MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
WISCONSIN OPENER: Opening day Saturday. MADISON: D&S: “About two weeks behind weather-wise,” Bass and bluegill starting to pull up shallow; water mid-40s; some catfish to 20 pounds; walleye finishing spawn. MENOMINEE RIVER: Mike Mladenik: High, cold, walleye spawning. Better option, High Falls Flowage, water mid-40s; walleye either spawning or post-spawn. MINOCQUA: Kurt Justice: “Ice, for the most part, [should be] gone by the opener [Trout, Fence could still be iced]”; check Facebook later. WALWORTH COUNTY: Capt. Dave Duwe: Prefers shallower lakes for opener: Como (largemouth/pike, plastic worms Texas-rigged, black or white spinner baits in 3-5 ft., east end) or Whitewater (try largemouth, Senkos around floating bogs, or troll crankbaits on weed lines for walleye and pike). Delavan: Favorite baits are white spinner bait or a Texas-rigged Yum Dingers in green pumpkin in 3-5 ft. Geneva: Find baitfish to find smallmouth near spawning flats (Elgin Club or Military Academy areas).
IHSA: High school bass sectionals scheduled Thursday on Braidwood, Busse, Chain, Des Plaines, Heidecke, Shabbona, Skokie Lagoons.
AREA LAKES: Waiting on warmup. Ron Urick: Big largemouth, “flipping key.” Ken “Husker” O’Malley: Cold moved crappie to outside weed lines; bluegills, too; largemouth move shallower in warmups.
AREA RIVERS: CHICAGO: Jeffrey Williams: White bass, largemouth, carp downtown. DuPAGE: Larry Narro: Tough, but “beautiful” smallmouth. FOX: Pete Lamar: High cold water made tough fishing, but found crappie under bridge on tributary; some smallmouth up tribs. ILLINOIS: Projected to crest at flood at Starved Rock and LaSalle. Before rise, Jason “Special One” Le had Starved Rock white bass “on fire.” KANKAKEE: Bob Johnson: Water in mid-50s, river decent shape; few smallmouth on Texas rig with Yamamoto Baby craw or jerkbaits. O’Malley: Smallmouth slow, some on lipless crankbaits on current seams or bridge foundations.
CHAIN: Arden Katz: “Killed the crappie in the channels” over the weekend, Bobby Garland Baby Shad Tails; good bluegill on Nail-Tail jig tails, spikes, waxies; water 51. Triangle: Walleye fair, but some big ones, best on split shot, hook and large fathead.
LAKEFRONT: Capt. Bob Poteshman: North Point coho “spectacular . . . huge and loaded,” Dodgers and flies, beaches shallow; lots of alewives around. Out of Chicago, lakers in 40-100 ft. Salmon Stop: Boaters in 25-30, good coho (a few kings); powerliners getting some coho. Park Bait: Slow, other than some smallmouth in harbors. PERCH: Closed through June 15. LaSALLE: Pete Riedesel: Good hybrids last week.
NW IND.: Slez’s: Trolling East Chicago to Michigan City in 15-50 with ThinFish, spoons and Dodgers and flies for salmon.
ST. JOSEPH, MICH: Tackle Haven: When weather allows, a few coho and kings in 15-50; weather limited pier action.
WOLF LAKE: BoRabb Williams: Water 56, male crappie turning dark.
WOLF RIVER, WIS.: Bill Stoeger: Water 48.3 Monday; walleye slowing, white bass more dominant, mostly deep current breaks, rigs with flies or minnows.