SPOT, RATE, QUICK HIT
Lake Michigan (Chicago/Ind.)
** 1/2
Steelheads in harbors (Montrose, DuSable, 63rd St.) on baby roaches or crankbaits that resemble shad. Perch in low light conditions on soft-shells, roaches.
Lake Michigan (Waukegan)
*** 1/2
Early morning bite best for kings, browns and cohos in 90-to-120 feet of water. Spoon bite: magnums in purple, black/silver or dolphin patterns, putting them on downriggers 65-75 feet down. For dipsy divers, 165 feet out. Go 50-150 feet out, 75-85 feet down in afternoon. From shore: little cleo spoons for cohos.
DuPage preserves
***
Catfishing very good: Deep Quarry at night on stink bait or chicken liver. Largemouth on big roach minnows in early/late conditions or midday on large plastic worms (7-10 inch range) fished slow on bottom. Big bluegills at Deep Quarry in deep waters. Northern pike sporadic on roach minnows.
Chain O’ Lakes
***
Bass in outer weed edges or slop on plastics or top water frogs. Channel cats on leeches, crawlers or dough baits. Shallows for bluegills on waxies and red worms in shaded areas (boat lips).
Mazonia, Heidecke Lakes
** 1/2
Largemouth hot at Mazonia using deep diving crankbaits (silver/black) or spinner baits. Heidecke: stripers (golden roaches, soft shell), smallmouth (lures and worms), largemouth (crawlers around wind break) and bluegills (little wax worms).
Fox River
** 1/2
Smallmouth at night on small buzz baits – 1/8 ounce. Channels on chicken liver around Elgin/Batavia.
Kankakee River
***
Smallmouth at Reject Island through Momence on minnows or watermelon tube jigs. Largemouth in mouths of bayous or ditches on plastic worms. Try conditioned crawlers for walleye.
Shabbona Lake
***
Crappie in cribs on crappie minnows or wax worms. Try top water baits for bass. Walleye in 17 feet of water on leeches. 43- and 37-inch muskies caught over weekend; use top-water baits. Bluegills on wax and leaf worms. Catfish on chicken liver in lilly pads and Area 25.
Lake Winnebago (Wisconsin)
** 1/2
Troll for walleye on lake; also try live baits (leeches or crawlers) around reefs and shallows. Smaller perch (8 inches) on crawler pieces, wax worms, thunder bugs or panfish worms. Lake Butte des Mortes consistent for walleye and bluegills (worms). River slow for catfish.
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akaschube@tribune.com
