“Woo’s Wall,” Capt. Ryan Whitacre said as we worked the northern breakwall of Chicago Harbor.
“Ronnie Woo Woo?” I blurted.
No, Woo Daves, who won the improbable 2000 BASS Master Classic in Chicago, not the formerly ubiquitous Cubs fan.
Daves won fishing the northern breakwalls of Chicago Harbor. Though fishing in sight of the Hancock, Daves, in a bit of promotion, said he fished in sight of the Sears Tower. His dad had worked for Sears.
Daves had his Classic moment; on May 29, I had my greatest morning of fishing. Whitacre and I caught 60 smallmouth bass, most 3 pounds or heavier. Our heaviest five all topped 4 pounds.
For perspective, Daves won with 14 weighing 27 pounds, 13 ounces (1 pound, 15.8 ounces average). Anglers know more about fishing Chicago smallmouth, but they are more prevalent and much larger than 25 years ago.
“I remember in the early 2000s, fishing four days a week from shore and would be glad to get one 4-pounder,” Whitacre said. “Now I expect to catch a 4-pounder every time out.”
We started casting topwaters. I love fishing topwaters, but was skeptical. Yet, a couple casts in, a big smallmouth blew up on Whitacre’s cast, as we worked breakwalls and riprap around Chicago Harbor.
“I can do it in the summer, but it is for a short time,” he said. “But now it can go all day. They are spawning and are very territorial. They don’t want anything going over their heads and beds.”
Several blowups in, I hooked my first smallmouth from Lake Michigan caught on a topwater.
An hour in, we knew, as Whitacre put it, “This is one of those days.”
We switched baits and numbers kept building. They hit topwaters, Ned rigs, swimbaits, drop-shots, TightRope Bite Getter Spinner Bait, TightRope jig with a Z-Man Micro TRD and hair jigs. Beside goby imitators, chartreuse and firetiger were top colors. Whitacre fishes Abu Garcia Veritas TE rods with Abu Garcia reels, using Berkley x9 braid with a 10-foot leader of Berkley 8- or 10-pound fluorocarbon.
“I am kind of feeling we could get them on anything right now,” Whitacre said.
Mid-morning, my personal best smallmouth from Lake Michigan (4.6 pounds, big for the day) came on a Ned rig.
“I’ve been to the St. Lawrence, Escanaba and the other smallmouth places and the numbers here will keep up with them,” said Whitacre, whose PB smallmouth came from Green Bay. “Of course there are tough days, too.”
Whitacre caught our 60th, 4.34 pounds (third heaviest), at 11:20 a.m. We had started at 6:40.
“Best morning I’ve ever had.” Whitacre said.
It was time. He dropped me at Burnham Harbor, then went out to explore new spots.
Reach Whitacre, legal to guide in Indiana and Illinois, at www.chicagobassfishing.com.
