In his presser on Tuesday, Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy clearly stated his plan for the preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins. The starting unit on both sides of the ball will play eight to ten snaps with the reserves playing the rest of the game. The reserves, of course, include rookie quarterback Justin Fields.
Matt Nagy knows Justin Fields is ready to be the ChicagoBears starting quarterback.
To win the starting quarterback job in camp, two things must happen. First, the entire team must be on the same page about who they want as their leader. Nagy has to start the best player because he knows if he doesn’t, he risks losing the respect of his locker room. Secondly, it must be evident to fans and the media that the better quarterback will be starting.
I have followed the daily reports and press conferences out of training camp this year and I believe that Justin Fields has performed as well as Andy Dalton when going against the first-string defense. The caveat: Fields has been doing it with the second-string offense and has left reporters and fans with more “wow” moments every day than Dalton has.
Matt Nagy knows that Justin Fields is the key to his offense. The Chicago Bears have been atrocious at executing big plays and Dalton, while impressive in practice, is not the quarterback that can fix this problem immediately – especially considering the injuries to the offensive line.
This is what makes his decision to only play Andy Dalton in limited snaps very interesting. Nagy must know that in eight to ten plays, Dalton won’t be able to settle into a strong rhythm. However, Justin Fields, over the rest of the game, will be able to completely settle in with plenty of chances to leave his teammates, fans, and the media in awe of his jaw-dropping talent. The result: an even stronger push by the media for Nagy to start Justin Fields.
Now, if Nagy was really intent on sitting Justin Fields this season, there is absolutely no way he distributes the snaps so disproportionately that all everyone will remember from the game is how Justin Fields looked.
Matt Nagy wants to start Justin Fields in the Chicago Bears opener.
This brings me to my main point: Matt Nagy is going to use the preseason to make it absolutely undeniable that Justin Fields needs to be the week one starter. He needs to because he has to be able to justify it to Andy Dalton, to who he promised the starting job.
The Chicago Bears are in a very unique position this season with two quarterbacks that would be quality starters. However, Matt Nagy knows only one of them, Justin Fields, has the potential to completely break open the offense and let Nagy unleash his entire playbook on the NFL.
As a result, I believe his most recent comments on the preseason showcase that he is setting the stage for Justin Fields’ coronation as the starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears.
Isaiah Hill (7) caught 58 passes in only eight games for Eastern Illinois in 2019 to lead the Panthers. He is recovering from off-season Achilles surgery. (Photo by EIUPanthers.com)
CHARLESTON — Five months ago, Isaiah Hill was forced to the last place he wanted to be during the spring FCS season at Eastern Illinois — the sidelines.
A torn right Achilles tendon sustained in practices leading up to the unique COVID-19 season knocked the Panthers’ leading receiver out for the entire spring.
“It was heartbreaking,” Hill said. “To tear it right before the first game was devastating.”
As the Panthers prepare for the 2021 season, Hill is confident he can be the player that enjoyed a breakout season in 2019 and help awaken the EIU offense.
“I’m feeling really good,” Hill told Priairie State Pigskin after fall camp practice Aug. 7. “The surgery went well. Rehab is going good. It’s been five months now, and I’m starting to feel like my normal self.”
In only eight games in 2019 after he was ruled eligible by the NCAA as a transfer from South Dakota State, Hill exploded onto the scene at EIU, grabbing 58 passes for 571 yards, leading the team in both categories.
Eastern hopes to have Hill back when the Panthers open the season Aug. 28 at Indiana State, but the timeline for his return remains uncertain only five months out from surgery.
Nevertheless, Hill has big plans for when he hits the field again.
Isaiah Hill
“I feel like I’m going to be back better than I was before,” he said.
Hill said he expects the Panthers to improve upon their 20 points per game average from the spring.
“I feel like we’re going to take a lot more shots (downfield) than we did last year,” he said.
While Hill noted that the wide receiver room features more depth than the in past and those wideouts are more comfortable with the team’s quarterbacks.
“Everybody is trying to get on the field any way they can,” Hill said of his fellow receivers. It’s good to be able to compete with everybody in the room. They keep you on your toes, for sure. We’ve also got a lot more chemistry and trust with our quarterbacks.”
The Panthers return players who caught 95% of the team’s receptions last season.
Quarterback competition
The one-win spring season gave Eastern the opportunity to insert Otto Kuhns as the starter. He was the first true freshman to start for the Panthers since Jimmy Garoppolo in 2010.
Otto Kuhns
During fall camp, Kuhns and Algonquin native Chris Katrenick, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Duke University, are competing for the starting job.
Head coach Adam Cushing called the two QBs “1A and 1B.”
Kuhns said he spring served as a warmup for this fall, and he used the off-season to advance his knowledge of the playbook and the roles of everyone around him on the offense.
“Last season, I was focused on making sure I knew the play, and not everyone else,” he said. “This year, I want to lead them on every drive out there.”
For Katrenick, who earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree at Duke, helping the young EIU roster grow and win were his goals when he chose to play in Charleston.
Chris Katrenick
“Winning is fun, and I want to have a good time,” he said. “In order to have fun, I want to play and win games.”
Cushing said he hopes to have a better idea who is leading the way at QB after the team scrimmages Sunday.
“What’s it take for somebody to win the job?” Cushing said. “It’s the guy who walks out and makes 10 other guys better. It’s been great to see Otto take that next step. Chris has come in and given him instant competition, and competition breeds excellence.”
Cushing said if both players are even after the scrimmage, he foresees having them both takes snaps in Eastern’s first several games.
“That would allow us to do different things with our offense,” he said.
Blog co-authors Barry Bottino and Dan Verdun bring years of experience covering collegiate athletics. Barry has covered college athletes for more than two decades in his “On Campus” column, which is published weekly by Shaw Media. Dan has written four books about the state’s football programs–“NIU Huskies Football” (released in 2013), “EIU Panthers Football (2014), “ISU Redbirds” (2016) and “SIU Salukis Football” (2017).
White Sox fans won’t find the team’s game Wednesday afternoon on NBC SportsChicago, or any other TV or cable channel, for that matter. YouTube will carry the broadcast exclusively and for free. Go to YouTube.com/MLB or search “MLB” in the YouTube app on all smart devices. First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. Central.
Matt Yallof and Bill Ripken of MLB Network will host the pregame show beginning at 11:30 a.m. Play-by-play voice Scott Braun, analyst LaTroy Hawkins and reporter Lauren Gardner will provide the game commentary. But fans can choose to listen to their team’s radio call instead.
Starting this week for YouTube’s weekly games, the broadcast will include a feature that gives fans the option to listen to the home or away radio feed. So as viewers watch the stream, they can listen to Braun and Hawkins, the Sox’ Len Kasper and Darrin Jackson or the Twins’ Cory Provus and Dan Gladden. In settings, select “Audio Track” and choose from the primary stream, home radio or away radio.
In addition to the multi-audio feature, viewers can participate in a live chat and follow commentary from more than 40 sports-focused YouTube creators. The broadcast also will ask viewers to vote in polls, including for the YouTube Player of the Game. That player will receive a trophy during the postgame show.
Sox-Twins is YouTube’s 15th game in a 21-game exclusive schedule this season. It’s also the Sox’ first appearance in the “MLB Game of the Week Live on YouTube,” which is in its third season.
The basketball part of Summer League is nothing new for Marko Simonovic.
He’s been playing that since the age of seven, and was off to Italy at the age of 14 to start playing professionally.
Sure, the 6-foot-11 forward/center has a ton to learn at the NBA level, but he didn’t seem overwhelmed with that prospect.
The off-the-court adjustment he needs to make in his new home? That’s where it’s going to be interesting for the 21-year-old.
When he came to Chicago last month to start working out for his new team, it was the first time he stepped foot in the city. Then it was off to Summer League, and the first time he’s seen the bright lights of Las Vegas. It’s those moments that he’s trying to take all in?
Basketball?
That’s the only familiarity that he has right now.
“I’ve gone through it,” Bulls Summer League coach – and Australian – Damian Cotter said of the process Simonovic is going through. “I try to talk about it, the importance of fitting into this culture and learning from it. He has a tendency, and this is a good thing, to try to do too much. We’re turning that into a positive.”
Positives that already started showing up when he made his debut on Monday.
In the loss, the big man played with some unexpected physicality in the paint, went 5-of-6 from the free throw line, grabbed five rebounds and finished with 13 points.
In his Game 2 comeback win against the Spurs on Tuesday night, Simonovic played second fiddle to the 30-point performance by Patrick Williams, but not a bad fiddle to play. After falling behind 22 points in the first half, the Bulls rallied in the 92-89 win, as Simonovic finished with 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Simonovic is still limited in minutes as they want to build his stamina, but the good news was they were climbing.
All steps the Bulls are hoping will result in Simonovic turning into a rotation player for a very thin frontcourt.
“I think [this upcoming] season I can help the team,” Simonovic said. “I’m a guy who runs the court. I’m a big man but I like to run. I like to share the ball.”
Call that mentality the Nikola Jokic influence. Not the only influence Simonovic had growing up, but definitely a great one to embrace.
“When I was a kid and watching the NBA, Dirk Nowitzki was really amazing for me,” Simonovic said. “It’s one of my idols. I tried to practice how he played. I listened to what he said. I tried to practice how he practiced. Coming also from Europe, from Germany, I think he’s one of the best players ever from Europe to play in the NBA.
“Now in the last two, three years, I always follow Nikola Jokic. This is an amazing guy. We came from the same club from Belgrade. I follow him before I was drafted. How he played, how he shared the ball, everything. How he’s smart on the court. But now when I was drafted, I start to follow the Bulls. Now the most important thing for me is I think because we have [a team in common] is [Bulls center] Nikola Vucevic. He’s my guy also. We come from the same country. We were together on the national team, but I think he will help me.”
As far as the other Bulls rookie who has a lot of eyes on him, Chicago product Ayo Dosunmu had a solid second half, finishing with 10 points and getting four steals.
NEW YORK — Walter Yetnikoff, the rampaging, R-rated head of CBS Records who presided over blockbuster releases by Michael Jackson, Billy Joel and many others and otherwise devoted his life to a self-catered feast of “schmoozing, shmingling and bingling,” has died at age 87.
Yetnikoff’s death was confirmed Tuesday by David Ritz, who collaborated with Yetnikoff on his memoir “Howling at the Moon.” Further details were not immediately available.
The stocky, bearded Yetnikoff was a onetime lawyer with a sharp mind, a foul mouth, a big heart, a tin ear, a roving eye and an extraordinary temper, a Jewish kid from Brooklyn whose hunger for recognition and power drove him to excess in every way. In “Howling at the Moon,” published in 2004, he described his life as a three-act play: Act 1, “I start to get crazy.” Act 2, “I get crazier.” Act 3, “craziest of all.”
Once likened by The New York Times to the vulgar Jewish uncle “who asks his unsuspecting nephew to pull his finger,” he was a born kingpin who helped embody a moment when rock music became big business, embraced and absorbed by corporate America, when contracts and acquisitions seemed as eventful as the music itself.
“If you are successful — as it should be — you simply have to pay an artist, give them a check for all this money,” he told Rolling Stone in 1988. “It’s my pleasure to give Michael Jackson a big, big check. Number one, it shows that we’re successful. Two, whatever he earned, we earned more.”
He joined CBS as a staff attorney in the early 1960s, was named president of CBS Records International in 1971 and CEO of CBS Records in 1975, after Clive Davis was fired amid allegations of payola and mismanagement of expenses. Yetnikoff was a volatile man in a volatile and expansive era; throughout his 15 years on top he competed fiercely with Warner Bros. for industry dominance. Warner had Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles and Madonna. CBS had Jackson, Joel, Barbra Streisand and Bruce Springsteen.
When Yetnikoff helped convince James Taylor to jump from Warner to CBS, Warner lured Paul Simon away from CBS.
His reign peaked with such mega-sellers as Jackson’s “Thriller,” Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out of Hell” and Joel’s “52nd Street.” CBS’ revenues more than quadrupled under his watch, from $485 million to over $2 billion, but he also blew a fortune by arranging costly deals for Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones and others past their commercial prime.
“If I were a CBS stockholder, I would sue for dilution of assets,” former CBS Records A&R chief Mitch Miller once complained.
He feuded with friends and enemies, with other labels and his own company. He called CBS chairman Thomas H. Wyman “Super Goy” and Wyman’s immediate successor, the cost-cutting Laurence A. Tisch, “the evil dwarf.” Simon would allege that Yetnikoff traumatized him to the point of writer’s block and turned Yetnikoff into a villain in his 1980 film “One Trick Pony,” in which Rip Torn played a boorish record executive.
Yetnikoff could also be righteous, threatening to boycott MTV and its then-virtually all-white playlist after its initial refusal to air the video of Jackson’s “Billie Jean” and using his own money to buy back Joel’s song catalog from a former producer and give it back to the singer.
When he married Cynthia Slamar, in 1987, Mick Jagger, Streisand and Springsteen were among the guests.
“To Walter — The wildest man north of Asbury Park,” Springsteen once wrote to him. “Thanks for your friendship.”
His downfall came amid a storm of corporate turnover and backstabbing, and Yetnikoff’s personal chaos. By the late 1980s, his marriage to Slamar was collapsing and his treatment for alcoholism had not cleaned up his behavior. He alienated Springsteen and Jackson among others, raged in public against rival mogul David Geffen and exasperated the executives at his new corporate parent, Sony, which had purchased CBS in 1987 — a deal Yetnikoff helped arrange. Forced out by Sony in 1990, he tried to make a movie about Miles Davis, and failed. He tried to start a new record company, Velvel Music Group, and failed.
“I wasn’t even thinking about getting out of bed,” he wrote in his memoir. “I drew the curtains, closed the blinds and stayed in bed for months. I was immobile. I was useless. I was racked with every lousy self-loathing feeling known to man.”
In recent years, he volunteered at addiction recovery centers in New York City and helped run Commotion Records. Yetnikoff was married three times and had enough affairs to make friends doubt he could ever commit to one woman. He would remember telling Streisand in 1985 that he was marrying Slamar, only to have the singer laugh and respond, “I don’t know anyone less suited to marriage. The chances of you being faithful are absolutely zero.” His third marriage, to Lynda Kady, did endure.
Yetnikoff grew up in a working-class neighborhood where trouble began at home; his father would beat him up, his mother wanted him to get rich. Damaged, but determined, he attended Brooklyn College as an undergraduate and received a law degree from Columbia University. After being stationed in Germany while serving in the Army from 1956-58, he returned to New York and joined the law firm of Rosenman and Colin.
Among his more ambitious peers was a balding young lawyer named Clive Davis, a fellow Jew from Brooklyn who would soon leave for Columbia records and, in 1961, convinced Yetnikoff to join him. He was soon assigned to collect $40,000 from Morris Levy, a music entrepreneur notorious for his ties to organized crime. Levy became a friend and even agreed to settle his debt.
“To bright boy Yetnikoff,” he wrote, “I’m not paying because I gotta. I’m paying because I wanna. I’d hate to see you in trouble so early in your career. That’ll come later.”
Freshwater drum and a chance at big Chinook on Lake Michigan along with catfish, bluegill and bass from inland waters around Chicago highlight this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report; plus bonuses in a Downstate paddlefish and a Dancing in the Streets note.
Capt. Ralph Steiger caught one of his bigger freshwater drum in a while on Lake Michigan.
He messaged:
18.8, bass fishing on a tube dragging , 14 ft of water.
In case you’re wondering, that is not near the records for either Indiana or Illinois. Johnathan Inman caught the Illinois record (38 pounds, 4 ounces), on May 24, 2018 from Clinton Lake. Garland Fellers caught the Indiana record drum (30 pounds) in 1963 from the White River in Martin County.
ILLINOIS FROG SEASON
Illinois’ bullfrog (only) season runs through Oct. 15. A fishing license is required. “Bullfrogs may be taken by hook and line, gig, pitchfork, spear, bow and arrow, hand, or landing net.” Daily bag limits eight, possession limit 16.
LAKEFRONT PARKING
Chicago Park District’s parking passes for the fisherman’s parking lots at DuSable and Burnham harbors are on sale at Henry’s Sports and Bait in Bridgeport and Park Bait at Montrose Harbor.
Readers suggest SpotHero app downtown. Otherwise, here are some basics: Foster (free street parking or pay lot); Montrose (now a mix of metered and free street parking); Belmont (pay lots on north and south sides); Diversey (pay lot or street parking); DuSable Harbor (pay lot or fisherman’s lot); Northerly Island/Burnham Harbor (meters, pay lot or fisherman’s lot); 31st/Burnham (meter parking between McCormick Place and 31st Street Harbor); Oakwood/39th (meters); 63rd Street/Casino Pier (pay lot); Steelworkers Park (free street parking at east end of 87th); Cal Park (free parking).
AREA LAKES
BIG FISH: The Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Big Fish Contest at Monee Reservoir runs through Aug. 31. Click here for details.
Ken “Husker” O’Malley with a local largemouth bass.Provided
Ken “Husker” O’Malley emailed the photos above and below, and this:
Hey Dale,
Here is a recap of this past weeks fishing.
Area lakes-summer patterns are back with more stable weather. Bass have been very good. Work a frog early and late in the day. Thicker the cover the better. Bluegill are up shallow finishing their spawn. Focus on these shorelines for good numbers. As the morning progresses, pitch a senko just beyond the bluegill. Early evening, burn a Googan click bait over the top of the weeds. These patterns should continue with the forecast predicted this week.
Here is the nature pic of the week [below]. Warming up after breakfast.
TTYL
—
Ken “Husker” O’Malley
Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team
A watersnake warming on a log.Provided by Ken “Husker” O’Malley
Pete Lamar emailed:
Hi Dale,
. . .
I fished a nearby pond on Sunday afternoon, right before a storm hit (I quit when I saw lightning and walked home in a downpour). The bluegills were in a frenzy, eating everything they could see and even attacking each other. It was fun while it lasted.
. . .
Pete
BRAIDWOOD LAKE
Open daily 6 a.m. to sunset. Click here for the preview.
CHAIN O’LAKES AREA
Tucker at Triangle Sports and Marine in Antioch said catfish going good as usual on stinkbait or liver; bluegills are in the weeds and brush piles; few reports on walleye, but the better bites are in the weeds on fatheads; both smallmouth and largemouth are slow; as are crappie and white bass.
NOTE: Check updates on water conditions at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.
NOTE 2: The Stratton Lock and Dam is open 8 a.m. to midnight through Sept. 30.
CHICAGO RIVER
Jesse Gonzalez holds a big carp from the Chicago River.Provided by Jeffrey Williams
Jeffrey Williams messaged about his brother and his carp on the river:
Carp King is back
Nice 14 pounder, had beautiful colors on him
DELAVAN LAKE, WISCONSIN
Arden Katz said bluegill were good in 15 feet parallel to the weed line; bass were on points or in deep water near shore.
DOWNSTATE
A paddlefish at Giant Goose Ranch.Provided by Eric Stark
Eric Stark messaged the photo of a paddlefish caught at Giant Goose Ranch near Canton. Giant Goose Ranch is a managed fishery on former strip pits and a very memorable experience, which I would recommend you try if you get the chance.
POWERTON: Hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Sept. 30.
EMIQUON: Access permits and liability waivers are again required. They are available Tuesday to Saturday at Dickson Mounts Museum, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
We finally got some rain, and not a moment too soon for the Fox. I didn’t fish it, but walked a long way on Saturday, before the rain. I saw someone wading and casting in the middle of the channel, presumably one of the deeper locations. Water levels barely reached his knees. The rain on Sunday and Monday should do a lot of good: raise water levels, increase flow, increase dissolved oxygen, lower temperatures and replenish springs.
. . .
Pete
GENEVA LAKE, WISCONSIN
Arden Katz with one of his best smallmouth of the year, night fishing Geneva Lake.Provided by Roger Jackson
Arden Katz said bass, including his best smallmouth of the year, were being caught in 20 feet at night with drop-shot rig. “You will catch fish, they are just not jumping in the boat,” he said.
GREEN LAKE AREA, WISCONSIN
Duane Langenwalter with the surprise of a big catfish while bass fishing Big Green Lake.Provided by Mike Norris
Guide Mike Norris texted the photos above and below, and emailed:
Fishing Report 8/9/2021
Mike Norris
Big Green Lake – Bass fishing remains good at Big Green. It took a five-fish limit of 20.15 lbs. to win an Angler’s Choice bass tournament on the lake last Sunday. Tubes or creature baits worked along weed edges and rocky drop-offs are accounting for most catches. Large catfish are also hitting the tubes. Big bluegills are also roaming the weed edges. Try red worms on a drop shot rig in 15 – 20 feet of water.
Little Green Lake – Cooler weather late last week drew anglers back out to this lake and they were rewarded with catches of walleyes and bluegills. Crappies remain active out over the deep-water basin.
Lake Puckaway – Bluegills and crappie remain active downstream of the lake in the Fox River. Work the shoreline weed with a red worm hung beneath a slip bobber.
To book a guide trip reach out to me via my Facebook page at mike.norris.7773 or email me through my website at www.comecatchsmallmouth.com
Duane Langenwalter with a good largemouth bass from Big Green.Provided by Mike Norris
Rob Abouchar with a good smallmouth bass from shore at Heidecke Lake.Provided
Rob Abouchar emailed the photo above and below, and this:
Hi Dale,
We were able to deliver the big show yesterday at the Dancing In The Streets Festival. The band performed with much aplomb and the reviews were great. We have been asked to return for future gigs in October, November or December. With Freshman Parent night looming and teacher inservices this week I had to hit one of my spots. I ran out to Heidecke and biked the center dike and fished for a few hours. I was able to land some nice smallmouth bass in the wind and heat. Possibly my biggest Heidecke lake smallie hit a jackhammer bladed jig in crawfish color with a white kalins grub trailer. I also had a nice Muskie follow but it came up short. Hitting the end of the line kinda re-cenerts things. Quite a spot to sit and ponder things.
Tight Lines and Good Health
Performing at Dancing in the Streets Festival.Provided by Rob Abouchar
Open 6 a.m. (6:30 bank fishing) to sunset.
KANKAKEE RIVER
Bob Johnson found good smallmouth bass on the Kankakee River.Provided
Bob Johnson emailed the photo above and this:
Hi Dale –
I’ve been out for a couple weeks with some kind of non Covid viral infection but better again and back on the water.
I had to get back to the river to go for some Smallmouth and it did not disappoint. I saw the report and pics from George Peters backwater so added motivation to getting back. The Bass are not what they used to be but still can be caught just more casting for them involved. We used finesse baits, crainkbaits and surface lures. Caught about 15 later this week and another 8 Sunday morning with a couple Walleyes and Catfish mixed in. Catfish were hitting crainkbaits too.
Speaking of George Peters, he emailed the photo below and this:
Hi Dale, [Kankakee] was low and semi-clear as of this last weekend. Rain forecast for early this week could change things. Smallmouth going on minnow and crawdad baits. Fly fishing also an option with pipers and streamers. Fishing pressure high, c and r for all fish. G. Peters.
George Peters with a nice Kankakee River smallmouth bass.Provided
Stacey Greene at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor texted a sad Spongebob emoji, followed by this:
This ought to explain it.
A 31-pound Chicago caught Sunday out of North Point Marina on Confusion Charters.Provided by Confusion Facebook page
Capt. Bob Poteshman of Confusion Charters said out of Chicago fishing is good, for a fair amount of big lake trout, some big steelhead and the occasional coho and king in 125-200 feet. Water is cooling off and he anticipate them moving in closer. Out of North Point, fish are on the hill or just outside of it in 80-140; if you are at the crack of dawn, some nice kings there but they are hard to catch (a customer caught a 31-pounder on Sunday), on spoons or flashers and flies, “depends on the moment;” fair amount of lake trout in 160-260 range. Mornings definitely better. A few steelhead out deeper, too. “For the hard-core fishermen, get up early and set up in the dark, they will have a chance to get a big king.
Lori Ralph at the Salmon Stop in Waukegan texted that there were a few perch reports.
Capt. Scott Wolfe emailed:
Fishing is as inconsistent as I have ever seen. Some days we go out and its lock and load with others struggling for a handful. The worst part is that there is no patter I have seen to be able to predict what is going to happen. Some days the fish are on and some days they are off. The good news is that they are there. 100 to 140 feet anywhere on the West side of the lake is holding good numbers of fish. They just aren’t in the mood to hit all the time. On a good day mixed catches of lakers, kings, steelhead and an occasional coho and brown are being taken. The big flasher fly combination targeting kings were the best this week with Green/Black/Silver and Green/Black/White combos being best. Smokin’ Fish Tackle Hulk Fly and Jimmy Fly Spartan fly were the best ones. Downriggers within 20 feet of the bottom and wire divers near the bottom worked. A faster troll produced better most days for numbers, but bigger fish were taken on slower trolls. Quality has been fantastic with nice 4 year old kings and big lakers even on the tough days.
No info on the harbor. Warm water has apparently sent most shore guys to there bodies of water to try their luck.
Jackson with a beautiful 23″ walleyeJustin Lederer checking in from McQuoids Inn Lake Mille Lacs. Jackson and his family came up from Lemont to enjoy the area. He has never caught a walleye and he was able to set the hook and land this beauty all himself. So the fishing is getting tough. Still able to get walleye on slip bobber and leech towards the evening in 25-30′ of water. Bass are hanging out around the reefs if you don’t find them on top of the reefs drop off to the deeper parts and they should be there tubes and lindy rigs with crawlers or leeches. The fall bite is on its way.
As the first week of August passes, changes in our lakes are slight, but present. Surface temps have remained pretty consistent of late, running in the low to mid 70’s, but some sign of changes in certain weeds has been occurring and it seems to be affecting fish activity in those areas.
Smallmouth Bass: Very Good-Good – This species is least affected by weed changes at this time of year, as they are usually working deep coontail edges, sandgrass flats and off shore gravel/rock humps feeding on crayfish and, on rock humps, sculpin that use those areas. Football style jigs with creature baits or drop-shotting 3″ minnow/worm or goby imitations and Ned rigging work best.
Northern Pike: Good – Stick to broad leaf (brown) cabbage or “green” narrow leaf cabbage. If weeds have a yellowing tint, less likely to hold fish. Spinner baits (Boonies, K’s) and chatter baits when wind. On very high or very low-pressure days, stick to jigging 4-6″ chubs or suckers.
Largemouth Bass: Good – Evening bite good on top-water lures such as frogs, Hula Poppers, Whopper Ploppers, etc. Day time use Wacky Worms to work weed edges
Bluegills: Good – Best outside coontail edges suspended 4-6′ down on Mini-Mite, Gapen Freshwater Shrimp and small leeches suspended under floats. Poppers and flys for the last couple hours of light.
Yellow Perch: Good-Fair – Best over sandgrass flats using frozen crayfish or 1/2 crawlers on Lindy style rigs or slip-floats.
Crappies: Fair-Good – Best along 12′ weeds or out over drowned wood/cribs using small-medium fatheads, small plastics (Crappie Scrubs) or feather jigs with tinsel. Not tight schools, so searching needed.
Musky: Fair – Anglers plying deep weed edges moving some fish. Top-water action not as productive as expected.
Walleye: Fair – Best on deeper lakes where Walleyes working sandgrass outside coontail edges in 14-20′ using full crawlers, red tails or the biggest leeches you can find.
Bullheads: Very Good! – Found a good bite and no one interested…some people!
August can get tricky. Weather has been consistent, temps good but for some reason, fishing can be tough at times. Not impossible, just not always as good as we’d like. Takes a bit of moving around, but just like me, they gotta eat sometime! (Or is that all the time?)
Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop Like us on FaceBook
NORTHWEST INDIANA
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:
Hot hot hot weather is here and will keep some folks home.
Over the weekend catches on the lake mainly lakers but a few kings,coho and steelhead in the mix offshore 100 to 200ft of water was the best.
Willow slough still giving up bluegills and redears using crickets and jumbo reds. Groups in boats doing best but at dark the action for shore fisherman has been good.
Action still good at portage river walk for catfish at night using triple s stinkbait.
Hi, Dale. This recent surge of hot weather has really thrown me for a loop! Here’s what we have this week:
Fishing remains strong on Lake Michigan, with anglers catching nice coho with some big kings in their catches. A new state record king was caught over the weekend with the scales tipping over 47# [Michigan].
Walleye and smallmouth are still being taken on the rivers along with catfish.
Inland lakes and perch have slowed down
ROOT RIVER, WISCONSIN
Click here for the Wisconsin DNR’s report, usually on Tuesday or Wednesday.
SHABBONA LAKE
Staff at Boondocks reported steady but slow fishing, best on panfish near shore, water is near 79.
Concessions are going. Site hours through Oct. 31 are 6 a.m.-10 p.m. daily
SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN LAKEFRONT
Click here for the southern Lake Michigan reports from the Wisconsin DNR.
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
Staff at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor said no perch action; silver fish are in 110-150 feet; few out after the severe weather Monday.
Water is on the rise, AGAIN. Bluegills crappie, and perch have slowed a bit, but still some good catches coming in. Walleye bite is also slow with water coming up
MINNEAPOLIS — Shortstop Tim Anderson says he can’t tell you what the White Sox’ record is. He knows they lead the Indians by “about 10 games” in the AL Central. But he can assure you they won’t let up.
“It would be easy to look at how many games we’re up and get lazy and think a game doesn’t matter, when every game does matter,” Anderson told the Sun-Times Tuesday. “You take it day by day and you understand what we’re trying to do — win a championship. You have fun, enjoy the moment, and don’t think about no 10-game lead.”
After finishing a three-game series Wednesday afternoon against the Twins (48-65 entering Tuesday), the Sox (67-46) can’t let up. Starting with the Field of Dreams game against the Yankees in Dyersville, Iowa, on Thursday, a stretch of 14 games against the Yankees, Athletics, Rays and Blue Jays awaits. All are contending teams, and the Sox’ record against teams with .500 records or better is 21-28. They were 46-18 against teams under .500.
Manager Tony La Russa managed a 2011 Cardinals team that was 10 1/2 back for the Wild Card on Aug. 24 and won the World Series, so he knows first-hand big leads can be had. He managed a Sox team in 1983 that won the AL West by 20 games and got quickly KO’d by the Orioles in the the ALCS, which was the only round before the World Series then.
Stuff happens.
“Human nature is always a concern,” La Russa said. “But there’s two ways we counteract it. No. 1 is that if we keep the goal of improving, so if we can play ourselves into October, we want to peak in October, we want to be better than we are today. The only way you can do that is to get better. The only way to get better is to understand what you’ve got to work on, work on it and execute it.”
Whether it’s Lucas Giolito finding ways to make himself angry to create an angry, competitive mindset as he did when he pitched a gem against the Twins Monday, or catching Seby Zavala telling him to pitch as though the score was 1-0 after the Sox scored seven runs in the first two innings, it’s about maintaining an edge.
“I’m all for that edge,” La Russa said. “We just watched ‘The Last Dance’ with Michael [Jordan] and he would look for ways to put a chip on his shoulder. Anger, adrenaline, something to prove, that gives you that extra focus and strength. I embrace it. I love it when I see it.
“It’s a very good way to play this game. Get some adrenaline going.”
Things could not be falling into place better for the Sox. They recently got outfielders Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert back from injuries, added Craig Kimbrel and Ryan Tepera to the bullpen and second baseman Cesar Hernandez in trades, and catcher Yasmani Grandal (knee) is likely going on a minor league rehab assignment soon.
The big lead allows the Sox to rest pitchers when necessary.
“We’re getting people back where we need them and at the right time of year,” said right-hander Lance Lynn, who starts the series finale against the Twins Wednesday. “We have Yas left to get back and [right-hander Evan Marshall] is on his way back, too. We’re in a good spot and you can look at our team and see everybody starting to get healthy and come together at the end of the year.”
In the meantime, La Russa said the “training room, our strength guys, the coaches and the players themselves are constantly repeating the message to themselves.”
“It’s not just talk,” La Russa said. “That’s the message that circulates our clubhouse and that’s why, knock on wood, we continue to be consistent.”
Tony Esposito, who played goaltender for my favorite Chicago team, hockey’s Blackhawks, from my childhood until I was almost 21, died on Aug. 10 of pancreatic cancer. My father and I saw five Blackhawks games together at Chicago Stadium, one a year through high school and my first year at Valparaiso University. I carefully selected the teams I wanted to see, except when I gave in to Dad’s idea that we see Gordie Howe (still playing past age 50, which I understand better now) and the Hartford Whalers.
But there was no negotiating one thing: I figured out which end of the rink would be “Tony’s net” for two periods, because I wanted to be able to watch him closely. He was beyond a favorite — maybe a constant was a better word. (The ritual in hockey is that the goaltenders change ends every period, supposedly to keep them from building snowy obstacles or other things that might help them keep the other team from scoring.)
I was interested in seeing the Hawks score, of course, but I was more fond of seeing Tony stop the other side from scoring. When that didn’t happen, I usually knew just exactly what other players to get mad at, of course! But eventually, following the teamwork around Tony taught me a lot. At the first game Dad and I attended, the Hawks beat the St. Louis Blues, 3-1. I was disappointed that I didn’t get to see one of the shutouts for which Tony Esposito was justly famous. (I keep seeing a career total of 74, but I clearly remember listening and celebrating in my college dorm room when I heard shutout no. 75 on the radio.)
So that single goal against stung, but I learned to understand it. In gym classes, I played goalie in floor hockey because (a) I understood it more than most girls and (b) I’d face few shots on goal and get few sticks over my shins. And when a plastic puck or a much-taped, nearly cubic ball got past me, suddenly I was ready to be a bit more forgiving that night when it happened to Tony Esposito. I also learned a lot about working together and trying to defend against mistakes. (From goalie to copyeditor?)
I still have my VCR, and I have some of Tony’s play on tape — but I’m going to wait and play those tapes when I can see straight again. I’m not so sure of my eyes right now. I might just settle for a DVR moment, Tony and his brother Phil in their Blackhawk uniforms (which they didn’t wear otherwise at the same time) for the franchise’s touching “One More Shift.” That’s a ritual in which great former Hawks are invited back for one last appearance on the ice, one last chance to hear the cheers and greet their successors. Phil was one of the great scorers in league history — probably because he grew up trying to get pucks past Tony. No doubt Phil’s ability was part of what developed Tony’s, too.
Since they had their “One More Shift” before the pandemic, seeing the brothers with the Hawks who were to play that night won’t be without an ache of its own… but some of the players will still be around when the next season begins in September.
My earlier post today about quiet as self-care can close out the voting as my biggest piece of irony for the year. I certainly don’t want anything stronger. My mind’s ear is reeling as my heart tries to stop the dizzying memories.
I just want to go for a walk, but I know what my heels would sound like on the pavement; They would echo the old cheer, “TO-NY, TO-NY TO-NY!”
I moved to Chicago from the south suburbs in 1986. I have diverse interests, but I love writing about what I’m interested in. Whether it’s a personal interest or part of my career, the correct words to get the idea across are important to me. I love words and languages — French and Scottish words enrich my American English. My career has included years as a journalist and years working in museums, and the two phases were united by telling stories. I’m serious about words and stories. So here I am, ready to tell stories about words and their languages.
Chicago police officers upset with Mayor Lori Lightfoot over her reform policies are also directing their anger at the Chicago Police Department’s second-in-command.
First Deputy Police Supt. Eric Carter infuriated officers gathered Saturday night at the Cook County medical examiner’s office to give their slain colleague, Ella French, a final send-off.
Ignoring a sacred ritual, Carter impatiently declared: “We don’t have 20 minutes for this s—.” He demanded the Chicago Fire Department ambulance bearing French’s body be taken directly into the medical examiner’s office, skipping the Emerald Society’s traditional playing of bagpipes.
“We’re not waiting on the bagpipes. Go ahead and get the vehicle inside,” Carter is heard saying on a recording.
“Take it all the way inside. Do not stop.”
Former Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said the time-honored ritual tied to the line-of-duty death of a Chicago police officer is “sacred.” For the department’s second-in-command to ignore it is not only a sacrilege, it’s an “inexcusable” affront to the rank-and-file officers Carter is assigned to lead, he said.
“When Cliff Lewis got killed and his fiancee came to the hospital, I took her into another room and I sat her down and explained to her what had occurred. And she completely lost it. When I say lost it, she was basically rolling around on the floor,” McCarthy said Tuesday.
“You know what I did? I was on the ER floor of Christ Hospital rolling around with her trying to hold onto her and comfort her. The sensitivity of an officer being killed. The handling of the family. The handling of the body. It’s kind of sacred.”
Asked about Carter ordering the process to be sped up, McCarthy said, “There’s always enough time. Let’s put it that way. If we had to wait two or three days, I would have done it.”
Asked whether Carter can regain the respect of rank-and-file officers, McCarthy said, “It would be a stretch to think that they would want to get behind a leader who doesn’t respect something that sacred.”
Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41st) has served the city as both a firefighter and police officer. His Far Northwest Side ward is home to many Chicago police officers.
Napolitano acknowledged Carter was under enormous stress on the night French was killed and her partner was seriously wounded. But, he said, that’s no excuse for his cavalier behavior.
“Give them just that respect at that time, which those officers needed because this is what creates that post-traumatic stress that they go through constantly in this war zone of a city that we have. To take that away from them in that moment was wrong,” Napolitano said.
“I hope it was just a miscalculation or something done in error. But the way that was presented, the way that looks, that is just terrible. You don’t do that to your soldiers at all.”
CPD spokesman Don Terry was asked whether Supt. David Brown agrees with the way his top deputy handled situation at the medical examiner’s office.
“No comment beyond reminding you of what an emotionally difficult and painful night that was — and continues to be — for everyone involved,” Terry wrote in an email to the Sun-Times.
The mayor’s office declined to comment.
Lightfoot is facing her own political backlash after a Saturday night traffic stop in West Englewood left French dead and her partner fighting for his life after being shot by one of the men in the stopped car.
The mayor was told repeatedly that the wounded officer’s father, a retired Chicago police officer himself, didn’t want her on the floor of the University of Chicago Medical Center where his son was being treated in the intensive care unit. But Lightfoot ignored his wishes and got a tongue-lashing from the father.
Shortly after, Lightfoot walked out into the hallway and suffered a final indignity. Officers gathered to pray for French and her wounded partner turned their backs on the mayor as she approached.
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