Chicago fishing: Finding lakefront perch and waiting for the ice to arrive

Hi Dale,

I launched out of Burnham Harbor last week (11-11) to see if I could get some perch. Checked all the usual spots, nothing. Casey (who is now in college, Michigan State) pushed me to try again this weekend. Not sure how things would change in a week, but told him ok. To my surprise, I found schools of perch pretty much everywhere now. It took a bit of time to now dial them in. The bite was VERY light. Most of the taps were undetectable. As soon as you felt some additional resistance, a perch was on. A limit of (15) perch was boated in a pretty short time. With the wind forecast light for Sunday, I returned with my daughter Emily. If you recall a report from last year, Casey had used an ice fishing rod to detect the very light bite. So I tried it, and boy I was surprised how well it detected the slightest tap. After I boated 3 in a short time, I had to hand over the ice fishing rod to Emily. It was so much easier for her to detect the lite bite! We tried a few different areas, and they all produced. Emily ended up catching (2) jumbo’s at the very end. Was a great weekend out on the big lake!

I kinda lied bout not doing the riverwalk anymore this year

Well the biggest was caught at navy pier, he was 12.5

PERCH LEAD THE FISHING REPORT. THERE HAVE BEEN PERCH HERE IN THE HARBORS BUT MOST ARE SMALL (dinks). NAVY PIER, 87th and FURTHER SOUTH HAVE BEEN HIT OR MISS. SOME DAYS ITS AN EARLY BITE OTHER DAYS A LITTLE LATER IN THE DAY. IF YOU FISH FOR AWHILE IN ONE SPOT WITHOUT ANY RESULTS MOVE A LITTLE. MOST OF THE TIME PERCH WON’T FIND YOU, YOU HAVE TO FIND THEM. MINNOWS HAVE BEEN WORKING THE BEST BUT THEY ARE HITTING MANY OTHER BAITS, LIVE AS WELL AS ARTIFICIAL. WAX WORMS, SPIKES, SHRIMP, WORMS. CRAPPIE RIGS, PERCH POUNDER RIGS, JIGGING SPOONS LIKE KASTMASTERS, SWEDISH PIMPLES, ETC…

Perch action at the slips is hit and miss one day good one day slow but perch are being caught.

Xl- fatheads seem to be best but some use small plastics tipped with white spikes. We have it all in stock.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!Dave’s Bait and Tackle is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas days. Remember to tell your family members when they are getting you holiday gifts to shop or get gift certificates from your local tackle shops.I’m recommending you get your ice tackle ready! it will be here before you know it.

Hey Dale,

Here’s a recap from the past few days. The bite overall has been tough. I had to work for every fish. Wind direction changed everyday and a minor cold front with bluebirds skies made for small bite windows. Water temps are still 49-50 degrees. We need colder temps to complete the turnover process on some lakes. Bass were hitting a spinnerbait slow rolled along weed edges adjacent to the drop off to deeper water. When that bite stopped I switched to a jig and craw trailer. Slowly working the jig down the ledge to suspended fish took a few of those reluctant biters.

Bluegill are still hitting IJO Plastics lil cubby and spider monkey plastics on Wiggleyourworm_fishing custom jigs. Crappie have been found in brush piles on quiver minnows. Colder temps will be arriving around thanksgiving, which will help get those water temps down.

Here is the nature pic of the week. Out for a stroll.

TTYL

Ken Husker O’Malley

Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team

Hi Dale,

The early sunsets have really cut into my fishing time. Not many outings and when I have gotten out the result hasn’t been many fish. Time for Winter tactics: I’ve been tying my usual leech and minnow patterns on heavily weighted jig hooks and fishing them under a buoyant strike indicator. It did produce a respectable bass over the weekend in a Kane Co. forest preserve lake. I saw some crappie fishermen having some success under a bright sun and cloudless sky-not typical prime conditions for crappies, but they got a few.

Pete

Hi Dale I’m still getting some good largemouth on island lake on my Bill Lewis rattle trap in silver and black back. My neighbor jim still getting bass on roach minnows under a float. Fewer people are out with freezing temperatures predicted it wont be long till hard water. Best time to fish has been last hour of daylight.

On the music front it was a jolly great performance at the Santa cause fundraiser at crossroads of ivanhoe on Saturday. Over 11 thousand dollars raised for children in need. And we are down to 3 more rehearsals for the zappafest shows on December 1st and 2nd with Gozortenplat it should be a real dynamite show.

Tight lines and good health!

Rob

I kinda lied bout not doing the riverwalk anymore this year

Well the biggest was caught at navy pier, he was 12.5

Brief report this week...I was able to get out to the Fox River in St. Charles for a few hours on Sunday afternoon.

Water temps low to mid forties and the river is still running ultra clear. Tried several different lures and the only one that produced a fish was a green pumpkin ned rig worked below the dam.

I was very happy to catch a 14 inch smallmouth that way on November 19. Hoping there are still a few successful outings left this year...

Fishing Report – 11/20/2023

Mike Norris

Big Green Lake: The shallow water weed die-off has begun, and smallmouth bass have left the shallow water and are repositioning out in deeper water. While my clients did catch a few 12 -13-inch smallmouths shallow, it was not until I moved them out to the first primary break, where the bottom quickly went from 20 to 35 feet deep, that we found the three-pound and better smallmouth bass. When fishing deeper water I still use live bait to catch smallies, but moving deeper requires different rigging. An extra-large minnow or medium-sized sucker trolled along the bottom and pinned down with a Carolina Rig in my choice for enticing deep smallmouth bass. Northern pike and walleye are bonus fish when working this system. The surface water temperature is 48 degrees but will drop quickly upon colder air forecast to arrive later this week.

Fox Lake: Anglers are doing well for walleye. Watch your 2D-Sonar for tell-tale arches when drifting through the lake’s basin, and drop a jig and minnow down to the depth the fish are holding at. The surface water temperature is 44 degrees. At this time last year, Fox Lake boasted four inches of ice.

Beaver Dam Lake: Crappie fishing is suitable for shore anglers casting minnows beneath a float. Shore access to the lake is available at Edgewater Park and at certain points along Highway G. Expect to catch a few decent-sized perch also.

Hi Dale - Kankakee River bite for Smallmouth and Walleye still good. River temps dropped down to 47 degrees and clear. Caught Walleye on jerkbaits mostly along with smallmouth and 1 largemouth, some bass also taking Ned rigs and crainkbaits. This action should last until slack water at ramps freeze up. All fish released. Lincoln-Way East football IHSA 8A State Championship game next Saturday night. Go Griffins!!

Hi Dale! Took advantage of our Indian summer on Thursday to get out. Water was approaching 60 degrees so even this late season Rock bass was on a bite. G. Peters

Late afternoon got 2 like this 18

PERCH LEAD THE FISHING REPORT. THERE HAVE BEEN PERCH HERE IN THE HARBORS BUT MOST ARE SMALL (dinks). NAVY PIER, 87th and FURTHER SOUTH HAVE BEEN HIT OR MISS. SOME DAYS ITS AN EARLY BITE OTHER DAYS A LITTLE LATER IN THE DAY. IF YOU FISH FOR AWHILE IN ONE SPOT WITHOUT ANY RESULTS MOVE A LITTLE. MOST OF THE TIME PERCH WON’T FIND YOU, YOU HAVE TO FIND THEM. MINNOWS HAVE BEEN WORKING THE BEST BUT THEY ARE HITTING MANY OTHER BAITS, LIVE AS WELL AS ARTIFICIAL. WAX WORMS, SPIKES, SHRIMP, WORMS. CRAPPIE RIGS, PERCH POUNDER RIGS, JIGGING SPOONS LIKE KASTMASTERS, SWEDISH PIMPLES, ETC…

THERE ARE STILL A FEW REPORTS OF STEELHEAD AND COHO IN THE HARBORS ON SPOONS AND VARIOUS LIVE BAITS, AS WELL AS SOME NORTHERNS AND A BURBOT HERE AND THERE, POSSIBLY A LAKE TROUT.

WE ARE OPEN THANKSGIVING DAY. WE WILL OPEN AN HOUR EARLIER HOURS WILL BE 5am TO 3pm.

Open water season is winding down. With the onus on gun deer this past weekend, fewer anglers out on the water. Despite unseasonably warm days last Wed/Thurs, temps below freezing for mornings cooling things down further. Surface temperature readings ranged from 38-43 this past week, ice forming on edges, small bays and pond. Be very careful at boat landings that are being used, ice building up fast on black topped launches.

Musky: Good – Not a numbers game this time of year, but some fish being caught! While striking out my last trip of the year (11/19), did talk to a young angler on the same lake that boated a 46 on a Bulldawg and lost a second during the last hour before dark. A few other reports of Skis between 42 & 47 this past week. Mix of lures (mostly rubber) and suckers.

Suckers getting harder to find but still available. Call your favorite, local bait shop (us?) ahead of time to check availability. It’s legal to fish Musky by open water or land through December now, but not legal to use ice as a base, so watch for specific ice lake reports in the coming weeks.

Walleye: Good – Very few targeting, but those that are finding fish in deeper pockets or along transition zones in 24-34’ of water (some deeper). Jiggin Vibrato’s, Jigging Raps and Shiver Minnows producing. On shallower lakes and Flowages, fishing 10-14’ depth using black chubs, suckers or large fathead putting Walleyes in the boat. Slow dragging these baits producing better than slip-bobbers. 2-3 bullheads found in these fish, makes sense for the slow, low presentation needed.

Could see (possibly?) some fishable ice early next week. Lows in teens for 8 of the next 10 mornings starting 11/22, should start locking things up. With highs of only 32-34 degrees 4 of those 10 days, time to dust off your tip-ups.

Mark your calendars for our 14th Annual Ice Fishing Extravaganza Dec 1st, 2nd and 3rd. More deals than ever before on shacks, electronics, rods, reels, clothing and boots! Call ahead and order a flip over shack, custom built (hyfax, other accessories) for the Ice Fishing Extravaganza only. Pick up during show and SAVE set-up fee, SAVE time and SAVE Frustration!

If you are signed up on our Big Buck Contest, be sure to bring your deer in to get in on the board. Remember, the smallest deer gets a share of the pot as well.

Kurt Justice

Kurt’s Island Sport Shop - Like us on Facebook

Perch action at the slips is hit and miss one day good one day slow but perch are being caught.

Xl- fatheads seem to be best but some use small plastics tipped with white spikes. We have it all in stock.

Some steelhead being caught in the lower sections of nwi tributaries using voodoo jigs tipped with waxworms or floating spawn saks.

Crappie action under the gazebo on Lake George in Hobart using minnows or Rufus jr jigs tipped with waxworms.

Slez’s Bait Shop will be open on Thanksgiving Day 5am till noon. Normal Black Friday hours 5 to 5.

The walleye bite has been very good in the lower part of the river. Deeper water near the Rat River down to the mouth at Poygan have been the best. Jigs or rigs with minnows