Illinois
Opening day: Irregular convergence of Chicago smelt netting, Illinois’ inland trout & Heidecke Lake
An irregular trifecta comes Saturday round Chicago fishing.
Fishing reopens at Heidecke Lake and smelt netting opens in Chicago. This yr, Illinois’ spring inland-trout season, which opens on the primary Saturday in April, opens the identical day. The final Saturday, April 1, got here in 2017, earlier than that it was 2006.
• Smelt netting seems to be to proceed as a shadow of a Chicago custom.
Ralph Tinley, a analysis fisheries biologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, emailed: ‘‘Our surveys point out that numbers of enormous smelt are nonetheless very low relative to historic densities. Biomass density estimates had been 0.29 from the acoustic survey and 0.12 from the autumn bottom-trawl survey, effectively under the common worth from 1973-1993, as listed by the underside trawl (3.7 kilograms/hectare). Nothing from our surveys would point out a special pattern in southern Lake Michigan.’’
Solely three smelt had been caught within the spring gill-net surveys, emailed Vic Santucci, the Lake Michigan program supervisor for the Illinois Division of Pure Assets.
The final rainbow smelt I noticed netted on opening evening on the Chicago lakefront was on April 1, 2019, by “Jumbo Jimmy” Baczek and his group east of the Shedd Aquarium.
• Requested what fish would star at Heidecke, district fisheries biologist Seth Love emailed: ‘‘It’s onerous to decide on only one! I believe anglers needs to be glad with many of the sport fish at Heidecke. If I needed to nail down three species, I’d in all probability say smallmouth bass, walleye and hybrid striped bass.’’
Ninety-six p.c of grownup walleye within the fall survey had been legal-sized, and seven% had been longer than 25 inches. Dimension distribution of surveyed hybrid stripers shifted down (possibly associated to tough situations), however catch price was six occasions greater. Smallmouth had a record-high catch price within the survey, with 56% of grownup fish longer than 14 inches.
Muskie — one other authorized of 48.1 inches and 34 kilos was caught within the 2022 spring survey — white bass and crappie additionally look good.
• The standard websites across the space for spring trout are listed within the Midwest Fishing Report. These 16 and older want a fishing license and a trout stamp. The day by day restrict is 5.
• Bear in mind, 2023 fishing licenses are required starting Saturday across the 4 Lake Michigan states.
Final yr was a special opener for inland trout as present by Finn Sanaxay along with his rainbow trout within the snow.
Variable season
Morel reviews in Illinois stalled with current climate. However the Friday development map on the Illinois Morel Mushrooms Fb web page had a discover as far north as Marion County. . . . My first spinach sprouts popped Friday. . . . On Friday, Curt Pazdro messaged a photograph of a discovered shed antler in Channahon. On Sunday, Jeff Norris texted a trail-camera photograph of a buck within the western suburbs nonetheless sporting huge antlers.
Shed antler in Channahon.
Stray forged
Playing speak takes over because the change-the-station subject on sports activities radio. It’s just like what excessive, soiled water and a chilly entrance do to fishing.