Wayne Scardino shows off a tasty rainbow trout that fell for a silver and orange spoon just off the Chicago waterfront. Nothing is quite as thrilling as the sight of a Lake Michigan 'bow flying out of the water. Photo by Jerry Pabst.

Some articles are harder to write than others, especially those involving annual forecasts of fishing or hunting opportunities. Think about it. Crappies, for example, live in relatively small lakes, are influenced by well-documented weather events and they eat minnows, so their seasonal movements are going to be pretty predictable. Deer live in small habitat plots, are creatures of habit and are either scarce or abundant. These would be hard articles to write because there would be little, if any, change from year to year.

Then there are assignments such as this one. Salmon and trout swim in Lake Michigan, which is over 300 miles long and 50 miles wide. They have no knowledge of the state boundary lines, and roam at will over the entirety of this watery expanse. The big lake is over 1,000 feet at its deepest point, and its finny inhabitants utilize the top 200 feet of this water column -- depending on water temperature and the availability of baitfish, which are determining factors that are totally unpredictable, and constantly changing. Add to this equation the fact that the fishery is largely artificial, in that most of the trout and salmon are stocked fish, and planting rates vary each year.

For these reasons, this will be a very easy article to write because it will not duplicate anything written last year, nor will it conflict with whatever may appear in next summer's effort. So, with that in mind, let's get started, because we have a lot to talk about.

The 2005 fishing season was generally a pretty good one for Illinois' Lake Michigan anglers, but the action was not spread evenly along the entire shoreline. There were pockets of fish that produced steadily through most of the summer, but they were separated by long stretches of water that held few, if any, fish.

Spring coho fishing began well, then quickly tapered off as the fish scattered and moved deeper. This could have been due to a scarcity of spawning alewives. When that condition exists, the inshore fish soon flee to very deep water searching for schools of shiner minnows, and often slurping down insects off the surface.

The charter boat operators have become accustomed to fishing far offshore, even when conditions indicate the fish should be in 15 feet of water. Many sportfishermen, however, allow past memories to dictate their trolling plans, and relentlessly ply the shallows even when results are less than satisfying. Always remember the timeless advice: "Fish where the fish are."

Chinook fishing picked up steadily through the summer months, but again, only for those who concentrated on the few productive pockets that seem to have been located on a line within the 80- to 150-foot depths. While a great many chinooks were taken, the size of the fish was disappointing. Few fish exceeded the 15-pound mark, and anything over 20 pounds was a rarity. This size reduction was due entirely to a lack of abundant, nutritious baitfish. More about that as we go along.