By Lucas Holmgren, For The Mountain Times
Creating memories with kids is a heartwarming experience for parents. For a parent looking to take their children fishing, a smart place to start is fishing for bluegill, perch and crappie in local lakes and ponds.
In the Northwest, there is a surprising abundance of “panfish.” The most popular of this aptly named category of fish that are easily pan-fried is the bluegill. Bluegill can be found in virtually every lake and many smaller ponds in the Oregon and Washington area. Summer months are often the best chance for them, so if you go out in spring and don’t find any near the bank, just wait until it warms up more. They’re easy to see, and plenty of information exists online about which lakes they dwell in.
As a general rule, bluegill will usually be active when your local pond is 60-65% Fahrenheit. As the water temperature warms they can still be very active in the deepest months of summer, although they will often retreat to more shaded areas.
Once you’ve found bluegill in your local lake, float-fish (bobber-fish) an earthworm on a small (size 12, 14 is ideal) hook. Using light fishing line, attach a small “Crappie Float” or even the classic red-and-white plastic bobbers, but make sure the float is small enough to be easily pulled under. Adding a split-shot under the float can help with casting and getting the hook down to depth faster. The simplest float and hook with a worm has accounted for millions of fish.
Unlike other species, bluegill don’t necessarily need the bait to be near the bottom, but I like to make sure it’s at least floating at about half of the total water depth. The rod and reel you use doesn’t need to be expensive, but it should not cause issues that take all the fun out of fishing. When bluegill are near the bank, even a long stick with fishing line tied to it can be used to catch fish, but ideally an ultra-light spinning rod with quality line on it will make things much easier.
Fishing near lily-pads and logs can be perfect ambush points for these aggressive little fish. If you’re not getting bites, try adjusting the depth you are fishing or move to another area. Once you’ve found biting bluegill, you’re likely to find many more!
Before you take the kids out though, make sure the water and the weather are warm enough. If the bluegill are active and the weather is nice, pack the snacks and the tackle, and go fishing!
Lucas Holmgren is the Host of the Salmon Trout Steelheader Podcast and a musician.