Dad led me and my sister, Bean, to a leaky old rowboat just down the shoreline. He rowed over to where the pole was pulsing against some weeds and had me pick it up. The 3-pound bass was still attached!

The pole effectively allowed the bass to play itself out. It was the kind of lesson a kid never forgets. Later that summer, Dad was tending to a tackle snafu when Bean saw the bobber of Dad's prized baitcaster skittering across the surface. She picked up the rod and threw it in the slough!

The fishing trip ended shortly thereafter, forever leaving me wanting more. Herein is a lesson for you erstwhile fishing mentors out there: When you take the kids fishing, leave your stuff at home. Teaching fishin' is the mission. Here's a look at some of our state's best locales for creating forever memories.

REND LAKE
This 18,900-acre reservoir near Mt. Vernon is less than five hours' drive from any point in the state, with virtually every component of a family fishing adventure found at Rend Lake State Park -- lodging, dining, boat rental and plenty of big crappies.

The best time to go crappie fishing here is now through the middle of April. Action is so predictable that anyone armed with a cane pole and some 1/16-ounce Hoop-I head jigs with chartreuse Fuzzy Tails is going "catching" instead of fishing.

This time of year, Rend's slabs typically locate 1 to 3 feet off the bottom over brush in water 3 to 10 feet deep. Look for fish to be most active in the warmest available water typically found in shallow coves at the north end of the lake where they have migrated in from offshore cover.

You may catch a quick limit right off the dock next to the resort. Virtually any deadfall or beaver hut has fish potential. For more information, call the park office at (618) 724-2493.

Although combat with bluegills initiates legions of anglers into the legal addiction of fishing, crappies are better learning tools because you can usually fish above them, out of the brush, and papermouths of slab dimensions provide a quick visual lesson in the need to finesse rather than horse the quarry to the angler.

KINKAID LAKE
Probably our state's No. 1 crappie water, this sprawling 2,750-acre Jackson County lake has both numbers of fish and the potential for producing a wallhanger. Biologist Shawn Hirst said Kinkaid is home to "six solid year-classes" of crappies ensuring this water is a premier destination for years to come.

Like most Illinois crappie waters, action heats up on the north end first, with the old iron bridge at the mouth of Raymond Neck the epicenter of papermouth activity.