Jackson: High water has its benefits

My sleight-of-hand routine isn't working; my complicated illusion act is tired and worn.

It's not easy being green, blue or even pure white. And those metaphors relate to the way some anglers try and keep themselves busy by catching fish.

My metaphors pertain to the good smallmouth fishing that can be had right now on the upper-Fox River near Elgin and Batavia.

Fishing pal Ken Darga was kind enough to share his techniques for smallmouth bass on the Fox.

A simple small hook and a medium-size minnow and a small weight about a dozen inches above the hook.

Vertically jig that hookup right near the bank and even close to submerged tree stumps and pipes.

I recently wrote about catching a variety of different fish species on the upper-Fox just over the state line, yards north of Highway 50. If the banks look solid and the water level hasn't spilled over them try fishing the slack-water areas for bass and catfish.

Another possibility is some bank angling on Nippersink Creek. This tiny waterway rushes past and under Rt. 12. Small jigs like a Mini-Mite (1/16 oz.) dropped into the slack-water areas is a good start.

If your tastes run to heavy-duty bluegill fishing I suggest you try Deep Quarry Lake on Army Trail Road.

Bu my first choice continues to be the larger industrial park ponds where bass and bluegill abound.

I found some new spots in Itasca and Glen Ellyn.

I have always advocated exploratory trips to the west and northwest suburbs. That's how I found these "treasure" spots.

I admit I have been chastised for not pinpointing the exact locations of these ponds. My contention is far too often once I identify these places they become over run and abused.

Because of the recent storms that raced through northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, water levels on some lakes without a significant outflow have experienced a slightly higher water level.

And if you don't have a boat, an easy-to-get-to panfish spot is the Lynn Township pier on Lake Geneva.

The trick there is to get to this spot either very early before the boats start to launch or work the night bite with surface lures when all you have to contend with are the mosquitoes

I've taken two friends there for some nighttime bass fishing right at the launch. They were pleasantly surprised and elated. But again, this was basically shore fishing, at its best I might add.

You say you've given up on Axehead and Belleau Lakes in your quest for rainbow trout. These lakes have extremely warm water temperatures.

If there are any trout left chances are you will find them deep on the pond's bottom or near the bottom. But if bluegills are on your menu, keep walking around the shore flipping fly rod poppers; Min-Mites tipped with wax worms, and any other micro-jig available. Bluegill and sunfish most times seem to be eager eaters.

• Contact Mike Jackson at angler88@comcast.net, catch his radio show 7-9 a.m. Sundays on WGCO 1590-AM (live-streamed at www.1590WCGO.com) and get more content at www.mikejacksonoutdoors.com.