Montana's tourism pitch worth trying in Illinois
Perhaps the tourism folks in Montana should ship some of their brainy breakfast food to the the Illinois Tourism Agency so they can see what real promotions are about.
Montana Tourism ran a supplement in the New Yorker magazine recently touting the virtues of that ultra-beautiful state. Included in the ad was the promotion of Montana's wonderful fishing and hunting opportunities.
Granted, here in Illinois we also have great fishing and hunting, sans towering mountains, cold, clear trout streams, giant brown bears, tremendous rafting opportunities, and exquisite camp sites.
Our "Million Miles from Monday" commercials manage to show snippets of video depicting hikers traversing the trails in Starved Rock State Park, along with the rugged outdoor activity of shopping on Michigan Avenue.
And with all the hue and cry about Illinois not being able to pay its bills while being heavily in debt, state lawmakers have yet to tell the tourism folks here that billions can be made by telling out-of-staters that we have muskie fishing that rivals our nearby neighbors.
We also have walleye, bass, world-class salmon and perching, coupled to some of the heaviest and largest white tail deer in the Midwest.
What part of the phrase "cash cow" is not being understood by those who continue to ignore what many have been saying for a lot of years?
Internet arrest: An Oregan man had to come up with $10,000 in fines after he was convicted of poaching big game near his father's home in Trout Creek, Montana.
Here's the rub. Both father and son were pictured on a website with their illegal kills (seven deer and two elk). The father was fined $5,000 and both men lost their license to hunt for five years.
Could the pair qualify for the Darwin Awards?
Fishing update: The lines are very tight right now.
Fox Chain: Walleye angling is getting better every day, with good catches from current areas on the connecting Spring Lake channel northward out of Petite Lake. Crappie angling holding its own on Petite and Fox Lake, with excellent bluegill action on Pistakee Lake.
Fox River: Improved smallmouth action at South Elgin, Geneva and Batavia. Both shore and wading anglers scoring.
Lake Delavan, WI: Guide Spence Petros reports the lake's largemouth population has turned on, with very good catches in shallow water.
Illinois River: Both white bass and sauger being taken at the mouth of the Vermillion. Larger sauger and some walleye found on the flats west of Starved Rock.
Lake Michigan: Good perching at Montrose Harbor. Some smallies being caught near the South Shore Country Club. Coho salmon found at 45-feet down off Diversey.
• Mike Jackson can be reached via e-mail at angler88@att.net