Finding the spots is both hard work and fun

Paul K. sent an e-mail that stopped me cold in my tracks. Here's part of what he wrote:

"I keep reading your stories about all the great local and area fishing spots you work, but it's rare that you hardly ever mention the exact locations."

Alright, here's how I defend myself.

It was perhaps 10 years ago when I wrote about the fantastic crappie angling I shared with the late Buck Squancho, Ken Darga, and photographer Mike Seeling. It was a cold morning at the start of spring. The location was a public pond near a housing development in Schaumburg. Our group caught and released about 30 slab crappies. All we wanted to do is prove to ourselves that many of the local ponds and lakes held big numbers of catchable fish.

But when I published the story here in this column, some angler recognized the area and pond in question, and in two days the place looked like a tornado touched down. Not only that, homeowners complained to authorities that quite a few people trespassed across their property to get to the park and pond.

I once wrote about an evening of muskie fishing on Lake Catherine and how a group of three boats managed to raise several fish. I was chastised by a so-called muskie expert for telling readers where to find some big muskies. In that same vein I also reported one time that several anglers had caught and released muskies measuring 50 inches. This person demanded that I don't publicize "that kind of stuff," because he wanted the action all to himself.

I usually carry a couple rods with me in my truck, with one being a fly rod and the other a medium action spinning rod. I also have a small backpack filled with various plastic baits, including Little Action Mac worms. I am always driving by large and small ponds in the suburbs. Quite often I'll stop and investigate whether or not there are any "No Trespassing" or "No Fishing" signs. If the coast is clear I'll spend a little time testing the water.

When I write about pond fishing I often mention that I'm working these small bodies of water in either industrial parks or housing complexes. Because I believe my readers are highly intelligent, I assume that if they want to try and duplicate my efforts, they too will search out their own little hot spots.

But I've also discovered some folks want me to take them by the hand and lead them to the promised land.

Bangs Lake in Wauconda is a perfect example of what I am describing.

I used to keep a boat there and would fish that lake three times a week for bass and crappie. At night I would look for the big walleyes. I wrote about those outings and before long the shoreline areas would be loaded with garbage and quite a few dead fish. To be more blunt, some anglers are greedy pigs.

I used to fish Skokie Lagoon in Glencoe on a regular basis and catch nice panfish and bass, until poachers came there and vacuumed this once great body of water. I once found a copy of my column there left under a tree, the one where I reported how great the angling was on the Lagoon.

But I still hold to the fact that many fishermen are true sportsmen and will not invade the sanctity of private property, or pillage and plunder a once wonderful spot like Busse Lake.

So to answer Paul K. with specificity, check the public ponds in western Hoffman Estates. Try any rock-rimmed retention ponds in Itasca, and see if you can target the jumbo crappies at Deep Quarry in DuPage County.

Maybe there are some fish left there, but it's up to you to do the work.

Now, that should hold you for a while.