Two in the Bucket

Inadvertent Rock Bassing.

They're Biting!

Charlie caught a steelhead

Charlie caught a steelhead with a herring Saturday.

Here's Charlie!

Got my license this morning and a dozen roach minnows, and headed down to the pier for a couple of hours. The browns are in and so are the smelt. Charlie had just gotten down there too. I haven't seen him for a couple of weeks and he had plenty to tell me about. He said he had been in the hospital again recently, has a clogged artery in his neck and he's going back in for another surgery. The dude is only 60 and has had everything from a hip replacement to a steel plate in his head, but thankfully he's still able to fish.
Charlie is a legend of sorts on Pratt Pier and one of those people who seem to know everyone in the neighborhood. He has been fishing the pier for over 20 years and is somewhat of a guru to just about everyone who has ever brought a pole out there. He introduced me to fishing with tawilis, which is some kind of smelt or small fish that you can get at any of the Mexican markets around Rogers Park. Apparently everything from Browns to Rainbows bite on these things.

Winter Seagulls

It's -20º today with the wind chill and it actually hurts to be outside, but Jill and I went down to the lake this morning to feed the seagulls cat food. Those little knuckleheads love Kibbles & Bits, and as we were feeding them they swarmed all around around us. It' was kind of eerie. They better remember it this coming summer and stay off my back when I'm trying to enjoy a bag of chips.

Powerlining

Alright that's it, this is the year I try my hand at "powerlining." It is easily the coolest kind of fishing because it involves shooting a canon for Christ's sake! As far as I know, it was invented here in Chicago by an industrious Cubs fan in a pair of Zubaz, and a mullet. I just stumbled across this fantastically horrible instructional (THIS IS NOT AN INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO) video on youtube. Gheggit.

Waiting for Spring

Here's a picture of the first perch I caught last year on the Pratt Pier. He was a little guy, I threw him back, but I was able to reused the worm. Funny thing about those little perch is that they hardly ever swallow the worm before they get hooked. I think I had a dozen worms last me a couple of weeks before, sometimes I'll fish all day with just one or two of them. My wife is cool enough to let me keep them in the fridge too.