We are about 2 weeks behind so it is mostly pumkinseed in the shallows now, with a few bluegill, bass and pike mixed in for good measure. The fishing will be good now through mid July. Large male bluegill will be on beds in about 10-14 days. Here is a specimen from this morning: Anyone else targeting panfish this spring?
That’s some good Flathead bait....... I remember back when I was a junior or sophomore in high school. My brother was working overnights, we had a very wet year that spring into summer. We’d bait our limb lines on the banks of the river at night. I’d check the limb lines in the morning. I’d go through out the day to the several ponds in town, to keep our bait supply up. He’d get off work just time to help clean the days catch. Caught many flatheads, channels cats, and blue Catfish.... aww the times of the youth...
That sounds like a great summer to me. I have never fished for catfish, but they are pretty plentiful in the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers near my home. It is not legal to use sunfish for bait, but I think the folks that fish them here use bullheads.
Great picture! My earliest fishing memories are of early morning drives through dewy wet fields to farm ponds and small impoundments with my Dad. We would catch Punkinseeds, Bluegills and small Bass on cane poles from the shore with worms and live minnows. Not huge trophies but very willing biters and good eaters. Just what a kid (or a Dad) wants in a fish. No pressure, plenty of bites and muddy feet. Ah to be young again!
That all sounds great metalcuttr. No phones or video games, even TV was very limited. ...cane poles, corks, a few split shot, long shanked hook, garden worms for fishing off the bank catching sunfish, bass, crappie and bullheads. Then we scaled them, scooped out the guts and fried them up round in some flour, cornmeal, and butter with a little crisco. Simpler times and the best of times with my family, including my grandfather who loved to fish with us.
Exactly the way we cooked them! As kids we always loved to eat the crunchy tails. So much any more, fishing has just become a big equipment thing. I wish I could recapture the wonder and joy that a child has when he has caught his first Punkinseed or Bullhead.
No way you could fish toiday like we did when I was a young boy. Even if you could find a long cane pole the people in the cabins, cottages or homes on the lake would run you off or at least try and make life miserable. Mom would have us kids (me and brother) dig up a passle of worms from a plot she kept. One of us in the front of her Stud holding one end of the cane poles and one in the back doing the same. the far side of the lake we got to down a old logging road. strip down to our tidy whitys nd wade out to our belly buttons and fish with hook covered in worms and bobber. Back then we could also go on the built up side of the lake and wear jeans sit on peoples docks with out fear of being yelled at. As a 20 year old we used to night fish for bass around docks and such. But those people who think they own the lake made it miseriable so don't bother getting to the lake before midnight. Once they were all in bed we could have a good time and catch a lot of bass. Had them even call the law on us if they happened to wake up and see us out on the lake fishing. Even the dumb cops would yell at us we couldn't be on the lake at night fishing. SHOW US THAT LAW!!!!! Still that way today even. Al
