enough to at least draw anglers out. Stacey Greene hopes to have Park Bait open at 5 a.m. Saturday. Salmon Stop in Waukegan: Some browns off pier and south rocks, one report of a coho on a spoon.
MAZONIA: Lakes open daily. I think ice fishing is done.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN: Gamefish season is closed. Kurt Justice: Crappie (variety of locations on lakes and flowages) and perch (pounding the mud flats in 18-26 ft.) are very good; bluegill are good.
NORTHWEST INDIANA: Slez’s: Coho are good to very good (Gary Light, the Ditch, the Portage Riverwalk and Michigan City).
POWERTON: Boat/bank fishing open daily, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
ST. JOSEPH, MICH.: Tackle Haven: Coho off the pier; boaters catching walleye near Berrien Springs, some steelhead through the river.
SHABBONA: Larry Green and Charlie Mack caught quality crappie on Sunday, but ice season is ending. Park hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
WISCONSIN RIVER: Erik Brztowski: Lots of walleye, most on white bucktail jig of Lindy rig and minnow (best hooked through the back); some sauger, too.