Small lakes, old favorites equal spring fishing success
Some neighbors of mine were hanging out of the second-story windows, ranting and raving that they'd had enough of the cold, nasty weather.
One guy looked down at me as I climbed into my truck and yelled, "You dolt. You had to be poetic and write that column about cabin fever!"
I ran back inside my house. He acted as if I was responsible for groundhog dysfunction.
Not true, of course. And I think I have a good remedy for the ills of being cooped up for so long.
It always happens in spring with me. I drag out a small tackle box, pick out a half-dozen lures, and swear an oath while holding my trusty, old Abu-Garcia 5000-C in my left hand.
The oath goes something like this: "I promise to focus on those smaller lakes and carry a tackle box that won't throw my back into spasms."
Those six lures were oldies, and yet they were my high-confidence baits that always produced fish. You may have your own "specials," but the following are my go-to teasers that generate thrilling electricity.
The first one is an old Heddon Basser, topwater chugger. Next is the Pop-R surface plug; then there's a one-eighth-ounce Panther Martin spinner with a silver blade; followed by a large, SnagProof Frogzilla in dark green.
Of course there's the old reliable, Little Action Mac, pre-rigged plastic worm; and then there's the one-eighth-ounce Mini-Mite jig; followed by the generational standard, a Rapala minnow bait.
Hooker Lake is a small body of water just over the state line in Wisconsin. It's basically underfished and will provide an angler with a day's worth of solid bass and bluegill thrills.
Skokie Lagoon is much closer for many readers. Located in Glencoe and Winnetka, this Cook County Forest Preserve reservoir has seen its ups and downs, all because of poaching and flooding conditions.
Like Hooker, the Skokie Lagoon is very easy to fish, especially from shore, and the bounty is endless.
One summer day several years ago, I went to Hooker late in the afternoon and stayed until the sun went down. My friend's 12-foot jon boat and electric motor took us around lily pads and weedlines. Our surface lures brought largemouth up from the deeper weed pockets. We counted 27 bass in a two-hour period.
Skokie Lagoon has quite a few man-made fish attractors in the form of "cribs," and some of the largest bluegills I've caught in this area like to hang out around these structures. The Mini-Mites easily dredged them up.
Lake Independence in Libertyville is a feather in the cap for the Lake County Forest Preserve District. Quality management there has paid off to the delight of many fishermen. This body of water can be navigated in one of the rental boats. And when a muskie surfaces to grab one of your baits like it did with mine, you'll thank me some time in the future.
Busse Lake gets a lot of fishing pressure and poaching, and yet it still holds promise for both the shore and boat angler. Once named as one of the 10 best bass lakes in northern Illinois, Busse will occasionally give up some decent walleyes and largemouth, primarily under higher water conditions.
You don't need a lot of hardware to score on the smaller lakes and ponds, but you will need to dedicate some time to explore all the potential hot spots that could reward you with excellent fishing pictures of your catches.