Great Lakes Archives - MidWest Outdoors

Muskie fishing has momentum in and around Chicago, but the future hinges on carefully handling and quickly releasing your catch.

Joel Michel, of Racine, Wis. caught and released this plump 49.5-incher from the Fox Chain in spring, 2006. This was one of the first truly large specimens I saw near the Chicago fishing scene.

This is a whopper muskie for forest preserve district standards, and quality for anywhere within the muskies range. Found on Facebook, this estimated 30-pound fish was boated by a client of Micah Langkamp’s, a Hayward-based muskie guide who also operates in northern Illinois from the late fall through the early spring months. Source / Langkamp’s Fishing Guide Service

Rob Miller, IL DNR with 46-inch muskie from Heidecke Lake, 2016. The largest fish, a gravid female, weighed in just shy of 30 pounds. Source / Illinois DNR

Little is known about this catch from Shabbona Lake in DeKalb County, Illinois. Source / MuskieFIRST

Chicago Muskie Chronicle

Andrew Ragas /

Aug 8, 2018

Esox fishing around the Windy City is for real Chicago Muskie fishing is finally coming of age. Most anglers observe […]

Lake Michigan Perch

Mike Ratter /

Aug 8, 2018

Still hot fishing in cold weather With winter upon us, I haven’t heard a whole lot from our neighbors to […]

Tips for Running a Boat on the Great Lakes

Bobby Bergren /

Oct 1, 2017

The Great Lakes are rough on all boats, especially bass boats and aluminum styles. Here are a few tips to […]

On a family outing, young Trevor Haasch (left) does his best Jimmy Houston impersonation. He is now a seasoned deck hand and is showing the fruits of his labor.

Family outings are common, and Capt. Lee Haasch encourages you to bring your kids along fishing too.

Make a Lake Michigan Memory this Summer

Lee Haasch /

Oct 1, 2017

I’ve always been a big proponent of “Take a Kid Fishing.” I remember as a young lad going fishing with […]

Fishing specialist Trevor Haasch shows off a typical spring king.

Dave Walthour (second from left) has been coming to Algoma since the late ‘60s and enjoys this awesome salmon fishery.

Capt. Lee with one of the many 30-pound-plus kings that have graced his back deck over the years.

Early Arrival for the Kings

Lee Haasch /

Sep 1, 2017

It was pretty dark and the Milky Way was lit up like a Christmas tree as Trevor untied the dock […]

Catching big fish are good reasons to go out early in the afternoon and to enjoy the solitude. Gary Haasch enjoyed a trip with his brother aboard the Grand Illusion 2.

Fishing around noon can produce a mixed bag of results. But when the fishing pressure is low the action can be hot.

Hot midday excursions can be productive for large steelhead.

Try a Midday Bite for Great Lake Michigan Action

Lee Haasch /

Sep 1, 2017

Trevor and I were just about finished cleaning up from our morning outing. It was a good one as we […]

Annie Orth, “Bobber Anne,” Selected for National Freshwater Hall of Fame!

Dave Mull /

Sep 1, 2017

Monthly MWO Mag contributor Annie Orth joined the Gapen Tackle Company 30 years ago as a sales assistant at sport shows […]

Swim Jigs for Bass: One Bait, a Whole Bag of Tricks

Dave Mull /

Aug 22, 2017

by Joe Bucher I fully admit that I’ve become addicted to swim jigs and their bass-catching abilities in a […]

Eight hundred Great Lakes Miles in a 12-foot Plywood Boat

Dave Mull /

Aug 1, 2017

Elton Hiscoc wasn’t exactly positive when he and his friend Wilson Hitchcock ran a 12-foot plywood boat 800 miles from […]

Captain Matt Massy with nice handfuls of spring cohos.

Best-case scenario—coho limits and bonus lake trout.

Spring has Sprung on Western Lake Superior

MWO /

Aug 1, 2017

I’m seeing all the signs of spring—robins catching worms, flights of Canadian geese heading north, the bear that raided my […]

The Algoma area has been a perennial leader in steelhead catches for 15 years and the king salmon for 21 years straight.

Steelhead have powerful tails that allow for acrobatic jumps and twists on the surface in an effort to shake hooks. Maintaining a taut line during the fight helps bring these to the net.