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Fishing this spring has been as up and down as the weather.
You might catch a slew of fish one day and barely get a bite the next. It has been a “Go figure” kind of spring.
Thus, it is not surprising that bluegills remain shallow this late into the spring, even in smaller and shallower bodies of water. The official start of summer is only a week away and normally by this time, these feisty panfish have been on their beds, spawned and are ready to move into deeper water as hot weather approaches.
Not so this year. Only a few days ago, a couple of fishing buddies and I were still catching nice-sized bluegills in less than two feet of water. This can make for some fast action and outstanding eating later.
A couple of us had been catching them using a bubble bobber and a fly.
This is an easy method for those who may be a bit intimidated by fly fishing. It is great to use on windy days and in tight areas – both times it can be difficult to use a flyrod.
All that is needed is a good ultralight spinning rod (I prefer 7-10 footers) with light line (4-6 pound) and a clear plastic bubble. You simply tie the bubble on your line. Two kinds of bubbles are available.
One where you run the line through it and can vary the depth you want to fish or the kind where you tie a leader on the one end after tying the bubble to you regular lines I have long used the one you tie on a leader. Use.a leader of 4-6 pound line. The length can vary depending upon the depth of the fish and if you fish a wet (sinking) or dry (floating) fly.
If you want to use a floater, a sponge spider is an excellent choice. Remember, bluegills do not always come to the surface to feed. They do this primarily early in the morning and late in the evening. Use a 5-7 foot leader (That’s why I prefer a long rod). Cast out the bubble, reel in slack line and twitch it back slowly. This is a very similar effect to fly fishing.
Most often bluegills bite below the surface.
Thus, a wet fly normally should be your choice. Your leader can be as long a 5-6 feet on as short as a foot or 18 inches. Figuring out the depth at which the fish will bite likely is your toughest obstacle. This is why some anglers prefer the other type of bubble. My choice of wet flies varies, especially since I am a fly fisherman and have an arsenal of flies at my disposal. I prefer a wiggler type fly or a woolly bugger or woolly worm on a fly rod. That holds true when I am fishing a bubble, but I also like a wet fly that has contrast and hackle. I like black as one of the colors and the second of the combo could be blue, orange, green, yellow, red or pink or chartreuse. Check with your local bait store and see what kind of flies it carries.
When using wet flies, take advantage of tipping them with a larval bait. I prefer spikes if they are available, but waxworms and maggots work well too.
You will want to let the fly sink. It may take several seconds. Count the fly down. Or if you are fishing deeper than 18 inches, you may want to pinch a BB split shot to your leader.
Some people like to reel their presentation very slowly. I prefer sliding it. Reel the slack out of the line, then slowly slide the bubble a few inches. This is similar to the action a flyrodder uses. The slightest movement or dip of the bubble can mean a fish is on. Use a weeping motion to hook the fish and keep the rod low while reeling in. These are not a fish like bass or muskie where you want to set the hook hard. Being over aggressive with panfish can mean literally ripping the bait right out of their mouth. Bluegills are noted for their hard pulling at right angles and will come up out of the water and can “spit” the bait out.
Give this method a try. It might surprise you how many more fish you may catch using the combination of a fly and live bait.
Father’s Day gifts
One can come up with a plethora of ideas for Father’s Day gifts. How some (or many) might not be practical for the man on your list.
For the outdoorsman who seems to have about everything and you’re looking for a gift that will not break your bank, here is an economical, yet likely a welcome idea. Give him or renew his membership in a local fish and game club, shooting organization, conservation group, etc.
I always prefer supporting local groups first, but he might enjoy a membership in the many national organizations.
If you and he are strong believers in the second amendment, get him an NRA membership or renew his. There are many other worthy organizations. Although I do not waterfowl hunt, I have belonged to Ducks Unlimited for years. The reasoning is simple. The land and wetlands DU protects are home to a variety of game, bird species and fish species along with waterfowl.
Ohio EPA gathering water samples
The Ohio EPA has begun water quality studies in select basins of the Maumee River watershed and also of the St. Marys River watershed.
Limaland areas in the Maumee study include Hancock and Putnam counties. The study of the St. Marys River watershed includes Auglaize, Mercer Shelby and Van Wert counties.
The St. Marys and St. Joseph rivers meet in Fort Wayne to form the Maumee River, the largest tributary on Lake Erie. The Maumee River watershed extends into southern Michigan and also into eastern Indiana.
Ohio EPA is collecting water samples, fish and macroinvertebrate species through October. The physical, biological and chemical data will help determine water quality in the streams and identify any problem areas. Ohio EPA will share its results in a report with communities in the watershed. The study will help develop options for improving water quality in the impaired areas.
Communities in the study area include Celina, Menden, Minster, New Bremen, New Knoxville, Rockford, St. Marys and Willshire.
In addition to the St. Marys River, other streams in the study include Black Creek, Center Branch, Duck Creek, East Branch, Eightmile Creek, Hussey Creek, Kopp Creek, Prairie Creek, Sixmile Creek, Town Run, Twelvemile Creek, Twentysevenmile Creek and Yankee Run. Sampling also will be conducted in the Miami-Erie Canal, which is connected to the St. Marys River.
For more information, contact Ohio EPA’s Public Interest Center a t(614-644-2160. More information about watershed studies is available online.
Lake Erie limit is six walleye
If you are planning a trip to Lake Erie, remember the daily bag limit is six walleye in the Ohio waters with a minimum size limit of 15 inches. The daily bag limit is 30 per angler in the Ohio waters of Lake Erie.
Also, Black bass (largemouth and smallmouth bass) in Ohio waters of Lake Erie is closed to possession May 1-,June 26 (no harvest). On June 27 the daily bag limit returns to 5 fish per angler with a 14 inch minimum size limit.
According to a recent DOW fishing report, anglers were doing well for walleye in the western basis about 2-3 miles north of West Sister Island, between West Sister Island and the gravel pit, north of West Reef, south of Starve Island, between North Bass Island and Gull Island Shoal along the Canadian border, and around Kelleys Island Shoal.
Anglers trolling have caught fish using crankbaits (mostly deep diving Reef Runners), spoons behind divers, and also worm harnesses with inline weights or bottom bouncers. Anglers casting are using weight forward spinners or mayfly rigs.
Anglers were using perch spreaders or crappie rigs with shiners fished near the bottom to catch yellow perch near Ballast Island.
