Chicago Fishing School

Learn to fish - the Chicago Suburbs and Northern Illinois' best way to learn to catch fish. Featuring 3-Time USA Fishing World Championships Team member Johnny Wilkins. The best way for adults, kids, groups and families to catch way more and bigger fish is here. Choose a lesson, guided lesson, class or fishing camps - all great ways to get catching fish.

Chicago Suburban Fishing Camps are ON. Spaces are available in July and August for kids in Arlington Heights, Lisle & Burr Ridge (Pleasantdale Park Districts). Register today as spots are extremely limited - tell your friends, relatives and neighbor kids. Find Your Fishing Camp Link Here.

Chicago Fishing School - "We are why they call it catching" - Johnny Wilkins.

Because lakes are PACKED with fish, if you know just a little bit. We teach what YouTube, Big Box Stores and weekend videos CAN'T. They all copy each other and cause you to catch little to nothing. Break from the pack and catch 50 fish or a 5 lb. Fish right near your house in the local pond. Grab us for a half day, full day or have us host a fishing party for you. With our catch will blow you away! Let's get fishing

(Follow us on YouTube! ChicagoFishing )
New how-to-fish video series launching.

Learn to Fish - Two Ways to Improve Your Fishing (catching)

Guided Fishing or Lesson or Group Classes are the two ways to learn to catch more fish..

Either way choose, you will learn to catch a lot of fish. Also, you will catch more big fish locally around Chicago and the Chicago suburbs.
Both are roughly the same cost.

Guided Fishing is private fishing. Learn to fish in a custom-designed session. We go out catch fish and learn. Select a location or we can suggest a good spot near you. Our instructor will hand-pick a location based on your fishing goals. A lot of fish. Big Fish? Combination? Somewhere close to you or your private pond. Take a guided 1/2 day lesson or full day - the bargain is when you invite a second or third angler. Steep discounts for every person you add to the guided fishing!!! Our format makes 4, 5 or 6 people very affordable with the larger groups going under $100 a person for a 1/2 day of fishing action. Guided fishing is customized to your wishes. More fishing, More learning? You choose either or a combination of both. Let's Catch! In the Chicago area, book a Guided

Guided Fishing on waters all over the Chicago suburbs. We'll give you some of our secret public spots. We fish in Naperville, Orland Hills, Tinley Park, Downers Grove, Oak Brook, Elmhurst, Arlington Heights, Chicago, Monee and any lake you want to point us.

While we can't guarantee fishing at a brand new location will rock your world, you will learn to catch fish!

Request Reservation

Group Fishing Class is slightly lower cost, but you will share the lesson with others. Group fishing class is split up into two class series. F1 is the first class and F23 is a combined longer finishing class. F1 is 1.5 hours in length and F23 is 2.5 hours in length. You DO need both classes in sequence. You MAY take a refresher course at a discount and go through the sessions again-but you probably won't need it. Look up on the menu for the upcoming classes.

Travel to Chicago for World Class Fishing Lessons

If you wish to travel in for a weekend of fishing experience, the Chicago Fishing School will help you with discounted lodging, tips on where to stay and great places to eat! Uh, the best pizza in the world. Chicago-style hotdogs or Italian Beef - and some fine local-source dining you can depend on. You don't need ANY equipment. we will provide you with everything you need including the best in premium live fishing bait. Book a full day or more back-to-back early in the season and call us for plans.

Your catches will increase so much - you will look on this as the best trip you ever took. More trout, bluegill, walleye, channel catfish, carp, smallmouth bass, crappie, bream and perch where you fish, that is your prize. We'll have some fun, do some serious fishing and learning - you will cherish your trip.

Your instructor will boost you to a much higher-level fisher with skills learned on three continents. Multiple World Championship appearances, regional competitions and high level fishing expertise will be passed on to you. Take back tips, tools, tricks and rigs to really have adventures on waters close to your home. If you want to have your tackle upgraded after the trip, we can ship you the best in fish-catching kits that can't be found in stores. Custom-rigged for your waters and species. Let's catch some fish.

Teach You All The Fishing Gear - Save You Tons of Money

Because your teacher is the top fishing tackle expert in the region, you will quickly learn what fishing tackle to buy. Through just one lesson, you will learn proper fish-catching tackle, rods, poles, floats and simple tools you need for catching fish. Prevent wasting money on purchasing tackle when you buy tackle AFTER the lesson. A lot of store fishing tackle is cheap, wrong, bad and doesn't catch fish near you. If you want the absolute best fishing rod, skip buying the junk and get one rod you can use for a lifetime (with a lifetime warranty and insurance against any breakage!). As an expert in catching fish on any water from shore and boat - you will save a lot of money by NOT buying junky box store tackle. Learn the best and also the best local fishing tackle stores you can shop at to save a lot of money in your new fishing adventure. We even have our own specialty fishing tackle store with all the things you CAN'T FIND in stores. Talk about catching fish easy! LiveBaitFishingTackle.com has all the hard-to-find fishing tackle to catch more fish.

Fishing Party Chicago Suburbs- book it. Outdoor fun, great for adults or families, our fishing party offers flying fish, thrills, competition or discovery for kids from 4 – 84!  Grab a group of friends or some parents and a group of kids – we supply the gear, the tips and the bait to help you see the most fish you ever have. We have hosted corporate fishing events and a ton of kids’ parties and made nearly every single person go home fishy and smiling. One scout group of 13 landed 385 fish in just 2 hours (on a horrible day in October). Our methods and gear are so good, a park district group the same size fished after us and caught ZERO. Yep, we’re good. Grab your date and book it early! Base rate and inexpensive to add more, and more fishers. We can also travel.

Fishing Party Chicago Suburbs

Any group will have a great time at your fishing party. No experience, easy outdoors activity to get everyone out of the office or house! Enjoy local outdoors near you at local ponds. Everything is supplied including expert help from US Fishing Team member Johnny Wilkins who will help new (and even experienced fishermen) to enjoy local fishing in a fun, party atmosphere. 

To book, pick a party package and we can be flexible to the number of persons and will confirm the dates after initial booking. Your booking of the event is a placeholder and subject to availability, travel and schedule. 

As we approach the date, and have confirmed our location, date and booking, we will look at the weather. The 48-hour forecast is good, week-long forecast is not accurate and always changes. Communications will be made 24 hours prior and professional forecast sources along with 30-years outdoors experience will ensure our group is safe and comfortable. We will delay or reschedule as needed at the 24-hour mark. 

Flexibility of number is easy. If we need to add or subtract a few participants, adjustments, additions and refunds can be made above 8 persons. The base rate is fixed and you will not pay for fishers that don’t show. Additions can be made a few hours prior to the event if you need to add persons. Kid’s Fishing Parties are also our thing.

Request Reservation

Booking is the start of process. We can select dates later and then get a date approved. Date, time and location will need to be confirmed. (This is only a request). Refunds will be made if date or reschedule is not available. It is best to grab your date early and also reserve with a credit card as dates and times go quickly. First-come basis. We are very flexible and will work to get you best time and spot. Spring and Summers are very busy – we appreciate your help in getting a great fishing event.

Your Chicago Fishing Guide – Johnny Wilkins fished 3 World Championships for Team U.S.A. qualifying as one of the 5 best American anglers, fishing in Portugal, Belgium and Italy for the United States. Facing up to 42 nations, the US Team would take on teams from all over the globe. Catching all species in any lake, he will teach you the direct line to catching fish. Johnny currently holds the world record (most fish caught from shore in a 24-hour period) with 2,011 fish caught on 1 hook. The shore fishing record.

Johnny has been a Chicago fishing guide and teaching fishing for 20+ years and has perfected the methods that get brand new fishers catching. He can improve veteran fishers as well. Tuning up your approach will mean more excitement on vacations. Improving the catches of disappointed veteran anglers is an easy job. Johnny will open up your world to an adventure of “catching” while others “fish”. In a  1/2-day lesson or full day, a group fishing class,  he can change local ponds into adventures. Hiring a fishing guide who can teach you to improve your catches even in tough conditions will help you out a great deal.

Guided Fishing Trips
Book a guiding session or lessons with a 2-hour fishing session, half day fishing trip or full-day fishing lesson.

Your fishing will go from dull to  flying fish or a trophy fish of a lifetime at your local pond, close to your home. Johnny is a different guide. He will teach you to catch lots of fish as well as big fish near home. With practice on the local ponds, you will improve all your catching on fishing trips. Kids and Families have been learning to catch fish without a boat, from shore (or using a boat) more than ever. Johnny has taught over 1,500 people how to catch more fish and also created a fishing tackle store  LiveBaitFishingTackle.com that features fish-catching tackle. Fishing tackle NOT found in any stores.

You can send your kids to Johnny’s Fishing Camp around the Chicago Suburbs. Look for him to speak at a fishing club near you or appear at seminars at regional fishing shows.

Email Works Best – email Johnny ((@)) ChicagoFishingSchool.com
We also offer online booking to save the dates.

Phone: 630.235.2162