BLOOMINGTON - Illinois offers great opportunities for largemouth bass, crappies, bluegills, catfish, muskies, walleye and more. The Pantagraph asked area fishing guides and noted anglers to name a few of their favorite fishing holes. Here's what they had to say:

Sauger

Chatsworth native and Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle president Ted Takasaki got his start in professional walleye fishing on the Illinois River. From Starved Rock State Park at Utica downstream to Henry, the Illinois teems with sauger, a smaller cousin of the walleye, during the annual spawning run, which is under way now. Use a jig and minnow as you drift a boat downstream with the current on hard-bottomed areas on river bends. Shore anglers concentrate at Starved Rock.

Walleye/saugeye

No need to head far for walleyes.

"At the right time of the year, Lake Bloomington can't be beat," said multi-species fishing guide Jerry Martoglio.

Prime time is mid-May to mid-June. Use a jig and plastic twister with half a nightcrawler. Focus on breaks on the creek channels.

Ditto for saugeye at nearby Evergreen Lake that holds the Illinois state record of 9 pounds, 10.5 ounces. The timing is earlier, from Mid-March through Mid-April. Don't overlook Dawson Lake near LeRoy, which has both walleyes and saugeye.

Largemouth bass

Martoglio likes Spring Lake near Manito for largemouth bass early in the year. He's had 50-fish days there while fish in deeper reservoirs are still sluggish and hard to catch.

"You can flat whack them," he said.

Guide and fishing educator Jim Crowley likes Dawson. But his favorite area bass lake is Lake Bloomington near Hudson.

"It has excellent shallow-water opportunities with plenty of cover and even some off-shore structure fishing with some good points with defined creek channels. Throw in all the docks, grass, sea walls and rock," he said. "Bloomington hits its stride from early summer and goes into late fall."

Lake Jacksonville is another good one.

Smallmouth bass

Guide Jonn Graham pursues smallmouth bass in the Mackinaw River and the Vermilion River upstream from Streator from the late June through September. Medium-light spinning gear is best. Use top-water lures early in the day and change to small spinners and jigs as the sun moves higher in the sky. Cast to eddies and holes.

Crappies

Crappie guide Steve Welch suggests Lake Shelbyville in southern Illinois.

"We'll get a lot of 11- and 12-inch crappies," said Welch.

Use small jigs with minnows or small plastic trailers. Add a slip bobber in shallow water to cast to blown-down trees without spooking fish.

Guide and rod maker Paul Center concentrates on Lake Bloomington and Evergreen. Crappies average from 8- to 9 inches. Bigger ones can be nabbed.

Other options: Sangchris Lake near Springfield and Lake Decatur.

Muskies

Guide and tournament angler Thad Hinshaw likes Evergreen for muskies, the species many think is the most exciting freshwater fish. He caught and released a 49-incher there in 2008, the largest reported muskie in Illinois last year.

Evergreen has three peak periods - April, June and September, he said.

"In the spring, pay attention to your graph to find the newly emergent weeds. The fish will be keying in on them," Hinshaw said. "I like to slow roll spinner baits and cast SS Shad baits or troll the weeds … June is the time to troll with any shad imitating bait in both hot and natural colors. In fall, blades work best, bucktails and larger spinner baits."

Bluegills

Center focuses on Lake Bloomington for bluegills. Other spots nearby include Sangchris and Spring Lake.

White bass/striped bass

The Illinois River teems with white bass during the annual spawning run every spring. The feisty fish crowd near Starved Rock State Park or up the first mile or so of the Vermilion River. Action peaks around Mother's Day.

Clinton Lake has good numbers of white bass, too. As for their cousins, striped bass, anglers report fish over 10 pounds from Lake Bloomington every year. Most are smaller, but they all fight hard.

Catfish

Anglers and Illinois Department of Natural Resources biologists say one of the best spots in the state to nab catfish is Clinton Lake. Other good choices are Dawson Lake, LaSalle, Powerton and the Illinois River.

Go fishing

Paul Center: (309) 766-1431 or www.rods4fishing.com

Jim Crowley: (309) 262-6103 or www.hookandhunttv.com

Jonn Graham: (309) 399-7055

Thad Hinshaw: (309) 726-1860 or www.evergreenmuskie.com

Jerry Martoglio: (309) 663-0114

Steve Welch: (217) 762-7257 or www.lakeshelbyvilleguide.com