It's easy to get youngsters involved

My daughter Melissa still enjoys a day in the boat catching crappies and bass.

I got her started with rod and reel when she was a tiny squirt, barely able to hold the rig when I plied the wonderful waters of Lake Minnetonka just west of Minneapolis. And when a big northern pike grabbed the minnow on the end of her line, she proceeded to scream with delight as she battled the creature of the deep.

My two other daughters didn't have the zeal Melissa displayed, but they enjoyed being out there catching fish.

I penned these words after discussing the future of angling with a writer in California who complained that the fishing industry has done a poor job of getting today's youth into the sport.

I told Mark Longley that he must be wearing blinders, because here in the Midwest I have seen an upswing of kids taking up rods and reels.

I refuse to enter into conversations and debates with people opposed to fishing and hunting. My experience has shown me that some of them have never heard the squeals of a 5-year-old bringing in her first fish. Perhaps their joy comes from feasting on soy cakes and watercress sandwiches.

Local angler Scott Schaefer recently took his 3-year-old son Nicholas to the Fox Chain for a day of angling with guide Darrell Baker. Scott is a regular customer and generally goes out with Baker two or three times a week. He decided to bring young Nick along to expose him to this wonderful sport.

A couple weeks back, Nick managed to show up Dad when Nick fought and landed a 27-inch walleye on Lake Marie. There's a picture of Nick hanging on the bragging board at Barnacle Bob's Resort. Nick is holding the fish up for the camera just before it was released.

Now Nick wants to go with Dad every time he mentions Baker's name.

Paul Vangas has similar stories about his daughter Stacy after she caught her first crappie on Bangs Lake.

"She's 9 years old and has bugged me for over a year to take her fishing," Vangas explained. "After she landed her first bass, nothing could keep her in the house when she knew I was heading for Bangs.

I hear dozens of such stories every month. When hunting season rolls around, similar tales fill my e-mail box.

I pass these to you because I implore you to take some steps to get your children involved in these great activities and away from the computer games and constant text messaging that has spread like poison ivy.

And speaking of involvement, Illinois will celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Days on Sept. 22-23 with two festival events. The Northern Illinois National Hunting and Fishing Days event will be held at Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area near Yorkville, with the Southern Illinois celebration at John A. Logan College in Carterville.

There's nothing fancy at these free festivals. When you bring the family, you'll see hands-on activities for all ages, including archery, BB gun and trap-shooting ranges, fly tying and casting demonstrations, and a fishing pond for youngsters.

There will also be dock dog and field dog demonstrations, a 5,000-gallon fish tank, angling and casting demonstrations, a re-enactment encampment, and a variety of seminars on hunting, fishing and trapping. Don't let this great opportunity slip through your fingers.

For more details, call (630) 940-4807 or (630) 553-6297.

Hunting update

The 2007 Illinois Resident Youth Deer Hunt is Oct. 6-7 for young hunters who have a valid permit issued by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for the specific county they plan to hunt.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich gave his nod to a new law that expanded the scope of Illinois deer hunting, which opens the youth hunt to all counties except Cook, DuPage, Lake and a portion of Kane County east of Illinois Route 47. The new law also allows youth deer hunt participants with valid permit to take antlerless or antlered deer.

• The early Illinois teal season ends Sunday and several observers reported that the results have been dismal. Even though there are still blue and green wing teal in the area, the largest number of these fleet-winged waterfowl already have passed through the state on their way to their winter grounds.

Fishing update

Lake Michigan: King salmon abound around a long stretch of the lakefront with shore and boat anglers taking their fair share. Good action off Diversey Harbor, Montrose, Wilmette, Waukegan and Winthrop Harbor. Brown trout activity slowly picking up as well.

Fox Chain: Fishing continues to improve every day on Lake Marie with good catches of crappie and white bass. Muskies have been on the prowl on Lake Catherine, and largemouth have been busting the surface chasing poppers and Zara Spooks.

Fox River: Reports trickling in sat that smallmouth action continues just south of the Kimball Street bridge, South Elgin, Batavia and Geneva. Tiny jigs and spinners working well in shallow water.

Bangs Lake: The bass bite is on again here with larger fish taken at midday on plastic baits.