By Gary Thomas

The striped bass might be the most misunderstood fish in Illinois. It likely is the most underutilized, too. The reasons are clear. Striped bass and hybrid striped bass don't occupy the same habitat as most other game species. As a result, most anglers haven't taken the time to learn to fish for these hard fighters, and they are pursued by a relatively small following of anglers.

Stripers occupy the middle parts of lakes and feed on shad - especially the larger shad that are too large for other predators to feed on. These are fast-growing fish, so even small ones can weigh 3 to 4 pounds, and really big ones can top 25 pounds.

The anglers who have learned how to catch them are reaping the benefits of a great sportfishing opportunity. You can, too. We'll tell you nine great Illinois fisheries - one river and eight lakes - where you'll find good striper and hybrid striper fishing. Some of our state's best striper and hybrid striper anglers also will share with you tips and techniques they use to boat these fish.

"One of the most important things you'll need is patience," said Earl Shoemaker of Waverly. "This can be slow fishing, but if you catch one, you're rewarded quickly. Even small ones put up a great fight."

One of Shoemaker's earlier catches, a 22-pounder from Sangchris Lake, hangs on his wall and he has boated several larger ones since he caught that one. He offers this advice for anglers who are ready to take up striper fishing.

"Start with a strong reel capable of holding a minimum of 150 yards of line," he said. "Stripers can make long runs. I use heavy bass fishing tackle, including a rod that is at least 6 1/2 feet long, and 17- to 20-pound-test line. There are special lures you can buy, but big largemouth bass lures will work. Get to know the size of the shad they're feeding on. If they're feeding on 3- to 4-inch shad, use similar-sized lures. The key to catching stripers is to locate shad. You'll usually find stripers close by."

Let's take a look at the best fishing waters for stripers.

Waverly's Earl Shoemaker caught this 22-pound striped bass on Sangchris Lake a few years ago. Photo by Gary Thomas

Located between Fulton and Hampton, the average catch is a 2- to 4-pound fish, but 5- to 7-pounders are caught regularly, and 11-pound hybrids are not uncommon.

"Despite the number and size of these fish, most are caught are by anglers fishing for walleyes," said Larry LaJeone, Exelon's fisheries biologist. "But when the fishing is good, we'll see a lot of anglers fishing specifically for stripers."

The most productive method is casting or vertically fishing jigs tipped with twistertails or minnows. A growing number of anglers use three-way river rigs baited with minnows.

While the best fishing is at the north end of the pool near Fulton, nice catches also come from near wing dams throughout the upper half of the pool, according to LaJeone.

There are public launching areas at Fulton, Albany, Cordova and Port Byron. There are no creel or length limits for hybrid stripers on the Mississippi River.

Miller said the best fishing is on the north side of the center dyke, which anglers call "striper alley." The stripers are following shad, and anglers trolling shallow-running lures make nice catches. Shore-anglers casting blade baits near the bridge also do well.

Anglers are permitted up to 10 stripers per day, only three of which can exceed 17 inches. The lake opens in April and closes just before waterfowl season. Boat anglers are required to have a working gas-powered motor while on the water.

Biologists began an aggressive stocking program to restore the population for this 5,000-acre De Witt County cooling lake in the mid-1990s and today it features a rebounding striper population that is getting stronger each year.

Clinton Lake has a combination of pure and hybrid stripers, and they range in size dramatically. Anglers trolling the flats near the marina area report fish ranging from 2-pound hybrids to 22-pound pure striped bass. Their average catch, however, will be about 7 to 8 pounds.

While most anglers report the best fishing is by trolling, a growing number wait for stripers to bust shad on the surface and cast for them with shallow-diving lures during the early evening.

Clinton Lake has a 10-fish daily limit of which no more than three can exceed 17 inches.

"The hybrid stripers in the lake average between 6 and 9 pounds, and 12- to 15-pounders aren't uncommon," said Jones. "My biggest concern is the gizzard shad isn't reproducing well there, and these fish depend on shad to survive. There aren't that many anglers who pursue these fish. Most fish taken are caught while anglers are pursuing other species. The lake could use a lot more fishing pressure."

The best fishing for stripers in the 240-acre Pike County lake comes by trolling deep-running lures in the open water near the dam, but some fish are caught by casting into areas where they're feeding on shad near the surface at dusk.

There is a three-fish per day limit, with a minimum size of 17 inches. Pittsfield Lake has a 25-horsepower limit and a permit is required.