Weed growth comes on fast in these fertile lakes, especially down on Lake Waubesa. As distinct weed edges start to develop, try pitching a half-crawler into holes in the developing foliage over at least 10 feet of water. This is the kind of bite you can enjoy during daytime if you can get the boat back in the “salad” away from pleasure boaters. Keep the presentation subtle. A 1/16-ounce black jighead is just about right. (Continued)

Contact: Ron Barefield’s Fishing Adventures Guide Service, (608) 838-8756, or e-mail at barefish@chorus.net.

LAKES DELAVAN & GENEVA
Remember that scene in Caddyshack where Rodney Dangerfield played a clueless yacht operator? Inspiration for this may have come from real-life experiences with big boats with out-of-state registrations on Geneva Lake after Memorial Day.

This image keeps serious anglers away in droves from this Walworth County lake. But get on Geneva between now and summer’s kickoff, and you can have an amazing angling experience -- especially during the week. For a real shot at a trophy walleye, troll a No. 13 Rapala over the weed tops around The Narrows at night.

Don’t let the size of Geneva overwhelm you. The band of walleye-producing water is narrow and quite fishable. It will take time to home in on consistent success, but once you start targeting water with that Shad Rap -- with a small split shot pegged up the line about 30 inches to intercept weeds every once in a while -- you’ll have the pattern dialed in to a state of fish-catching perfection.

At 2,072 acres, neighboring Delavan is about half the size of Geneva, and twice as easy to fish. Over half of the adult walleye population swimming in Delavan is above the 18-inch minimum-length limit, and they’re probably just a tail kick away from the deep-water weed edge that develops here by late May.

Many walleyes are caught by folks fishing for other species on Delavan. Don’t be surprised if one of these myopic critters inhales a Rat-L-Trap retrieved over the long bar out from Lake Lawn Lodge. But you may want to try bouncing a jighead and clear hologram K-Grub along steeply breaking shoreline and around docks on the other side of the lake first.

Contact: Geneva Lake Bait & Tackle, (262) 245-6150.

SHAWANO LAKE
Memorial Day weekend marks the arrival of the Happy Times Flotilla on this northeastern Wisconsin lake. But between the opener and the holiday, you can experience outstanding fishing for a number of species.

Those people chasing walleyes before summer’s kickoff find perpetual success on the east end of this 6,032-acre lake. They anchor up near several shallow reefs just before dusk and fish into the night with leeches and fathead minnows under slip-bobbers.

Every reef has a “sweet spot” where walleyes transition up from deeper water. Spending some time doing recon on a slow cruise with the big motor and one eye on the electronics looking for significant bottom changes is time well spent.

Similar recon is advised around Schumacher Island, which is Shawano Lake’s primary walleye spawning area. Local sportsmen have placed a number of rockpiles here over the years to augment naturally occurring structure. If there is a prevailing wind for at least a couple of days, work the windward side of the island with shallow-running crankbaits after the sun goes down. Just 2 feet of water is enough to hold May walleyes under cover of darkness -- if forage is present.

Contact: Shawano Chamber of Commerce, (715) 524-2139.