Local lakes are primed for a big year

There are many reasons the Illinois Department of Natural Resources continues to improve fishing conditions on the Fox Chain.

One of the deciding factors is there are enough people in the area to support the local economies circling the Chain.

From big boats to small prams, on any given weekend day one can find enough angling action to write home about.

I know I'll hear about this but the clear water in Lake Catherine plays host to some big muskies and walleyes. Try fishing this gem at night.

Some locals would prefer I hide my head in the sand and keep quiet about big game fish on Catherine. In fact, at any given time much of the Chain can and will give up some heft fish surprising the person holding the rod and reel.

And there are quite a few war stories, so to speak, that trickle their way through many of the Chain's lakes.

Take, for example, the southern sections of the Spring Lake Channel.

I once had a caller to my radio show pertaining to muskies. He wanted to know where he could catch a decent-sized toothy critter. This was just before the Chain muskie rules were changed to a 49-inch minimum.

Without hesitating I suggested he hunt the weed edges on the Spring Lake Channel, especially under a grouping of willow trees. He called back two weeks later and in a very excited voice he explained how he went t the willows, worked the weed edges and would up catching a 40-inch muskie.

An almost duplicate sage evolved from a reader who read my advice about Lake Catherine. He launched his boat there, slowly glided to a thick weed bed close to the launch and nailed two big muskies. The very same guy also managed to find and land some big bass and walleyes as well.

I once found myself the targe f some very harsh criticism following months of columns I wrote about Bangs Lake in Wauconda.

My late fishing pal Roger and I kept a log of the number of largemouth bass over 5 pounds we caught using Little Action Mac rigged plastic worms. Roger urged me to spill the beans about the fantastic bassing we encountered. I held off for an entire season, and when I put the words down on paper and published a column I got hammered with complaints from locals living on and near the lake.

The locals told me they didn't want any more boat and angling traffic disturbing their fishing mecca. And, yet, we continue to get charged a hefty fee by the village for the lake's upkeep, weed control and stocking. Bangs Lake is considered a public body of water once you fork over a user's fee.

The same hold trues for the Fox Chain where all boaters are charged a heavy buck for using the waterway. And because the Chain has some of the heaviest boat traffic in the country, some state and local lawmakers tried to dismantle the Fox Waterway Agency, claiming it's nothing more than an unnecessary bureaucracy.

And, yet, the fishing gets better every year despite the poaching and rule-breaking.

So, what's the big deal about local fishing?

People who earn a living by guiding anglers are thrilled with the increasing quality of the fishery. Some tackle shop operators are willing to share hot spots because they know customers will return for more bait, gear and secret information.

What else can we ask for?

• Mike Jackson can be heard 8 to 9 a.m. Sundays on WCGO-AM 1590.