Bass: Excellent fishing in most of the local area's subdivision/farm ponds. Bass are in all stages of the spawn, so it sets up well for an angler to fish their preferred way. Live bait like a Medium Roach Minnow up to Medium Sucker Minnows has been consistent for the guys who like to toss a float out there. Many anglers have reported success on Chatterbaits, Spinnerbaits, Swim Jigs, Craws, Jigs, Topwater, and practically every technique currently. Lake Michigan and the Kankakee River have produced great numbers of Smallmouth recently with the go-to baits being Tubes, Ned Rigs, Crankbaits, and Topwater Poppers. Expect to fish a mix of spawning fish as well as pre and post spawn bass anywhere you go.
Crappie: Good crappie fishing is being reported across the Chicagoland area. Most anglers have focused on popular local Forest Preserves such as Papoose, Saganashkee, Monee Reservoir, Lemont Quarries, Tampier and Arrowhead Lake. However, areas like Heidecke Lake, Clinton Lake, Rend Lake, and Carlyle Lake have all had success stories recently from anglers taking longer trips south of here. The best reports have come off of Live Minnows with a popular choice being a Large Fathead. Redworms and Waxworms have also been good options. If trying to utilize artificial baits, some of the best size has come off of Gulp Alive Minnows fished under a Rocket Bobber on a 1/32oz Jig. Don't forget the likes of Brushpile and Bobby Garland soft plastics, because they have all been working and many of the colors are a fantastic match for the ever-changing water clarity conditions in the past month,
Walleye: Steady reports have come in for about a month now. As the water temps warm, lots of walleye are feeding on the usual Flicker Shad style Crankbaits as well as Swimbaits. Leeches and crawlers on a float, or even potentially on a walleye harness where water temps have spiked are a fantastic live bait option. Focus on rocky banks or grass edges to find consistent walleye all day long. The usual areas have been good, like Heidecke, Wolf Lake, the Fox Chain and the Kankakee River. Our most surprising report came from high school bass anglers fishing a tournament on Tampier Lake, where many managed to catch Walleye over 24" throughout the day on Squarebill and Mid-Range Crankbaits as well as full size Spinnerbaits. It is definitely worth giving that place another try if you have struggled in the past.
Catfish: Better Catfishing is here, with the week of warmer weather driving up reports. The usual stomping grounds are awesome, and LaSalle Lake is showing out for most anglers. Many 30+ Catfish days were reported from those that are trying to catch numbers rather than size, by using Dip Baits like Triple S Sonny's Dip Bait with a Dip Worm. Those that have sought out better size have also found moderate success by using Frozen Cut Bait like Skipjack, Shad, and some even opting to throw live Medium Suckers and Live Medium Roach Minnows. Other good areas are Braidwood, the Des Plaines and Illinois Rivers, and the Kankakee River.
Steelhead: We have heard the first whispers of shore anglers finding the Skamania run around Michigan City. Most folks are targeting them using small Inline Spinners or Michigan City Rigs with Crawlers and Shrimp around Washington Park. We have not heard much about the creek bite yet. Remember that the run has been consistently early for about three years in a row now. Don't miss the first push of large Steelhead on the Pier. When it comes to the trolling bite, most of our customers are saying that the 40-60' range for trolling have been consistent. We haven't had many reports though, as this time of year many anglers are chasing other species. This doesn't mean the Salmon and Steelhead are not there.