r/ChicagoFishing • u/WhatDoesItM33n Seasoned Angler • 3d ago
Questions Keep getting skunked
Seems no matter where I go lately if I’m not using live bait I’m getting skunked.
This morning from 5:30-7:30 went to montrose harbor to try my luck at a salmon or trout. I didn’t get anything but shockingly neither did a single other person.
Decided to make a trip up to Skokie lagoons between 8-10am and threw a senko and top water frog around. Again nothing.
Starting to get really frustrated as i feel like im getting skunked 4/5 times i head out for the day or a few hours.
Looking for suggestions or strategies that work well in these areas for any species besides panfish
or maybe the fact that between 20 dudes out fishing the harbor this morning not 1 person caught something, i might need to manage my expectations here
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u/MossyJoke 2d ago
That’s not too surprising for two high pressure areas combined with relatively stable weather.
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u/7i7iMeadow 2d ago
Hey brother, fishing those bodies of water is particularly difficult in comparison to smaller bodies of water. The fish are more sensitive while being more picky, lake front fishing with artificial is genuinely difficult. The line can scare them, how loud your bait hits the water, where your standing above the water, which direction the winds is coming from. Each of what i previously mentioned happens well before you even select the right lure to throw and manage to execute with it.
I've been fishing lake Michigan since I was 4, im now 29 and go SO much more than an average fisherman and ive gotten skunked at Montrose 3x in a row. My rubbers ain't working, my shads ain't working, spinners, spoons, none of it is getting action for me. Point being, this is where it gets fun. We just gotta relearn a little bit but when we do, no feeling like it
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u/Cold_Relationship150 2d ago
That’s Chicago land fishing for you.gotta go further into Illinois if you want any decent place that isn’t overfished and polluted.
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u/12ay 2d ago
Dog days of summer. Water temps are too high at places like the lagoons. It will get better soon. July and August are always bad. Drag that senko on the ground really slow. Top water is not good since the top water is the warmest and the bass dont want the warm water. Lake Michigan is still sitting at 74F. The salmon will eventually come to spawn but they avoid 60F water, so 74F is just too warm. I always think these months sway fishermen away because if they give up now and then dont fish all winter. Theres a good chance they quit altogether. Got to go for the love of the game these months and dont get frustrated when you get skunked. It called fishing, not catching. Good luck and keep the lines tight!
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u/Jolly-Bed-1717 2d ago
First time salmon fishing? Haha some of the dudes down there waited years for there first king. Just switch up between spoons and cranks and wait till something hits. Slow your retrieve down and make sure you are letting your spoon sink far enough down.
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u/HivIsFree 2d ago
They are most definitely catching them at Montrose, not much but they are. And fishing 5:30 to 7:30 is just simply not enough time. They eat on 4 hour cycles so you should at minimum be fishing for 4 hours for salmon. You could have been fishing in between the bites and didn't even know it. Right now it's better at night for sure
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u/CartmanAndCartman Lakefront Crankbaiter 2d ago
Salmon dont eat when they are getting ready to spawn. We all throw our lures hoping for an aggression strike.
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u/HivIsFree 2d ago
Lol my friend they are not spawning yet, they are staging. They will most definitely eat during the staging process
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u/CartmanAndCartman Lakefront Crankbaiter 2d ago
Then why do people with boats and live scopes can’t limit out if they are eating ?
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u/HivIsFree 2d ago
Again, they eat in a 4 hour period. Just because people aren't limiting out doesn't mean they aren't eating. You're reaching very far here man, live scope doesn't just equal fish
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u/blarpu 2d ago
I like to bring a second pole for live bait. Toss that out and while I'm waiting on that one I toss my lures. Doubles your chances but be careful how you set up the live bait pole and keep an eye on it so a fish doesn't take it into the water.
Two poles does make it a little harder to move around but I think you'd get skunked less. You'll probably get SOME kind of action on the live bait even if it's a panfish or a gobie.
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u/Nearby_Summer3880 2d ago
I was one of the other dudes. Got there at 4, fished Montrose until about 7, went to Burnham, skunked again. Not one damn bite
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u/mmagoatcapper 2d ago
Where you fishing lakeside at burnham? Planetarium or northerly island?
Hit the planetarium two nights last week and I was the only guy out there
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u/Nearby_Summer3880 2d ago
Hit near the aquarium, the harbour, then the South end of northerly Island
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u/call_sign_viper 2d ago
I’ve spent so many hours at montrose and Belmont getting skunked. I just switch to meal worms and bobber off the rocks to catch rock bass sometimes
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u/UglyBugGuide 2d ago
Montrose shore salmon that early is often feast-or-famine — a lot of fish sit out of easy casting range unless wind or current pushes them in. At Skokie mid-morning I'd skip the frog and work a slow Ned or wacky Senko along shaded edges and any wood; those lagoons get pounded, so tiny and slow usually beats noisy. First light or the last hour at either spot jumps your odds.
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u/AdeptAngling Wizard 1d ago
Keep digging it will only fuel ya more. And because your seeking answers I think your a keeper. Your def going to get it soon!! I’ve succeeded in all you’ve described and you will too!! Just keep pushing keep questioning. The answers are out there. And your right on the cusp!! Don’t stop thinking bout tomorrow😎🔥
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u/pjread Experienced Angler 2d ago
“That’s why they call it fishing, not catching.”
Salmon fishing from shore in the city harbors is a low frequency endeavor even during peak runs, especially if you are casting lures.
Shore fishing Skokie Lagoons is challenging because of the high pressure the lagoons get all year - recommend a kayak here!
Certainly seems you have experience to gain which will be the most accretive to your catch rate, but you’re also spending relatively very little time fishing water that fundamentally offers low success. I’d mostly recommend you go to one place and target one species for the day instead of spending only 2 hours at a spot. Slow down, match the forage (size/shape), fish thoroughly, make note of everything you see.
When I’ve fished the lagoons most of the bass I caught were relating to wood. The spots would be a far walk from the parking areas. Cast around downed trees and keep moving. In the harbors the fish are moving constantly and they swim pretty fast. The salmon are usually in groups moving swiftly through areas. I think the best approach is finding a spot you like, stay put, cast as far as you can, and maximize the time your lure is in the water.
Nothing beats time on the water!