West Rush was built to build panfish. The water is fertile, sporting ice-tea coloration and infinite caches of zooplankton. Humps blanket middepth flats, and islands cascade into rich basins. And up on the north end, soft-bottomed shallows stretch for acres and emergent vegetation reigns.

Even when the banks are shoulder to shoulder with people - a regular occurrence on sunshiny spring days - you can circumnavigate crowds on the spacious north face or find a sparser piece of real estate elsewhere. Downward, along West Rush's east shore, there are a handful of shallow and fertile bays. The east and deep south hold promise, too.

Slow-trolling and fan-casting is the favored tactic due to the vastness of the areas in question. Rig up a slip-bobber and insect-ish lure - such as a Northland Bro Bug or Lindy Genz Worm - smother it with maggots, set the depth to about 18 inches and commence peppering in all directions while maintaining slow movement with the electric trolling motor. That's how I track fish on lakes such as West Rush anyway.

Neighboring and related East Rush Lake is worth a spin, too. West Rush is best noted for its whopping crappies, while those in-the-know respect East's reputation of giving up monstrous bluegills. East is far shallower, slipping to only about 25 feet, and greener weed-wise than West Rush. The distant south lobe is vegetated and fairly flat, and experiences spiking temperatures immediately following ice-out. Work the alcove and outlet to Rush Creek. The north rim and boat channel to West Rush also warrant some time.

To fish the Rushes on the road, you can lodge in Cambridge. Ring the Cambridge Area Chamber of Commerce at (763) 689-2505 or contact them online at www.cambridge-chamber.com.

In the spring when panfish assail warm and food-enriched shallows, the north end really shines. And as with the Rush's, simply commence fan-casting and keep the craft in motion until contacting fish. The southern bayou known as Crystal Bay is another hotbed, as is the shoreline leading northward into the marsh. Again, you needn't be a rocket scientist to understand the surroundings. You must, however, put your nose to the grindstone and search for fish.

Due north of Crystal Bay - east bank of the north arm - stands a plethora of emergent vegetation that deserve attention. Similar surroundings on the opposite shore of First, Second and Third points offers similar habitat, complete with balmy shallows and dead flora intermingled with soon to be emergent greens.

Big fish are hooked on Washington each spring - crappies in the 2-pound-plus range - so don't hesitate throwing fatheads and jigs with gusto.

Mankato is a mere hop from Washington and myriad southern dandies. Learn more about the area lakes by calling the Greater Mankato Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-657-4733 or online at www.mankato.com.

The 872-acre machine takes a hurting from the locals and urban travelers, yet continues to impress with both its average panfish size and absolute quantity. Post ice-out, Shields is study in slinking shallows, dark and dirty, and anywhere the wind doesn't howl.

The northeast bay is a prime target. It presents the ideal blend of warm shallows, deep-water access, copious vegetation, an influx of new water and is a direct target for sunlight. I'll give it an "A." The bay on the true north end, near the boat landing, is another hotspot. And if it isn't happening in those places, try the two islands with jigs and waxies.

The ringing of the southern bells isn't exclusive to a couple of ponds, either. If it were me and I was breaking away for a couple days in April or May, I'd add the following to the realm of possibilities: Circle Lake, Fox Lake, Duck Lake, French Lake, Dudley Lake, Gorman Lake, Hall Lake, Lake Jefferson, Mazaska Lake, and Lake Tetonka. Got the picture? It's pretty good down there.

Contact the Faribault Area Chamber of Commerce for lodging information. They can be reached at (507) 334-4381 or www.faribaultmn.org.

The slowly tapering northeast shore is studded with emergent vegetation, providing prime ice-out habitat and plenty of elbow room. You might want to investigate depths near the outlet/dam and Lake Ripley County Park, too.

While in the vicinity - if Ripley isn't ripping - head over to 545-acre Lake Minnie Belle. It's radically deeper, reaching nearly 50 feet, but in the spring, panfish flock to classic confines. Most notable of them are a bay on the northwest, another to the southwest and the southeast shore.

Litchfield places you in proximity of Ripley. The Litchfield Chamber of Commerce is reachable at (320) 693-8184 or www.litch.com.

In the spring, they beeline for identifiable and accessible waterscapes. Right off the bat, you may want to motor into adjoining Otter Lake, which is reachable from Clearwater's northwest corner. From the same landing you're in quick reach of the enticing north bay and connecting Grass Lake, both of which lure spring bluegills and crappies.

To the south, lesser Bungalow Island has a string of attractive alcoves. And for kicks, investigate Clearwater's western basin. It's markedly deeper and loaded with intense structure, but on its southern flank lays several good indentations.

Wright County, in fact, has a host of legitimate panfish lakes. If past performance is indicative of future results, jot down the following names: Beebe Lake, Waverly Lake, Maple Lake, Sugar Lake and Cedar Lake.

Contact the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce at (320) 251-2940 for lodging information, or at www.stcloudareachamber.com.

Lake Irene, at 630 acres, is extra special. It brims with my all-time favorite spring panfish ingredient: hardstems. The shorelines are riddled with bulrushes, making for hours and days of investigation. Of particular interest are shallows at the far northern and southern heads.

Besides Irene, dividends are often paid on Chippewa Lake, Lake Geneva, Lobster Lake, Lake Mina, Lake Minnewaska, Lake Osakis, Lake Oscar, Red Rock Lake, amongst others.

For the skinny on lodging, contact the Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-235-9441 or www.alexandriamn.org.

Inguadona is slender and deep and composed of two hunks that are divided by a bridge. This constitution is beneficial to the spring angler, too. The northern and southern extremes of both lobes present opportunities. A large and fertile bay on the west side of the lower lake merits a peek, and you'd be remiss to not totally pound the channel area on both sides.

If by chance you're in the Longville area for an extended stay, see what the locals are saying about these beauties: Boy Lake, Island Lake, Portage Lake and Welsh Lake.

Contact the Longville Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce for area information at 1-800-756-7583 or www.longville.com.

Now you have a bunch of great crappie lakes for this spring. Be there when they put on the feedbag.