Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “panfish”
The cold water of winter slows down a crappie’s metabolism making the fish lethargic. Crappie still have to eat during the winter and fortunately, their forage is also sluggish so crappie can mosey up to a baitfish and use a short burst of energy to pick off an easy meal. The key to catching crappie then is to rely on …
Leaves turning colors and air temperatures dropping signal the start of the crappie fall feeding festival. When autumn arrives, crappie snap out of their summer patterns and gorge on baitfish in preparation for a long, cold winter. The fish migrate from their deep summer haunts to the shallow flats’ dining areas before returning to deep water later in the season. Anglers …
Bluegill have a voracious appetite but a small mouth, so you need to tempt them with things like little jigs and spinners. Cast lures next to the weed lines, docks, or wood cover to catch bigger bluegill. During the summer, you can find an abundance of small bluegill in hot shallow water, but big bluegill seek cooler temperatures, often found in the depths. However, …
By: Tyler Brick Panfish during the summer out of a kayak seems like an easy feat to some, but for others, the challenge of exploring different water and trying new techniques is very intriguing. A kayak is a very versatile tool for finding panfish because you can squeeze them into any nook and cranny on just about any lake. Floating …
Unlike humans, who have a hierarchy of needs to help determine their actions and decisions, fish behavior can be boiled down to three motives: food, safety, and comfort. Let’s take a look at the three simple things that make fish tick. If you consider these three ideas and apply related logic at your local lake, you will be catching more …
Often overlooked and usually underappreciated, the white bass catches a bad wrap. While they won’t earn your points at bass tournaments, and most panfish anglers don’t specifically target them, white bass fight hard and taste delicious. They also aren’t necessarily picky eaters, meaning new and experienced anglers can find success using a myriad of baits, including swimbaits, small crankbaits, inline …
Thomas Farchione of Wisconsin brought a potential world record redear sunfish with this 6.3-pounder that measured 17-inches long and 20-inches around. Thomas took a road trip down to the famed Lake Havasu, the same place where the standing world record sunfish was caught. Thomas was fishing a drop shot rig tipped with a nightcrawler. This method is common for anglers …
Spring is the best time of the year to get out on the water. The weather is phenomenal, flowers are blooming, and critters are creating the next generation of deer, birds, and fish. From a fishing perspective, spring fish are usually hungry, aggressive, and shallow, making catching them easier and more fun than other times of the year. Because of …
Spring is the ultimate season for catching panfish because the fish are spawning and aggressively protect their nests from intruders. Their aggressiveness makes panfish susceptible to both live and artificial baits thrown anywhere close to the fish’s nest. A panfish that can be found on just about any body of water throughout the country is the pugnacious bluegill. Here are …
Adam Mann of Wisconsin just caught a 16.25-inch long perch that weighed a whopping 3.22lbs, setting a new Idaho state record. The fish came from the famed Lake Cascade, which is undoubtedly the best place in the country to catch a truly giant yellow perch. Adam was fishing a small tungsten ice jig tipped with a nightcrawler when the record-setting …
David Burruss, owner of Clear Lake Outdoors in Lakeport, California, just broke the state record crappie when he reeled in 4.33-pound black crappie out of the Northern California’s fishing crown jewel, Clear Lake. The Lake Country Record-Bee reported that David was bass fishing with a 4-inch soft plastic swimbait when the record-setting crappie swiped his lure. Clear lake receives an incredible amount of fishing pressure and …
Live bait is best for producing panfish year-round, but there are times throughout the year when artificial lures will outperform the real deal. The key to catching panfish on artificial lures is to “match the hatch” making sure the size of your lure is the same size as the forage panfish are munching on that day. Here are seven lures …
