Because of their statewide distribution and aggressive nature, bass are a popular quarry for Prairie State fishermen. Both the largemouth and smallmouth species are found throughout Illinois. Anglers pursue them for both competitive and fun reasons.

One sunny, hot day in late August, Mary Satterfield of Finley was fishing with a friend on Lake Shelbyville. A long-time guide on the lake and tournament competitor, she has caught some nice fish over the years.

While slowly retrieving a white Bandit crankbait at a depth of about 10 feet, Satterfield had a strike. Not a particularly violent hit, she expected a large drum like the ones she had caught there earlier in the week. The surprise came when she got it to the boat. It was a 6-pound largemouth bass.

Many weekends throughout the year hundreds of bass tournaments are held across Illinois. Many anglers attempt to entice bass by using a mind-boggling variety of baits and lures. And hard-fighting bass provide a thrilling challenge for hundreds of Illinois anglers all year long.

Bass are found in most rivers, creeks, ponds, lakes and reservoirs. There can be a difference in site-specific regulations from one area to another. But those regulations can be found in the 2010 Illinois Fishing Information booklet, which is published by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Regulations are also posted at most boat ramps.

The basic regulations require the use of only two rods and lines. Other site-specific regulations relate to the number of fish that can be taken and their size on a particular body of water or at a certain time of year.

REND LAKE
Rend Lake is an elongated V-shaped water stretching through both Franklin and Jefferson counties near Benton. With a total water surface of 18,800 acres, Rend is the second largest inland impoundment in the Prairie State.

About eight years ago, this fishery suffered from poor production of new bass. It was at that point that DNR biologist Mike Hooe began to introduce a steady flow of smaller fish into the population through supplemental stocking. Over 350,000 fingerlings have been stocked during this program.

As a result, bass numbers continue to be strong. They are also experiencing good growth rates throughout the entire bass population. Population surveys continue to show an increase in number of fish found with each year being better than the previous one.

Some of the preferable locations to seek bass on Rend Lake include its bays, wooded shorelines and along the riprap areas.

Ralph Hamilton, local angler and site superintendent at Wayne Fitzgerald State Park, recommends anglers move up in the creeks during periods of muddy water in the lake. He prefers to go as far up the creeks as it takes to find clear water. It is there he finds bass.

Larger bass, those over the 14-inch minimum length limit comprise about 32 percent of the lake's population. The number of bass over 20 inches in length is stable, which leads to good fishing opportunities.

LAKE SHELBYVILLE
The damming of the Kaskaskia River formed Lake Shelbyville. The 11,000-acre central Illinois lake is located in Shelby and Moultrie counties near Shelbyville.

With nearly 200 miles of shoreline, Lake Shelbyville contains a lot of structure. Guide Mary Satterfield recommends that fishermen pay close attention to that structure to find bass. She describes the structure as anything from a stump in a foot of water to a downed tree extending down to 20 feet of water or a dropoff from 25 to 30 feet of water.