Into the Outdoors: Panfishing

By the time you read this, April will be pretty much shot. Hopefully, there will be lots of nice weather in the near future. One of the greatest things about this time of year is that the panfishing really heats up. I know that some will laugh at this, but, when it comes to fast paced fun, panfishing is the number one contender. You don’t get skunked nearly as often as you do with other fish species.

Fishing for panfish is about as simple as it gets. Get some worms, small fathead minnows and head for your favorite fishin’ hole. A bobber isn’t really necessary, but it certainly adds to the fun. As a kid, it tickled me when that bobber ducked under the water and today, even though I am an old geezer, it still does. I hope I never grow out of that.

Panfish can also be taken on artificial lures. Of course, they need to be small. Tiny jigs, spoons and spinners are all effective. Frankly, about the only time I use them is when I don’t have live bait. At times, I have had good luck with a Dardevle Skeeter spoon. I don’t know if they are still made. The only one I had success with was the old faithful red and white pattern. When it comes to tackle, the lighter the better. You get to feel the fish fight. In fact, a tiny fly rod, fished with bait can make for a lot of fun. Light line is the order of the day. Two or four pound test work well, and they pair perfectly with ultralight reels.

Given how easy panfish are to catch, it’s hard to imagine memorable days, but Old Bub and I had two. In the photo, taken MANY years ago, Old Bub is holding our combined catch from a farm pond. We had permission to take all the fish we wanted. They were caught in a surprisingly short time. We caught a fish on almost every cast. The other happened while we were fishing from a bridge at Oneida Lake. We caught scads of slab crappies. The next time we went there, the deep pool had been dredged, so there was no repeat. Needless to say, we spent a lot of time filleting fish on both days.

But wait, there is more! The successful panfish angler is in for some great eating. Crappies, sunfish and yellow perch are nothing short of delicious. Yellow perch, little cousins of walleyes, are especially sweet. I normally filet my panfish, coat them with Zatairan’s coating mix and fry them. Served with hushpuppies or macaroni and cheese, they are a feast fit for a king. They make for a fantastic chowder as well. For some reason, I have had little success smoking them. To store them in the freezer, I vacuum seal them. They are a real treat on a cold winter day.

At last, things are starting to get green. That always tends to cheer me up.

And finally, the Game Commission reminds that the spring turkey season is right around the corner. According to them, turkeys are abundant this year. I am not a turkey hunter, although I know, and have known, some really proficient ones. My turkey hunting is done at the Riverside in Rimersburg. I have always done well there.

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Email: salmonangler1@gmail.com