Panfish Fishing

[devinjm]

Hey everyone! I've been doing alot of bass fishing for a very long time. And im a devoted catch and release kinda guy. It irritates me to see people keep their bass. Large and small mouth.

However, i'd like to do some fishing for dinner. Bluegill, crappie, catfish. And i want to do the fishing from my boat on the river/reservoir. I live in east Tennessee. Anybody got any pointers? Where to fish, what to use, recipes. Any helpful bits of information at all would be much appreciated!

Thanks to everyone who responds!!!

[5bass]

[movedhere] General Bass Fishing Forum [move by] five.bass.limit.

[D4u2s0t]

seems kinda hypocritical to look down on people for keeping bass, and then wondering how you can catch fish to eat...  just saying.

Panfish are simple.  Can't go wrong with nightcrawlers and a #8 hook, if the fish are there, they will bite, no doubt.  Since you're looking for larger (I would assume, since you're going to eat them) you're going to want to look for the deeper structure, and areas that are hard for anglers to get to.  You will find tons of small fish under docks, around rocks, etc.  But the big ones will be in the hard to reach places, so work on your casting.  I went out with my bro for perch last week, we were fishing the same bait, same spot, but I was consistently pulling in bigger fish.  The reason was I was able to cast to spots that he wasn't.  The big one of the day, which was my pb perch at 1 1/2 lbs, was caught throwing my worm under an overhang that was surrounded by stumps... basically had less than a foot of clearance to get under.  And that's where the big ones were.

Like many fish, your best bet will be around drop offs, points with access to deeper water, and usually around dams are a good spot.  Around islands, humps, etc.  Perch (which imo are the best panfish to eat) are school fish, and this time of year when you find them, you'll pull in tons of them.  After a while, you won't want the small ones, you'll want the bigger meaty ones.

One big mistake I see people doing all the time is fishing too shallow, regardless of species.  Immediately after ice out on my lake, the bank beaters came out, and of course like you would expect, there's nothing to be found that shallow.  So depending on the water temp, adjust to fish more shallow or more deep.  Perch start their spawning movements on many lakes before the ice has even melted, and spawn shortly after ice out.  So they can def. be found shallow still depending on the conditions.  But like I said, you won't get the big ones dropping a hook off the dock.

[devinjm]

much appreciated buddy!

and i know it sounds odd to be that way about releasing bass and keeping others. but the way i see it, bass are a sport fish. panfish are not. to keep bass is unsportsman like. but thats just my opinion. you may have your own. i dont mean to offend anybody

[D4u2s0t]

no prob.  Small spinners are good too, 0 or #1 or 2 mepps...  Kastmaster spoons are good as well.  But I always do best with a pack of nightcrawlers.

Of course make sure you use an ultra lite pole with light line, makes catching these lil fish alot of fun!  When a big perch or 'gill starts pulling out drag, and your rod is bent in half, can be just as much fun (or more) as pulling in a big bass!  If you're using anything heaver than lite, or even medium, it won't be anywhere near the same.  I love perch fishing because like I said, once you find the school, you can catch them near every cast.  Good times, with the right setup.  Before the bass start biting, I'll be out there with the ul catching panfish.

[Stasher1]

much appreciated buddy!

and i know it sounds odd to be that way about releasing bass and keeping others. but the way i see it, bass are a sport fish. panfish are not. to keep bass is unsportsman like. but thats just my opinion. you may have your own. i dont mean to offend anybody

I'd have no problem eating bream, crappie, bluegill, etc., but I find the thought of eating bass repulsive. To me, it's almost like eating a dog or something. I know it doesn't make any sense at all, but that's the way I feel. 

[devinjm]

thanks d4, i'll definately try what you've told me. much appreciated

lol and stasher, i get what your sayin. totally agree with ya