The Great Lakes are under threat from an Asian carp invasion that could wipe out fishing stocks, and with it, the lakes’ billion dollar fishery.There is concern that if carp make it into Lake Michigan, they will gobble up the plankton that native fish feed on. and could show up in local lakes surrounding the great lakes as well

these fish can, and will jump out of the water when they feel the vibrations of a motor boat
this can be very dangerous to boaters ,could you imagine being hit by a four foot carp while your traveling 25 to 4o mph .this could kill the recreational boating along the great lakes.

In December 2009, DNA testing found evidence that Asian carp were within a few miles of Lake Michigan, yet the locks which provide the carp with a direct path into Lake Michigan remain open.
Stop Asian Carp !  we all have to get together and make sure our Government shuts down  water ways that will allow the destructive Asian carp into lake Michigan , If this happens it will destroy the fishing and boating industries to all the surrounding states of the great lakes please help out by signing this petition  that will get sent to our federal government ! we have to stop the Asian carp invasion

The Asian carp was found some 40 miles from Lake Michigan, which was the closest to the Great Lakes the species has been found

Silver carp and the Asian Bighead, which can grow to 5 feet and weigh more than 100 pounds (45 kg), have come to dominate sections of the Mississippi River and its tributaries.

Authorities fear that if the carp swim up to the Great Lakes, the largest fresh-water resource in the world, they could create an “ecological disaster” by consuming the bottom of the food chain and ruining the lakes’ $7 billion fishery.

Please sign this Petition

R-eel Fish Story

Two weeks ago a group of four men, Steve Hoyland, Jr., with friends Bruce, Ken and Erik, set off on an overnight fishing trip. They left at noon on a Tuesday, and went about 120 miles out into the Gulf.

They were having a great night of fishing, catching big snapper, grouper, ling and kings. About 3 a.m., two of them went down below to catch some sleep. The two remaining on the deck were catching fish and drinking beer, enjoying the warm tropical night air.

All at once, Bruce got a big run on his line. This thing went all around the boat and took more than twenty minutes to bring up to the surface. When they got it up to the surface, they could not tell what it was. It looked prehistoric.

Steve, Jr. put a gaff in it and the two men dragged it aboard the 33 foot boat. As soon as the big creature hit the deck, it went crazy, attacking them. It was an eel over 6 feet long weighing close to 100 pounds. It had a mouth full of sharp teeth and was extremely pissed off.

The eel was later estimated to be sixty years old. Bruce said it came at him and Steve, Jr. like an anaconda, rearing its head up and striking at them like a rattlesnake. It was highly agitated and quite energetic.

In the midst of thrashing around, the creature fell down below onto the floor between the two sleeping men, Erik and Ken. When they heard the thud and turned on the light, the eel raised its head right above Ken’s face. Erik rolled over and grabbed his 9 mm pistol. Steve, Jr. started yelling, “Don’t shot the gun in the boat! We’re 120 miles from land!” Next thing you know, all four fishermen were on the deck and the gigantic eel had sole possession of the bottom of the boat.

The four needed to work up a plan of action, so they drank beer while considering a strategy. It was determined that Steve, Jr. would distract the eel because he had drank the most alcohol and believed he was bulletproof. He opened up the sliding door down below to see what the “monster” was doing. As the door opened, the eel came up the two steps biting at anything along the way. The four brave men then ran to the wheel house like women and slammed the door shut. They never did identify which one of them screamed like a girl.

Inside the wheelhouse, they started calming down and decided they would drink a couple more beers. Then they hatched a new battle plan. Steve, Jr. went out on the deck to get the beast’s attention. The eel attacked and Steve, Jr. climbed up on top of the captain’s chair. Ken threw a blanket on top of the giant eel while Erik and Bruce beat the hell out of it with a steel gaff and a large ice chest lid. After the creature was finally subdued, they put it into a large ice chest and closed the lid on it.

The four brave sailors all got themselves a beer and were laughing at the situation when the lid of the ice chest was suddenly knocked off and the eel sprang out onto the deck and resumed his attack. Bruce stated that the eel was clearly out for vengeance. The four men each picked up something and the fight was on. After beating the creature with gaffs, ice chest lids and fire extinguishers again, they once more subdued the massive carnivore and put it back into the ice chest. This time, they tied the lid down and put another ice chest on top of that one.

Eighteen hours later they returned to the dock and started unloading the boat. None of them was anxious to open the lid to the ice chest, in fact, they did “rock, paper, scissors” to determine who would pop the lid!

Above is the picture of Bruce Gordy with the eel that he caught and bravely fought in that epic and desperate battle for control on the high seas. (Steve Hoyland, Sr.)

Special thanks needs to go to the companies and individuals that is supporting the  Sept 20th 2009 FLF Tournament.

Special thanks needs to go to the companies and individuals that is supporting the  may 17th 2009  FLF Tournament.

Linda Peterson/Lake County Board of Commissioners

JoAnn Osmond/State Representative

http://www.chicagolandsportshow.com/index.php

January 13-17, 2010

80th Annual Chicago Boat, RV & Outdoors Show

Whether interested in activities on land or in water, the Chicago Boat, RV & Outdoors Show is the winter shopping destination for outdoor enthusiasts. The largest sportshow in the Midwest features hundreds of boats, RVs and specialty booths filled with marine accessories and travel destinations, at the most competitive prices of the year. The 2010 show is the best place to view, board and buy everything needed for outdoor adventures.

WHEN:
Wednesday through Sunday, January 13-17, 2010
Wednesday through Friday: 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saturday:  10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Sunday:  10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

WHERE: McCormick Place – North Building
2301 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL  60616

ADMISSION:
$10.00 for Adults
$4.00 for Youth (13-15)
Adults $10 (buy 3 tickets and the 4th is free); Junior Boaters (youth 13 -15) $4; Kids 12 and under FRE
$8 Senior (65 & older) — Wednesday, January 13th & Thursday, January 14th ONLY

http://www.chicagoboatshow.com/

Huck Finn Trout Pond

FREE fishing for children 12 and younger. There’s no limit to the fun! Catch-and-release trout pond, stocked with frisky fighting trout is a grest way to introduce kids to the sport of fishing. Adding to the fun—great prizes for any lucky little anger who catches a specially tagged trout. Be sure to bring your camera to capture the moment when your little angler reels in a “big one”!

Early season ice fishing can be hard to beat. It seems panfish, as well as predator fish like walleye, northern pike, and bass, are a lot more willing to cooperate in the early part of the season than in mid-January or February.

While early ice usually produces the best action of the winter, I wasn’t among the first on the ice. I usually waited a little bit to be sure of the ice conditions. Two inches of ice will usually hold a man weighing about 180 pounds. But keep in mind that even though the ice may be two or three inches in one spot, it may only be half an inch 10 feet away.

Three-to-four inches of ice will hold a couple of guys walking single file. Maintain a reasonable distance from one another if ice conditions are like that and carry a rope along if you should run into a problem. Also remember, don’t panic if you break through.

 As I mentioned before, the early part of the season is probably the best. If you fish for panfish, use as light a line as you dare. Use small teardrop jigs and ice flies for both crappie and bluegill and tip them with waxworms. Crappie like minnows too, so remember to have an assortment of live bait.

One item a lot of ice fishermen rely on is a Vexilar. Vexilars help locate fish, show how deep they are, will mark your bait and even allow you to see the fish take your bait. Panfish aren’t very aggressive during the winter and will quickly drop bait. That’s why Vexilars or other electronics like Aquaviews are handy during the winter.

and once you locate them you should have a hand held GPS system  so you will know right were to go your next outing on the Ice.  heres some cool info on GPS http://www.autonavigationgps.com

 Northern pike are one of the more popular species during the winter. They are fairly easy to get, and don’t require much work. Using large shiners or smelt under a tip-up will usually get you some action during the daylight hours. Use braided dacron line, and steel leaders to prevent bite offs.

Walleye require more finesse. Early and late in the day is usually better, but the best bites will be at night. A lot of guys will use tip- up lights attached to their tip-ups for them, and medium shiners, or fathead minnows are the bait of choice for walleye. Many people will use Windlass tip-ups because they have arms that will move up and down in the wind to give it some jigging action.

So, if you have put away your gun or bow for the year, and are anxious to get out fishing and have some fun, give the early ice a shot. There isn’t anything much better than getting a mess of fish out of cold water for a fish fry.

The state of Illinois will be closing 11 state park properties, 25 historical landmarks, and laying off 39 DNR employees after state budgets dropped $14 million of DNR funding in the state.

The state of Illinois is being forced to close 11 state parks after lawmakers recent made a $14 million dollar cut to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources funding.  All eleven parks will be closed on November 1st, 2008.  The Illinois DNR is also being forced to layoff 39 employees, 36 of whom are full-time.  These employees include park rangers, security, superintendants, and park technicians.

Earlier this summer, Illinois’ General Assembly passed the state budget which included a 24% decrease in DNR general funding.  This funding is used to pay park salaries and maintain the current park system.  Many of Illinois’ lawmakers are attributing the cuts to a poor economy, but Illinois’ DNR claims that these parks are one of few areas that actually profit in the state.  The Illinois state park system had over 45 million visitors in 2007, many of which spend more funds in local economies.  It is thought that the loss in local revenue from visitors will far outweigh any savings that the state hopes to gain by the closures.

The Illinois DNR was actually in the process of making a proposal to slightly raise park fees in an effort to compensate for the state’s shortcomings on funding, when the measure to close the parks was handed down.

The parks in question (which I will list shortly) do have the possibility of being reopened at a future date, but DNR officials worry that without proper maintenance, it will take much more money to get these parks back in line.  With a shortcoming on funds, they fear that this option may be a far stretch and future funding will not allow for the kind of work involved to reopen the parks.

Illinois’ DNR currently manages and maintains 320 state parks, natural areas, state forests, historical areas, and public property throughout Illinois.  The fear now comes that even more state managed land will be closed in the future due to funding.

The Illinois state parks that will be closing on November 1st, 2008 include the following:

• Castle Rock State Park, Oregon

• Lowden State Park, Oregon

• Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park, Sheffield

• Illini State Park, Marseilles

• Channahon Parkway State Park, Channahon

• Gebhard Woods State Park, Morris

• Hidden Springs State Forrest, Strasburg

• Kickapoo State Park, Oakwood

• Moraine View State Park, Leroy

• Weldon Springs State Park, Clinton

• Wolf Creek State Park, Windsor

BikingBis, a blog dedicated to everything ‘cycling’, has mentioned that one of the biggest blows to the state will be the closure of Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park.  This park boasts over 90 miles of trails and roadways dedicated to the bicycling enthusiast.

Along with the state park closings, Illinois will also be closing 25 historical landmarks, including four National historic Landmarks.  These closings will take effect on October 1st, 2008.  These closures will definitely be hitting the local economies pretty hard.  Many of these historical landmarks are big tourist attractions and bring in much needed funds across smaller communities while also drawing in visitors and tourists to little known areas.

To see a list of the historical landmarks being closed across Illinois, please visit this site.

The economy is definitely hitting many areas hard right now.  With state budgets in the billions of dollars, it just seems like there would be a way to cut funding to more ‘less meaningful’ projects, then to take away something that is meant ‘for the people’.  $14 million dollars is not a lot of money to a state whose budget is in the billions.  One less road would do the trick.  Just something to think about..

I would appreciate any comments you might have on this issue.  Is there a better way of handling Illinois’ DNR budget shortfall?  I would like to hear your answers.  Comment below.

Written by Jason A. Hendricks · Filed Under Outdoor News Today

Bass fishing catching on as high school sport
Students getting hooked as Illinois is 1st state to adopt angling as a secondary school activity By Emma Graves Fitzsimmons | Chicago Tribune reporter
September 27, 2008

Brian McDonald understands why people snicker at the mention of Vernon Hills High School’s new bass fishing team.

Even McDonald, the school’s athletic director, has trouble promoting the coming Cougar Bass Fishing Classic tournament without cracking a smile.

“I’m still trying to say it with a straight face,” he said. “To put bass fishing out there as a sport, it makes people chuckle a little.”

But students across the state are casting out lines in search of a big catch now that Illinois has become the first state in the country to adopt bass fishing as a high school sport. Teams have formed at more than 60 schools, and a state championship will be held this spring.

Coaches acknowledge bass fishing is viewed more as a low-key hobby for older men in khaki vests and floppy hats than as a competitive sport for teenagers. They too have been surprised by the enthusiasm among students. At Oak Lawn Community High School, an after-school meeting to gauge interest last spring drew 50 students. 

Bass fishing attracts some students who might not otherwise be involved in athletics and teaches them about conservation, coaches say. It also provides opportunities for parents and children to spend time together, lots of time—say, 8 hours in a boat.That’s the major appeal of fishing for Sarah Warner, a Vernon Hills senior, who will join her team in its first tournament Wednesday against Libertyville High School at Independence Grove Forest Preserve near Libertyville.

“It’s a good time for us to talk and bond,” she said of fishing trips with her dad. “We go up to my uncle’s lake house in Wisconsin and bring food and music.”

The high schools are catching on to a larger trend. Bass fishing has become a multibillion-dollar industry with magazines, television shows and clubs dedicated to the sport. A collegiate championship has been around since 2006, and professional tournaments dole out prizes of up to $1 million.

The Illinois High School Association voted last year to add bass fishing to its official list of 35 sanctioned sports and activities. Officials expect at least 100 schools will join the spring tournament. Teams can sign up until Nov. 1.

“We were looking for some other activities that could get kids involved,” said Dave Gannaway, IHSA assistant executive director. “We thought we could get at a whole different group of kids with this.”

At the two-day bass fishing state championship in May, students will be on the water for at least 5 hours each day. The winner will be determined by the total weight of their five best fish.

In the winter when students can’t fish, they will study the contour, water temperature and clarity of lakes to determine the best places to fish. “This fits in with other curriculum areas: the sciences, math, ecology,” Gannaway said.

Oak Lawn Community High School athletic director Pat Keeley doesn’t fish, but he has been learning about the sport since his school started a team. He never knew there were so many fishing spots nearby, such as forest preserve lakes and the Des Plaines and Cal-Sag waterways. The club will do cleanup projects and build fish cribs in the forest preserves.

“Fishers take the conservation aspect pretty seriously,” Keeley said. “Otherwise, their sport goes away.”

The Oak Lawn school board voted last week to add a bass fishing club mostly in order to recruit more students to after-school programs. Research shows involvement can boost academic performance, school officials noted.

“The bottom line is, it’s an opportunity to reach out to students who are not involved in traditional sports,” Keeley said. “We’re interested in anything that gets kids involved.”

Craig Warner, whose daughter, Sarah, joined the Vernon Hills team, is thrilled he can now root for her at a school event.

“Everybody else gets to watch their kid at football games,” he said. “Finally this is something she can do, and of course, dad will be sitting right there.”

On Thursday, students practiced shoreline fishing during a regular physical education class at a pond on the Vernon Hills campus. Coaches incorporate fishing into class periodically to build interest and recruit students while giving team members a chance to practice.

The teenagers were catching only water plants until 17-year-old Sarah Manning squealed with delight. She pulled a small fish from the water before it quickly dropped back into the pond.

“It’s OK, I’ll get another one,” she yelled to the coach before casting her line again.

Coach Jerry Miceli drove a golf cart around the pond passing out live worms and fake maggots for bait. He said they want to reach students such as Dan O’Roark, a 16-year-old who isn’t involved in other athletic teams this fall.

“Fishing is for everyone,” O’Roark said. “It’s nice to be out by yourself—no cities, no cars. It’s just peaceful.”

Miceli tells students fishing is something women and men can do their whole lives. Meanwhile, like everyone else, he defends the decision to start a team.

“All my buddies are busting my chops,” Miceli said. “They say, ‘you’re coaching fishing?’ I still can’t believe how many kids want to get involved.”

Freelance reporter Janice Neumann contributed to this report.

Here’s an excerpt from the Fox Chain O’ Lakes DNR about their fisheries.

The Fox Chain O’ Lakes are unique from other major bodies of water in the state in that they were formed by glaciation thousands of years ago. Composed of 9 major lakes interconnected by channels, the Fox Chain O’ Lakes is classified as a public navigable waterway managed under the authority of the Department of Natural Resources and the Fox WaterwayAgency.
LOCATION: 50 miles northwest of Chicago on Rt 12 near Fox Lake, and near Antioch west of Rt 59 on Rt 173.
AREA: 7110.0 acres – Lake Catherine 149.5 acres; Channel Lake 348.5 acres; Lake Marie 585.0 acres; Bluff Lake 92.4 acres; Grass Lake 1451.4 acres; Petite Lake 234.5 acres; Fox/Nippersink Lake 2376.8 acres; Pistakee Lake 1715.7 acres.
STATUS OF THE SPORT FISHERY: The Division of Fisheries has been actively monitoring the status of Fox Chain O’Lakes fishery for over 40 years (1954 to present). Between 30 and 40 fish species inhabit the Fox Chain O’ Lakes system or roughly 15 to 20% of the 200 fish species found in Illinois. Two species have voluntarily established themselves in the Fox Chain O’ Lakes; yellow bass in 1973, and freshwater drum in 1992. The following is a brief summary of the major sport species based on general fish population surveys conducted by the IDNR between 1954 and 2001.
Largemouth Bass - With the initiation of the annual fingerling stocking program in 1991 bass density increased 150% between 1990 and 1995. However, since 1995 the population has remained stable at approximately 16 to 17 bass per hour of electrofishing effort. Stock structure analysis indicates the quality of the fishery has remained strong with 72 % of the bass collected over 12 inches and 20% of the sample exceeding 14 inches. An average of 55,000, 3 to 5 inch fingerlings, have been stocked annually since 1991. Smallmouth bass are present and appear to be increasing as reproduction has been detected and will help their expansion.

Bluegill – Bluegill relative abundance has increased to 32.8% of the catch in response to the dramatic decline of yellow bass population. Their abundance is similar to numbers in 1954 (the good old days) and should continue as all sizes of year classes were detected. Approximately 64% of the bluegills collected were at least 6 inches long.

Crappie – Both black and white crappie occur in the Fox Chain O’ Lakes. Crappie numbers and size structure are gradually improving as a result of sustained reproduction and recruitment. The average size black crappie in the survey was 8.0 inches long though population indices indicated that over 33% of the catch exceeded 10 inches.

Yellow Bass and White Bass – The yellow bass decline continued from it’s high of 54% of the catch in 1988 to 4.3% of the catch in 2001. This dramatic restructuring of the population has reduced competition with other species and benefitted the overall fishery in the Fox Chain O’ Lakes. Ice fishermen enjoyed the fast paced action of the late 1980″s and early 1990′s but their over-abundance was not sustainable and resulted in poor condition (a starvation state) which opened the population up to naturally occurring pathogens and the massive die offs.

Walleye – In 2001 a record number of walleye were collected for brood stock (n=1,515) use. This was the second consecutive year over 1000 fish were collected for Hatchery use and only the third time in 17 years it has occurred. The expansion of the walleye population is in response to refined hatchery techniques, and better survival and recruitment of 2 inch fingerling to adulthood. The abundance of harvestable, slower growing male walleye in this system made up the bulk of the catch. In 1996 a 14 inch minimum length limit and 18 to 24 inch protected slot limit was established to facilitate maleharvest and increase female abundance and size. Walleye from the Fox Chain O’ Lakes were transported to the Spring
Grove Resource Centers’ hatchery facility for egg collection then returned to the Chain as a renewable resource. In 2001 male walleye averaged 14.7 inches and 1.0 lbs.. Female fish averaged 20.5 inches. Approximately 350,000 two inch fingerlings and 8.3 million fry were stocked in the Chain to maintain this high quality walleye fishery.

Yellow Perch – Since 1992 perch have experienced moderate fluctuations in abundance, while the quality of the fishery has improved dramatically as proportionally the percentage of perch greater than 8 inches has increased to 27% of the catch.
Muskie – The Fox Chain O’ Lakes acts as a secondary brood source for State Hatchery System. To date the largest fish collected was 47.25 inches long and weighed approx. 28 pounds. Proportionally, the number of fish exceeding 42 inches has increased from 0% prior to 1993 to 11% in 2001. This trend should continue in accordance with the trophy regulation(48″ minimum length limit) established 1997 and biennial stockings to maintain the fishery. Approximately 2,100 fingerlings are stocked every other year to maintain the muskie fishery. If a fish is caught with a tag near the dorsal fin record the
length, tag number, location and date and call 815/675-2385 to report the catch. Over 925 muskie have been tagged since this program began in 1987.

Northern Pike – Northern pike are maintained by natural reproduction and their abundance tends to increase following spring floods which create favorable spawning conditions. Ice fishermen target northern pike more than other segments of the fishing public.
Channel Catfish - Catfish abundance has reached levels above their historic range and should remain relatively stable. The quality of the fishery has improved significantly as the percentage of fish greater than 16 inches has increased from 5% in 1986 to 60% in 1995 and 69% in 2001. The average size channel catfish collected in 2001 was 17.9 inches up from 16 inches in 1997.

FISHING REGULATIONS: Includes the Fox River from the Illinois state line to McHenry Dam. Trot line fishing is permitted. Species Daily Creel Limit Minimum Length Limit
Largemouth bass 6 14″
Smallmouth bass See site Specific Information
Walleye* 2 14″ to 18″ 1 >24″
Muskie** 1 48″
Northern Pike 3 24″
*18″ to 24″ protected slot limit (no possession)
**Includes the Fox River to Rt. 176 (Burton’s Bridge)
TAGGED FISH: Please report tagged muskie to the Department of Natural Resources phone number listed below.
FEES: The Fox Waterway Agency requires an annual user fee for watercraft utilizing the Fox Chain O’ Lakes and the Fox River from the Illinois state line to Algonquin Dam. Please contact them for their annual fee schedule and application.
PHONE NUMBERS: Illinois Dept. Of Natural Resources, Region 2 Office – 847/608-3100
Fox Waterway Agency – 847/587-8540
For further information consult the 2003 Illinois Fishing Information Booklet, The Illinois Fishing Guide, and the Fox Chain O’
Lakes Access Areas and Fishing Guide.

For more information on the status of fishing on the Fox Chain O’ Lakes visit FoxLakeFishing.com

Now that the Fox Lake Chain has reopened for boating, many businesses are breathing heavy sighs of relief.

And yet some anglers still haven’t realized the potential for some excellent fishing on Fox Lake and the surrounding Chain O Lakes.

I learned a long time ago that high water levels on a river or lake act like a green light for the various species of game and pan fish to migrate close to shorelines.

Take the Fox River as one example. Many years ago I got serious about bank fishing the Fox for smallmouth bass right after an extended period of heavy rainfall.

The fishing rigs I used were nothing more than a #8 hook, split shot and a small minnow. The other set up was a tiny Mini Mite jig tipped with the smallest minnow I could buy.

I found smallies within 6-12 inches off the bank, holding in slack-water pools. I also found bass suspended under drainage pipes, deadfall trees, concrete protrusions and chain link fences jutting out and over the water. I also discovered walleyes in these spots as well.

My experience has shown me that the average angler tends to stay away from high water conditions because some fishermen are leery about working the current, or they just don’t know how to tame the savage beast.

Our recent flooding conditions brought the Fox Lake Chain to a standstill, and yet there were quite a few anglers on the shorelines working pods of walleyes and crappie with great success.

Antioch angler Ron Hertzberg gets the Daily Herald at a local grocery store there and e-mailed me about this matter. Here’s what he asked.

“I’ve read some of your columns over the past year regarding high water levels and various successful outings. How can I catch fish on the Chain with very little public access areas?”

I answered him with some simple solutions. I suggested he ask some neighbors for permission to fish from their docks and piers (if they’re not under water) and drop a line right under the pilings. Use live bait with small jigs as well as a slip float and live bait.

Experience has shown that game fish like bass and walleyes have a tendency to tightly school up under these kinds of conditions. Pan fish like crappie and bluegill do the exact same thing. It’s not uncommon for a shore angler to fill a bucket with pan fish in a short period of time.

I also suggested that if the shoreline property owner refuses permission, then look to the various marinas on the Chain and ask the operators for access. I told Ron that I knew of a half-dozen anglers who hit the jackpot on Pistakee and Bluff Lakes while dropping lines all around piers and boat launch areas.

Another example is to try Barnacle Bob’s Resort and rental on Lake Marie. Buy some bait there and ask Tom the owner for permission to fish the back bay where he tethers his boats, that is if you’re not planning to rent a boat and hit the lake (847-395-2036).

One other suggestion: Use very light line, like 4-6-pound test, and tie on a flouracarbon leader in order to make the line more invisible underwater. Go small in your lure choices, like brightly-colored, one-sixteenth ounce jigs, and tip the jig (either a Lindy Fuzz-E-Grub of Mini Mite, with a tiny minnow or piece of nightcrawler.

The rest is up to you.

By Mike Jackson, content writer for the Daily Herald