Spence Petros and I told him we were writing columns about him again, and we were both going to bust his chops a bit, only because we really like the guy. Darrell Baker is a full-time high school science teacher at Waukegan and a part-time fishing and hunting guide. The first time. I stepped into his boat with Daily Herald photo chief Mike Seeling, I thought I had entered “The Twilight Zone.” I have fished and hunted with so many guides around North America that I’ve lost count and have forgotten names and locales. But this guy is someone I’ll never forget. He plies the Fox Chain in an old, beat-up Tracker aluminum boat that has seen better days. The word “fancy “ will never apply to Darrell’s style of operation, and I don’t believe he will ever lose sight of why he’s out there on the water during every free moment. Baker’s mission is to turn people on to the angling possibilities on the Fox Chain. Petros jokes that when he got into Baker’s boat the first time, he thought he would have to get a tetanus shot for fear of sitting on something that didn’t belong there. I laughed so hard when he made that comment that my eyes filled with tears. But when it comes to finding big walleyes and jumbo crappies, Baker is no joke. He is one of those rare birds who relies upon instinct, experience and common sense. Even a bluegill outing is an adventure. Every fish taken is treated like a monster trophy. I’ve written a column or two about Baker because, in all of my soft water and ice outings with him, there never has been a dull moment. His travels have taken him north to Alaska and in the opposite direction to Central and South America in search of good angling. But it’s on the Fox Chain that Baker is most at home. This is not a fancy guy. His rods and reels resemble an ancient collection of gear one could find at a garage sale. Some of the rods look like they were used in fencing competitions, while the reels look like a truck might have rolled over them. We joked that several of those beat-up roads look like bent divining rods that are always pointing to the water. The main thing is that Baker catches fish-lots of fish-and is willing to share his lake lore with parties who hire his services. During one Lake Maria sessions, Darrell unwrapped a package of cooked Walleye fillets. They were still warm from the early-morning preparation at his home. We devoured these tasty morsels as if we were castaways stuck on some South Seas island. This particular meal was better than any Canadian shore lunch I’ve consumed in 50 years of being in the bush. Baker’s down-to-earth approach and style in fishing the Fox Chain is refreshing because there are no pretenses about this salty character. What you see is what you get with Darrell, and that alone is a lot. “The lakes on the northern end of the Chain seem to get better every year, especially for Walleyes and big crappies,” Darrell said while hauling in a nice channel catfish during an ice outing. “And people are always surprised while we’re walleye fishing when a big muskie grabs the minnow and starts heading into Wisconsin. Most of my clients have never caught a muskie before, and they’re usually thrilled to the bone to have one on their line and then boat it as well.” Petros also reminded me of the time he tried taking pictures of Darrell at the end of his boat. “There was so much gear and stuff strewn around it would have detracted from the subject matter,” Petros said. “I suggested he get rid of a few things and he would end up covering the gear with a couple of old towels. I took the pictures, nevertheless, for a story in a crappie magazine.” After being introduced to custom rod maker Jim Grandt, Baker was awe-struck by the variety of rod models Grandt had on display at the recent Rosemont Outdoors Show. He subsequently commented a relationship with Grandt and is now using several of the spinning models. This is a guy you should know. This is a guy worth hiring.
You can contact Darrell Baker’s Midwest Guide Service at 847-731-0159.