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

Calling All Walleye Fishermen

Hi, I’m Paul Jones, the owner of the Fishing Forum at FoxLakeFishing.com and I’m holding up a 29″ 5.5 lb. Walleye that I recently caught on a dead end channel on the north side of Fox Lake. Actually I was fishing for some Crappie that day, casting a minnow on a split shot underneath some of the piers. All of a sudden this monster busted out from under the dock grabbing my bait and putting on a helluva fight on my ultralight setup. I must have played with this one 20 minutes before I was able to tire him out and get him to the boat.

I wanted to let everyone know that on my fishing reports section on my forum we’re writing about fishing stories like that every day, telling you where are the best fishing holes are on the Fox Chain O Lakes.  JD Spinner, the professional fishing guide from www.jdspinners.com regularly writes about what lures fish are hitting on while on his fishing charters and has a section devoted to showing the best of what fishing for a living is all about.

It’s an online Fox Lake fishing community where local fishermen can share fishing stories, fishing reports, photos and even fishing jokes. Come join in the fun by creating your own account and sharing your fishing stories and fishing photos from Fox Lake and the surrounding Fox Chain, you may just pick up a fishing tip or two along the way.

Register Here

Thanks

Illinois Walleye Fishing Tips

When fishing for walleye in Illinois you will find that a number of lakes, rivers and reservoirs are available where you can find this particular species of fish. The Kankakee River is one of the most well-known for catching walleyes. There are several lakes where you can go to fish for walleye in Illinois such as Lake Clinton, Fox Lake, Lake Marie, Lake Shelbyville and Lake Michigan to name a few. The Carlyle Lake and Kinkaid Lake are also popular choices where many anglers like to try their hand at catching this elusive fish. Walleyes prefer the cold deep waters that these areas have to offer.

Since the opening of the Jake Wolf Hatchery, walleyes have become more abundant than ever in the history of Illinois. There are plenty of walleyes being found in areas where they use to be uncommon. This is great for the anglers that live in this area making it easier for them to go after this exciting and subtle species. It is also great for visitors that love to come to Illinois and fish.

The Fox Chain-O-Lakes is designed by a natural chain of fifteen lakes that are located in the northeast part of Illinois. You will find that the walleye swim in every one of these lakes, although you will have better luck fishing in some of them than with others.

You can check with the Department of Natural Resources to get a better idea of where the most walleyes are located in this area.

Although you can find a lot more walleye in the lakes of Illinois today than in the past, you still need to know which techniques work the best if you want to catch your limit of walleyes. Below are some techniques for catching walleyes in Illinois that can help you have a great adventure that you can talk about for many years.

Techniques for Catching Walleyes in Illinois

Now that it is easier than ever to find locations in Illinois that are filled with the walleye, you need to know the best techniques for catching them in this area. It is recommended that you use live bait, crawfish, spoons, small spinner bait, crankbaits and plastic worms to fish for walleye in Illinois. These will help you get the best results for your time and effort.

How you catch walleyes in Illinois will partly depend on the time of year you are fishing. From about May to the middle of summer it’s pretty simple. This is the time that the walleyes are feeding and all you really need to do is locate the area where they are spanning. Normally, when there is little light shining on the water you will find the walleye about six feet deep in the water. In bright sunny areas they tend to go deeper and can be found around twelve feet.

The best places to find them will be around inlets and around the breaklines near the banks. They also tend to stay around the shoreline, in grass, around trees or branches, large rocks and any other type of natural formed covering. In the spring you will need to use small jigs, crankbait and plastic worms to get the best results. The same is true for the summer months but you can also get some really good results with lures that resembles crawfish. This time of year the walleye are in search of food and this makes it easier to catch them than normally.

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Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best walleye fishing information possible. Get more information on Illinois walleye fishing here: www.askwalleyefishing.com/