Panfish Delight

[Mr. Pike1]

A friend and I decided to go North and do some Kayaking for panfish. Due to the high winds on Saturday we had to target a small body of water that was well protected. We found a "beauty" of lake that fit the bill.

The lake was 150 miles North of the twin cities and was surrouned by a beautiful treeline. wildlife, and two small cabins. The size of the lake was 50-60 acrea with one island in the middle, deep holes, and plenty of shorline structure to support what we hoped would be a great day for pike and panfish.

We were the only people on this little pond and started out catching some small panfish on plasics. We continued to work the shoreline for productive action. We discoverd one small secluded bay and found that it held some pike. My partner and each picked up a hammer handle pike. Then I got pounded by a bigger fish. It hit a small panfish tube jig and 4 lb test line so I knew from the start my chances in the kayak and this equipment favored the beast below. The encounter only lasted about 5 minutes. Upon realizing he was hooked the fish quickly turned my kayak on a dime, started to spool my small real, and then I would imagine the beast made a turn and my line was cut.

Outside the bay the real fun began. We noticed a beaver dam sourrounded by downed tree's and branches that extented into a quick drop off. If anyplace on the pound should hold slab crappie and bull sunfish this must be it. The first cast my partner hit a bull sunfish and crappie and I followed with a bull sunfish myself. The wind was a bit of a challange so we decided to pull to shoreline and attack this honey hole.

The resident beaver let us know from the start that he was in the area and surfaced a few times and gave us a couple of welcoming or unwelcoming tail splashes.

The presentation did not seem to matter. We used primarily small plastics, tubes, and jigs. Flu flu's with no plastic and even a colored bare jig all produced. As aggressive as they were however small inline spinner or other mini beattle spin type spinners did not produce.

The panfishing was outstanding. Each cast in this honey whole lead to a 7-8 inch sunfish with and occassional 9 incher mixed in. If not a sunfish the crappies were mixed right in and most were 9-10 inch fish with a few 11-12 fisn. I would guess that there was potential for a a trophy bull sunfish for alab monster crappie. However, on this day it was all about quantity. We stayed on this spot for about 3 hours and then called it a day.

[Lisa Almquist]

What a great report Mr. Pike1! Sounds like you guys had a great day!

[Mr. Pike1]

Thanks Lisa. I have nice Lund fishing boat but I am finding more and more I really like just getting out for a few hours on the kayak on those calm evenings to wet a line. Being in remote areas and exploring small lakes with no public access like this is also great fun. I love the little lakes with no names or no DNR information on mapping or species it makes it even more fun to explore and find out for myself if there is a sunken island, does the lake have natural populations of walleye, small mouth, or trophy panfish.

I heard a quote before that goes something like may men fish all thier lives not knowing it isnt fish they are after.

I am learning this more and more even though I without question suffer form OCF (obsessive compulsive fishing disorde)

[eyebjim]

Ah, OCF. So that's what I have. Knowing is half the battle. I think I'll spend the rest of my life working on the other half.

[john.wells]

I have read that quote about fishing your whole life before-it is beautiful poetry. I THINK it was from Aldo Leopold. My most memorable excursions are very similar, and one stands out in particular where a friend and I took a canoe into a backwater, and I caught a giant pike while standing on top of a beaver lodge. We had no idea it was the duck opener, and at 9 or noon or whatever legal time for shooting was, we started hearing shots all around us, and got rained on by birdshot! We were in no danger, but it was truly a unique experience! Thanks for bringing back the memory.

[Iambjm]

Ah, OCF. So that's what I have. Knowing is half the battle. I think I'll spend the rest of my life working on the other half.

I like that term, my hubby has OCD, and I have OCF........I guess we are alphabetically correct.