Right now bass are looking for the warmest water available, which is likely on northside dark-bottomed bays in Channel and Catherine lakes - not what most folks would call prime bass water. Woody cover, particularly docks and piers, also absorb the sun's warmth besides offering refuge. Isolated wood cover like a fallen tree or just a couple of old pilings will also attract and hold fish early in the year.

Smaller lakes in the Fox Chain are much easier to target active bass on than larger bodies of water. For this reason, Petite and Bluff are probably tops for bucketmouths. But you can't overlook Lake Marie, which DNR statistics indicate is the top water in the chain.

Weed edges hold fish all summer long, especially the inside weed edge after about 10 a.m. when watercraft traffic surges past unbelievable. Some savvy anglers say boat traffic is actually beneficial, with turbulence making fish more aggressive.

Although you can cover a lot of water with a white tandem spinnerbait and get hooked up, pitching a weedless, weightless sinking-type worm like the Senko with precision on that inside weed edge will result in more and bigger fish by day's end. Don't be afraid to experiment with bizarre presentations. Bass will eat the traditional nose-hooked Senko, but there are times when they will simply annihilate this bait if rigged "wacky-worm" style.

Probably the biggest key to success on these waters is getting out there when most other folks can't or won't, like just before dawn to maybe 8:30 a.m. on a weekday during peak summer periods. Right now and when October rolls around, the bite is always better on a sunny afternoon, using both smaller baits and a slower presentation. Don't forget the topwater night bite after fish spawn in mid-May. More important, be sure all navigational lights are functioning before leaving the boat launch.

General information is available on the DNR Web site. Greg Dickson and folks at Dickson's Triangle Bait Shop are the most knowledgeable for specific information regarding the Fox Chain and on other northeastern Illinois waters. Triangle Bait's phone number is (847) 395-0813.

The quickest place to get your string stretched in the greater Chicago area may be Papoose Lake located on 123rd Street west of LaGrange Road. A weedless presentation like a Scum Frog is probably your best bet.

Three fishing areas in Cook County's Busse Lake that are connected by dams hold a pile of fish just short of the 14-inch limit. The main lake and much smaller 146-acre south lake hold the most fish. There's a good boat ramp but only electric trolling motors can be used. Now is a good time to take a stroll along the dams while pitching a white tandem or chartreuse spinnerbait and making a steady retrieve.

The village of Wauconda in Lake County is home to Bangs Lake where a special-use sticker and wake restrictions are part of the fishing picture. Tube jigs fished close to cover work well here just about anytime.

On Milliken Lake in Will County, anglers are limited to shore-fishing only, but these 26 acres hold some whopper bass in excess of 20 inches. Most of the bigger critters live at the south end where access is a little tougher.

Monee Reservoir, another Will County bassery, has a one-fish, 15-inch minimum limit in place. Most anglers give up on these 44 acres once weeds become a factor. Don't forget your Slug-Gos and Scum Frogs. No-stretch line like Berkley FireLine is a great help.

You won't be able to fish the Skokie Lagoons until mid-May when waterfowl refuge restrictions are lifted. An electric trolling motor restriction is in place, with a good boat ramp providing access. DNR surveys indicate a super bass population in these 190 acres, due primarily to placement of over 115 fish cribs. Rig a Senko weedless and pitch it right in the wood. With an exceptional forage base to thrive on, bass up to 6 pounds cruise the seven lagoons that make up this complex located between Willow Road and Dundee, just east of the Edens Expressway off of Tower Road.

Braidwood Lake in Will County, Powerton Lake in Tazewell County and La Salle Lake in La Salle County all have good populations of largemouths, with fish activity and location determined by water temperature, which is driven by power-plant operation.

As a general rule, fishing is tough when the utilities that operate these power plants aren't on-line. When electricity is being generated, use your surface temperature gauge to find 68 to 72 degree water. Once fish are located, just about anything in shad pattern will work, with a shad-patterned Rat-L-Trap probably your shortest route to getting hooked up.

Braidwood is the best bigmouth producer of these three lakes, with fish averaging 1 to 4 pounds, and a whopper is always possible.