Go Fishing

My son has been talking about going fishing this summer so we took him this past weekend. He caught a fish!! It was a really fun morning, enjoying the lake and learning patience. I don’t know a whole lot about fishing so I looked into it quite a bit…

The Cook County and DuPage County forest preserve websites have awesome information on where to fish and what kinds of fish are in each body of water.
Forest Perserve District of Cook County Fishing Information
Forest Perserve District of DuPage County Fishing Information
It’s really not worth giving you a list of ponds and lakes here because the links above have great maps and detailed information about each location.

Then there’s the question of where to buy kid-sized fishing poles. You can find them at…
Target
Menards
Bass Pro Shop
(the stores mentioned in the bait section below might have kids fishing poles as well, but I had already found one while shopping for other things so I didn’t look into it)

You might need to buy hooks and bobbers separately, so check the fishing pole you buy to see if that is included. The one we bought did not have them attached, but it did have a great graphic with instructions on how to tie the hook to the line!

I found a great resource listing all the different type of bait:
Options For Bait
We first used bread, but the fish really weren’t biting on it. My dad dug up some worms at home and the fish loved those! You can also purchase bait at the following places around here…

Wacker Bait & Tackle
1422 W Roosevelt Rd
Broadview, IL 60155
(708) 450-0305

One More Cast
6525 Joliet Rd
La Grange, IL 60525
(708) 482-4995

Raptor
5161 Thatcher Rd
Downers Grove, IL 60515
(630) 725-9373

Bass Pro Shops
709 N Janes Ave
Bolingbrook, IL 60440
(630) 296-2700

Lyons Bait and Tackle
4238 Joliet Ave
Lyons, IL 60534
(708) 447-0700

Harris Bait and Tackle
128 S Cass Ave
Westmont, IL 60559
(630) 541-5173

If you need help figuring out how to cast, I’m sure one of the people at the bait shops can help you, but you can also look at the image to the left.

Have fun!