That great 44-inch flathead catfish that Lake in the Hills’ Rob Cowan caught on the Fox River, which I featured last week, has caused a bit of a stir. And why shouldn’t it? Flathead catfish may be the largest fish that an angler can do battle with in Northern Illinois.

Most fishermen tend to be a secretive lot. They guard their special baits with a passion. They keep their productive fishing spots to themselves. Often, anglers take special care to make sure that when they take pictures of a good catch, they make sure there are no objects in the background so other anglers can’t figure out the spot where the pic was taken.

You’d think that with the monstrous size and the limited amount of available big fish, that flathead fishermen would be the most secretive of them all. That’s what I thought until I heard from Ricky Sjurset from Elgin.

“I saw the article of the fisherman with the beautiful flathead. I loved the story," Sjurset wrote. "My fishing buddies and I hooked in to a 52-pounder last year and have been hooked ever since. We study them and chase them with a passion like no other. We always release them.

"I started a fishing page on Facebook (Flatty Heads) to make people aware of these giants in our rivers. We are trying to get people to get more involved with them. Over the last year we have caught over 30 fish ranging from 25 to 52 pounds. My main goal is for one of our locals to break the Illinois state record and to bring locals together, as well. If there is any way you can help spread the word about our page and goal that would be much appreciated. The adrenaline rush from catching these monsters is unbelievable.”

Sjurset grew up fishing for bass and muskies until he caught a 30-pound flathead by accident. He was fishing for muskies using a live bluegill for bait. A live gill is the preferred bait for big flatheads.

Once he did battle with the monster flathead, “there was no going back,” he says proudly.

The 26-year-old Sjurset fishes the Fox from Geneva to Algonquin, exclusively from the banks. He looks for deep holes. Deep drop-offs in the area of rocks and logs are prime flathead waters. Sjurset says the dams used to be good areas for flatheads but have become too overfished.

Sjurset rigs up for these beasts with a heavy rod and a decent reel. He says the key is using the right line. He prefers Power Pro in 40- to -80-pound test. He says that is the line that most serious flathead fishermen spool up with.

Flathead fishermen have to catch their own bluegills to use for bait. The gills have to be caught from the same body of water that you try for the flatheads. That is the law. Sjurset says that the bait is the most difficult part of flathead fishing.

“You need 10 to 15 gills for a day of flathead fishing," Sjurset said. "The gills aren’t in the same places you’ll be fishing for the flatheads. You need separate equipment and bait to catch the bluegills. It’s not easy to catch a bunch of them on the Fox River. Then, when you get them, you have you keep them alive and that’s not easy, either. You have to use an aerated bucket and keep icing them down to cool the water to keep them alive. It takes work.”

Sjurset says that flatheads are worth the effort.

“They’re a completely different fish. It’s hard to explain," he said. "It’s like trying to reel in a tank. I swear that a flathead just wants to take your rod out of your hands. It’s an unbelievable battle.”

So why does Sjurset feel the need to spread the gospel of fishing for flathead catfish?

“I’m not one of those guys who is all into secrecy," he said. "I’ll be happy to share my spots with people. It’s such a great fish and a great sport. I want to see more and more people giving it a try. I want to see the record broken and if it can’t be me or one of my friends that breaks it, I’d like it to be somebody I introduced to the sport. I’d love that.”

Sjurset says that we are entering the peak period of the year for big flatheads. He says that they’ll be aggressively feeding through the end of June and then they take a month off to spawn before coming around again. Folks, this is your chance for a monster!

Fishing report:

Northern Illinois – Dave Kranz from Dave's Bait, Tackle and Taxidermy in Crystal Lake reports: "The recent warmup has almost everything that swims is moving into the shallows to spawn. The Fox Chain is seeing the bass on beds in the channels and bluegill right along with them. Tubes, grubs or a topwater bait like a Bagley Bang-O-Lure will get good results. In weedy areas use a Spro frog. The bluegills will hit a waxworm or redworm on a small jig or Cubby Mini-Mite. With the warm up a spinner bait could get some musky to cooperate.

The dams at McHenry, Algonquin and Carpentersville are seeing good catfish action. Use cut bait or stink bait. Some white bass and walleye are being caught on a jig and minnow combo. I like a 1/8-ounce jig and an extra-large fathead minnow.

Three Oaks Recreation Area is turning on with the warmup also. Bass are setting up to spawn in 1 to 5-feet of water. Yamamoto Senkos on a weedless hook or a drop shot Robo worm should do the trick. Catfish can be caught on a nightcrawler or stinkbait. Remember this is a catch and release area only and no minnows are allowed.

The fishing at Lake Atwood in the McHenry County Conservation District’s The Hollows is a great place to take kids. The bluegills are everywhere but are on the small side. Use a redworm or waxworm on an ice fishing jig for best results. Catfish can be caught on stinkbait or a nightcrawler. Bass will hit a Yamamoto Senko or try a Rebel Pop-R on a windy day. Lake Attwood is also a no-minnows allowed lake.” Call 815-455-2040 for an updated report.

Fox Chain report – Chris Taurisano of T-Bone Guide Service (www.tboneguideservice.com - 630-330-9090) sends word, "Fishing was very good for the most part this week. Lots of walleyes were caught on jig and crawler combos and Berkley Flicker Shad crankbaits. Muskies had some activity this week and a decent number were caught on glide baits and twitch baits. Bluegills are in the shallows and being caught on most offerings. Largemouth bass are still in the shallows. White bass are scattered but once you find them, you can get some numbers. This week should be good with warmer, stable weather."

Lake Michigan – The Lake Michigan Fishing Report is provided by Captain Bob Rossa of Migrator Charters - 815-338-8093. "The salmon and trout have continued to stay in deep water this past week. Limits of Cohoes, with an occasional king or steelhead, are being taken in 240 to 310-feet of water. Fish from the top 10-feet of the water column to 150-feet down. OO orange dodgers with small flies tied 16-inches behind, are still taking most of the fish. Blue/copper and aqua flies are some of the better colors. Shore fishing is very slow due to the baitfish staying out deep"

Delavan and Geneva – The weather has the fish on Delavan moving into predictable patterns. The key is to fish the deep edge of the weedline that runs around virtually the entire lake in

National Safe Boating Week - I missed the beginning, but we still have time to enjoy the balance of National Safe Boating Week, May 21 through 27. "We encourage safe boating throughout the year in Illinois, and reminders about life jackets and sober boating are particularly important heading into the busiest season of the year on the water," said Illinois Conservation Police Chief Rafael Gutierrez. "Like fastening a seat belt in your car or truck, fastening a life jacket can save your life; and, staying sober while operating a boat is the law in Illinois."

IDNR statistics show that there were 74 boating-related accidents on Illinois waters in 2015 resulting in 49 injuries and 14 fatalities. During the last five years, Illinois had an annual average of 84 boating accidents resulting in 58 injuries and 18 fatalities.

Illinois Conservation Police officers made 179 arrests for boaters operating under the influence in 2015, a 12.5 percent increase over 2014.

State bass fishing: The 2015-2016 Illinois High School Association High School Bass Fishing Championship took place this past weekend on downstate Carlyle Lake. Elkville High, located near St. Louis, took top honors. From our area, Huntley, coached by Eric Lachel, did a great job in coming in 15th with 10 pounds of bass, catching six fish over two days, while Grant High School in Fox Lake placed 22nd. Faith Lutheran High of Crystal Lake qualified to compete in the championship but had to bow out because of unforeseen circumstances.