No Orleans Bluegill Adventure

[Johnny wilkins]

A Sad Tale

What a sad story - my trip was cut short and I lost all of my fishing day. No Lake Ponchartrain, no Mississippi and No Orleans bluegill adventure for me.

 

The only photo I have to share from the past day's fishing is this nice 1/8 lber. that I caught at the local burger hole. The story gets worse- much worse. I get home Saturday (not Sunday) after a rushed trip to the airport. I figure ok, we have warmer weather and well over 2 foot of ice, so I grab my stuff and head out. 

 

Grab the Auger & Forget Your Worries

I had limited time but knew of my favorite pond where I would be sure to hook up. I arrive there to find they have the entire pond fenced off! Under construction??!! They might as well have put a moose out front that said "Sorry folks, the park's close for repairs... yuk yuk yuk". Well the good news is they are improving the shoreline. The bad news is they are improving the shoreline. I have dealt with these dopes running this park and they have no clue how good the fishing is there. These park people are so nice, I asked to do a charity fundraiser at the park for kids with cancer to 100% benefit their families through the local hospital - ah nope. They could care less.

 

When I tried to talk some sense into the park - they replied back to me that any help I offered would interfere with their annual catfish derby. This is the same catfish derby that has the pond choked with bullheads. Last summer, my champion bluegill pond provided more bullheads than bluegills one outing. My hands were riddled with spike pokes from these flying 3-spined road spikes.

 

Any tips on prepping these things? I was going to go on a 1-man crusade to rid the lake of them. My best (worst) outing - I landed 38 bullheads. I hate filleting them because they are all alive hours later - they are like terminator fish. Who cooks these? Should I treat them like lobster?? Then prep them?

 

So anyhow - no fishing at my favorite pond. When I drove around to my local pond options, the same scenario played out only most of the local city ponds simply put up signs that said - Thin Ice - Keep Off.

 

Well, the ice is 2.5 foot thick and some of the thickest ice I have ever fished in the Chicago area. The signs are the sign of whimpy parks who don't use their own parks.

 

This Saturday I will be heading out to a decent spot to ice fish - because now I am going crazy for bluegill! 

 

Ok - to put a big bow on the No Orleans story. I am getting ready to relax Sunday night and a fishing show comes on the channel I have never watched. It is a new recreation channel and the show features - NEW ORLEANS! They should have called it - all the fish that Johnny never had a chance at.

 

On the show they were catching Sea Trout and drum so I am thinking that the freshwater adventure that I was going to go on - would have been salty...

 

I did narrow my search down to a park on the North side of New Orleans - which I guess I will have to try the next time out. The only fish pictures I have from the trip will be of the fish restaurant that I ate at in the French Quarter....

 

The Big One That Didn't Get Away

On second thought- let's close out this truly sad post with a fish I caught Tuesday Morning - er at the store Tuesday Morning (on Monday evening).  This thing was massive, but it didn't put up much of a fight. If you don't have a Tuesday Morning near you - your are missing out. It is the garage sale of retail stores. You never know what you will find in there - there is all sorts of stuff piled everywhere. There was one of these guys and I was happy to land her - on sale! Something like this from the garden store would go for $50 over what I paid for it.

 

While I would rather have some adventure in New Orleans catching some gills - the money I saved from the license, gear and bait served me well at Tuesday Morning - still doesn't make up for missing out on the fishing.

 

I don't travel much but now I have the travel fishing bug and I am plotting on how to get gear on the plan or even shipped to my location so that I can fish (and then ship it back).. hmmm....

 

The adventure continues....

 

[Dwayne Denison]

Johnny,

Having a problem finding the big ones. We have had a few good years of spawn down here,they just haven't got that big yet. I do have a couple places, that would work out for bank fishing. I myself am a catch and release fisherman. One of the local resivoirs has a large population of gills, that is hurting the bass population. Just give me a heads up, would love to fish with you one saturday, as I am interested in bank fishing....Dwayne

 

ps...was 74, here on wednesday

[Johnny wilkins]

I do need lake with some big gills in it down South this Spring Dwayne. I fish mainly from shore and I am all catch-and-release. Would you be able to guide me to some spots down there some Saturday?

[John Sheehan]

Absense does make the heart grow fonder for the bluegill.

 

So Bullheads are a proplem huh.Gee and I like those little guys.

[Dwayne Denison]

You need to come down to Southern IL. It has been in upper 50's to low 60's, and the ice is gone.

[Bruce Condello]

You're a gifted writer, my friend. Thanks for giving me something good to read this evening.