Why would walleye anglers from northern Illinois want to make the five-hour drive to Pittsfield to use their kicker motor? These waters have given up several fish in excess of 12 pounds, and 10-pounders are caught here every year.

Just remember that Shabbona has a 10-horsepower limit. Contact: Shabbona Lakeside Bait, (815) 824-2581, or online at www.shabbonalake.com.

KINKAID LAKE
The same prediction for a whopper walleye tumbling for a muskie lure holds true on 2,335-acre Kinkaid Lake in southern Illinois' Jackson County.

"Walleyes are a bonus species in Kinkaid," said DNR biologist Shawn Hirst. "A couple of big ones get caught every year, and we see them in surveys, but this fish gets pretty much zero fishing pressure."

Why? Two reasons. You don't go to a Chinese restaurant and order a T-bone steak. Kinkaid is a whale of a bass, crappie and muskie lake. Fishing for these species is so productive that walleyes aren't even on the "menu."

The second reason is historical. When Illinois was settled in the early 1800s, folks who settled in northern Illinois immigrated directly from Europe. Downstate residents found their way into the Prairie State from the American South. Bass fishing has always been part of the southern lifestyle. For some reason, upstate anglers prefer walleyes. This theory is proven in boat sales. According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association data regarding fishing boats, deep-V watercraft are the big sellers from Peoria north, while bass boat designs are more popular downstate.

Why don't more northern Illinois anglers teach those walleyes a lesson? Take another look at that Chinese restaurant analogy. After a few hours of fishing for walleyes, most anglers decide they would rather go "catching" bass or crappies or muskies.

Those who believe they can remain species-specific for walleyes would be wise to concentrate efforts in two areas: around the dam and at the far north end of the lake where tributaries enter. These are the only two places DNR surveys have consistently cranked up walleyes. But then again, the surveys are conducted in the early spring.

Contact: Top of the Hill Bait Shop, (618) 684-2923.

PITTSFIELD CITY LAKE
The largest concentration of walleyes over 5 pounds swimming in an Illinois lake call this 241-acre Pike County water home.

Western Illinois, like our southern counties, has never been known as a walleye mecca. A road trip to Pittsfield means traveling the last few miles on gravel to a pair of gravel boat launches at the water's edge. Basic camping facilities are available. A 10-horsepower limit is in place.

Why would walleye anglers from northern Illinois want to make the five-hour drive to Pittsfield to use their kicker motor? These waters have given up several fish in excess of 12 pounds, and 10-pounders are caught here every year. But the double-digit monster stretching your string could also turn out to be a largemouth, catfish or hybrid striper. What a bummer, eh?

Contact: Neff's Bait & Tackle, (217) 833-2178.