Let's face it...I am not a tournament bass angler, world traveled fly-fisher, or even a guy who would take a couple out-of-state trips a year. Most of my fishing this spring has been spur-of-the-moment, close to home fishing for bass and bluegills in local ponds. I did a little trout scouting and some cat fish chunkin'. But it has been a long time since I fished more than 25 miles from home. With this bluecollar concept, God has rewarded me with some very nice fish...like this massive 11.25 inch bluegill I caught and released on April 27th. In a cold and windy day, I had one of my all-time best trips for 'big' bluegill, catching and releasing ten fish over 10 inches.Check out a couple of these bad boys, and girls...
Here's a closeup of a 10.25 inch male prespawner, caught on a worm on the bottom. The 25 to 35 mph winds made it tough to feel jigs and detect strikes.
Here's a 10.5 inch female. Lighter coloration and shorter eartab helps designate the gender. This was one of a total of 18 I got on this day.
This colorful male went 10.75 inches. Allof these fish fought like freight trains on 2 pound test and micro-light spinning gear. The last time I fished this pond, we caught alot of gills just shy of the 10 inch mark, but no legitimate 'tens'. Today the big boys came out to play!
Here's a 10-plus male headed back where he belongs...to spawn and protect it's young in a few weeks. Releasing big panfish is an absolute neccessity in maintaining top-notch bluegill and crappie fisheries.
Here's another big girl...action was not fast and furious...had to work live nightcrawler chunks through the weeds to get these cold front fish to bite.
Here's the rig...1/16th ounce bullet sinker, 16 inches of 4 pound mono with a #6 baitholder hook, and bait up with 1/3 of a live nightcrawler. I did catch 2 fish on the firetiger jig, including the days best ay 11.25 inches. All others took the worms. Simple.
I don't know the exact due date, but I'm thinking she's gonna pop pretty soon. Weather folks are calling for several 80 degree days this week, so gills could push shallow and spawn.
In another pond, on another day, we enjoyed variety and some 'keepers' for the pan...
Here's a bag of gills and redear sunfish that ran 7.5 to 8.5 inches...these are the kind of fish you want to keep and eat, especially if they are in abundance in a small pond.
Along the way we picked up a few bass, like this nice 19 incher on 2 pound test line. Cool!
And my buddy Loren collared this big channel cat on light gear as well...what a fight! Loren is 6-foot-6, making the catfish...BIG!
And, at yet another pond, on yet another day, my young friend Jake had a great day of fishing as we targeted gills, but instead got...
...fish like this large, bluegill management device, AKA the largemouth bass. This was a 20-inch, 5 pounder that Jake caught and released on a 1/64th ounce jig with a piece of worm. Just a great fish on 2 pound test line. WTG Jake!
We also got more gills...
...and more bass...
...and more gills.
Yes, it's hard to complain about not being able to travel to the far-away waters when you can catch fish like this right at home, practically in your backyard. I have my eye on two more new bodies of water where word is that the gills are big and the bass are bad! Can't wait to try them out!
I like what Paul said in Phil. 4: 10-13, when he said 'I have found the secret to being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me'. Think about that, the next time you feel you didn't 'get your due', or 'a fair shake' or 'what you really deserve'. If I got what I really, really deserve, I'd get hell. Instead, I get grace, love, forgiveness and heaven. I get the Savior, and He gets me. What a gift!
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