Warming Up for Panfish

   




"I caught a fitch, grandma! I caught a fitch!"  I'm quoting world renowned fisherman, Mike VanLoon (aka me) when he caught his very first fish. 

As I was only three years old, I'm sure the blue gill was nothing impressive, and I only have vague memories of bringing it back to the campsite to show my grandma. Small as it was though, I'm told my grandma insisted we fry it up to celebrate. And thus began my love of catching, and eating, panfish. 

For most fisherman, panfish are the first step in their angling journey, and with good reason. Panfish are generally numerous and easy to catch if you know where to find them. They also put up a heck of a fight for their size. And they make fine table fare, if one is so inclined, which I usually am. 

Since that first fish, over 40 years ago now, my love for the little guys has not waned. As soon as I can get out on the water without freezing to death in the spring, I'm gettin' after 'em. But it's usually sometime in mid to late May that the action really picks up as they move in shallow to spawn.

Recently, my wife and I discovered a new twist that has improved our catch rate significantly when bobber fishing for panfish when they're in super shallow water in the early spring. We call it "poppin' bobbers". Rather than tossing the line out and just letting it sit, we give it a sharp twitch, reel in the slack at a moderate pace, and repeat. It's very similar to the popping corks used for redfish and speckled sea trout on the coast, just a bit slower and obviously with significantly lighter gear. 

We had the best luck with this technique just prior to, and during, the spawn. As spring progresses and fish start moving off their beds, I like to switch from a plain hook and splitshot, to a jighead under my slip bobber. A chunk of nightcrawler, a live minnow, or soft plastics all work great for this presentation. Water temperatures haven't yet pushed the fish to their summer hangouts, and the jighead is perfect for quickly getting bait in front of fish on the edges of weedlines in six to twelve feet of water. With the bait suspended beneath a bobber, you're also able to work it back at a much slower rate than a standard jig presentation. 

Whatever technique you choose, you won't go wrong by just being out on the water after the long, cold winter. So get out there and get after 'em. We'll see you outdoors. 

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