Jackson: With fishing season officially open, the best is yet to come

With the 2018 fishing season now officially open. anglers are already working hard to rid themselves of pent-up angst.

But Luggage Man and I chose to push the envelope and charge ahead and figuratively depth charge Lake Geneva's orange-breasted sunfish and dark skinned bluegills.

Guide Billy Heim focused his eyes on a long lineup of docks and piers jutting out into deeper water. But I had suspected that once the sun reached a higher station in the sky and subsequently started bearing down on the wooden and metal dock structures, we would experience a different kind of action. And so it was to be.

Water temperature mixed with that golden array of sun rays is part of the equation. And then we have air temperature sitting above all the other of these magic elements which helps mash together the juices of anglers waiting to fill their livewells.

Late last season, Heim and I had discovered a massive school of bluegill and sunfish just waiting to be teased to the jig. It was a fish on every drop, and some of those 'gills fought our rods like smallmouth bass.

Point of reference.

I ordered a new rod from Grandt Custom Rods late last year. It's the 004 medium-light spinning model. With 4-pound mono spooled on a small Pflueger reel, that day wound up providing enough fish action for a squad of anglers.

And it was close to a repeat performance just days ago only the fish were in shallow water. And Luggage Man and Heim as well as me were extremely happy to repeat the catch-and-release process.

The exact same thing happened on the Fox Chain (where there isn't any closed seasons), only the largemouth bass and muskies have been raiding the nests of the pre-spawners, with great success I might add. The term pre-spawner could be applied to any fish species ready to transfer elevated trains at Belmont for a subway version and a ride through some pretty dangerous territory.

David P. emailed me that he believes muskie hunters from neighboring Wisconsin should be taxed an extra C-note ($100) just to allow them the privilege of throwing their jumbo lures into the vast areas of the Fox Chain. And don't forget the pollution their boats spew into the pristine waters of Lake Catherine.

That would never fly of course, especially for Illinois state lawmakers whose pockets would vibrate with envy while some would work their little backsides off burning the midnight oil trying to find ways (aside from charging the interlopers money for an out-of-state license).

Lake Geneva welcomes all with open arms. The lake's willingness to open up its cavernous watery holes where the big boys live is legendary to those of us looking to celebrate spring with an old fashion bluegill and crappie cookout.

But of course there are the minions of grumpy ones who prefer to stick it out of the Fox Chain and see what surprises will be bestowed upon them.

• Contact Mike Jackson at angler88@comcast.net, catch his radio show 7-9 a.m. Sundays on WGCO 1590-AM (livestreamed at www.1590WCGO.com) and get more content at www.mikejacksonoutdoors.com.