A rare good Cook County walleye is Fish of the Week. The nearly 28-inch female was caught and released Friday evening by David Groch.
FOTW tops the Midwest Fishing Report each Wednesday in the Sun-Times. Photos and more extended stories are posted here.
For years, I have nearly laughed when the fisheries biologists at the Forest Preserve District of Cook County came back with tales of monster walleye (I'm talking 10-pound-plus) they netted in their spring gatherings.
Why? Almost no fishermen ever caught a walleye like that in a Cook County lake.
Well, here is Groch's story.
``My name is David Groch, I live in Elmhurst. I'm a union 134 out of work electrician.I was fishing with my brother Jeff at Busse Woods Friday evening at 6:00 P.M. Using four pound test, ultra light rod with a night crawler when I hooked this female Walleye in about 3 ft, of water. Brought her in after a nice fight and took pictures, but did not weigh her because of stress, wanted to get her back in to the water as soon as possible.
She measured in length a little under 28 inches. Released her unharmed.
Also within three hours we caught largemouth, striped and rock bass and a couple of bluegill all with crawlers.''
After I responded, he sent a follow-up note: ``My brother Jeff caught a 25" walleye three days prior mine, same lake. Any chance this will be noted in the Times?? We sent Jeff's picture as well. Just wondering!''
Consider it done, if you consider this an extension or part of the Sun-Times.
E-mail FOTW nominations to outdoordb@sbcglobal.net.
Definately better than the lips fish
``The Lip,'' as in Ken ``The Lakefront Lip'' Schneider, had a wonderful 20-inch-plus smallie, caught and released in downtown Chicago, surpassed by Groch's walleye for Fish of the Week.
In a perverse way, it brought me pleasure to let Schneider know his smallie was, well, too small.
More seriously, it shows how many good fish have come in recent weeks. Two walleye came in bigger this week, but Groch's was more immediate and a better story to it.