Jackson: As spring season heats up, here are some nearby hotspots
In my somewhat slanted opinion, I hold that many anglers don't want to work hard to locate and subsequently catch fish.
It's unfortunate that far too many souls fail to understand what awaits them and therefore they miss the chance to take advantage of our local lakes and ponds.
I've had countless emails from readers of this column and listeners to my Sunday morning outdoor radio show asking me to pinpoint the ponds and other hot spots where I catch fish.
I always tell those asking that I spend an inordinate amount of time exploring ponds and lakes to find the best panfish action. And I firmly believe it behooves you to motivate yourselves to do likewise.
But you are loyal readers, and so with that mind you deserve the general lowdown on places I frequent.
• The Fox Chain 'O Lakes can be both good and bad.
The good is all about the increasingly better largemouth bass fishing and the muskie hunting on the north-end lakes.
And right now the Spring Lake Channel is holding smallmouth bass, muskies and walleyes.
And believe it or not, I often bring a sandwich, some soft drinks, two spinning rods and a comfortable lawn chair. I'll park myself on the very edge of the C.J. Smith Resort property and just use live bait for bass and walleyes. When the boat traffic is down I'll let my slip floats and leeches go with the current under and near the edges of the Grass Lake Road Bridge. (For more info, call the C.J. Smith Resort at 847-395-2753).
Next up is Lake Catherine on the Chain. It's the northernmost lake, a hop, skip and a float away from the Wisconsin border. This is strictly a boat fishery where muskies and bass preside right in and on weed edges. Launch at Bob's Marina along Route 173.
• Bangs Lake (Wauconda) has a wonderful fishing dock on the northwest section of the lake. Bangs has always been a bass hot spot, and from the fishing pier night angling can produce nice bass and some walleyes on the outside weed edges.
• If you are not a Lake County resident, it will costs a few bucks to get into the park where Lake Independence is located. This Libertyville hot spot has both excellent boat and shore angling spots. Good bass, bluegill and muskie action on this lake.
• One of the Lake County Forest Preserves is a super bass and bluegill lake, Banana Lake. This is a deep lake where bass can grow to 5 pounds. It's located at Route 176 and Fairfield Road in Lakewood Forest Preserve.
• Some ponds in the Hoffman Estates area are loaded with decent largemouth bass, along Route 62.
• Beck Lake in Cook County used to be one of my favorite lakes until poachers made a huge dent in the crappie fishery. If you have a canoe, head for the island and use crank baits for bass and walleye.
• Mallard Lake in DuPage County gets my attention at this time of the year, especially for bass and big bluegills.
• Deep Quarry Lake in DuPage is another decent "pond," with exceptional crappie and bluegill angling from various shore locations.
• And then there's one of my favorites - the Fox River. Right after a heavy rainfall, the Fox has a tendency to give up some decent smallmouth bass close to a number of shoreline locations. Target submerged logs close to the river.
• Contact Mike Jackson at angler88@comcast.net, catch his radio show 7-9 a.m. Sundays on WGCO 1590-AM (live-streamed at www.1590WCGO.com) and get more content at www.mikejacksonoutdoors.com.