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...Continued
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From his Chicago list of 31 species, Carl Vizzone added yellow bass, sculpin, golden roach, chub, smelt and coho. Add Steve Travis' sauger from the Chicago River in 1998, and the walleye and northern pike taken from Burnham and Calumet harbors, and it's 36.
Charters catch lake trout, and rarely tiger trout, pink salmon, Atlantic salmon and brook trout. There's pacu and piranhas from the Calumet, and bighead carp from McKinley Park. Old-timers caught herring. We have yellow and brown bullheads, so add one to Somen's bullhead. Tiger muskie, muskie and sturgeon came from Wolf Lake. Add hybrid sunfish to make an even 50.
Humor? No other city ever voted longnose dace the official fish. No other city even held such a fishy election. No other city holds fishing contests for both its major invasives. In 1994, anglers turned a social lark on the Chicago River downtown into the Chicago Carp Classic. It soon drew international anglers and full-color spreads in European magazines. In 1994, Perch America held its first contest for gobies.
Big? How about the 61-pound grass carp -- 5 feet, 3 inches -- caught at Marquette Park, and the 43-inch, 45-pound bighead carp Brian Adame caught at McKinley Park. Carp guru Paul Pezalla thinks Englishman Max Cottis' 39-pounder from Montrose was our biggest common carp.
Deva Vranek caught the Illinois record brown trout (36 pounds, ounces) east of Burnham Harbor on June 22, 1997. Two other state records came from Chicago's Lake Michigan. Robert W. Zimmy caught the record tiger trout (, June 26, 1977) and Robert Lueckhoff the record Atlantic salmon (, May 26, 1979).
Famous? We've got your famous.
Belmont and Central spawned the two most influential anglers of the late 20th century. Of course, Ron and Al Lindner's fame came after the brothers moved north to build careers that put them in the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame. But Hall of Famer Spence Petros built his reputation while living here and in the suburbs. The United States' greatest match fisherman, Mick Thill, is a North Sider now living in Skokie. And he's a leading world authority on and innovator of floats.
Beauty and ambiance? In no other city in the world can shore fishermen catch bluegill, browns, chinook, coho, largemouth, perch, pike, rock bass, smallmouth and steelhead with Soldier Field, the Sears Tower and the John Hancock as a backdrop. By boat, the Chicago skyline is even more stunning. The Madison, Wis. skyline is just as beautiful but not nearly as imposing.
And, finally, when BASS came north for the 2000 BASS Masters Classic, they chose Chicago.
You really should try to get a bunch of local guys to travel to Detroit to do a firsthand comparison of the two fisheries,'' Big Fish'' Todd Carlander said. Wouldn't that be fun?''
Bowman may be reached at . 'Bowman's Outdoor Line'' is heard on Outdoors with Mike Norris'' (3-4 . Thursdays, 1280-AM).
FIRST CAST
FIRST cast
"The continued protection of wild, natural areas is up to those concerned."
John Skager,
who forwarded the URL of .org/tongass/
FIeld notes
JUST GRAND: Eight companies have agreed to the $56 million Grand Calumet Settlement to repair natural resources damage to the Grand Calumet River and Indiana Harbor Canal. "Not only will this settlement enhance the tireless efforts of community groups in Northwest Indiana to restore this globally rare habitat, it also will strengthen the quality of life for generations to come in Northwest Indiana," Indiana governor Joe Kernan said. Also included is a 233- acre set-aside.
COLD DUCK: John Buhnerkempe explained how the Illinois Department of Natural Resources determines freeze-up dates in deciding waterfowl seasons. Jim Angel, state climatologist, Illinois State Water Survey, provided the map (right) of the date when the average daily temperature drops below 32 degrees, based on the most recent 10-year average (1994-2003). A 10-year average is best because it is short enough to include recent changes but long enough to smooth out unusual events such as December, 2000. As expected, IDNR director Joel Brunsvold concurred with the waterfowl season recommendations from the Natural Resources Advisory Board.
TOURNAMENT: Mike Myers of St. John, Ind., and David Adams of Schererville, Ind., won ($796) the Anglers Choice, Southern Lake Michigan Division, by fishing Indiana discharges last Sunday.
out and about
CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM
Monday-Sept. 24: Sign-up period, Illinois landowners.
STURGEON
Saturday-Oct. 15: Wisconsin's hook-and-line lake sturgeon season on designated inland rivers. Free permit required.
BIKING
CAMBr trail work days: Deer Grove, today; Willow Springs/Palos, next Sunday. Go to .org.
BIRDING
Through Nov. 28: The Illinois Beach State Park Hawkwatch 2004. Go to .com.
ILLINOIS SEASONS/PERMITS
Tuesday: Final day, applications for free permits for upland game sites.
Wednesday: Dove hunting opens. Early Canada goose hunting opens. Archery deer permits become available at Mazonia/Braidwood SFWA.
dale's mailbag
"I do wet wade in the Kankakee watershed and other streams like Hickory Creek. I bought a set of those quick-dry clothes for just that purpose. My advice, however, would be to wear waders if you have any doubts at all. I believe these streams are clean enough that you are safe from wee beasties as long as you take the proper precautions. By that I mean using a product like New Skin to protect open wounds. The cleanest fishing water in the world still is full of microorganisms that could infect you. If I am fishing another flow that I am not sure of the water quality, I wear my waders. If I fish a river like the Fox that has multiple sewage treatment plants, I'm not going in without waders. I just am not going to take any chances in that situation. My advice would be to buy the best pair of breathable waders you can afford and wear them all the time. Shoot, it looks like I just built a pretty good case for wearing waders all the time. I guess I may be too bullheaded to follow my own advice. Actually, it's just that nothing can compare to the feeling of the water against your body on a warm summer day."
Norm Minas, legendary wader of northern Illinois flowages
Numbers Game
Pounds-ounces of Wisconsin brown trout record, confirmed by biologist Karl Scheidegger late Thursday. The 401/2-inch brown was caught by Richard Crowe of Ankey, Iowa, on Lake Michigan near Kewaunee on Monday.
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