MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
BRAIDWOOD OPENER: The cooling lake in southwest Will County reopens to fishing Saturday — in time for the latest round of cold (the high Saturday is forecast to be 17 degrees) and snow. Hours are 6 a.m. to sunset seven days a week. Jon’s Bait & Tackle Shop in South Wilmington — (815) 237-2822 — will be open early Saturday.
WISCONSIN NOTES: Early catch-and-release trout season opens statewide Saturday. Gamefish season closes on most inland waters Sunday.
AREA LAKES: Ice fishing will continue well into March areawide. Even in the far south suburbs, ice is 14 to 18 inches, according to several readers. Ken ‘‘Husker’’ O’Malley of Water Werks Fishing Team fished Wampum Lake last weekend and did best when he found green weeds. He caught crappie and bluegills on tungsten jigs tipped with a single spike in 10 to 13 feet.
CHAIN O’LAKES AREA: Triangle reported fishing remains good and ice is very thick. Bluegills are deeper than normal; try glow jigs or Swedish Pimples. Crappie are good; search around 12 feet with glow jigs or glow Rat Finkees. For white bass, try in 12 to 15 feet on Marie. Walleye are fair; try mainlake points in the current with Swedish Pimples or jigging Rapalas tipped with minnow heads. Pike are moving.
COOLING LAKES/STRIP PITS: BRAIDWOOD: See top. MAZONIA: Ice fishing continues. LaSALLE: Reopens March 15. HEIDECKE: Reopens April 1. DELAVAN/GENEVA AREA, WIS.: Brian Gates at Geneva Lake Bait & Tackle reported Como is the best. On Geneva, the two best species are lakers and Ciscoes. On Delavan, the best fishing has been by the outlet bridge.
KANKAKEE RIVER: Norm Minas found a bit of open water (there are several dangerous ice jams on the river) and caught smallmouth in flooded shorelines with a half-ounce footballhead jig and pig or 5-inch twistertail.
LAKEFRONT: Much ice remains in the harbors. Arden Katz reported south side of DuSable and Navy Pier are the top two spots for perch; Montrose is third. He does best by tipping spoons or Swedish Pimples with spikes. A few trout also being caught.
MADISON LAKES, WIS.: Gene Dellinger at D&S Bait reported perch slowing on Mendota. There’s plenty of ice.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN: There’s plenty of ice, but travel conditions on lakes have been tough (best to call first).
SHABBONA LAKE: Fish of the Week was the crappie record being broken. There’s a ton of ice.