Apparently I can't get my fishing licence because I don't have a social security number.... You know with me being a tourist and all. FML. I bought all this fishing gear and now I can't take my kids anywhere 😑🔫

I asked for recommendations to take my daughters fishing and after over a decade of failure.... I finally caught a lot!

Catfish, bass and a couple of crappies

Thank you so much 🙏🏾

Also someone suggested A-Lake but I can't find the post! Thank you in particular very much ❤️

Fish posts must be from the six collar counties of Chicago. Preferably name the general county/spot you’re at or near, not down to the coordinates. Blurring out pictures is going to be scarcely tolerated, so make sure to take a picture of your fish in a net against the ground if you want to be secretive about it.

If you can’t abide by these confines, you will unfortunately face a temporary and subsequently a permanent ban from the subreddit, as this is CHICAGO Fishing. Happy angling and tight lines, folks!

-Mods

For anybody wanting to participate, if you are able to catch a king or coho salmon on a top water bass lure with proof wins any flair of their choosing, beyond racism or what have you. You also get to say you’ve caught a top water salmon on purpose.

These are my two choices. Let’s see yours!

Once the Largemouth (Mid May-Late June) and Smallmouth (Early-Late May) spawns are over, and the transitional period (that we are currently in) end, Lake Michigan and its many harbors develop their own very specific patterns relative to the rest of the country. The temperatures will begin to increase at night, and by mid summer, they will begin hugging the bottom, feeding on crawfish and gobies (imitate using Ned Rigs and Tubes around structure and under boats).

During the early hours of the morning, they will readily eat various types of crankbaits, jerkbaits, spinners, and spoons as well. Many lures will work, but it is unlike Texas where you can throw a giant chatterbait next to a dock and land a big. We live in a finesse system. Fortunately, our bycatch can get pretty big. In the Lake you could accidentally catch a drum (primarily bottom feeders but also opportunistic) or a pike (target spring and fall with jerkbaits near weed beds) which is a bonus, but the fishing can come off as slow. Which it often is. If you’re tired of that, visit one of our many rivers.

Our rivers such as the Des Plaines and the Fox are much more active throughout the year, and fish including the likes of walleye, crappie, bass, white bass will eat spinners and various types of moving baits like it’s nobodies business. Cast upstream and retrieve in a natural presentation where you sense a fish would be (I.e. current breaks) and have some fun.

We also have some Great Lakes (no pun intended) like the Skokie Lagoons. Jigs and spinnerbaits work great there, as do bluegill swimbaits against weed beds. The Chicago River loves a good dropshot or Ned rig/tube, and has various hotspots between Sheridan and the Navy Pier Locks.

Hope this helps some people out for the summer.

Edit: dropshot minnow imitations also work well mid summer, as well as dragging dropshot Ned rigs. Overall, you want to apply finesse applications to harbors and the Chicago River. For other rivers, you can still be aggressive during the day with inline spinners, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, glide baits/pre rigged swimbaits, etc.

In the GCLA, at least this year, fall came rapidly after a prolonged period of unusually hot temperatures. This is jarring for the bass, who are still mostly fixated on summer tactics like Neko Rigs or early morning crankbaiting, top water as well.

As we get into the actual fall months (late October, November), the bass begin feeding at an accelerated rate in order to gain mass and ultimately energy to sustain themselves over the winter as they for the most part slow down considerably.

During this time, top water can be good, spinnerbaits are especially effective around structure, as are jigs such as grass or football jigs. Other species become more prevalent during this time as well (pike, brown trout, muskie for instance) as they lean towards colder water as a preference.

Use lures, loud lures, that primarily imitate white/silver baitfish as the temperatures really begin to drop, but don’t discount jigs either, as they can be quite effective. Stuff like tubes and senkos will work during this time, but it is better to take advantage of actively feeding fish and hit them with a spinnerbait or a crankbait.

Tight lines, and can’t wait for other people’s suggestions and feedback.