Muskies are big and walleyes taste good, but if you want fast fishing action, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass are the fish for you. Northern Wisconsin has all these fish -- often in the same lake.

Flowages -- also called impoundments or reservoirs in Wisconsin -- and manmade lakes formed by damming rivers usually produce the best smallie fisheries, while largemouth bass prefer the natural lakes isolated from rivers. Sure, there are exceptions to that, too.

Try your luck this year for both basses on these waters.

LAKE WISSOTA
The largest lake in Chippewa County is manmade Lake Wissota, located two miles east of Chippewa Falls. Lake Wissota is 6,300 acres, and the main lake alone accounts for over 4,000 acres. Largemouth bass are present in this big lake, but it's the abundant smallmouth bass population that attracts anglers.

Lake Wissota has several good boat launches. On the north end, there is a ramp off Highway S where it crosses the Chippewa River. Two ramps are in Moon Bay, which is little more than a wide spot in the Yellow River. The river flows into Lake Wissota on the east shore. On the south end, there are several ramps in Little Lake Wissota, which is a very wide spot in Paint Creek. Two of these ramps are off Highway X where the two lakes come together. On the west shore, there is a ramp north of the Chippewa River outlet just off Redar Road.

Wissota is known as a good -- but sometimes tough -- bass lake. Smallies in the 2-pound class are good fish here. In fact, a three-day tournament in 2005 saw an average weight of slightly over 2 pounds for the bass these pros registered. Finding the fish-catching pattern of the day is often the difficult part of fishing this lake. Bring a wide variety of lures, and be prepared to try them all.

Another reason Wissota is tough to fish is the heavy weekend boat traffic during the summer. If you must fish on Saturday and Sunday, get on the water early in the morning. If possible, schedule your fishing trips to this big lake for weekdays when there's less pleasure boat traffic.

Bright colors are the rule in Wissota's dark water, and night crawlers and leeches often entice moody bass to bite. Bass like structure, and your electronics will be important in finding these bottom elements for successful fishing.

The Chippewa Falls Chamber of Commerce can help you with accommodations and guide services. Go online to the chamber's Web site at www.chippewachamber.org, or call 1-866-723-0340. If you prefer to camp, Lake Wissota State Park on the east shore is popular with both vacationers and anglers. Find out more and make reservations at www.dnr.state.wi.us/ org/land/parks/specific/lakewissota.

SHELL LAKE
A half-dozen miles south of Spooner in Washburn County you'll find the village of Shell Lake and the lake of the same name. Approximately 2,500 acres of water gives you plenty of room to catch the abundant smallmouth bass and the less common largemouth bass. Six boat ramps on the north and west shores provide good boat launching access.