As he sensed the size of the fish, Ray Hinton realized he needed to chip the hole bigger on Wolf Lake.
Yeah, that's a good fish.
Using his buck knife, he widened the hole enough to lift out this 24-inch largemouth bass weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces. And it most certainly earns the well-rooted Chicago fisherman Fish of the Week honors.
FOTW tops the Midwest Fishing Report each Wednesday in the Sun-Times. An extended online version appears here, generally about midnight Tuesday.
Here's Hinton's account of his catch from the lake straddling the Illinois/Indiana border.
``Hello Mr.Bowman, my name is Ray Hinton here are pictures of the Largemouth Bass i caught monday january 12th 2009 at 9:45am. Location, Wolf Lake, Chgo,IL. this bass was 24 inches long and 7lbs 3ozs,i was dark when i got home, i'm sending the one from the morning right after this, while on the ice.I fish Wolf Lake on a regular basis,and have been since i was three according to my father thats almost 43 yrs, my father Joe Hinton fished Wolf Lake since he came to Chicago in the forties,he has told me many stories of the big bass back in the good ole days,in the seventies he told me about Wolf Lake being a sleeper bass lake, he would say fish a dying of old age out there, including slab crappies.
My father( Joe Hinton) worked at Henry's Bait Shop,31st and canal for more than 35 years until his passing March 31st, 2004. I say this because this bass was probally two or three years old at the time, he might have released him only for me to treasure him today.i would appreciate if you could some how put this in the paper for me......Sincerly, Ray Hinton''
If you're not touched by that, check your pulse.
E-mail FOTW nominations to outdoordb@sbcglobal.net.
Nice fish
I remember your dad well and when he passed
He was a good guy
Randy are you from Chicago or Indy..........RAY
Randy are you from Illinois or Indy........Ray