The antics of Wisconsin's new governor,

Gov. Scott Walker, could spill over and impact Illinois outdoors.

Mulling things on my morning ramble

with Storm, the family's mixed Lab.

Leading this Midwest Fishing Report are the cooling lakes, coho, the coming of smelt netting and spring trout season, and, for those who need more, more ice is being made up north.

The sauger bite on the Illinois River remains the top story for river fishing in this Midwest Fishing Report.

Click here for a fine pair of March largemouth from suburban Chicago fishing.

It only seems apt to run the Stray Cast here.

Mulling things on my morning ramble

with Storm, the family's mixed Lab.

Bill Peak sent this photo of a monk parakeet building a nest at the IDNR office at Wolf Lake.

Joel Greenberg and I take on our spring signs--sandhill cranes, frogs, muskrats, coho salmon, red-winged blackbirds and more--and how those signs evolved on "Outside" this afternoon.

SPRING VALLEY, Ill.--Most everybody was happy with the 25th MWC, which had an unbelievable number of five-fish limits weighed each day: 121 of 123 registered teams on Day 1, 120 of 123 on Day 2.

Ed Mullady was one of the four inductees into the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame Saturday night, but the only one to receive a standing O.

PEORIA, Ill.--If you're a deer hunter, after reading the Sunday Sun-Times or going to church this morning, head down to the Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic at Peoria Civic Center.

Even with the return of winter weather, I find myself trying to figure out how to fit everything--MWC, Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic, Henry's Spring Fever Reliever and a Hall of Fame banquet--in during this Wild Weekend Wandering around Chicago outdoors.

Mulling things on my morning ramble

with Storm, the family's mixed Lab.

The cooling lakes and the lakefront are the lead spots in the lakes and areas section of the Midwest Fishing Report.

I waited a bit today to post the rivers section of the Midwest Fishing Report to see what the weather would do.

Click here for the FOTW tale of Juan LaBoy's steelhead caught at Montrose.

It only seems apt to run the Stray Cast here.

The day after the owners locked out the players, crows congregated in a tree just a block or so from where the Chicago Bears train in Bourbonnais.

Steve Sullivan talks about the mammals of our area, including an extended section on squirrels, my favorite backyard villains, on "Outside" this afternoon.

Gone fishing leads this Wild Weekend Wandering around Chicago outdoors.

Mulling things on my morning ramble

with Storm, the family's mixed Lab.

LaSalle Lake reopening to fishing, along with other spring signs, leads this lakes and areas edition of the Midwest Fishing Report.

I know tomorrow it is supposed to feel like spring, but our rivers will be a lot closer to winter than the air feels. With that disclaimer, here is a larger, spring-type Midwest Fishing Report for rivers.

More Asian carp have been found at Columbus Park in Chicago.

This is not a fishing report for the Fox River

and its creeks, but good words of life perspective by Ken Gortowski.

Click here for the tales of the two browns from Lake Michigan.

It only seems apt to run the Stray Cast here.

No, no one sent in a morel of the week, yet.

Click here for the easier access

to the podcasts of "Outside."

Steve Sullivan talks about the expansion of coyotes in our area, and what it means for human interaction on "Outside" this afternoon.

So coming around what used to be called Dead Man's Curver on Route 113 on March 5, I caught, out of the corner of my eye, two turkeys circling each other.

Just in time to spring forward, more options open for this Wild Weekend Wandering around Chicago outdoors.

Click here for IHSA bass fishing sectionals.

One of my utter joys in life is receiving crafted words

from people like John Vukmirovich.

Here's something that makes sense, "The Bassmasters" is joining the Outdoor Channel lineup of programming.

Mulling things on my morning ramble

with Storm, the family's mixed Lab.

We are in a transition period and that shows in this lakes report for the Midwest Fishing Report: Hints of spring fishing (coho in spurts along the Chicago lakefront), yet winter punches back (snow in northern Illinois and Wisconsin this morning).

Considering the question of what the rain will do, I have some trepidation putting together this rivers section of the Midwest Fishing Report.

Click here for FOTW, a law student's northern pike.

It only seems apt to run the Stray Cast here.

There are people worth reading

(or should that be viewing in this format). Ed Schmitt is one.

So my wife and I hit the Chicago Flower and Garden Show after seeing our tax-prep man on Saturday and, me being me, thoughts other than just flowers and gardens came.

As I previously reported, the IDNR announced reduced hours at LaSalle Lake; but I didn't expect them to go to the extreme of a 1 p.m. close in March.

Click here for the tale of shed hunting with Larry Narro.

Click here for Fred Kuchta's BOTW: Unplugged, what might be the last one for the season.

Paul Shelton talks Illinois deer this afternoon on "Outside."

Mulling things on my morning ramble

with Storm, the family's mixed Lab.

Shed hunting and cabin ogling lead this Wild Weekend Wandering around Chicago outdoors.

We're winding down on showtime around Chicago outdoors, but there are plenty of options this weekend.

I would love to be proved wrong, but from what I have gathered, LaSalle Lake will be staffed in time to reopen for fishing on March 16, however, with restricted hours.

This is the first rivers section of the Midwest Fishing Report for 2011.

We have a mix of open-water fishing and ice fishing in this Midwest Fishing Report. This week, I am dividing the MFR into the lakes and areas section and the rivers section, which will come shortly.

A bizarre story is evolving with regard to Illinois' FOID cards.

Click here for the tale of Bill Lanham's carp caught while ice fishing, and released.

It only seems apt to run the Stray Cast here.

Braidwood Lake reopened to fishing Tuesday morning, and I couldn't wait to be there.