Getting hung up on the wood is inevitable. Weedless timber jigs tipped with a small minnow tossed right in the sticks will get your string stretched. Don't be disappointed if most of the fish are crappies, but the saugeyes can occupy the same niche. And you can't go wrong with fresh crappies pan-fried over a campfire. Comlara County Park surrounding Evergreen is a neat facility, and it has camping. A county launch permit is required for boaters.

While you're in the neighborhood and if you're looking for walleyes, Lake Bloomington is just a short drive away from Evergreen. But the best way to fish this 635-acre lake is from a pontoon boat kept in the water by someone owning lakefront property. There is a 40-horsepower outboard limit and outrageous launch fee for trailered boats enacted here -- a classic case of the fat man dancing while the poor skinny man pays the band. You fishing folks should really contact your state senator or representative about this obstacle to public access on a public lake. That's why you pay taxes!

SHABBONA LAKE
This 318-acre De Kalb County fishery is one of the top multi-species lakes in Illinois, with both numbers of fish and the potential state-record walleye relating to the considerable structure found here.

Only two things stand between you and boating a nice mess of 'eyes or a wallhanger -- a booming forage base and habitat options galore. You could find walleyes suspended in the standing timber, or they may be ghosting along the old roadbed that runs along the bottom of the lake. Fish cribs, rockpiles and other structure placed on and near the roadbed over the years have increased the fish-carrying capacity on the roadbed many times over. Walleyes also relate to the old creek channel, while some are cruising around the old farm buildings that were left behind when the lake was filled. Other 'eyes are cruising near the dam.

The major key to success in hooking up with the marble-eye population on this water lies in a natural presentation of live bait close to cover. A major caveat in this fish-catching equation is that the difference between ideal bait presentation and getting tangled in a snag is less than an inch. Walleyes don't have to move far to eat in this lake, so anything less than an in-your-face presentation amounts to an exercise of simply trying to drown bait.

No point in lugging a suitcase full of tackle along, either. All the terminal gear you'll need -- hooks, split shot and a couple of slip-bobbers -- fits neatly in a paper bag, while leaving plenty of room for a sandwich and a banana. However, electronics and a good topographic map are a major part of the fish-catching equation here. Shabbona is one lake where one of those underwater cameras has serious value as a tool rather than a toy. Use these technologies to locate fish, and then camp on the spot. You're a weapon as long as your line is in the water.

Contact: Shabbona Lakeside Bait, (815) 824-2581, or online at ShabbonaLake.com