Great Lakes Angler

I suggest picking up a copy, or at the very least read through some of the article online here. The article speaks of the “boondoggle” that is the barrier, and of the poisoning of the channel tomorrow (Wendesday). Just under 7 miles of the river is going to be poisoned to prevent the advancement of Carp, although Dale Bowman does bring up some good points in his column, citing half a dozen or so cases of carp being found or caught in Lake Michigan already. Continue reading

I think I would like to try this type of fishing some day. It would seem that in this wonderful part of the world we live in, a willing fish isn’t more than a quick car drive away, no matter where you are. Continue reading

As I reported here a couple of weeks back they shocked the water pre-poison and removed as many game fish as possible. I only now have run across a tally of what was saved and in what numbers. Thanks to Dale Bowman at the Chicago Sun Times I’m able to bring those numbers to you today. Continue reading

The ice is beginning to move in and perch are harder to find as a result. I found today at montrose harbor that getting away from the open water and fishing between the floating ice floes was the best way to find the fish. Perch were very scattered and the bite was lite when it did happen. Continue reading

As promised, I made it up to Milwaukee today to find some Lake Run Trout.

I started at my favorite spot on Oak Creek at first light, and was able to snap up a foot long steelhead right away. It wasn’t long until the weekend party of “fishermen” walking down the middle of the river went ahead and spooked the entire river. I couldn’t take it today, I just got in my car and headed for Milwaukee where my friend Mike was waiting at the harbor. I should mention that I did count a dozen steelhead moving in holes and bedding in what little gravel there was. I would have had a chance at these fish and likely would have stayed for a couple more hours had I not had the river ruined rudely by these guys who don’t respond to my questions or comments about their style of fishing. Continue reading

A very well written article in the Niagara Falls Review.

An excerpt:

“The Great Lakes were pretty much a closed eco-system for thousands of years. The plants, animals and fish within this system co-existed with one another in a relatively balanced level. The early arrival of explorers from the east had little impact on this balance. The arrival of settlers in greater and greater numbers began to change the landscape. Logging and farming re-shaped the lands around the rivers and streams feeding into the lakes. As the human population grew, the once-balanced environment became unbalanced.” Continue reading

It’s getting cold on the fifth coast, warmer waters and blue skies are looking nice. This video is full of great footage of Tarpon grabbing up big flies, breaking a few rods, and jumping clear out of the water. Continue reading

Alright readers, I ask for your help on this one. It was brought to my attention in an email to me this morning (greatlakesangler@gmail.com) that Trout Unlimited is asking people to send a letter through their “Take Action” program. Thanks to Chris S. for sending me the link and description, I’m pleased that we are forming a community of like minded, responsible anglers and lovers of the Great Lakes region. Continue reading

Perch are finally showing up in numbers in the harbors near Chicago, fishing picked up this morning at Montrose Harbor around 8:30 a.m. today and continued to be good until I left at 10:30. Between myself and two friends we pulled up around 75 perch in those 2 hours, 14 of which were winter keeper Perch in the 7.5-10 inch range. Shrimp on a crappie rig on the bottom worked well, artificial minnows and small spinners tipped with bait worked as well. Larger Perch hit the spinners but fish were far between using that method. Continue reading

Another bit of beautiful, mouth watering, heart pounding video. I’ll post them as long as they keep making them.

Stream of Consciousness from RA Beattie on Vimeo.

I’ve done what they did dozens of times this year, and can guarantee you it’s going to be a good show that showcases Milwaukee’s premier Brown Trout fishery. Friends of mine were even out landing brown trout the same day he was making this video. Continue reading

A single bighead carp has been found, and it looks as though this huge endeavor may not have been as necessary as previously thought. The sky might not be falling out yet, there is still hope.

The Army Corps of Engineers is doing a study to decide weather closing the locks in Chicago is a necessity. Continue reading

As I sit here typing my windows are rattling in their frame as a south/east gale gusts up to 40 mph. The winds will continue to howl, pushing 14 footers into Milwaukee tomorrow morning early as the winds turn west and follow this storm across the lakes, stirring up offshore waves to the 20-25 foot range in Lake Erie of all places. Continue reading

This afternoon I found myself diving deeper into paragraph after paragraph of text focused mainly on the invasion of Asian Carp in the Chicago River and Calumet/Saganashkee Channel.

This blog is only a week old and is only six posts deep but if the writing continues on the vector it currently holds it should produce good reading for weeks to come. Continue reading

The results are in ladies and gents. It was one amazing year chasing fish up and down the Great Lakes. Thanks to every one of you for your readership, your support, your questions, and your comments.

Here are the totals:Bluegill : 2 Continue reading

A reader here at Great Lakes Angler had this to say regarding one of my prior posts on Asian Carp.

“For the past 10 years the Chicago Park District has stock the Lagoons with Catfish that came from fish farms that used Asian Big head Carp in there tanks. One can only speculate how many Asian Bighead Carp were accidentally stocked in our lagoons in the last ten years. Continue reading