Outdoors notes with Mike Jackson

I never thought I would utter the words “good riddance” to the cold weather gear and the ice tent, but it has been a long and arduous spell of fighting off the cold, snow and frustration.

Of course the harsh weather we just experienced was the same kind of conditions I faced as a kid in Chicago when I trudged to school on foot with a nose dripping every inch of the way.

Here’s the latest report on local fishing conditions:

Fox Chain: Stay off the Chain if you think you can sneak one final ice outing. It’s not safe.

Fox River: There’s some walleye action just below the McHenry Dam, but current is fierce. Work the slack-water pools and use live bait.

Forest preserves: Trout fishing in Cook and other surrounding counties is supposed to kick off April 2, if all the stocking has occurred.

Lake Michigan: The spring Coho Derby sponsored by Henry Sports takes place Saturday at the Adler Planetarium. The event kicks off at 6:30 in the morning. In the meantime brown and rainbow trout fishing is rapidly picking up in Waukegan.

Mike’s new e-mail is: angler88@comcast.net. His radio program is heard from 6-7 a.m. Sundays, on WSBC, AM-1240.