Gear & Tackle
Panfish, that is, crappie, sunfish, bluegills, rock bass, bullheads and
the like, are the most pursued game fish in America today. Weighing, on average, less than
a pound, ultra-light tackle is the rule. Longer (6'6" to 8') spinning rods should
have a soft tip, and line should be thin, flexible Trilene XL in 2# to 4# test, at most.
Special telescoping "dipping" rods are also popular, some as long as 15'.
Lures & Presentation
Plentiful in large schools and easily accessible from
shore, panfish are most often fished with a float rig of some kind. Small clip-on bobbers,
casting bubbles and slip floats are the norm. Tiny jigs, ice flies and long-shanked hooks,
weighted with split shot, tend to produce the most fish. Set your float to suspend the
bait at about half the depth of the water and adjust up or down as the fish dictate. Keep
the rig moving to search for fish, pausing only for 30 seconds or so in one spot.
How to Locate
As mentioned, panfish are abundant in shallow water
near shore, especially in spring and fall. Look for fish near bullrushes, lily pads, grass
flats and rip rap, as well as under docks, boat lifts and other man-made structures. In
summer, panfish will be deeper, in 12' to 18' range, but nearly always relating to
structure such as weedlines and drop offs. In that case, vertical jigging or casting and
allowing a small spinner jig to flutter down along the face of the structure is a deadly
tactic.
Effective Baits
There are as wide a variety of natural baits for
panfish as there are species, although worms, grubs, maggots, small minnows and leeches
are the most popular. Berkley Power Bait comes in a number of highly effective and
convenient forms of panfish bait, including Power Wigglers, Crappie Nibbles, moldable and
liquid Power Bait for panfish. All are productive any time of year. |
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