In the day’s first reported shooting, a woman was shot as she was sitting in a parked vehicle in the 1600 block of North Merrimac Avenue, in Austin.

Three people were shot Tuesday in Chicago, including a woman who was hurt in a shooting in Englewood on the South Side.

She was walking through an alley about 10:45 a.m. in the 6900 block of South Eggleston Avenue when someone opened fire, grazing her in both legs, Chicago police said. The 21-year-old took herself to Holy Cross Hospital, where she was in good condition.

An 18-year-old man was seriously wounded in a shooting Tuesday evening in Calumet Heights on the South Side. About 6:30 p.m., the teenager was in the 9100 block of South Oglesby Avenue, when he heard shots and felt pain, police said. He suffered several gunshot wounds in the body and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was in serious condition.

In the day’s first reported shooting, a woman was shot in Austin on the West Side. About 10:20 p.m., she was sitting in a parked vehicle in the 1600 block of North Merrimac Avenue, when someone fired shots, police said. She was struck in the right arm and driven to Loretto Hospital where she is in good condition.

Two people were shot citywide Monday.

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Pederson was in the midst of a brutal 4-for-43 stretch, but after three hits and significantly better at-bats in the series against the Braves, manager David Ross thinks his left fielder is on the verge of turning the corner.

Like many Cubs, it has been a tough start to the season offensively for Joc Pederson.

Pederson was the team’s hottest hitter coming out of spring training after he slugged an MLB-leading eight homers during Cactus League play.

But he has not seen that success translate during the start of the regular season.

The 28-year-old outfielder was slashing .149/.281/.255 with one home run and a .536 OPS through Monday. Pederson went 0-for-4 and struck out three times Tuesday.

“I just think that, unfortunately, I did not start the season the way I wanted or planned,” Pederson said. “But I think that’s life. That’s baseball. You gotta adapt, make some adjustments. It kind of hit me by surprise, especially the way I was feeling during spring.

“It’s not how you start. It’s easier said than done, but I’ve been grinding with our hitting coaches and just getting back to the basics of what’s made me successful.”

Pederson was in the midst of a brutal 4-for-43 stretch, but after three hits and significantly better at-bats in the series against the Braves, manager David Ross thinks his left fielder is on the verge of turning the corner.

“I think we’ve definitely seen he’s felt more connected,” Ross said. “I know the last couple games, you can really tell. Some better swings, even the balls he’s missed, [he’s] fouled straight back rather than then off to the third-base side where he was a little bit late and the timing was off.

“I think he’s been in a really good place. He’s taken his walks, he’s still in the at-bat, he seems to be in a much better place the last couple games and getting some results and getting in some really good counts.”

While the results haven’t come as fast as Pederson would like, he feels if he continues to keep the same mindset things will turn in his favor over the course of a 162-game season.

“It’s not very fun when you’re sucking and you’re losing,” Pederson said. “That’s not fun, but you kind of just got to enjoy the things you can and get back to the process and out of the results. I think the results kind of drive us a little crazy at the start of the year. Results are so drastic. You can be hitting .100 and the next thing you know three, four, five games later, it’s vice versa. So just staying out of those results and just get back to the process.”

Bote scratched late, Sogard starts

Second baseman David Bote was scratched before the game with an upset stomach, according to the team. Eric Sogard started in Bote’s place at second. Bote is slashing .171/.286/.400 with two home runs and five walks.

First base/catching coach Driver returns

Cubs’ first base and catching coach Craig Driver is back with the team for the first time since testing positive for COVID-19. Driver had been away from the team since April 8. Bullpen coach Chris Young also has been out since testing positive.

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Starter Jake Arrieta picked up his third win of the season in the Cubs’ 3-1 victory over New York.

The Cubs struggled to get their footing over the first three weeks of the regular season and have been searching to find a way to get back on track.

It’s true that over the course of 162 games teams have periods of ups and downs, but one area of concern for the Cubs has been their inability to play complementary baseball during their first 15 games, where both the offense and the pitching play well together.

In the Cubs’ first two series, the starting pitching led the way while the offense sputtered out of the gate. As the pitching has scuffled over the last week, the bats look like they’re beginning to slowly come alive.

While the Cubs are still looking to get both sides on the same page, Tuesday’s 3-1 victory against the Mets gave a small glimpse into what manager David Ross is looking for.

“That was a really well played game,” Ross said. “I thought we pitched really well. Long inning with Jake [Arrieta] on bases [in the fourth inning]. He came out just a little rusty there in the fifth and had to work really hard to get through that and then the bullpen picked him up. It was nice picking up some of those insurance runs with the quality at-bats in the fourth. Really nice team win all the way around.”

Playing clean baseball has been a point of emphasis for Ross since he was hired. The Cubs haven’t played their best baseball and have been outplayed in a lot of ways so far. Ross has spoken about needing his team to play their brand of baseball — in all facets of the game.

The Cubs got another solid start from Arrieta, who has quietly been the team’s best starting pitcher in April. He allowed just one run in five innings against the Mets and lowered his ERA to a respectable 2.86.

“I just wanted to help to help the club get off to a good start in the series and that’s exactly what we did,” said Arrieta, who won his third game of the season. “Winning game one of a series puts us in a good position to come out tomorrow and secure the series.”

But Arrieta got some run support against Mets starter Taijuan Walker. Walker struggled with his command, and after Jason Heyward’s two-out single and stolen base kept the fourth inning alive, the Cubs did something they had struggled with so far — taking advantage of an opposing pitcher. They took a 3-0 lead after Eric Sogard’s RBI single and three consecutive walks forced in a run.

“That’s huge for us,” Sogard said. “We gotta to be able to win in more ways than just hitting six homers in a game. It was great to be able to do that tonight. Give a lot of credit to our pitching to really give us the opportunity to keep that lead.”

The Cubs start one of their more challenging stretches of the season as they face the Mets, Brewers, Braves, Reds, and Dodgers over the next two weeks. Being able to play good baseball against quality opponents to finish the month of April is going to be vital as they try to turn things around.

The Cubs have been in the process of figuring out who they are as they’ve tried to navigate the first 15 games of the season, and while it will take more time to figure out the team’s true identity, their performance during the first month will say a lot more about who they want to be in 2021.

“I don’t think that it’s wise to look past tomorrow,” Arrieta said. “Winning any big league ball game is not easy and I think if you look too far in the future, it makes that job even more difficult. … We obviously want to perform well inside and outside of the division, but we have a tough team in the Mets that we have to beat tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”

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The woman and a male were traveling in a pickup truck when they crashed into a viaduct Tuesday in the 7700 block of South Avalon Avenue.

A woman was seriously injured in a crash Tuesday night in Grand Crossing on the South Side.

The woman and a male were traveling in a pickup truck when they crashed into a viaduct in the 7700 block of South Avalon Avenue, according to Chicago fire officials.

The woman was seriously injured and the male refused treatment, fire officials said.

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The Sky delayed announcing their training-camp roster Tuesday afternoon in anticipation of the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd.

Moments after Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter for kneeling on the neck of George Floyd for over nine minutes, the WNBA and its players shared their reactions.

“Guilty on all charges,” Sky guard Kahleah Copper tweeted. “This is so important.”

In 2020 the league announced the creation of the WNBA/WNBPA Social Justice Council, an effort to commit to advancing social justice. Its mission is to take action and drive conversation about race, voting rights,

LGBTQ+ advocacy and gun control.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced this year the league would add health equity to its list of societal issues being spotlighted throughout the 2021 season.

While there was a collective sense of relief expressed across the professional sports landscape, many added that this verdict wasn’t justice but accountability.

“I was going to make a celebratory tweet, but then I was hit with sadness because we are celebrating something that is clear as day,” four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka tweeted. “The fact that so many injustices occurred to make us hold our breath toward this outcome is really telling.”

LeBron James shared the word accountability in all caps on his Twitter page. Hawks guard Trae Young said there is way more work to do. Timberwolves center Karl Anthony Towns tweeted that he never thought he’d see justice and accountability.

Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson tweeted, “Love. Peace. Justice.” The Bears retweeted it.

Players weren’t the only ones voicing their reactions. Leagues and teams expressed their support of the verdict.

“While the verdict represents a step toward justice, we are reminded that justice is too often not the outcome for people of color,” Engelbert said in a statement.

“Today’s verdict closes one chapter, but much more work lies ahead,” the NWSL’s statement said in part.

“In the wake of today’s verdict in Minnesota, the Players Association will continue its work as a resource and advocate for all of our members who have been affected by recent tragic events, including those who wish to express themselves publicly or privately on social justice issues,” MLB players association executive director Tony Clark’s statement said in part.

“George Floyd’s murder was a flashpoint for how we look at race and justice in our country,” NBPA executive director Michele Roberts and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a joint statement. “We are pleased that justice appears to have been served, but we also recognize that there is much work to be done.”

The Sky’s Twitter feed began Tuesday morning with a statement from general manager and coach James Wade sharing his thoughts on the police killing of 13-year-old Adam Toledo.

“Adam was just a child,” Wade said in part.

It concluded with another statement after Chauvin was declared guilty. Both statements were separated by six hours.

“By no means is this a victory because a man lost his life to something that was senseless,” Wade said. “But it does show some correction in that his murderer has been held accountable, which should be commonplace.”

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The guilty on all charges verdict won’t change the culture of excessive policing overnight but sends a strong message that enough is enough.

Finally, we can breathe.

The guilty on all charges verdict rendered in the George Floyd murder trial sent a message that was as indisputable as the video showing the former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, with his knee on Floyd’s neck.

It was not just excessive force. It was murder.

The disgraced police officer was charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

He was tried before a diverse jury that included four white women and two white men, three Black men and one Black woman, and two mixed-race women.

Even the most skilled defense attorneys could not erase the image of Chauvin — his hands in his pockets as if he were in repose — effortlessly taking Floyd’s life in the middle of the street, in front of a crowd of witnesses pleading with him to stop.

It was an act that was so cold, it could only be called a murder.

The video, captured on a passerby’s cell phone, will haunt America tomorrow, in the same way that the black-and-white photos of Black men lynched in the South during Jim Crow haunt us today.

And just as the open casket of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black boy who was brutally beaten and lynched in Mississippi in 1955, jump-started the civil rights movement in urban cities, Floyd’s death at the hands of a white police officer woke up a new generation of resistors.

While the majority of the protests over Floyd’s murder were peaceful, there were enough violent clashes with police to put the nation on alert.

Something had to change.

Despite the character flaws that Chauvin’s defense attorneys tried to exploit during the trial, Floyd’s murder stirred up the masses.

His murder triggered an awakening in places you least expected, like corporate suites and boardrooms where “diversity, equity and inclusion” have become a priority.

Floyd’s murder also forced more white people who were blind to racism to see the foot that remains on the necks of Black and Brown people.

Getting justice for Floyd is a step toward healing in urban cities where the relationship between Black and Brown residents and police has deteriorated.

The guilty on all charges verdict is not only a victory for George Floyd’s family and supporters.

It is a victory for all the families that were denied justice under similar circumstances.

Many of these grieving families got monetary settlements and apologies, but they didn’t get justice.

Although the video clearly showed Chauvin had a knee on Floyd’s neck and expert witnesses testified that was what killed him, the fear remained that somehow Chauvin would get off.

That has happened too many times.

For instance, in 2012, Dante Servin, was an off-duty detective when he fired into a crowd, killing 22-year-old Rekia Boyd. It took nearly two years for then-Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez to charge Servin with involuntary manslaughter.

Servin was acquitted in 2015 when a judge ruled he was incorrectly charged and should have been charged with first-degree murder.

The guilty verdicts, in this case, aren’t going to change the culture of excessive force that led to Chauvin thinking he was justified in doing what he did to Floyd.

It also won’t magically change the distrust of police officers that exist in some communities.

But whenever justice triumphs over injustice, it chips away at that distrust.

At least now, we can breathe.

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The range of fish around Chicago—walleye, Chinook, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, brown trout, coho, bowfin, crappie—are going for this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.

Across the board species are going around Chicago fishing for this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report; well, that was ahead of the cold front. On Lake Michigan, that included brown trout, coho, lake trout and even some early Chinook as well as a surprise walleye; inland, largemouth bass and crappie are most active on lakes while while smallmouth bass are going on the rivers.

Scott Oglanian messaged the photo at the top and this:

I was slow rolling an i-jack at midnight when this fish engulfed it. Caught exactly when the moon set behind the treeline

I think that bass is worth a full view.

Provided

SMELT

Season runs through April 30 in Chicago. Chicago Park District regulations: nets may go in at 7 p.m., must be out of the parks by 1 a.m., no open fires, no closed tents, no parking on grass or sidewalks, dispose of coals in appropriate trash receptacles. Click here for the preview of smelt prospects.

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 (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

Provided

Jason “Special” Le texted the photo above of bowfin (dogfish) caught in the suburbs.

Ken “Husker” O’Malley emailed the photo below and this:

Hey Dale,

Here is a recap of this past weeks fishing.

Area lakes-last weekends cold front combined with the past weeks cold overnight temps have dropped water temps. Most fish have moved back out.

Crappie have slowed but still remain decent. A few females can be caught on a variety of plastics under a slip float. Let the fish dictate color.

Bass have moved to the outside weed lines and are decent on lipless crankbaits . Slowly work the bait to tick the top of the weeds to get reaction strikes.

. . .

TTYL

—

Ken “Husker” O’Malley

Husker Outdoors
Waterwerks fishing team

Provided

Dicky’s Bait Shop in Montgomery reported some are still catching some largemouth bass starting out of the weed clumps starting to grow in local ponds and lakes.

Rob Abouchar emailed:

Hi Dale

On break from remote teaching and conferences this afternoon I wanted to take a minute for an update. On Sunday after some morning yard work I hit Twin Lakes in Palatine for a couple of hours to try and get my lines stretched. The weather turned cool upon my arrival and the water was gin clear and still cold to the touch.. I could see beds clearly in the shallows but no fish could be seen. I tried several baits, Max scent General, Lipless crank, in line spinners, and Jerk bait all went untouched. A couple other anglers were reporting similar action. The concession was open and I pondered the idea of renting a paddle boat but decided to pull up and head back to the yard work. After a beverage on the back porch, I looked at my backyard grass from above…i can not help think my lawn is taking the shape of some kind of fish. The snow is flying now and the cool nights predicted will keep the bite cool. Just a little more time to spool up the new reels that showed up on the porch yesterday. Next Saturday is practice at Busse South Pool with Sectionals on May 6th. Hopefully there will not be any may snow. But for now as Prince sang; “Sometimes it snows in April”.

Tight Lines and good health

Rob

His lawn is taking the shape of a fish, but I am saving that photo.

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 pike are finished spawning, try large roaches, Johnson spoons or Mepps spinners; walleye are done, too, look for feeding fish mornings and evenings, try trolling crankbaits or drifting with slip-bobber rigs with large fatheads or medium roaches; muskie are fair, water temperature around 50; crappie pulled out some, best mornings on small fatheads on Pinkie jigs on slip bobbers; catfish are good on crawlers, stinkbait or large roaches.

NOTE: Check updates on water conditions at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.

NOTE 2: Stratton Lock and Dam reopens May 1.

CHICAGO RIVER

Provided by Jeffrey Williams

Jeffrey Williams messaged the photo above and this afternoon:

caught this guy on sunday, got bored so i headed down to the good ol riverwalk. 12 lbs 28 in started off slow but picked up in the afternoon

DOWNSTATE

POWERTON: Shore and boat fishing is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

SPRING: Open for fishing.

EMIQUON: Basically, go to the launch. General information at http://experienceemiquon.com/sites/default/files/LakeAccessRules.pdf.

HENNEPIN-HOPPER: Closed for the season.

SHELBYVILLE: Check with Ken Wilson of Lithia Guide Service. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: Check with Jason Johns of Boneyard Fishing.

FOX RIVER

Dicky’s Bait Shop in Montgomery reported smallmouth bass are picking up on the river while catfish have slowed (perhaps because of the lowered water levels); water was 57 degrees on Sunday.

GREEN LAKE AREA, WISCONSIN

Provided by Mike Norris

Guide Mike Norris emailed:

Fishing Report 4/19/2021

Mike Norris

Big Green Lake – The smallmouth bass bite is on, but I am only catching males. The water temp is still in the low 40’s, and I expect the bite and size to improve with warmer weather forecast for this coming weekend. Try Damiki rigs in 24 ft of water for smallies. Lake trout up to 36 inches active in 180 ft of water trolling with spoons and crankbaits.

Lake Puckaway – Walleyes are done spawning and cooler water temps have slowed the fishing. Wisconsin Elite Series Walleye Tournament last weekend was only 9.51 pounds.

Fox Lake (Dodge Co) Northern pike are active in shallow water, but the largemouth bass bite has slowed with water temps dropping back into the 50’s. Look for walleyes in the Government area and try trolling with spinners and crawlers.

To book me for 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

GREEN/STURGEON BAYS, WISCONSIN

Click here for the Wisconsin DNR weekly report.

Lance LaVine at Howie’s Tackle in Sturgeon Bay emailed this:

Good morning all….here is a quick update on the fishing

The Brown Trout fishing is still going fair up until this point. Concentrate your efforts in the relatively shallow waters on both the bayside and lakeside of the Door Peninsula looking for warmer water pockets and clean to dirty water transitions. Floating Rapalas, Thundersticks and Mauler spoons are just a few of the top baits for the Browns. One quick note…the winner of the 2021 Baileys Harbor Brown Trout tournament was Andrew Sharpe. He weighed in a 29.05 pound giant

The Walleye fishing has really kicked into high gear here in the county as a bunch of those fish have moved into their post spawn feeding frenzy. With that said, there are a number of pre-spawn trophies still around, so your chance at really big trophy is still very good. Sherwood point, Hendersons point, the Potawatomi Park shoreline, downtown Sturgeon Bay along with the vast shoreline north of Sturgeon Bay all good options right now. Both trolling and casting at night and during the day have been productive. And this time of year you don’t necessarily need a boat to get on some really good action. The shore fishing has been superb in all of the community spots in Sturgeon Bay have been good. Suspending crank baits, plastics, hair jigs, blades along with live bait rigging with sucker minnows are all very effective methods

Pike fishing is also really heating up. Sturgeon Bay, Sawyer Harbor and Little Sturgeon all very good spots this time of year as those fish are also moving into their post spawn feeding spree. Spoons, soft plastics, jerk baits and sucker minnows all good options on the Pike

And there are still a bunch of Rainbows in the Lake Michigan tributaries, but with the lack of rain and run-off, I would consider the fishing a bit more difficult this year compared to the past few. Spawn sacs and small spinners the ticket there

And the catch and release Bass season is also off to a very strong start with some very, very big fish getting caught already. Look for the warmest water in whatever area you decide to fish and fish those areas painfully slow with Howie Tubes, paddle tails, ned rigs and jerk baits. The better areas have been from the Sturgeon Bay flats south to Little Sturgeon as those waters warm up the quickest earlier in the year

Thanks;

Lance LaVine

Howie’s Tackle
1309 Green Bay Rd
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
Ph: 920-746-9916

HEIDECKE LAKE

Provided

Bob Johnson emailed the photo above and this:

Dale –

Heidecke Lake Sunday morning was a mixed bag for some I heard. I was after Bass and did get a few on finesse worm. “Catch and Release”

Larry Jennings messaged the photo below and this:

Heiddecke Smallmouth but slow fishing

Provided

Open 6 a.m. (6:30 bank fishing) to sunset. Click here for the promising preview.

KANKAKEE RIVER

Ken “Husker” O’Malley emailed the photo below and this:

Hey Dale,

Here is a recap of this past weeks fishing.

. . .

Kankakee River- river is in good shape for wading with water temps in the upper 50’s and slightly stained. Smallmouth are decent but slow for Kankakee standards on lipless and square bill crankbaits. Water temps need to rise into the 60’s to get them going.

Here is the nature pic of the week. You never know what you’ll find when exploring the river. Below is a fully intact deer carcass.

TTYL

—

Ken “Husker” O’Malley

Husker Outdoors
Waterwerks fishing team

Provided by Ken “Husker” O’Malley

LAKE ERIE

Click here for the Ohio DNR Report.

LAKEFRONT

Provided (tweeted) by Edweirdo

Edweirdo tweeted the photo above and “feisty 5-pounder.”

Stacey Greene at Park Bait at Montrose Harbor texted:

Fishing report for coho and trout has been mostly slow. Still a few caught here or there. We’ll see what this bad weather produces. Glad that you got to do the story on that sturgeon. You just never know what you’re going to catch out of this lake anymore. Couple small perch have been reported caught here and there around the harbor also but not much to speak of yet. Have a great week

Got that right about never knowing any more what will be caught from the lake.

Capt. Bob Poteshman of Confusion Charters started back last week and found only a few scattered coho, even around Navy Pier, but did find good lake trout in 40 feet and deeper off Chicago. Meanwhile, he said the North Point area is having one of its better early times for coho, there seems to be a band from Great Lakes Naval to Racine, Wis.

Lori Ralph at the Salmon Stop in Waukegan texted:

Nice cohos and steelies in shallow water using tinsel flies,, cohos and browns off the pier with a perch here and there.Hope all is well with you

I am doing well.

Capt. Scott Wolfe emailed:

Hi Dale

FIshing this weekend from Lake Forest up all the way to Racine was hot for coho with some Lakers and brown trout mixed in. Very shallow depths of 10 to 20 feet saw the most action. Big lakers were still making their way in to feed on spawning alewife. A king or two was also taken. Body baits including Lake Michigan Angler custom painted flicker shads, Rapalas and Thinfin were working. Luhr-Jensen 00 dodgers and stubby dodgers in red/orange with blue/green combo Jimmy Flies flies were hot. The lakers, browns and the few kings taken were on spoons on 2 and 3 color leads. Warrior Psycho Perch and other bright green and blue green patterns were good. As is typical for fishing very shallow water, downriggers and divers were not productive, with most fish coming off the boards.

Unfortunately mid-day Sunday the bite shut off and Monday’s fishing was also tough. It seems the coho may have slid North, with better catches from the state line into Wisconsin for coho. Waukegan charters had to make the change to laker fishing Monday.

Out of Chicago and up to Wilmette the coho were scarce with lakers dominating the catch. Again the Warrior spoons in bright blue/green combos on leadcores 2 to 10 colors dominated.

This pattern is not unusual for early season. A large school or schools of coho will move up with alewife, stay for a few days and move. The bulk of the coho have yet to show.

Capt. Scott Wolfe

schooloffishcharters.com
630-341-0550

LaSALLE LAKE

Open daily 6 a.m. to sunset. Click here for the preview of prospects.

MADISON LAKES, WISCONSIN

Click here for the update from D&S Bait.

MAZONIA

Both units are open for open-water fishing or ice fishing.

NORTHERN WISCONSIN

Kurt Justice at Kurt’s Island Sport Shop in Minocqua emailed:

Twelve days, from the time of this writing, until our inland lakes Walleye opener on May 1^st.

Cold weather came back, hard to believe we had 80 degree temps 1^st week of April and have mid 20 degree nights now!

Warmer temps look to be moving in by the end of the week. The cold has delayed some of the Walleye spawn, but for the most part, it’s over. Be prepared to target post-spawn, recovering Walleyes for the opener. Soft bottom bays with newly emerging green plant growth. Watch your temperature gauge as a 1-2 degree difference in water temp can mean a lot to location and activity.

Til then, panfish has been good, but erratic. Temps moving up and down has put locations at times from very shallow on warm days (as panfish seek to warm themselves-Crappies and Gills for egg production, Perch to recover and feed up from spawn). The cold nights have pushed these fish back into deeper waters of 8-10’ where the temperature doesn’t fluctuate as quickly, but they will still bite in these areas.

Bass anglers (it is catch and release this year in April), casting jerk baits (Husky Jerks, X-Raps) in shallow, dark bottom bays has been productive for Largemouth Bass.

Water temps varying, but holding in the 40’s (low-high). Next week we should see temps climbing fast into 50’s (again).

Remember to key on the post spawn.

Kurt Justice

Kurt’s Island Sport Shop
Like us on FaceBook

NORTHWEST INDIANA

Provided

Bruce Caruso texted the photo above and this on Sunday:

Hey Dale caught this 24” Walleye by Gary Light while fishing for Smallies. What’s this world coming to. Sturgeon and walleyes out of the southern basin of Lake Michigan. Was a beautiful fish. Of course she lives to fight another day

Provided

Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:

Nice mix bag of salmon and trout in 35 to 50ft of water out of burns ditch all last week

Spoons, dodgers and Flys, brads thinfish all taking fish

Lakers still going good at the gong mag spoons and dodgers and spin n glows best baits

Willow slough good for boat fisherman moving around bluegill’s, red ears and crappie best baits beemoth and redworms

Crappie bite on lake George in Hobart around the bridges and below the dam on crappie minnows

Provided by Capt. Rich Sleziak

Christina Petrites at Stan’s Bait & Tackle Center in Hammond emailed:

Hi, Dale! Hope you’re staying toasty & doing well. Here’s what we have for this week:

Fishing picked up really good this past weekend with lots of limit catches of Coho from the Illinois side of the Lakefron to Michigan City & Saint Joseph. Trollers did very well fishing in 30-45 FOW using small spoons and Brad’s Thinfish. The Mixed Veggies spoon was the spoon of choice 15-25 foot down.

Inland lakes are starting to heat up with some nice catches of bluegill and crappie. Catfish are biting on the local rivers on nightcrawlers and stinkbait.

. . .

She added:

One more reminder: The Hoosier Coho Club Tournament Pro-Am is this weekend; Classic is next weekend.

Click here for Hoosier Coho Club information.

ROOT RIVER, WISCONSIN

The Wisconsin DNR sent this update:

The spring steelhead migration is winding down.

Click here for the full Wisconsin DNR’s report, which usually comes out on Tuesday or Wednesday.

SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN

Staff at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor said salmon/trout many have moved out as deep as 140 feet; weather limited effort on Tuesday; catfish were good on the St. Joseph south pier on Sonny’s dipbait.

Paddle and Pole hosts the Berrien Springs Fish Ladder Camera.

Christina Petrites at Stan’s Bait & Tackle Center in Hammond emailed:

In Michigan, this Saturday, April 24th is the opening weekend of walleye and trout streams.

SHABBONA LAKE

Site hours through Oct. 31 are 6 a.m.-10 p.m. daily

The reopening of the concessions is on hold, pending a sale.

SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN LAKEFRONT

Click here for the southern Lake Michigan reports from the Wisconsin DNR.

WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN

Guide Bill Stoeger in Fremont texted:

Water temp dropped back into the upper 40’s, and with water levels still going up, the catch has been challenging. That being said, there’s still walleye coming down, and white bass are in deep water. Warming trend starting Thursday, should change things for the better

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From Kerry Washington and Oprah Winfrey to Whoopi Goldberg and the Los Angeles Dodgers, celebrity social media lit up Tuesday with reaction to the verdict.

Hollywood, the sports world and other celebrities took to social media Tuesday with reaction to the guilty verdicts in the Derek Chauvin trial.

Here’s what some of them had to say:

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Chauvin was found guilty on all charges: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. People elated by the verdict flooded the surrounding streets downtown upon hearing the news. Cars blared their horns, and people ran through traffic, waving banners.

MINNEAPOLIS — Former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted Tuesday of murder and manslaughter for pinning George Floyd to the pavement with his knee on the Black man’s neck in a case that touched off worldwide protests, violence and a furious reexamination of racism and policing in the U.S.

Chauvin, 45, could be sent to prison for decades.

The verdict set off jubilation around the city. People instantly flooded the surrounding streets downtown, running through traffic with banners. Cars blared their horns. Floyd family members who had gathered at a Minneapolis conference room could be heard cheering and even laughing.

“America, let’s pause for a moment to proclaim this historical moment, not just for the legacy of George Floyd but for the legacy of America,” Floyd family attorney Ben Crump said at a joyous news conference that included Floyd’s young daughter. “This is a victory for those who champion humanity over inhumanity. Those who champion justice over injustice.”

The jury of six white people and six Black or multiracial people came back with its verdict after about 10 hours of deliberations over two days. The now-fire white officer was found guilty on all charges: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

His face was obscured by a COVID-19 mask, and little reaction could be seen beyond his eyes darting around the courtroom. His bail was immediately revoked and he was led away with his hands cuffed behind his back. Sentencing will be in two months; the most serious charge carries up to 40 years in prison.

Defense attorney Eric Nelson followed Chauvin out of the courtroom without comment.

AP

As the judge asked jurors if they reached a verdict, a hush fell on the crowd 300 strong in a park adjacent to the courthouse, with people listening to the proceedings on their cellphones. When the final guilty verdict was announced, the crowd roared, many people hugging, some shedding tears.

At the intersection where Floyd was pinned down, a crowd chanted, “One down, three to go!” — a reference to the three other fired Minneapolis police officers facing trial in August on charges of aiding and abetting murder in Floyd’s death.

Janay Henry, who lives nearby, said she felt grateful and relieved.

“I feel grounded. I can feel my feet on the concrete,” she said, adding that she was looking forward to the “next case with joy and optimism and strength.”

An ecstatic Whitney Lewis leaned halfway out a car window in a growing traffic jam of revelers waving a Black Lives Matter flag. “Justice was served,” the 32-year-old from Minneapolis said. “It means George Floyd can now rest.”

Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell, who pounded away at Chauvin’s witnesses during the trial, said the verdict sends a message to Floyd’s family “that he was somebody, that his life matters.”

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison commended the bystanders at Floyd’s slow-motion death who “raised their voices because they knew that what they were seeing was wrong,” and then ”told the whole world” what they saw.

Ellison read off the names of others killed in encounters with police and said: “This has to end. We need true justice. That’s not one case. That’s social transformation that says no one is beneath the law and no one is above it.”

The verdict was read in a courthouse ringed with concrete barriers and razor wire and patrolled by National Guard troops, in a city on edge against another round of unrest — not just because of the Chauvin case but because of the deadly police shooting of a young Black man, Daunte Wright, in a Minneapolis suburb April 11.

The jurors’ identities were kept secret and will not be released until the judge decides it is safe to do so.

It is unusual for police officers to be prosecuted for killing someone on the job. Convictions are extraordinarily rare. Out of the thousands of deadly police shootings in the U.S. since 2005, fewer than 140 officers have been charged with murder or manslaughter, according to data maintained by Phil Stinson, a criminologist at Bowling Green State University. Before Tuesday, only seven were convicted of murder.

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Floyd, 46, died May 25 after being arrested on suspicion of passing a counterfeit $20 bill for a pack of cigarettes at a corner market. He panicked, pleaded that he was claustrophobic and struggled with police when they tried to put him in a squad car. They put him on the ground instead.

The centerpiece of the case was the excruciating bystander video of Floyd gasping repeatedly, “I can’t breathe” and onlookers yelling at Chauvin to stop as the officer pressed his knee on or close to Floyd’s neck for what authorities say was 9 1/2 minutes. Floyd slowly went silent and limp.

Prosecutors played the footage at the earliest opportunity, during opening statements, and told the jury: “Believe your eyes.” And it was shown over and over, analyzed one frame at a time by witnesses on both sides.

In the wake of Floyd’s death, demonstrations and scattered violence broke out in Minneapolis, around the country and beyond. The furor also led to the removal of Confederate statues and other offensive symbols such as Aunt Jemima.

In the months that followed, numerous states and cities restricted the use of force by police, revamped disciplinary systems or subjected police departments to closer oversight.

The “Blue Wall of Silence” that often protects police accused of wrongdoing crumbled after Floyd’s death: The Minneapolis police chief quickly called it “murder” and fired all four officers, and the city reached a staggering $27 million settlement with Floyd’s family as jury selection was underway.

Police-procedure experts and law enforcement veterans inside and outside the Minneapolis department, including the chief, testified for the prosecution that Chauvin used excessive force and went against his training.

Medical experts for the prosecution said Floyd died of asphyxia, or lack of oxygen, because his breathing was constricted by the way he was held down on his stomach, his hands cuffed behind him, a knee on his neck and his face jammed against the ground.

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Chauvin’s attorney called a police use-of-force expert and a forensic pathologist to help make the case that Chauvin acted reasonably against a struggling suspect and that Floyd died because of an underlying heart condition and his illegal drug use.

Floyd had high blood pressure, an enlarged heart and narrowed arteries, and fentanyl and methamphetamine were found in his system.

Under the law, police have certain leeway to use force and are judged according to whether their actions were “reasonable” under the circumstances.

The defense also tried to make the case that Chauvin and the other officers were hindered in their duties by what they perceived as a growing, hostile crowd.

Chauvin did not testify, and all that the jury or the public ever heard by way of an explanation from him came from a police body-camera video after an ambulance had taken the 6-foot-4, 223-pound Floyd away. Chauvin told a bystander: “We gotta control this guy ’cause he’s a sizable guy … and it looks like he’s probably on something.”

The prosecution’s case also included tearful testimony from onlookers who said the police kept them back when they protested what was happening. Eighteen-year-old Darnella Frazier, who shot the crucial video, said Chauvin just gave the bystanders a “cold” and “heartless” stare.

She and others said they felt a sense of helplessness and lingering guilt from witnessing Floyd’s death.

“It’s been nights I stayed up, apologizing and apologizing to George Floyd for not doing more, and not physically interacting and not saving his life,” she said.

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