Sarley: This is a great time of year to go fishing, no matter the weather

One of the bonuses of being an Illinois resident who fishes is that there is no closed season for fishing. Unlike our neighboring states, we can fish 52 weeks a year. Now, whether we do that is usually predicated by our fast-changing weather.

Mother Nature has thrown us a well-appreciated curve ball by sending us unexpected temperatures in the 60s. That makes the thought of going fishing a no-brainer. Unfortunately, a lot of us had already put our open water gear into winter storage and started hauling out our ice fishing gear. Mistake!

This is a great time to go fishing. I believe in fishing on open water right up to the time that the first ice of winter forms on our lakes and ponds.

The biggest fish of the year are usually caught in the spring of the year and then in the fall, leading into winter. In the fall the fish gorge themselves with food so they can be kept nourished through the winter when their metabolisms slow down. They start feeding voraciously again in the spring to replenish the weight they've lost in the winter.

Fish tend to not read instruction manuals, so there are always exceptions to most rules. Obviously, fish feed all year, but spring and fall are your best times to catch the biggest fish. Check with a taxidermist and they'll tell you now is the time for big ones.

Next week, when the temps go back to our normal cold, it's still fishing time. It takes some fortitude to go fishing when the weather is in the 30s and 40s, but if you don't take advantage of opportunities, you are missing out.

Dress appropriately and hit the water whenever possible. I keep a rod, reel and small tackle box in my car with me at all times. I'm notorious for being late for dinner because I often see an interesting pond in the area that I just have to toss a few casts into. I recommend that.

Where to go, you might ask? I think you should try waterways that you are familiar with. We have less and less precious daylight to enjoy, and I hate to waste it searching for spots. I like the tried-and-true for this time of year.

When first ice forms, you'll find that the fish are stacked up in shallow water. That's because the fish are currently staging in shallow water. preparing for ice. I think that's a great clue for finding them right now.

If you have a boat, you ought to be casting toward shore, rather than to the middle of the lake. That said, this is a time of year that bank fishermen can do just as well or better than boaters can. No boat is no excuse for not fishing.

Live bait normally outproduces artificials, but right now, the fish are less picky, so lures do fine. I generally use darker colors in the fall but that isn't a hard and fast rule, just a personal preference. Your retrieve speed needs to be varied. In spring a slow retrieve is a must. Right now, you need to mix it up. Keep changing speeds until you find the right pace that triggers action.

No matter how you do it, doing it is the most important thing. Remember that you won't catch any fish in your living room.

Now let's go catch some fish.

• Daily Herald Outdoors columnist Steve Sarley can be reached at sarfishing@yahoo.com.