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Jim Gronaw's Blog (36)

GREAT PANFISH OPTS IN NW PA

Just got back from my visit to northwestern Pennsylvania and fished with a group of crappie and bass fishing experts at the 2014 Pennsylvania Crappie Camp, organized and set up by PA outdoor writer Darl Black. Great time, great people and great fishing in this part of the state. Here's the short version...

We had 5 boats in the water from Monday thru Thursday, with writers and crappie tourney pros and local experts fishing Pymatuning, Shenango, Conneaut and then Ohio's Mosquito Lake.…

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Added by Jim Gronaw on May 16, 2014 at 8:43pm — 3 Comments

Carroll County Times Article on Jeffrey Abney

As per request of BBG members, I will try to post the article from my files about our recent trip to the rivers of the Albermarle. This appeared in this Sundays issue of the Carroll County Times...one of the regional column I do on fishing in the Mid Atlantic region.

SLABBIN%20In%20the%20Swamps.doc

Here are the photos with the text...…

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Added by Jim Gronaw on November 11, 2013 at 7:15am — 5 Comments

STATS ON PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE BLUEGILL FISHERIES

Ok y'all, this will be a quick hit opener on the stats I have on quality bluegill waters in my region, as I am still reviewing the numbers as this blog will progress. But for now, here are some interesting statistics I have accumilated over the past 12 years concerning bluegills in my regional, or 'home' waters.

Of the 112 lakes/ponds that I have fished over the past 12 years, the number of lakes that have produced 8 inch or better sized bluegill ( my personal minimum for 'quality'…

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Added by Jim Gronaw on October 5, 2013 at 8:23pm — 5 Comments

BLUEGILL CAKES REVISITED!

Okay y'all...here we go! First, fillet about 15 quality sized gills ( 8-9.5 inches), skin them, and check thoroughly for bone removal. Put a pot of water on medium heat and add the fillets, bringing the pot eventually to a slow boil. As the pot heats up, occasionally stir the fillets, as they will break down and flake nicely.

Next, drain the fish meat thoroughly in a…

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Added by Jim Gronaw on September 29, 2013 at 6:57pm — 10 Comments

EASY PINBONE REMOVAL FOR BLUEGILL FILLETS

Just a quick blog for those who want to remove the pinbones from their bluegill fillets. In the pic below, the fillet has been started and the top of the ribcage is exposed...

At this point simply lift the fillet by peeling it back with your thumb. With cold fillets ( fish that have been on ice) the pinbones will remain intact to the ribs as you peel. You can lay the…

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Added by Jim Gronaw on September 1, 2013 at 8:30pm — 12 Comments

MORE NEW PATTERNS FOR GRASS SHRIMP JIGS AND JIG FLIES

I have been doing a lot of experimenting with the grass shrimp and jig fly patterns for gills, crappies and more. Here are a few of the innovations I have come up with...

This is a 'hackle-jig' pattern of red crafthair for the tail, purple chennel for the body with a brown hackle wrap. The jighead is a 1/64th oz Jerry's Flies pre-painted ball head jig. Hope to test…

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Added by Jim Gronaw on July 13, 2013 at 7:30pm — 8 Comments

When Hybrids Attack!

After seeing Bruce and Teeg and Josh and others with all those big hybrid sunfish posted up I decided to check my local hybrid factory, a 2 acre pond about 25 miles south of me, to see if I could catch a few good ones. The pond owner said that they hadn't had much luck with them so far this spring, but I didn't let that bother me too much. Last October I had taken a GSF x BG here that measured 12 inches,,,the first 12 inch sunfish, of any kind, I had taken in my home, or local, waters. So I…

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Added by Jim Gronaw on June 5, 2013 at 8:34pm — 8 Comments

Great Times at the Retreat Lake for Gills

Just wanted to ad a quick blog here for how wonderful bluegill fishing continues to be for beginners and pros alike. This past Saturday, April 13, my son Matt and I instructed a basic fishing class for 10 students at a local retreat facility that has a 4 acre lake on the premises. We had a breezy 60 degree day with bright sunshine and set up the students with 10 ft telescoping poles and bobbers/jig/bait combos for some easy bluegill action. Most of the gang had never caught a fish before,…

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Added by Jim Gronaw on April 14, 2013 at 3:30pm — 11 Comments

Cold Bassin In The Mason Dixon Area

Despite a prolonged and agonizing arrival of spring, I finally managed to make a decent catch today, but not my beloved bluegills. After several pitty-patty outings of dink gills and stocker-sized trout, I decided to try one of my local bass ponds and hit on a hunch. I had heard from Andrew Ragas of the Fishing Headquarters that a favored early spring bass tactic in the mid-west was to toss rattle baits and keep them at a brisk pace to entice largemouths coming out of hibernation mode.…

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Added by Jim Gronaw on April 4, 2013 at 9:50pm — 1 Comment

New Personal Best Hybrid Sunfish!

Well...what can I say...today was actually a really slow day, except for all the very small and stunted largemouth bass that were hitting anything and everything I threw at them. I saw Tonys' major-league Hybrids last night, looked at them again this morning, and said that's it...I'm going fishin'. Maybe I'll get lucky!!

So, after 90 minutes and no hybrids on the bank,…

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Added by Jim Gronaw on October 24, 2012 at 3:59pm — 9 Comments

NEW GRONAW GRASS SHRIMP PATTERNS

I have been trying to tweek some new grass shrimp jigs for fall and early winter fishing that will soon be upon us. here are a few of my latest variations... The jigs on the left are larger, 1/16th oz and the body is brown pearl core braid, with white and brown marabou for the tail...a little bigger offering in the traditional brown/olive shrimp patterns that Jeffrey had…

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Added by Jim Gronaw on September 24, 2012 at 4:31pm — 19 Comments

Hybrids in the Heat

Made plans to fish my favorite hybrid sunfish pond this morning. Got there about 8:45 AM and it was already starting to heat, with highs predicted in the 100's. Started off with a grey grass shrimp 1/64 th oz hairjig and picked up a few scrawny bass, then dropped it over near the dock and let it free-fall to the bottom. Before I reached a 4 count had a bump and set the hook to this, my firat of 15 hybrid sunfish today...GSF X BG cross...…

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Added by Jim Gronaw on July 6, 2012 at 7:45pm — 8 Comments

Shellcrackers on the Beds...Sooo Spooky! Need Help!

OK, looks like July 2, 2012 will go down as one of the all-time great panfishing days in history with a slew of high-end specimen of many species hitting the board tonight. Congratulations to all! Here's how my day went, the short version...

I hit a pond at about 3:30 pm that we had caught big red ears from in the past...had caught my previous PR there two springs ago. Saw some big fish bedding 2 weeks prior but could not get them to bite ANYTHING! The bluegill were still on bed, and…

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Added by Jim Gronaw on July 2, 2012 at 9:10pm — 25 Comments

Gronaw Grass Shrimp Patterns and How-To

I have been getting a lot of response and questions about the simple-to-tie grass shrimp hairjig patterns that Jeffrey Abney is having so much success with in North Carolina. Believe me, I never thought such a simple, easy to tie pattern would prove so deadly, but I am nonetheless delighted with our success with them. In the photo above are several olive/ green / gray…

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Added by Jim Gronaw on June 29, 2012 at 1:00pm — 16 Comments

Creek Panfishin'

Not far from me is a small stream in southern Pennsylvania that has a reputation as a good smallmouth and trout water. It also has largemouths, crappies and suckers and carp. It is rich in Civil War era history, as much of the waters I fish are. On a beautiful clear afternoon, I tangled with the stream's abundance of panfish. To my pleasant surprise, I found a bunch of…

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Added by Jim Gronaw on July 3, 2011 at 3:35pm — 9 Comments

SHOULD ANDRE BE A GUIDE?

Okay everybody...let me know what you think. My friend and fisher/partner Andre Sturkey has been posting some pretty impressive photos on this site as of late. He's catching big largemouths, big smallmouths, crappies, pickerel, croakers, cats, big carp, trout, pickerel, white perch, big gills and more and more. Monster stripers can't elude him and trophy bass can not escape him.

My question is this...should Andre be a guide, and quit his day job that brings in $345,000…

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Added by Jim Gronaw on June 25, 2011 at 1:19pm — 4 Comments

HATS OFF TO BILL MODICA...SPOON GURU!

Hey y'all, I don't know how many have seen it yet, but the latest In Fisherman magazine ( May 2011) has an outstanding feature article by our own Bill Modica on the pleasures and pursuits of using spoons for big gills! This is exciting stuff, as bill has long been advocating the use of these techniques on this site. Detailed rigs and tactics are again focused, as are many of his tutorial videos found on this site.

Like many of you, I was somewhat skeptical when I first read and heard…

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Added by Jim Gronaw on April 3, 2011 at 8:44am — 30 Comments

THE GIFT FROM A SON

As many of you know, my son Matt and I had the great experience of fishing at Richmond Mill Lake this past November and, literally, had a father/son fishing trip of a lifetime. The weather was cold for Dixie, but the scenery was great and the fishing spectacular. But between all the bluegills, bass, crappie and pickerel were other things of greater importance...the chance to…

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Added by Jim Gronaw on December 27, 2010 at 1:44pm — 9 Comments

Nice Fall Day of Fishing

No doubt about it...it's fall! We have had several nights in a row with temps in the 40's, and local lakes and ponds are cooling off fast. Now they are calling for a string of nice, 70 degree plus days for about a week. Sheeeesh!



I had a good day using 1/8 th oz Rattle Flash Spoons with a night crawler chunk at one small lake in southern PA. Nothing big, but nice action for a dozen gills and a bass.… Continue

Added by Jim Gronaw on October 7, 2010 at 3:20pm — 4 Comments

Elena Joy Gronaw Catches Her First Bluegill...In Her Dreams!

Well, I am sure that you all knew it was bound to happen....that's right, my grandaughter, Elena Joy, woke up from an unsettling dream yesterday and proclaimed she had caught the biggest bluegill of her young life.



'Wow! Granpappy', she told me,..'.it really was this big, really!" How big? 'This big!' she squealed...



At first, I thought she was just joshin' me. But then, coming from good blood lines, I thought that maybe she did… Continue

Added by Jim Gronaw on August 31, 2010 at 8:41am — 7 Comments

Latest Activity

John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's photo
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octcbp2

"You know it ,Dick!"
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dick tabbert commented on John Sheehan's photo
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octcbp2

"Great eating fish for sure."
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Had to Pause on This Evening……11/22/2024

"What a beautiful site to behold."
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John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's group Multi Panfish
"hit a spin Jig.9""
Nov 29
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
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"Fall Perch on big Crank Bait:"
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John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's photo
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John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's group Piscatorial Pursuit of Perch
"It amazes me how big a bait a late Summer/ Fall Perch will take! "
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John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's photo
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"It amazes me how big a bait a late Summer/ Fall Perch will take! "
Nov 26
John Sheehan commented on Wade Jones's group Crappie Crew
"2024 Crappie Fall catches from shore. Live Grubs, Gulp 1" Minnow, 2" paddle Tail Minnow…"
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John Sheehan posted photos
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John Sheehan posted photos
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John Sheehan posted photos
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John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's photo
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11cupsawc

"Crappie have always impressed me with the way they look! A very fond memory is the first one I…"
Nov 13
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on John Sheehan's photo
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11cupsawc

"More beautiful golden Fall colors on the Black Crappie…..nice fish!"
Nov 12
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on John Sheehan's photo
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cupsawbg9bs

"Nice gill on the beetle spin!"
Nov 12
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on John Sheehan's photo
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"Like the calico colors of the Fall…..nice crappie John!"
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John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's photo
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"You bet Bruce! Fishing for an hour to an hour and a half each day I 've been getting three or…"
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