SHABBONA, Ill.--In his sunglasses, jeans and Harley-Davidson T-shirt, Mike Gregg could pass for any guy in his 40s enjoying a sunnyday in his Lund boat.
He seems normal enough. The Bartlett man has a wife and a handfulof grown daughters. He holds down a good job as a design engineer forRDI in Itasca, a company that specializes in stuff for the roofingindustry.
But there's one thing.
On many occasions, my wife has wanted to know why I fish for ananimal that is so hard to catch,'' Gregg said.
His reason for muskie fishing is either Zen-like brilliant ornonsensical.
It is just what I like to do,'' he said.
There's a pause.
Besides, I have too much invested to go back to crappie fishingnow,'' said Gregg, who has amassed eight muskie rods and seven largetackle boxes of lures in six years of muskie fishing.
We used a fair amount of that stuff Wednesday on Shabbona Lake.With Jakes, Squirkos, Vipers, Suicks, Fat Raps, Jerkos, a topwaterand even something that looked like a bass tube jig on steroids, webeat the water around the stumps and stick-ups along the old creek inthe no-motor zone to a froth.
Hopin' and wishin'. But not for long. At 9:15 a.m., within 10minutes of our first casts, a fat muskie between 40 and 45 inchesrolled over the top of Gregg's 8-inch firetiger Jake at the side ofthe boat. But it missed and didn't come back.
I would always see [muskie] come up while I was walleye fishing,''Gregg said. My son-in-law wanted to fish for them. Even walleyefishing, it seemed like something was missing, like I wasn't getting110 percent.
So we hired a guide in northern Wisconsin. On Carroll Lake withintwo hours, I hooked a 39-incher. Then my son-in-law hooked a 36-incher on Big St.Germain. Ever since, I have never gone back. This isit.''
True muskie fishermen need a special 12-step program. Fishing withone, I feel like a psychology student exploring abnormal behavior.
My father [Richard] was quite an avid fisherman, but he was a carpfisherman,'' Gregg said. I got to know the Batavia dam quite well. Heused to make this stinkbait that smelled so bad my mom would almostthrow him out of the house. No, I acquired this [muskie] habit all bymyself.''
Gregg has it. He's a three-time champion: the Greater WisconsinMuskie Tournament (1998, 1999) and the Challunge on the Chain (2000).He's a board member of the Fox Valley chapter of Muskies Inc.
Addiction or habit, muskie fishing is a compulsion.
I am more of a binge muskie fisherman than a full-blowncompulsive.
But Shabbona could make a person compulsive. The DeKalb Countylake is one of the greatest muskie waters in Illinois. Shabbona hasproduced four Illinois record muskies, including the current one: the37-pound, 13-ounce female caught April 1, 1997, by Chris Kim of ElkGrove Village.
Last year, more than 400 muskies were reported at Shabbona.There's a dozen already this year. A net survey last week captured 64muskies, mostly males.
But we couldn't raise another fish.
Just seeing that one this morning was worth it,'' Gregg said.
I worry about myself sometimes. Even after six hours of slingingbig chunks of lures around and with a knot like a fist in my back, Icompletely agreed.
At 2 p.m., it was time. Well, for me. Gregg dropped me off at thedock and went back out.
Dale Bowman may be contacted at outdoordb@aol.com.
CWD UPDATE: The Illinois Department of Agriculture filed emergencyrules Friday banning the importation of captive deer or elk intoIllinois to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease. Theemergency rule will last 150 days, during which a task force of Agand Illinois Department of Natural Resource officials will continueto meet. In late February, five cases of CWD were confirmed near Mt.Horeb, Wis., about 40 miles north of Illinois. No cases have beenconfirmed in Illinois. Confirmed cases in Wisconsin now number in theteens. Indiana prohibited the importation of deer, elk and othercervid species this week. According to the Denver Post, ColoradoDivision of Wildlife biologists will kill every mule deer and elkthey can find within five miles of a commercial elk ranch'' in RouttCounty to try to stop an outbreak."
SEASONAL RELIEF: IDNR may hire 300 seasonal workers of the 400that were requested. That relieves fears that not enough seasonalhelp would be available to maintain state parks during the intensesummer usage. However, next year's budget battle is still beingfought and the option of closing or downsizing state lands remainsopen.
TOURNAMENT NOTES: Lake Erie walleye are on. On Wednesday, CarlGrunwaldt of Green Bay, Wis., weighed in five walleye at 52.85 poundsto lead Day 1 of the Professional Walleye Trail's Realtree EasternPro-Am on Lake Erie out of Port Clinton, Ohio. ... Larry Charlton andJim Schmehl found a 6.01-pound largemouth bass and another keeper for7.5 pounds to collect $620 for big fish and $1,240 for first place inthe opening Northland Bass Chain O'Lakes Buddy Division tournamentlast Sunday.
WINGING IT: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources issponsoring a wing-shooting clinic June 1-2 at the Des PlainesConservation Area. Hunters 16 and older may attend. The clinic willbe taught by National Sporting Clays Association certified wing-shooting instructors. Cost is $25. Call (815) 423-5346.
TALKING GEESE: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold apublic meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Holiday Inn Express inPalatine for comment on its recently released draft EnvironmentalImpact Statement on resident Canada goose management. The draft isavailable at http://migratorybirds.fws.gov.
DECORATED DRAKES: Decoy collecting has become one of the hottestand hippest hedges against inflation. To sample it, try the 37thannual National Antique Decoy & Sporting Collectibles Show on Fridayand Saturday at Pheasant Run Resort Mega Center in St. Charles.Admission is $5. Contact Herb Desch at (312) 337-7957 orhedesch@enteract.com.
CLASSES
Thursday & Saturday: Hunting class, Crystal Lake Park District.Call (815) 459-0680.
Saturday & Sunday: Boating class, Hammond (Ind.) Marina. Call(219) 659-7678.
SHOOTING CHALLENGE
May 4: Governor's Cup Shooting Challenge, Faller's Sporting Clays(Montgomery Co.). Guaranteed $5,000 in cash and prizes, including$1,000 for high overall, $750 runner-up. Registration is $125 pershooter. Contact Bob Ruff at (217) 785-8955 orevents@dnrmail.state.il.us.
CLEANUP
Saturday & May 4: The 15th annual Earth Day Cleanup of Wolf,sponsored by Friends of Wolf Lake. Call (773) 646-6880.
GOLF OUTING
June 4: The Illinois Conservation Foundation's seventh annualDownstate Golf Benefit to support youth fishing, hunting and othereducational programs, Piper Glen Golf Club, Springfield. Contact BobRuff at (217) 785-8955 or events@dnrmail.state.il.us.
DALE'S MAILBAG
Q: I was just at Starved Rock (in early April). The park isprettier than ever. All the improvements are great, but the visitors'center is not finished. What is wrong with Gov. Ryan that he wants toclose state parks? Where does he get off closing places that offerhistory, nature and a place to get away? After Sept. 11, we needthese parks to get away and enjoy God's earth and beauty and spendtime with family. Where can we write e-mails to explain our disgust?Maybe an e-mail onslaught would help.
E-mail from George Davis
A: Excellent idea. The possibility of parks being closed is real,but even more likely (and nearly as devastating) is the loss ofsummer help. While Ryan and the Legislature struggle with the budget,input from citizens about the value of state parks and state landsis vital. Ryan can be reached by mail at Office of the Governor, 207Statehouse, Springfield, IL 62706; by phone at (217) 782-0244; by faxat (217) 524-4049; and by e-mail at governor@state.il.us. It's justas important to contact legislators. To find your staterepresentative and state senator, go to www.elections.state.il.us/DLS/Pages/DLSAddressCrit.asp.
Shabbona Lake: Muskie may be the glory fish at Shabbona, about 11/2 hours west of Chicago in DeKalb County, but crappie are closebehind as a favorite. The variety of other fish--largemouth bass,smallmouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill and walleye--make it themost heavily fished lake per acre in Illinois. Park hours duringApril are 8 a.m.-sundown; on May 1, they go to 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Thereare two bait shops with boat rentals: Big Jim's in town--(815) 824-2415--and Lakeside--(815) 824-2581. Online information is availableat www.shabbonalake.com. To reach Shabbona, take Route 30 west from Interstate 88 in Sugar Grove. From Shabbona, follow the signs.
STAT PACK
320
Wolves in Wisconsin, according to figures compiled last week.Because it's more than 250, the lengthy process of removing wolvesfrom the state endangered and threatened list is triggered.
$23,600
Highest price received on eBay for a fishing lure. A 1908 HeddonDowagiac'' Musky Minnow offered by Jeff Jackson of Normal set themark last week, according to the Bloomington Pantograph.
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