Steve Sarley's Fishing Report

Lake Geneva

Carl Kaufmann of the Carl Kaufmann Guide Service – which can be reached at (815) 338-2475 – reports the bite has been good for average-sized pike but he has been looking for the bigger ones. The best last week measured 34 inches, but most fish have been in the 24- to 30-inch range. Kaufmann says he also has been picking up two or three nice smallmouth bass a day while fishing for pike with a few fish over the 18-inch mark. Medium suckers that are Lindy-rigged and fished in depths of 30-35 feet, have produced the most fish. The night bite is decent for bass and topwaters and plastics are taking most of the fish.

Bangs Lake

The lake is open and reported to be safe for angling after the broken waste pipe quickly was repaired last week by local authorities.

Fox Chain and Northern Illinois

Stripers are biting in Bluff Lake and Lake Marie in 10 to 14 feet of water on jigs with minnows or spikes. Catfish are going good in the Spring Lake channels and the channel between Petite and Fox on stink bait, nightcrawlers and chicken livers. Walleye action is picking up off the sandbar in Lake Marie, in Pistakee and from the bridge at Spring Lake. Jigs and large fathead minnows or leeches are working. Bluegills are biting in the channels near Spring Lake and on the north side of Petite on red worms, leaf worms and wax worms. The crappie bite is fair. Largemouth bass action is good in channels or along lake shorelines. Try using medium golden roaches, nightcrawlers or white spinner baits. Muskie action has been good on a variety of baits.

Delavan Lake

Guide Steve Everetts – who can be reached at www.finseekersguideservice.com–; reports the bite is picking up at Delavan. Bass temporarily have moved back to the weed edge and into the weeds. Fish them with plastic worms or leeches along the deep edges. Pike have picked up in 26-30 feet on suckers and deep-diving cranks. Walleyes are active because of the algae bloom in 20-30 feet on nightcrawlers and leeches.

Southern Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reports Racine shore anglers have been catching rainbows and a few chinook off the piers, but much of the action has been at night. Spawn under a bobber has been the biggest producer. Kenosha perch anglers fishing from shore have been catching a few off the piers. Crab tail and spinner combinations, along with jigs and minnows, have been the most effective. On the smaller southern Wisconsin inland lakes, largemouth bass have been biting on stickbaits, spinner baits and nightcrawlers. The best fishing has been in the early morning around the piers. Smallmouth bass are hitting leeches and plastics. Northern pike anglers are doing well using suckers or chubs in 25 feet of water. Anglers after bluegills were catching them along the weedlines or near the bottom on leaf worms and nightcrawler pieces. Fathead minnows or small shiners are working for black crappie in 18-25 feet of water.

Lake Michigan

Captain Bob Rossa of Migrator Charters – located online at www.migratorfishhunt.com – says fishing on Lake Michigan has continued to be very good, with huge king salmon making up most of the catch. Some coho, lakers, and steelhead also are being caught. The best fishing has been right in front of Northpoint Marina, from 60-110 feet of water, with most of the fish being taken in 40-80 feet deep in the water column. Dodger and flies with spoons have both been working. Start fishing with both, and let the fish tell you what they want that day. Purple spoons and chrome dodgers with white Howie flies tied 23 -inches behind them have been the best baits. Perch fishing in Illinois on Lake Michigan will reopen Aug. 1.