Fishing Independence Grove will help set your mind free

If you go to this suburban retreat, I suggest you prepare yourself for a shock.

If you plan to fish there, I also suggest you bring a portable sonar (fish-finder) unit with you.

And you might as well expect to spend the entire day enjoying the sights and sounds.

I have nothing but high praise for Independence Grove and Lake in Libertyville. I have visited this new facility four times and each outing has brought a new dimension to my overall perspective.

There is a considerable difference between the facilities and lakes of Cook County and Lake County.

The Cook County forest preserves and lakes were designed a long time ago with the intention of giving Chicago-area residents a taste of urban wilderness. But because of the size of the Cook County population the forest preserve locations throughout the system have seen their share of abuse and patronage nonsense.

The Lake County Forest Preserve system continues to build its structure on a very strong foundation.

Independence Grove is a perfect example of good planning while keeping taxpayers satisfied and visitors astonished.

With 1,100-acres of greenery and water spread out, you'll discover a 115-acre body of water sitting centrally located, and believe me this is a jewel of a lake.

You may rent boats and electric motors; rent kayaks, and canoes. You can even purchase live bait. And when you rent a fishing boat, dock personnel will place the motor on the stern and then lift a battery in to the boat while smiling at you through the entire process.

The lake itself is a miniature version of Bangs Lake, in that there are deep holes next to "clean weedlines". And weeds are where many of the lake's game fish spend their waking hours.

A friend asked me about Independence Lake and what kind of fish are available. I told him he will be blown away by the job the biologists have done there.

You will find muskies, walleye, bass, catfish, perch, and bluegill. Don't expect the lake to be a top muskie location just yet. But the bass have already grown to sizes that will amaze many. I haven't caught any walleyes to date, but I was surprised by the appearance of better-than average crappies.

The aluminum boats are brand new, as are the electric motors. But I'm concerned about the batteries supplied. I had two malfunctions in one day while trying to hold the boat during windy conditions. There is a small tag on the inside of the boat with an emergency telephone number so a person can call for a tow or battery replacement. But what does the average person do if he or she doesn't have a cell phone?

I personally don't think the batteries used are properly re-charged, or in fact, they may be too lightweight in the energy department.

If park attendees behave themselves and don't turn the facility in to their personal dumping ground or damage the rental equipment, Independence Grove will ultimately wind up as a true diamond in the rough.

Fishing heats up with cooler conditionsAll it took was a slight downward variance in the temperature and local anglers started getting back on the water. Personally, I can't remember in recent times when area fishermen had become so inactive because of extreme hot weather.Fox Chain: If muskie hunting is your game on a local level, consider Lake Catherine and Channel Lake now. Top water noise makers could do the trick, especially over the tops of weeds. Try the Petite Lake side of the Spring Lake channel for walleye and muskies, while white bass are very active there as well.Fox River: Decent for panfish just north of the Route 176 bridge.Delavan Lake: Bluegill action continues down at 15 feet right in the weeds.Lake Michigan: Good perching off Waukegan while steelhead are being taken at depths ranging from 75-150 feet down.bull; Mike Jackson can be reached via e-mail at angler88@att.net. His radio program is heard from 6-7 a.m. Sundays on WSBC (AM-1240).