Chicago Fishing Reports

Daily updates on the fishing in Lake Michigan, posted by Captain Gintas.

You can search the Captain's Blog or browse the archives.

  • Come and Get Them While They are Hot!

    05/17/2012

    It's been an exciting week to be fishing just off-shore of Chicago. The Cohos and Kings, with a few Lake Trout are still slamming my lures like they haven't eaten in two weeks! The bigger fish are coming on my lead lines (10 colors) with various spoons and down-riggers between 45 feet down and the bottom. I am still running 10 Yellow-Birds with dodgers and small flies, which are running just below the surface for the Cohos.We have been taking our limit on every Charter.

             The perch have moved into casting range of the shore angler. Anywhere outside of the Harbors has Perch that are being taken on all the usual stuff. Minnows, crabs, jigs, Shad-raps. 

    There are a few weekend dates left in June so all you need is 6 people to pack a lunch, grab your cooler filled wirh youe favorite beverage (most guys bring beer), $120 each for 6 hors and I clean your fish.    

  • Incredible Fishing out of Chicago?,,,,YES!!!!!!

    05/12/2012

    This week the fish have been putting on plenty of miles, There were Kings and Browns being taken off the Horseshoe at Montrose, but the next morning the whole school moved 3 miles out. By this morning we had to spend our time fishing from 50 to 100 feet of water, but still caught our limit. Surface patterns with tiny flies and a dodger with 1 ounce of lead is sufficient for the Yellow-birds. The Kings were hitting spoons down 45 to 55 feet, while the Lake Trout were right on the bottom where they should be. BTW  last week they were hitting my surface Coho baits.

  • Grand Slam in Chicago

    05/06/2012

    The fishing just off-shore of Chicago is as good as  it can get this Spring. In the past few days we have been fishing in 22 to 40 feet of water, depending on the cloud cover. I have been running 10 Yellow-birds, 4 Dipsy-divers, 4 Down-riggers and a Lead-line down the middle, so when I get over a school all Hell breaks lose. Multiple fish on is a blast!  The Lake Trout have been committing suicide and eating everything, including my surface baits that are for the Cohos. Time to pick a date and get 6 people together, $750 for 6 people, 6 hours, I take care of the rest.   

  • Finding the Bait is Key to finding the Fish

    04/26/2012

    Trolling outside of Chicago is truly a magnificent experience because of the skyline coming right out of Lake Michigan looking like giant mountains in the fog, and not to mention, the spectacular fishing to be had.  There are Lake trout ,Browns, and Steelhead feeding on Gobies at the crib-line. Spoons near the bottom that resemble a Gobie work best. The Salmon are out deeper feeding on the Alewives and hitting on the surface with planner boards on tiny flies. I  run 10 Yellow-Birds, 4 Dipsy Divers, 5 riggers with spoons. This maximizes the amount of action we get when I locate the fish.

    The Walleye have finished spawning and have droped back into a little deeper/safer, water, Couldn't sleep last night so I got my waders out and drove to my Lake. It was 11pm when I stepped into the water, 26 inch Walleye on third cast!   Caught my limit again and got home before it got too late, have to fish in the day for a living. Weekends are going fast, but Monday thru Thursday I am giving  a $100 discount!

     

  • Strangest Weather Ever!

    04/25/2012

    There are so many different species of fish just waiting to be caught. The trick is where?, when?, how?   I have the most amazing job, fishing for money in Chicago. On my days off I fish for fun and recently have been fishing hot water discharges in the Southern basin. Unfortunately only one has shore access, but with a boat you can get right up into them. Worms and minnows are great options to maximize action, but casting lures usually gets the larger fish. Smallies, Walleye, Perch, Whitefish, Cohos, Browns, Steelhead, are in these discharges eating and getting fat just waiting for your lure to swim by. Gobies are excellent bait and should be tried (use only the small ones).    

  • Weird Season so far

    04/16/2012

    This time of the year is real tough on me because I am running Charters during the day, or getting equipment ready for the next day, and at night fishing for these Walleyes.My girlfriend says I love Walleye and Salmon more than her. It has been an obsession for over twenty years fishing for the Lake Michigan Walleyes. They come out of the Lake in the Winter to run up the few rivers we have in our area, My friend Kris and I have caught countless Walleye near ten pounds and some way over in our pursuit for the State Record. 13 ponders are caught and not uncommon. Had some thunder today so the fish will be in shock for a few days. Probably going to get some regular sleep tonight.     

  • Walleye Post Spawn Feeding Frenzy

    04/14/2012

    Last night we left later than usual, so we got to the lake at 11:30 PM . (My favorite lakes are those that require a long walk, or bike ride in, so it's not easy to access for the general public). My first cast was interrupted by a huge splash  just off to my left (I am knee deep with my waders on), it was just a beaver. I was fishing a sandy , wind blown, underwater sandbar, and casting a HJ8 searching for some fish when, during a pause in my retrieve, a fish sucked my bait in. It was a 28 inch Walleye, male. Released a 30 inch female, and  two  29 inch males and kept 4 of the smaller males for a fish-fry.  Lakes that have allot of houses on them, along with boat traffic, are best fished way after dark! These fish were in knee deep water!  At 3 AM the action picked up and only got better as it got later.  

  • Spring Lake Trout Fishing?!

    04/13/2012

    The Chicago shore fishing woke up a bit this week. Some nice Brown Trout and a few Cohos are being taken by Power-liners, but just off-shore the boats are enjoying some incredible action on Cohos, Browns, Kings, and Lake Trout!  Yes, Lakers are being taken fishing for Cohos. We are not trying for Lakers, but they are chasing down my salmon baits. It's time to think about getting a group togeather for a day on the Lake.

  • Now that's Alot of Brown Trout!

    04/10/2012

    The Indiana DNR planted 70,000 Brown Trout, about 3.5 inches long. These are the Walleye candy I was talking about last month. Browns are a great choice to plant because they don't spawn and die after 3-5 years. They can tolerate warmer water than Salmon and are very eager to eat Gobies and other small bait fish that live close to shore. The Salmon are just out of reach of the shore fisherman and are very plentiful. Limit catches are the norm. Time to get 6 people together and charter a boat. 6 people, 6 hours, includes all the equipment, $750

  • Game On

    04/07/2012

    Yesterday I drove to the Kankakee River and did some fishing. I had to use a bobber and minnow because the slimy green weeds are beginning to grow. The bobber allows a relatively weed free drift, thus allowing the fish to see a bait not covered in weeds. Make sure you use a barrel swivel below your split-shots to prevent the line from coiling up.  The Smallies are hitting well just about their spawning time so a nice pre-spawn feed is taking place. The Walleye are successfully hiding (probably a night bite, but wading at night is tricky at best in a river.

           The Chicago Charters are getting limit catches of mostly Coho Salmon, but there are some really nice Kings hitting spoons on the riggers. Tiny flies on the surface boards is the hottest rig. It' time to get 6 people togeather and book your triops soon while the weekends are still available.