What does a day sampling Lake Michigan fish look like in Illinois waters?

The late April sun is just revealing itself as the strangely shaped boat crawls past the Waukegan Harbor lighthouse. Captain David Atkinson rocks the throttle, and the big diesel engine responds with an increased roar and the building whine of a turbocharger making all those on board thankful they are wearing hearing protection.
Despite a the ruckus, the 49-foot boat pushes through the water at less than 10 mph. The Clifford J, named for the captain’s uncle, was built in the late 1930s specifically for netting fish on the Great Lakes.
Fully enclosed, with only sliding metal doors for access, it can fish across all seasons, with only heavy ice keeping it in port.

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