Sure-fire results (and fun) with fishing guide Baker

I just finished with a major bout of the flu, and my palms were itching.

It was another case of hypocabinectus feverus, a January malady that hits me like a freight train this time every year.

Even though I'll be at the Donald Stephens Convention Center this week for the Chicagoland Outdoors Show hoping to see old friends, the hankering was to be on the ice with Darrell Baker swapping jabs and catching fat crappie and walleye.

If Baker has a break in his guiding schedule, you will probably get a chance to meet this character in the Grandt Custom Rod booth at the show.

There are a lot of fine guides in the area who are good at their job, and Baker happens to be one of them. His uncanny ability to locate schooled fish, both in the wintertime as well as the soft water season has become a talking point among area anglers looking to cash in on the bounty of the Fox Chain O' Lakes.

And even if you've never ventured out on to the ice, Baker will skillfully show you how to fish comfortably.

Not too long ago Spence Petros, Baker and I were set up on an area near Lake Catherine. Catherine and Channel Lake are two of my favorites in the Chain because these two bodies of water seem to hold big fish, including everything from muskies to jumbo crappies and walleye.

We had about a dozen holes drilled in a circular pattern. Some of the holes were right over green weed patches, while others were located a foot or two away from the salad.

Baker had scoped out the area the day before and indicated we may hit the crappie mother lode. And sure enough, he was right on target.

On numerous occasions you've read in this column how Baker's instincts helped provide his customers with fabulous days on the water and ice. Right after I introduced Petros to Baker, Petros told me on the way home that Baker is one of the those rare birds who has a natural talent once he starts his hunt for fish. He always manages to find 'em and catch 'em.

And it was like that every time we had been with him.

There were numerous outings when the bigger walleyes came to the net under Baker's direction. Even though I thought I had a very good working knowledge of the Chain and where to find fish, both in the warm months and threw the ice, I will gladly yield to Baker's uncanny ability to make his customers happy campers.

Back to that day with Petros and the few others who were in our group ice fishing.

Our buckets quickly filled with chunky crappie and bluegill, along with some "eater" walleyes tossed in for good measure. The action came quickly. The yelling and laughter followed.

Baker is a tireless fishing machine who makes sure his customers have a wonderful day in the ice shelter or in his roomy fishing boat. I've never heard any report of an unhappy client in the long time I've known Baker.

But the skeptics still abound.

I've had a number of fishermen complain to me that northern Illinois will never compare to many Wisconsin lakes, in that anglers will stand a better chance of scoring big time over the border.

That could very well be true in certain cases. But the bottom line is that Baker's Midwest Guide Service has never stopped amassing an ever-growing customer list.

The proof is in the catching, mixed in with a lot of fun and learning as a couple of side dishes.

• Darrell Baker can be reached at (847) 337-5559.

angler@mikejacksonoutdoors.com