CEDAR LAKE
This 1,750-acre reservoir near Carbondale is a favorite among Saluki anglers despite a 10-horsepower motor restriction. Realtors who are serious bassers do well on these deep, clear waters. After all, success is often a matter of location, location and location.

Dead cedar trees covertly placed by local anglers under cover of darkness are perpetual hotspots for the bass and crappies that hide among the branches. A key to success is knowing the whereabouts of trees on the lake’s bottom. Casting with the grain of limbs results in few hang-ups, but casting from a different angle virtually ensures a snagged lure and no fish.

Best chances for a wallhanger come at night on surface baits, with April and November the best months to nail that fish of dreams.

For more information, call (618) 687-4546.

KINKAID LAKE
This scenic, sprawling lake near Murphysboro is a popular destination for muskie anglers and is a frequent site of bass tourneys throughout the year. Catching bass on these 2,750 acres is seldom a problem -- just target weed edges, rocky points or points with woody structure.

Early in the season, bass tuck into the backs of coves in the Johnson Creek arm of the lake. Water clarity changes remarkably from one end of the lake to the other and that affects water temperature. Try a white tandem spinnerbait or crawdad and orange Rat-L-Trap.

If you only have a few hours to fish, try Lake Murphysboro in Murphysboro State Park. It’s full of bass but nearly forgotten by serious bass anglers.

For more information, call the Top of the Hill Bait Shop at (618) 684-2923.

LAKE OF EGYPT
Bass turn on quickly in this Southern Illinois Power Cooperative cooling lake that straddles the Williamson/Johnson county line. Although there is a public launch in the Shawnee Forest at the east end of the lake, most prefer to access the water from one of several marinas where a launch fee is charged.

One of the best big-bass days of my life happened on Egypt about 10 years ago with Carbondale restaurateur Frank Hiller. A monster spring cold front had passed and Frank figured we would be better off fishing for crappies. Crappie fishing was a little slow, so I started throwing a white PeeWee jig-and-pig.

On the sixth cast, a 6-pound bucketmouth ate the jig. Frank said this was a fluke, but a 5-pounder inhaled the jig a couple of casts later. Another fluke, he said, but when the third big mossback started flopping on the surface, Frank switched to a jig and proceeded to give me a fishing lesson.

For more information, call Pyramid Acres Marina at (618) 964-1184.