Around a dozen people rally outside the Thompson Center on Tuesday to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Speakers at a Thompson Center rally, organized by the Chicago Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression, discussed the nationwide fight against police brutality and other oppression of people of color.
MINNEAPOLIS — A family-friendly street festival, musical performances and moments of silence were held Tuesday to honor George Floyd and mark the year since he died at the hands of Minneapolis police, a death captured on wrenching bystander video that galvanized the racial justice movement and continues to bring calls for change.
Floyd’s sister Bridgett and other family members held a moment of silence at a “Celebration of Life” event at a downtown Minneapolis park that included music, food trucks, an inflatable bouncy house and a vaccination stand. A few miles away, at the site of the intersection where Floyd died, dozens of people kneeled around a steel fist sculpture for several minutes — symbolizing the 9 minutes, 29 seconds during which Floyd was pinned down.
“It’s been a troubling year, a long year,” Bridgett Floyd told the crowd downtown. “But we made it. … The love is here. George is here.”
Other members of Floyd’s family met in Washington with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who urged Congress to quickly pass a law in Floyd’s name that would bring changes to policing. A moment of silence to honor Floyd was also held in New York and a rally was held in Los Angeles. Globally, a rally took place in Germany and Floyd’s death was marked by U.S. embassies in Greece and Spain.
In Chicago, just over a dozen people gathered outside the Thompson Center on Tuesday afternoon to commemorate the anniversary and call for police reform and other change in the city.
Speakers at the rally, organized by the Chicago Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression, discussed the nationwide fight against police brutality and other oppression of people of color.
They also questioned Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s priorities on police funding.
“The people in this country, by the millions, are sick and tired of racism and want some change, so we came out here today to talk about what those changes need to be,” Frank Chapman, executive director of the Chicago Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression, said.
The group was in broad support of community control of the police, including Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th), who spoke at the rally.
“I’ve been proud to stand with the Chicago Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression to fight for community control of the police, to say no more police misconduct, no more police crimes, no more public lynchings and executions of Black and brown Chicagoans by the police,” Ramirez-Rosa said.
Getty ImagesPeople pay their respects to George Floyd in the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue on May 25, 2021, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Hours before the Minneapolis festivities, the intersection where Floyd died was disrupted by gunfire.
Associated Press video from 38th Street and Chicago Avenue — informally known as George Floyd Square — showed people running for cover as shots rang out. Police said a man, who they believe was injured in the shooting, went to a nearby hospital with a gunshot wound. Police said he was in critical condition but was expected to survive. There were no immediate arrests.
Philip Crowther, a reporter working for AP Global Media Services, which provides live video coverage, reported hearing as many as 30 gunshots about a block from the intersection. Crowther said a storefront window appeared to have been broken by gunshots.
“Very quickly things got back to normal,” Crowther said. “People here who spend a significant amount of time, the organizers, were running around asking, ‘Does anyone need a medic?’”
Like other major cities, Minneapolis has been struggling with rising gun violence, a problem made worse, in part, by many officers leaving the embattled force since Floyd’s death. A 6-year-old girl was fatally shot and two other children wounded in recent weeks. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey last week unveiled sweeping public safety proposals aimed at fixing the problem. Other groups are pursuing a more radical remaking of the police department.
The intersection of 38th and Chicago has been barricaded since soon after Floyd’s death. It quickly turned into a memorial — and also a challenging spot for the city, with police officers not always welcome.
The square was transformed Tuesday into an outdoor festival, with food, children’s activities and music. At times, people danced in the street. Artwork and signs from protests after Floyd’s death also were on display. One group hosted an open mic next to a greenhouse that community members constructed earlier this year to house flowers left by mourners. Nearby, a brass band played for passersby.
The celebration also includes a candlelight vigil and caps several days of marches, rallies and panel discussions about his death and confronting racial discrimination.
Xavier Simmons, 24, from Racine, Wisconsin, chanted “Say his name!” as people kneeled. Simmons said he hopes people taking part in the festivities will both honor Floyd’s life and legacy and continue to “uplift and empower this movement.”
“We got the verdict that we needed, but it’s never going to change until we make a change,” he said.
Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-TimesNicolette Peñaranda with Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation, speaks during a rally outside the Thompson Center on Tuesday to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Floyd, 46, who was Black, died May 25, 2020, after then-Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck, pinning him to the ground for about 9 1/2 minutes. Chauvin, who is white, was convicted last month of murder and faces sentencing June 25. Three other fired officers still face trial.
Earl Vaughn, 20, of Minneapolis, attended the downtown event and said despite its celebratory atmosphere: “For all this a Black man had to die, so that’s really unfortunate.”
In New York City, elected officials, including Mayor Bill de Blasio and U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, joined the Rev. Al Sharpton in kneeling for 9 minutes, 29 seconds. “As we took a knee, imagine how long that was on a human being’s neck,” Sharpton said. “Never switched knees, just dug in. It’s time we correct policing in this country.”
On Tuesday evening, activists and demonstrators gathered with some families of people who had died in interactions with the New York Police Department at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. They called for defunding the police, holding officers accountable and removing police officers from schools. Following the rally, they set off on a march through Brooklyn streets.
Several Floyd family members, including his young daughter Gianna, met with Biden and Harris earlier Tuesday. Biden, who previously pledged to continue fighting for racial justice, said he hopes the Senate can quickly pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and get it to his desk.
“We have to act,” he said of the legislation that would ban chokeholds and no-knock police raids and create a national registry for officers disciplined for serious misconduct.
Floyd’s brother Philonise told CNN he thinks about George “all the time.”
“My sister called me at 12 o’clock last night and said ’This is the day our brother left us,’” he said, adding: “I think things have changed. I think it is moving slowly but we are making progress.”
Also Tuesday, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Kristen Clarke as assistant attorney general for civil rights, the first Black woman to hold the position. In the last few weeks, the Justice Department under Biden has announced sweeping investigations into the police in Minneapolis and Louisville and brought federal civil rights charges against the officers involved in Floyd’s death.
Separately, the Floyd family announced the launch of a fund that will make grants to businesses and community organizations in the neighborhood, as well as broader grants “encouraging the success and growth of Black citizens and community harmony.” The money comes from $500,000 earmarked as part of the city’s $27 million civil settlement for the Floyd family.
___
Chicago Sun-Times reporter Mary Chappell along with Associated Press writers Amy Forliti and Deepti Hajela contributed to this report.
Starting pitcher Lucas Giolito #27 of the Chicago White Sox delivers the ball against the St. Louis Cardinals at Guaranteed Rate Field on May 25, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. | Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images
Sox right-hander outpitches high school teammate Flaherty
Tuesday was a big day for White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito and pitching coach Ethan Katz and Cardinals starter Jack Flaherty.
It just wasn’t a pitchers’ duel.
Let down by three errors, two hit batters and two wild pitches, Flaherty lasted only 3⅔ innings and allowed seven runs (three earned) inthe Sox’ 8-3 victory. After entering the game with an 8-0 record and a 2.53 ERA, it was apparent early that Flaherty was on his way to his worst outing of the year. Jose Abreu made it worse with a two-run home run in the fourth inning.
Giolito, meanwhile, was making his first start since an eight-inning, one-run victory May 19 over the Twins. Looking to build off that breakthrough after a slow start, Giolito, who was checked out by the Sox’ training staff on the mound before the fourth, went six innings and allowed two runs, retiring the last eight batters he faced in the battle of former high school teammates.
No, the matchup didn’t live up to the hype. But it was still a meaningful evening for Katz, the high school pitching coach for Giolito and Flaherty at Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles.
“I don’t know if this will ever happen again, where a high school coach is in a dugout [watching] two guys he had at the age of 14,” Katz said before the game. “We’re all still very close, and it will be a special night.”
Katz, 37, was hired to replace Don Cooper as the Sox’ pitching coach and has helped the rotation become one of baseball’s best. His path to the gig was not direct and included stops in the Angels, Mariners and Giants organizations.
“I’m blessed to be where I am today, to be able to say I’m a big-league coach and I’m able to watch guys that I coached in high school when I didn’t even know I was going to be a coach,” Katz said. “It’s special. It’s something that I don’t take any days for granted.”
The game ended up not being as special for Flaherty.
Clearly struggling with his command, he fell behind in a 26-pitch first inning. The troubles, though, weren’t entirely of his making.
Tim Anderson led off and reached on an error by Cardinals shortstop Edmundo Sosa, then eventually scored on Abreu’s groundout. Adam Eaton, who was hit by a Flaherty pitch, scored when Cardinals right fielder Tommy Edman dropped what should’ve been an inning-ending fly ball hit by Yermin Mercedes.
Flaherty’s and the defense’s struggles continued in the second inning.
Zack Collins led off with a single, reached second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Nick Madrigal to center but was only sent by third-base coach Joe McEwing after Dylan Carlson couldn’t come up with the ball cleanly. Anderson then reached to load the bases when perennial Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado misplayed his grounder. Flaherty walked Yoan Moncada to make it 4-0 before another wild pitch brought in Madrigal to increase the Sox’ lead to 5-0.
Staked to that advantage, Giolito allowed Carlson’s third-inning sacrifice fly and another run in the fourth on a wild pitch before settling in to beat Flaherty. He did that despite waiting out long innings with the Sox at bat.
“He’s talented, he’s tough and he’s courageous,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said.
Katz’s focus, even considering his relationship with Flaherty, was Giolito.
“There’s been a lot of work put in behind the scenes with him,” Katz said, “but the last outing was exceptional, and we’re hoping that everything continues on from what he did, and we’ll just continue putting in the work on the side.”
Chicago Cubs’ Nico Hoerner bats against the Detroit Tigers in the eighth inning of a baseball game in Detroit, Sunday, May 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) ORG XMIT: NYOTK | Paul Sancya, AP Photos
Hoerner injured the hamstring while trying to beat out a bunt in the fifth inning of the Cubs’ 4-3 victory.
PITTSBURGH — The Cubs aren’t catching any breaks on the injury front.
On the same day they put infielder Matt Duffy on the 10-day injured list with a strained muscle in his lower back, they also lost one of their biggest contributors to date.
Second baseman Nico Hoerner left the game Tuesday against the Pirates after suffering a strained left hamstring while trying to beat out a bunt in front of the pitcher’s mound in the fifth inning. He made an awkward step before he got to first base and tumbled after touching the bag.
Hoerner lay on the ground in pain while members of the training staff and manager David Ross quickly came to check on him.
‘‘I did not see it at all,’’ Ross said. ‘‘I was watching the play; I was not watching him run. Then I just saw him hit the bag and go down.’’
After several minutes, Hoerner was helped to his feet before gingerly walking off the field under his own power and heading to the clubhouse with head trainer PJ Mainville.
‘‘He’s been outstanding in all aspects,’’ Cubs president Jed Hoyer said of Hoerner last week. ‘‘His offense, his ability to come up and get hits in big spots, his defense . . . I think he has had a really positive impact since [being called up from the minors].’’
There has been an alarming increase in injuries across the majors among position players and pitchers alike. If Hoerner has to miss any time, Eric Sogard and David Bote likely would fill in for him.
‘‘I think with the [trend] we’ve seen around the [majors], I’ve tried to emphasize rest and get guys off their feet as best we can,’’ Ross said.
Cubs farmhand Sergio Alcantara was pulled from Triple-A Iowa’s game and might be promoted to the majors if a roster move needs to be made.
Festivals are beginning to announce their future plans for 2021. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
Improving coronavirus numbers have made more summer events possible. Here’s the latest updates on this year’s changing entertainment landscape.
With coronavirus case numbers and positivity rates on the decline, the summer festival season in Chicago is in much better shape than last year.
The city has given the green light for festivals and “general admission outdoor spectator events” to welcome 15 people for every 1,000 square feet.
The city has debated various ways bolster vaccination rates among young people most likely to attend outdoor music events like Lollapalooza and Riot Fest. Mayor Lori Lightfoot said a proposal to create a coronavirus vaccine passport for Chicago events is “very much a work in progress” but that preferred seating at those events could be one way to urge vaccination.
Some festivals have already announced their return and concerts are starting to be rescheduled.
We’re tracking the status of the city’s festival and major events throughout the area as new cancellations and postponements are announced. Check back for more updates.
May
Navy Pier Fireworks: The Pier is hosting a 10-minute fireworks show every Saturday in May at 9:00 p.m.
Manifest Urban Arts Festival: Columbia College Chicago’s student driven event that showcases graduating student work. May 10-14.
For the Love of Chocolate: Long Grove, demonstrations, classes, presentations, experiences, vendors, chocolatiers, entertainment and so much more. Advanced online registration is required, May 14-16.
Hot Stove Cool Music virtual music festival, benefits the Foundation To Be Named Later, which was co-founded by former Cubs president Theo Epstein. Eddie Vedder headlines. May 18.
Mayfest: Armitage Ave. at Sheffield Ave. in Lincoln Park, May 21 – 23.
Pivot Arts Festival: Reimagining Utopia – A Performance Tour: Live, a multi-arts experience featuring world premieres in theatre, dance, video, music and puppetry. May 21 – June 5.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra concerts at Symphony Center, beginning May 27. Tickets will go on sale 10 a.m. May 11, at cso.org. Performances will take place over three consecutive weekends at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 1:30 p.m. Fridays, 7:30 p.m. Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays.
Pride in the Park, Grant Park, Headlining will be Chaka Khan, the legendary Queen of Funk; Gryffin, the self-taught prodigal producer; and Tiësto, who has been dubbed “the world’s greatest DJ.” June 26- 27.
July
The Ravinia Festival announced it will reopen in July 1 for 64 concerts through Sept. 26 with a slate of outdoor concerts including a six-week residency by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Also slated to appear are: Cynthia Erivo, Kurt Elling, Brian McKnight, Ides of March, Madeleine Peyroux, Midori, Joshua Bell, Pinchas Zukerman, the Chicago Sinfonietta and the Joffrey Ballet.
Grant Park Music Festival, Millennium Park. All concerts are free with reserved seats for all concertgoers and will take place Wednesday, Fridays and Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. Run time will be 90 minutes, without intermission. July 2-Aug. 21.
Summerfest: Milwaukee. The festival will take place over three weekends, Sept. 2-4, 9-11 and 16-18. More than 100 artists are slated to perform including Chance the Rapper, Miley Cyrus, Luke Bryan, Pixies, Rise Against, Wilco, Diplo, and Fitz and the Tantrums.
It’s time for the House Republican leaders — who dumped Rep. Liz Cheney from leadership because she would not embrace ex-President Trump’s lies — to do something about Greene.
Last week, Greene, in an interview on the podcast “The Water Cooler with David Brody,” slammed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after the California Democrat decided to continue masking mandates on the House floor because she was not convinced all members were vaccinated.
“This woman is mentally ill,” Greene said, referring to Pelosi. “You know, we can look back in a time in history where people were told to wear a gold star and they were definitely treated like second-class citizens — so much so that they were put in trains and taken to gas chambers in Nazi Germany, and this is exactly the type of abuse that Nancy Pelosi is talking about.”
On Saturday, Greene, in Arizona, was asked if she stood by her comment by Bianca Buono, a reporter for Arizona’s 12 News.
“I stand by all of my statements. I’ve said nothing wrong. And I think any rational Jewish person didn’t like what happened in Nazi Germany and any rational Jewish person doesn’t like what’s happening with overbearing mask mandates and overbearing vaccine policy,” Greene said.
Buono asked Greene if she understood why some people would be “upset and offended” by her comment.
Greene, never one to disappoint, of course did not.
She told Buono in reply, “Well, do you understand how people feel about being forced to wear masks or being forced to have to take a vaccine or even have to say whether they have taken it or not. These are just things that shouldn’t be happening in America.”
The U.S. Holocaust Museum in D.C. reopened last week after a COVID-19-imposed closure. I wish I had the power to send Greene there for Holocaust education — perhaps meet with survivors and listen to their stories — because her ignorance is more that appalling. It is dangerous.
The Holocaust museum on Tuesday sent out a tweet about the danger of Holocaust analogies. “Simplistic comparisons to the Holocaust don’t help us understand the past or the present. These kinds of analogies demean the memory of the victims.”
We are in a bad place now, with anti-Semitic incidents hitting a “historic high” in 2020, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
I’m torn about giving any attention to Greene. But to ignore her totally is to risk normalizing her noxious behavior and her promotion of anti-Semitism and lies, especially the big one about Trump winning the election.
The Big Lie is taking hold.
A new national Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll taken May 17-19 shows 53% of Republicans — compared to 3% of Democrats — believe Trump won the 2020 election and President Joe Biden only won, they believe, because of illegal voting.
On Tuesday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy condemned Greene, saying in a statement, “Marjorie is wrong, and her intentional decision to compare the horrors of the Holocaust with wearing masks is appalling. The Holocaust is the greatest atrocity committed in history. The fact that this needs to be stated today is deeply troubling.”
The words of McCarthy, a California Republican, were not matched by any disciplinary action against Greene.
McCarthy led the charge to get rid of Cheney, the Wyoming Republican.
Greene’s sanction so far is a rhetorical slap on the wrist.
Rep. Brad Schneider, an Illinois Democrat, on Tuesday was drafting legislation to censure Greene. He said in a statement, “It is shameful that the Republican Conference continues to let her define their party, and dangerous that they refuse to expel her. There should be no room for such unapologetic hate and anti-Semitism in our politics or our government.”
Rep. Adam Kinzinger, the Illinois Republican who is one of the few in the GOP party fighting against Trump-inspired denialism and McCarthy’s fealty to Trump on Tuesday, at a POLITICO event, said House Republicans should kick Greene out of their organization.
Said Kinzinger “What we can do as a party is take a stand and say you don’t belong in our conference.”
Summer arrived over the weekend and there was a lot of fishing going on around Chicago and that is basically the lead to this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.
Tom Riordan emailed the photo at the top and this:
Hi Dale,
I got this 18LB 10oz King a few miles out from Montrose in 90 FOW on a Moonshine Mag RV spoon down about 55′ on the downrigger.
I got into Lake Michigan trolling last summer and have learned all I know from the local forums like Chitown-Angler and reading Dan Keating books. This is the first big king we’ve boated so we are pretty stoked and hoping we’ll see more around Chicago this season.
Tight lines,
Tom
May there be lots of big Chinook or at least enough to keep things interesting.
PERCH CLOSURE
Perch fishing in the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan is closed through June 15.
WISCONSIN MUSKIE
Muskie fishing in Wisconsin Northern Zone opens Saturday, May 29.
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
Bryan Missey fishing for night bass.Provided
Bryan Missey emailed the photo above and this:
Hi Dale,
The warm weather is turning on the night bass bite. I caught 22 bass Saturday night from 9-11 at my favorite Chicago area lake. They ate a spinnerbait early then a chatterbait later. Keep up the good work.
Thanks,
Bryan Missey
Ken “Husker” O’Malley emailed:
Hey Dale,
Here is a recap of this past weeks fishing.
Area lakes- With the warmup bass are getting active again after the post spawn. Bluegill are starting to stage. Bass are not far behind.
Bass- best bite has been during evening hours as summer patters are starting to setup. Find the bluegill and you find the bass. Best bait has been a baby 1-minus worked slowly along the inside weedlines.
. . .
TTYL
—
Ken “Husker” O’Malley
Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team
Pete Lamar emailed:
Hi Dale,
All still-water this past week-no stream fishing for smallmouths recently. The local ponds have warmed up quickly, right through the 70s to pushing 80 degrees. Spawning bluegills are obvious in some of the shallow water. Fishing was a mixed bag of big bluegills and largemouth bass. Not a single fish was taken subsurface: all fish came on poppers. Based on the frog activity of the past week, it’s about time to fish after dark with some large green foam or deer hair poppers.
Cottonwood seeds were everywhere over the weekend. More than once, they accumulated in the knots on my leader. The bluegills were almost as interested in them as in the flies I was throwing. Maybe it’s time to lash a few cottonwood seeds or some synthetic imitation to a small hook and fish it as an imitation of the seeds the bluegills seem to like so much.
Glad somebody else fought the good cottonwood fight, too.
Rico Cantu enjoys a good largemouth bass.Provided
Rico Cantu emailed the photo above and this:
Hey Dale got a bass on a wacky worm, the weeds are terrible already lucky I had 20 lb braid on , be safe out there and enjoy your weekend.Rico Cantu
Mike Gruca messaged the photo below and this:
Pulled this out of Independence Grove off a swim jig. Haven’t been able to get out lately been working a lot.
Mike Gruca with a free-time largemouth bass.Provided
BRAIDWOOD LAKE
Open daily 6 a.m. to sunset. Click here for the preview.
CHAIN O’LAKES AREA
Art Frisell at Triangle Sports and Marine in Antioch said catfish are unbelievable, try stinkbait or crawlers; bluegill are excellent on ice jigs tipped with waxies or spikes, use light line and small bobbers, shallow; walleye are great on leeches and fatheads on a split and hook; muskie are fair on topwaters or big bucktails, especially on Fox; look for white bass in 8-15 feet, try Cubby jigs tipped with small fatheads or spikes, no bobber, just cast out and let it sink.
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
Lucas Wise Jr. with a PB smallmouth bass from DuSable Harbor. Provided
Sgt. Lucas Wise emailed the photo above and this:
Dale,
This is Sgt Lucas Wise from the Police Marine Unit. Hope youre enjoying the fishing season ramping up here in Chicago. My 12yo son Lucas Jr came by my office today and his PB smallmouth (6.5) on a 4 inch keitech with a 1/4 oz VMC mooneye jig. That bait has been deadly down there lately with these big fish moving in to spawn. Take care and be safe brother. Tight lines!
Sincerely,
Lucas Wise
Jeffrey Williams with a largemouth bass from the Chicago River.Provided
Jeffrey Williams messaged the photo above and this:
so slow carp day at the river, but i caught 24 bluegills(sum were 10 in) and a nice beautiful LMB, 1 pound 7 oz on a Cicada blade bait
DELAVAN LAKE, WISCONSIN
Dave Duwe emailed:
Delavan Lake 5/24/21 through 5/31/21
Largemouth bass are still spawning or trying to spawn in 2-5 ft of water. The hard sand areas are producing most of the action. Look for the fish by Lake Lawn Lodge or by the outlet bridge. I’ve been catching most of my fish either with a nightcrawler on a single hook or a Texas Rigged Senko. The wind of last week made it really hard to fish weightless Senkos very effectively. When the winds calm, fishing will improve greatly.
Smallmouth bass are being caught on the outside of the weed lines. Some rather large fish are being caught by the Oriental boathouse or by Delavan Lake Marine. The best presentation is leeches fished on a small split shot or a small sucker. Most of the smallmouth that were caught last week were over 16 inches.
Crappie fishing has been inconsistent. The fish are either spawning or preparing to spawn. Some success is coming in the 8 ft depth range or on the weed break in 12-14 ft. of water. The only problem is that you really have to sort to get any kind of limit. I’ve been fishing for them on small plastics however, the larger fish have come off of slip bobbers fished with a small crappie minnow.
Last week, was the first time I tried for northerns this year. I found quite a few positioned outside the schools of crappie. I was catching most of my fish on lindy rigged suckers. Good electronics was the key to finding feeding Northern Pike. Most of my fish have come by Willow Point or by Browns Channel.
Walleyes are still very scarce. I’ve trolled 3-4 hours in the last few weeks without any success. That bite is either hit or miss. Troll perch colored Bandit Lures or 300 series Bandit bass crankbaits when trying for them for the best chance of success.
Good Luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 608-883-2050
DOWNSTATE
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.
CARLYLE: Boaters are doing well below the dam for sauger, some are limiting in short time trolling crankbaits. Shore anglers are catching a mixed bag, including some decent crappie, especially on plastics.
GENEVA LAKE, WISCONSIN
Dave Duwe emailed:
Lake Geneva 5/24/21 through 5/31/21
The smallmouth bass are a few days from really spawning hard on their flats. Look for the fish by the Military Academy, Elgin Club, Knollwood and Belvidere Park. The best presentation has either been drop shotting small green pumpkin finesse worms or dragging football head jigs with Chompers grubs. Most of my guide parties, I have been dragging either nightcrawlers or fathead minnows. The best depth has been 12-14 ft of water.
Largemouth bass have been in Geneva Bay, Trinkes and Abbey Harbor. The best depth is 3-5 ft. Most of the fish have been caught either with Rapala Husky Jerks or with split-shotting small green pumpkin lizards. Once the bass spawn they will be moving out to the weeds which will be the best time of the year to catch big numbers. Once that happens I like Williams Bay and Trinkes.
Rock bass, bluegill and perch are in the shallows with the spawning smallmouth bass. The best depth is 12-14 ft. I’ve caught most of my fish split shotting nightcrawlers. The best place I’ve seen is by Knollwood.
Northern Pike remain in the shallows chasing the other small fish. They can be caught on black and silver Husky Jerks or Smithwick Rattling Rogues. The best location is by the Fontana Beach or in Williams Bay. Some of the recent catches are between 25 and 30 inches.
Good Luck and I hope to see you on the water. For guide parties, please call Dave Duwe at 608-883-2050
GREEN LAKE AREA, WISCONSIN
Guide Mike Norris emailed:
Fishing Report 5/24/2021
Mike Norris
Little Green Lake – A few walleyes on the deeper weedline. Try drifting with leeches or trolling crawler harnesses. Muskies are active. 45 and 47-inchers caught in the last week.
Fox Lake – Largemouth bass are shallow and the fishing for them with chatterbaits and senkos is excellent right now. Northern pike are also active on chatterbaits and swim baits. Try both the “The Jug” and “Government” areas for both bass and pike. Bluegills are moving into the pier areas.
Big Green Lake – Water is finally warming up and the smallmouth bass are moving shallow to spawn. Try the area known as “Sliding Rock” for smallies. Largemouth bass can be found under piers. I am still getting reports of anglers catching lake trout in shallow water.
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
Art Costa messaged Tuesday:
Fishing Big Green Lake yesterday and today, yesterday a lot of rock bass a few small large mouths, then the winds came and haven’t laid down yet , very rough , caught about 5 rock bass and one small large mouth, home tomorrow
A crappie double on Heidecke Lake.Provided by Bob Johnson
Bob Johnson emailed the photo above and this:
Hi Dale –
Got out for a few hours in the evening this week and we boated a mixed bag of quality fish. Joel Wilson caught the biggest Bass at 3lb. Most fish were caught on hard baits and Walleye ( 26.5″ 6.25 lb) caught on soft bait fishing for Bass. We also boated several Crappie while casting. Water temp is in range of 70 to 72 so lake in very good shape.
Some pics are dark so use what you can. We will be getting out again soon. Thanks Bob
Ken “Husker” O’Malley with a Heidecke bass.Provided
Ken “Husker” O’Malley emailed the photo above and this:
Hey Dale,
Here is a recap of this past weeks fishing.
. . .
Heidecke-water temps are 68-70. Water clarity is clear and the shad hatch has not occurred yet. Smallmouth have been very good. During morning hours works sub-surface baits along the riprap. Best bait has been the x-rap. As the morning progresses, move out to the mud lines and mid-lake humps using a drop shot technique.
. . .
TTYL
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Ken “Husker” O’Malley
Husker Outdoors Waterwerks fishing team
Open 6 a.m. (6:30 bank fishing) to sunset. Click here for the promising preview.
KANKAKEE RIVER
George Peters with a nice Kankakee River smallmouth bass.Provided
On Monday, George Peters emailed the photo above and this:
Hey Dale, just got this 18 1/4″ kkk water warm and clearing. G. Peters
Hi Dale, not much info lately w perch closed. Smallmouth must be done spawning. Less fish, moving deeper. I’m told guys are Seeing big puke swimming around w no luck hooking one. Sounds like salmon and trout are 70-100 feet mostly on Dodgers and flies. We need rain!!!! Rivers are drying up and so is my garden. Take care and have a nice holiday weekend
Stacey Greene at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor texted:
Good morningNot much on fishing we’re kind of at that transition going from Spring to Summer. There are still a few trout here and there nice brown trout was caught in the harbor over the weekend. Sheephead been pretty good on the Horseshoe on soft shells. Lots of carp starting to roll around. Haven’t heard how the Smallmouth are hitting.
For right now I think the meters are going to stay from the shop around the turn around and back.
Capt. Bob Poteshman of Confusion Charters said coho are showing up in Chicago again, lakers are really good in the mornings in 60-120 feet straight off Chicago. Out of North Point, coho are good again from the hill to 120 with lots of alewives around; fishing is good.
About the same as last week, fish on boats still scattered from 70 to 130 feet and deeper.Nice spring cohos.All ponds doing well for cats and panfish
Capt. Scott Wolfe emailed:
Hi Dale
Waukegan and Northpoint fishing was fair at best this week. The fish were scattered and so was the bait. Alewives were all over the harbor and the beach and we also found them out to over 230 feet of water. The water temperature was also nearly even everywhere. ThIs has the coho scattered. To the extent there was any pattern, 60 to 110 feet early and late in the day was best. In the mid-day 120 to 150 was best. For coho, planner board presentations using 00 red and stubby dodgers with standard coho candy size flies in Blue Liz and Green Liz Jimmy Fly have been best. At times Black and June Bug patterns were better.
As the week moved on the laker trout seemed to almost disappear, with boaters moving from getting laker limits to only getting a few. Coho dominated the catch over the past weekend with an occasional chinook and steelhead. Good presentations for multi-specials were spoons on leadcore and short copper lines. Our best was the Magnum size Warrior Lures with Green Menace being a standout.
I did not see many people fishing the harbor, but I saw bass and pike moving around, with lots of activity at sunset. A dedicated carp fisherman in the harbor landed several huge carp over the weekend. There are some great opportunities right in the harbor for shore guys.
The very good news was that as the week progressed there were more and more salmon in the area, a very good thing because the lake trout sort of disappeared. I expect that salmon fishing will improve this week.
Justin Lederer checking in from McQuoids Inn Iake Mille Lacs. Walleye have moved in to deeper water 20-33 foot range bobber and a leach are producing the best. Smallmouth are starting to bed in some areas seeing them in four to six feet. Better bite has been the ones that haven’t started yet. 10 to 15 feet has been producing well live bait bite has been good also slow presentations with artificials.
A warm and rainy week helped those anglers not afraid of getting a little wet while angling for their favorite fish. Lots of good reports across the board. A bit of a cool down on Sunday seemed to affect fishing by late morning, but things picked back up by Sunday evening.
Walleye: Very Good-Good – Back in the spotlight as the cloud cover and warming water brought Eyes into the shallower water on many lakes to feed. Leeches were hot for most bites with dace, fats and smaller chubs not far behind. Wind blown weedy shallows where small Perch, Bluegills and Crappies congregated were tops! Reports from Bass and Pike anglers catching Walleyes over shallow weedy flats were not uncommon over the weekend.
Crappies: Very Good-Good – Reports vary as some anglers finding Crappies still on beds while others moved out to nearby weeds to feed. Don’t expect to find bedding fish for much longer, but Crappie populations seem to be strong and still very good catches being reported. Small jigs (Gapen Freshwater Shrimp and Mini Mites) under small floats as well as the good ol’ bobber & minnow rig working best.
Smallmouth Bass: Very Good – Big Smallies in the 3-5# range being reported every day as fish are up shallow and on beds! Top-water action on Chug Bugs, Pop-R’s, Zara Puppy’s have been a blast! Ned Worms, Wacky Worms and tubes not being turned away. Remember, season is catch & release only, get ’em back in the water quickly to ensure great Smallie fishing to come.
Largemouth Bass: Very Good – Not in spawn mode like the Smallies, but cruising and hungry. Spinner baits and chatter baits scoring well as Bass active. Swim baits and shallow cranks also producing over weed tops. Lots of #’s with some nice LMB in the 18-20″ range reported.
Northern Pike: Very Good – Take your pick! Actively pursue with a spinner bait, chatter bait or Mepps, or kick back with a bobber and chub or sucker, Pike have been willing participants.
Bluegills: Good – Anglers targeting other species for the most part, but doing well with shallow water action. Like Largemouth, Gills are not bedding, but enjoying a smorgasbord of bugs and small invertebrates. Tiny jigs or just a plain Aberdeen hook with some worms, small leeches or thunder bugs all producing well.
Yellow Perch: Good – Like Gills, not heavily targeted, but decent catches in and around drowned wood and cabbage flats of 4-8′.
Looks to be a good, yet cool weekend weather wise. Cold mornings may lead to better late morning bites and better evening fishing.
Musky opens on Saturday, May 29th. A lot of sightings of paired (and tripled) Musky in shallows as they are spawning, many fish showing signs of “rough” Love! Could be finished on small to mid-sized lakes by week’s end.
Kurt Justice
Kurt’s Island Sport Shop
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NORTHWEST INDIANA
Catch on Tuesday morning aboard the Triplecatch Charters out of Indiana.Provided by Capt. Rich Sleziak
Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted the photo above and this:
Steelhead coho and lakers this morning Dale nice mix bag
Fishing out of burns ditch in 65 to 75 ft of water has been good dodgers and Flys spoons and dodgers and spin n glows best
Gills and red ears going good at most lakes and ponds jumbo reds and beemoth and crickets best
Catfish at portage river walk in the evening using cut bait and triple s stink bait
Open 5 am to 7 pm daily now as yes same hours on Memorial Day
Whew! How are you liking this heat, Dale? Long overdue & great for fishing, but it caught me off guard, must say; enjoy, & stay well…
The warm weather has really done great for the fishing. Thermoclines have started to set up on Lake Michigan, so now the fish are not as scattered. They’re far more concentrated into certain areas or “hotspots”. A nice number of both Kings & Coho are still being caught. Charter Captains out of Hammond Marina & the Port of St. Joseph are catching fish on spoons, paddles, & flies while fishing in depths from 80-140 FOW, with the Northwest & Southeast being their best trolling directions. Inland lakes are warming up fast, pushing the fish into the shallower waters. Lots of limit catches of Bluegills are being reported. The local rivers are producing some nice Walleye & plenty of Catfish.
ROOT RIVER, WISCONSIN
Click here for the Wisconsin DNR’s report, usually on Tuesday or Wednesday.
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
Staff at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor said walleye are good in the river; coho steelhead and a few kings 180-230 and lake trout are everywhere.
Northern Pike caught by Edward Evans at Wolf Lake on 5/23/21
WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN
Guide Bill Stoeger in Fremont texted:
Haven’t seen a female white bass in 7 days. Today we’re near Partridge Lake and two out of 3 are females. Water temp is 69 degrees. Numbers are down, averaging 50-60
Both longtime White Sox announcer Ken “Hawk” Harrelson and manager Tony La Russa praised Joe West before he was set to break the all-time record for games worked Tuesday night.
Behind home plate, West was scheduled to work his 5,376th game to break the mark set by Bill Klem. A well-known figure and frequent target of fans on social media, West has a divisive reputation.
As for Harrelson, he and West “had problems there for about 30 years” but have been friends for around a decade. Harrelson planned to attend Tuesday night’s game but didn’t because of flu-like side effects from a recent COVID-19 vaccination.
West, Harrelson said, is one of two umpires he’s respected the most, with Hall of Famer Nestor Chylak being the other. And if Harrelson could pick one umpire to be behind the plate for Game 7 of the World Series, he said it would be West.
According to Harrelson, there are two keys to winning a West game. One of them is to catch the ball and not give away extra outs, and the other is specific to the record-setting umpire.
“The second rule is: don’t mess with Joe West,” Harrelson said.
La Russa, meanwhile, said West is very consistent. He understands emotion is part of the game and lets people have outbursts, though he doesn’t allow them to go too far.
“But you couldn’t disrespect the game,” La Russa said. “Joe was going to make sure the game was played correctly. And he had a flair and he’s the perfect guy to set the record because he represents a lot of what an umpire should be.”
Watching Kopech Pitcher Michael Kopech continued his strong start to the season Monday, striking out three over two scoreless innings to finish off the 5-1 Sox victory and lower his ERA to 1.78. And whether he’s started or pitched in relief, Kopech has come through and shown why the Sox acquired him from Boston along with Yoan Moncada for Chris Sale.
On Monday, the fire-balling Kopech even got two strikeouts on changeups, a pitch he’s been working on improving.
“There’s a lot of things that keep evolving with him. It’s a huge arm, it’s one of the best fastballs in the game,” pitching coach Ethan Katz said. “But anything that’s thrown his way, he’s done a great job and handled every single pressure situation. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do.”
Katz said the Sox will continue to be careful with Kopech after he missed the 2019 season following Tommy John surgery and opted out of 2020. The team is monitoring Kopech and making sure he has a workload he can handle, but it doesn’t sound like he has a set innings limit.
“There’s no magic number that we’re saying, ‘Once he gets to this, he’s done,'” Katz said. “It’s just a matter of kind of respecting what his body is saying to be able to get through this.”
Engel begins Outfielder Adam Engel (right hamstring) began his rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Charlotte against Norfolk. Engel, who hasn’t appeared in a big-league game this season, led off and was the Knights’ designated hitter.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the outrageous Georgia Republican, is comparing pandemic mandates for masks and vaccinations to the Nazi genocide of the Jewish people. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., is drafting legislation to censure Greene. “It is shameful that the Republican Conference continues to let her define their party, and dangerous that they refuse to expel her.”
WASHINGTON — Never, ever compare anything to the Nazi Holocaust, a singular horrific event in human history.
It’s time for the House Republican leaders — who dumped Rep. Liz Cheney from leadership because she would not embrace ex-President Trump’s lies — to do something about Greene.
Last week, Greene, in an interview on the podcast “The Water Cooler with David Brody,” slammed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after the California Democrat decided to continue masking mandates on the House floor because she was not convinced all members were vaccinated.
“This woman is mentally ill,” Greene said, referring to Pelosi. “You know, we can look back in a time in history where people were told to wear a gold star and they were definitely treated like second-class citizens — so much so that they were put in trains and taken to gas chambers in Nazi Germany, and this is exactly the type of abuse that Nancy Pelosi is talking about.”
On Saturday, Greene, in Arizona, was asked if she stood by her comment by Bianca Buono, a reporter for Arizona’s 12 News.
“I stand by all of my statements. I’ve said nothing wrong. And I think any rational Jewish person didn’t like what happened in Nazi Germany and any rational Jewish person doesn’t like what’s happening with overbearing mask mandates and overbearing vaccine policy,” Greene said.
Buono asked Greene if she understood why some people would be “upset and offended” by her comment.
Greene, never one to disappoint, of course did not.
She told Buono in reply, “Well, do you understand how people feel about being forced to wear masks or being forced to have to take a vaccine or even have to say whether they have taken it or not. These are just things that shouldn’t be happening in America.”
The U.S. Holocaust Museum in D.C. reopened last week after a COVID-19-imposed closure. I wish I had the power to send Greene there for Holocaust education — perhaps meet with survivors and listen to their stories — because her ignorance is more that appalling. It is dangerous.
The Holocaust museum on Tuesday sent out a tweet about the danger of Holocaust analogies. “Simplistic comparisons to the Holocaust don’t help us understand the past or the present. These kinds of analogies demean the memory of the victims.”
We are in a bad place now, with anti-Semitic incidents hitting a “historic high” in 2020, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
I’m torn about giving any attention to Greene. But to ignore her totally is to risk normalizing her noxious behavior and her promotion of anti-Semitism and lies, especially the big one about Trump winning the election.
The Big Lie is taking hold.
A new national Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll taken May 17-19 shows 53% of Republicans — compared to 3% of Democrats — believe Trump won the 2020 election and President Joe Biden only won, they believe, because of illegal voting.
On Tuesday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy condemned Greene, saying in a statement, “Marjorie is wrong, and her intentional decision to compare the horrors of the Holocaust with wearing masks is appalling. The Holocaust is the greatest atrocity committed in history. The fact that this needs to be stated today is deeply troubling.”
The words of McCarthy, a California Republican, were not matched by any disciplinary action against Greene.
McCarthy led the charge to get rid of Cheney, the Wyoming Republican.
Greene’s sanction so far is a rhetorical slap on the wrist.
Rep. Brad Schneider, an Illinois Democrat, on Tuesday was drafting legislation to censure Greene. He said in a statement, “It is shameful that the Republican Conference continues to let her define their party, and dangerous that they refuse to expel her. There should be no room for such unapologetic hate and anti-Semitism in our politics or our government.”
Rep. Adam Kinzinger, the Illinois Republican who is one of the few in the GOP party fighting against Trump-inspired denialism and McCarthy’s fealty to Trump on Tuesday, at a POLITICO event, said House Republicans should kick Greene out of their organization.
Said Kinzinger “What we can do as a party is take a stand and say you don’t belong in our conference.”
East Chicago-born DJ Drip balances business studies at Columbia College with a rapidly growing music career.
Julian Leal is a 21-year-old college student majoring in business at Columbia College in the South Loop, but he’s better known by his stage name: DJ Drip.…Read More
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