Fishing Tips for Panfish

Panfish are part of a larger family of fish known as sunfish. Often lumped together under the surname bream, bluegill, warmouth, redbreast and shell cracker are all very similar fish. Also falling under the panfish category, are Crappie, whiter perch as they are sometimes known, and black crappie, a close cousin.

Generally speaking these fish are all relatively similar, though each species differs in coloring, and size. All eat similar foods, and generally search out similar habitats. In the writing below I will attempt to offer some helpful tips concerning, tackle, location, baits, and techniques for catching these fish. I'll even offer a suggestion for how to cook them.

Panfish range throughout the United States. Wherever you are, at least one species is located in water areas near you. They will tend to be near cover of some sort, be it sunken timber, downed trees, docks, or even grass areas in the water.

In the spring through the early summer, they can often be seen in the shallows during the spawn. Even if the fish can't be seen, the areas they are in can be seen. They can be recognized by the dark, circular spots where the fish bedded, creating depressions in the sand bottom as they fan water over their young with their tails.

In colder weather they will tend to be suspended, in or near cover sometimes using sunken timber or felled trees for cover. Time of year, depth, and cover type all call for different tactics for catching these fish.

However you plan to fish for these little fish, the tackle you use won't change very much. As for rods and reels, you don't want anyting particularly heavy. Heavier line is more visible, and will tend to scare these fish asway. Lighter tackle is more appropriate for these fish.

Generally you don't need anything stronger than 10 lb. test line to catch a bream of any type. Any 5 to 6 foot medium to light action rod with a decent reel, for reel types you can check any local sports store or walmart, will do the trick.

Also cane poles work very well. Cane or bamboo single piece rods are fun, if a bit awkward. There are also telescoping rods made of fiberglass that act the same way but are much less unwieldy. they collapse down for storage and then slide out to their actual length when you are ready to fish.

For bait, there are a variety of artificial and live baits that can be used. Bream have small mouths, so they require smaller baits and hooks.

For artificial baits, there are a number of jigs, spinners, and bugs that are effective. The most notable for bream in particular are beetle spins, and popper bugs.

Beetle spins are small, round headed jigs with a short rubber body, and a spinner that flashes to attract the attention of fish as it comes. Jigs work like spinners, minus the spinner. Again, color varies and what works depends on the water color as often as not.

For live bait, you can use crickets, worms, and in some cases, minnows. All 3 baits have their own benefits and draw backs. And all are generally reasonably available at any tackle store.

Crickets are my personal favorite. I always seem to have better luck with crickets. Generally speaking, there's less mess with crickets, they're easily contained in wire carriers, and they're easy to keep from one trip to the next.

Worms are a bit more messy, but also cheap and available at nearly any store that sells fishing tackle. They come in several varieties, red wrigglers, pinks, jumpers and night crawlers. They work very well themselves, and can also be retained, if kept cool and moist, for several days between trips.

Minnows are a bit harder to keep, and generally a bit more specialized in use. I've only ever used them when fishing for White perch, better known to most as crappie. Generally you buy as many as you need for one trip, and unless you have a tank to hold them, they are difficult to keep alive between trips.

Once you've got your tackle picked out, it's time to wet a line. Whether you're fishing from shore, or on the water via a boat, will determine much about how you employ your tackle.

 There are a lot of different ways to go after these fish.  When I was little, my grandfather had access to a lot of local fishing locations, small farm ponds and the like.  We were largely limited to fishing from the bank, but in smaller ponds that doesn't make much of a difference.

In these types of locations most of the desirable parts of the water are within easy casting range.  For bank fishermen the trick is simple, find the places you can get to, where the fish are within reach of your line.  In smaller ponds, such as farm ponds or ponds built by land owners, this is usually pretty easy.  In a creek or stream this may require getting a little wet, and wading out into the water a bit.

From shore fishing the most effective technique is the cork method, or artificial bait.  Depending on the depth of water you are fishing at, set the cork anywhere from 8 inches to 3 feet above the hook.  You may even need to be deeper in some cases.  Attach one or two small sinkers between the hook and the cork. 

Ensure you use a smaller hook, any bait and tackle store will have hooks of the appropriate size.  Attach your bait to the hook, then cast out and wait.  The cork is your strike indicator.  Keep a little slack in the line, and watch the cork.  When it is pulled under set the hook gently and you should be in for a feisty fight.

If you have a boat and can fish from the water, then a multitude of options are open to you.  Depending on where you are fishing at, the still method, with the cork can still be effective.

however you also have the option to slow roll your live bait, and use jigs to greater effect.  Slow rolling is a more active fishing method.

You take the cork away, but otherwise leave the rig unchanged.  Cast the bait up to or under the cover, or even up to the edge of the shore.  Reel in at a slow, steady pace, keeping the bait just off the bottom of the surface.  The fish will be moving in the water level, but the movement of the bait will attract their attention.  Particularly if they are bedding, a term used for their spawn, they will be aggressive towards any intrusion.  These bites, you will see and even feel.  Again, only a gentle hook set is needed. 

For using artificial bait, particularly spinners, you may want to reel a little faster.  If you're using poppers, small lurse that sit on top of the water like a lfy or bug, pop the lure along the top of the water, causing a splash, then reel in the slack.  You can also use these lures with a cane pole.

To do this, slingshot the lure to the desired location, and twitch.  If you don't get a hit in 10 or 15 seconds, then try again in a close spot. 

 Above are just a few tips that will hopefully help you catch panfish.  They are by no means all encompassing or definitive.  Just some suggestions and techniques that i have used with success. 

The key factor in success is confidence.  If you don't think it will work, it probably won't.  Good luck fishing, and I hope these suggestions have been helpful.