Articles filed under Outdoors

• Walleyes for Tomorrow making a stand todayMay 15, 2013 12:00 AM
  Clubs like Walleyes Unlimited, Salmon Unlimited, the Illinois Smallmouth Alliance and all the state and local muskie groups and bass clubs, as well as Walleyes For Tomorrow, deserve more than a casual attaboy and a pat on the back.
  

   

• State fishing tournament rescheduled May 9, 2013 12:00 AM
  The Illinois high school bass fishing state tournament has been rescheduled after dangerous water levels on Carlyle Lake forced it to be postponed. The Illinois High School Association said Thursday that the competition will be May 31 to June 1. The tournament was to be May 3-4 on the lake in southern Illinois.
  

   
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  Watching a fishing master make sweet music May 8, 2013 12:00 AM
  
  

   

• Latest Florida discovery: new black bass species May 8, 2013 12:00 AM
  In his weekly Outdoors Notebook, Mike Jackson reports on a new species of black bass discovered by scientists, and how dogs are going to be used in Minnesota to sniff out the dreaded zebra mussels.
  

   

• Fishing’s good business for Minnesota May 2, 2013 12:00 AM
  It's really no surprise at all, since fishing is a tremendous cash-cow business in Minnesota. According to a new survey data released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the anglers who enjoy Minnesota's sky-blue waters are a powerful engine for the state's economy.
  

   

• Wisconsin DNR: Reward offered in bear decapitation May 2, 2013 12:00 AM
  
  

   
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  Warming up to new friends on an old pier May 2, 2013 12:00 AM
  Finally, mild weather, and the opportunity to sample some great shorefishing on Lake Michigan along Government Pier in Waukegan.
  

   

• High water sinks IHSA state bass fishing finals May 1, 2013 12:00 AM
  The Illinois High School Association has announced that the 2013 IHSA Bass Fishing state final tournament, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, May 3-4 at Carlyle Lake in Carlyle, has been postponed due to potentially dangerous water levels. It will be rescheduled to unfold in downstate Carlyle later this spring.
  

   

• State IHSA bass fishing championship postponedMay 1, 2013 12:00 AM
  The Illinois High School Association has announced that the 2013 IHSA Bass Fishing State Final Tournament, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, May 3-4 at Carlyle Lake in Carlyle, has been postponed due to potentially dangerous water levels and will be rescheduled to unfold in Carlyle later this spring.
  

   
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  Old Christmas trees make new homes for Baker’s Lake birds Apr 30, 2013 12:00 AM
  Citizens for Conservation volunteers and Cook County Forest Preserve Police and Crabtree Nature Center staff made the annual trek across Baker's Lake in Barrington, bringing Christmas trees to the island heron rookery. The trees create a nesting habitat for the hundreds of heron and cormorant families that will make the rookery home this year.
  

   

• Coast Guard boat safety checks offered Apr 29, 2013 12:00 AM
  The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is offering free vessel safety checks to all boaters to look for problems and ensure each meets the minimum state and federal safety requirements. Two exam sessions will be held from 10 a.m. until finished on Saturday, May 19, and Sunday, May 25, at Bald Knob Marina, 515 Bald Knob Road in Johnsburg.
  

   
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  Has Des Plaines River flood prevention stalled?Apr 28, 2013 12:00 AM
  Nearly 27 years since the twin deluges of 1986 and 1987 set new flooding records affecting thousands of homes and businesses, only three of the six flood control projects proposed by the Army Corps of Engineers have been acted upon. Among the flood control projects that remain is the proposed expansion of Big Bend Lake reservoir in Des Plaines, one of the areas hardest hit by the April 17 storm.
  

   

• New maps show where the Asian carp are Apr 26, 2013 12:00 AM
  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Illinois Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Geological Survey have released current data on the presence of bighead carp and silver carp at all life stages, as well as black carp and grass carp occurrences, in the Mississippi River, Ohio River and Great Lakes.
  

   

• Even on fishing shows, how you speak matters Apr 24, 2013 12:00 AM
  Fishing shows on TV seem to be trending toward the rest of reality TV, where contrived language and behavior in the norm. That might make sense for ratings, but it doesn't mean it's any easier for the average outdoors enthusiast to stomach.
  

   
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  Be careful — you may not be legally covered with umbrella rigs Apr 17, 2013 12:00 AM
  Umbrella rigs, also known as Alabama Rigs, are a relatively new innovation in bass fishing. But Illinois has stringent regulations about how this multiple-lure approach can be employed.
  

   

• Ralph Frese memorial canoe trip is Sunday Apr 12, 2013 12:00 AM
  A canoe trip to honor the legacy of Ralph Frese will begin at 10 a.m. Sunday on the North Branch of the Chicago River.
  

   

• First year rowing club a big hit for St. Charles students Apr 11, 2013 12:00 AM
  D. Tyler Miller spent his youth and college years as a competitive rower developing his shoulders, lats and legs. Now he’s got your back.
  

   

• The verdict is in, and it’s time to go fishing Apr 10, 2013 12:00 AM
  Yes, ready or not, the fishing season is here and off and running.
  

   

• Big fun right now chasing shallow-water browns Apr 10, 2013 12:00 AM
  Have we angered the weather gods? Is there a possibility some outer space planetary misalignment is causing this country to suffer through the constant, never-ending stinky weather? April flowers have yet to bring smiles to our weather-beaten faces. But there is one note of happiness afoot: Gargantuan brown trout have been visiting our coastal waters.
  

   

• Suggestions for fishing destinations far and near Apr 3, 2013 12:00 AM
  I used to keep track of the emails asking me where "they" should go for a fishing vacation? But I lost count after the tally soared way past 500. And here's the really important factor to all of this. My opinion and tastes could very well be much different from the views of others. For example, I would rarely concentrate on walleyes over big northern pike and monster Canadian lake trout. But to put the questions to rest, at least for the time being, here are my suggestions.