Fish of the week
February 22, 2011 7:22PM
Updated: September 24, 2012 6:25AM
A largemouth bass of a lifetime through the ice and an equally big one from open water on a Downstate cooling lake double up as Fish of the Week.
They’re symbolic of our February: ice fishing ongoing in some areas and open-water options expanding.
Ken Portell of Lake in the Hills and his 10-year-old son, Cade, had a slow day ice fishing with medium roaches on tip-ups on a private lake in McHenry County — until they latched into a ‘‘solid 6-pound bass,’’ the largest one they ever caught.
‘‘Never give up hope,’’ Portell e-mailed. ‘‘You never know when a fish time bomb can strike!’’
Meanwhile, on the Newton, the cooling lake southeast of Effingham, Tim Prokop of Plainfield had his own memorable bass strike on a jig with a Poor Boy’s Bug.
Prokop said the fish was around 21 inches, three inches longer than his 18-inch bump board.
E-mail FOTW nominations to straycasts@sbcglobal.net.
