December Success with Float & Fly Panfish

[Jim Gronaw]

Dec 1, 2014....the fishing season is almost over. But at 65 degrees today, I took advantage of it and hit a small local, under the radar public lake to C&R 53 panfish to include bass, gills, crappies and red ears. Here are a few of the better fish...

Most of the catch were modest 6 to 8 inch bluegills with a half-dozen crappies from 9 to 11 inches and a dozen or so red ears, biggest being 9 inches. One bass at 14 inches. They would not touch an untipped jig. 5 ft below a bobbber. Used 2 pound test Vanish Clear Fluorocarbon line for the first time...not bad stuff. Variety of micro jigs and colors from 1/64th to 1/100 oz. Garden worn tipped for bait.

The fish were active, but they were not aggressive in the strike, pulling the bobber under slowly or just towing it against the wind. Red ears seemed to prefer more worm on the hook than the gills or crappies. Let this next cold front blow by and maybe things will settle down in a few days for a return trip...we'll see!

[Tony Livingston]

Nice report Jim, and great job finding fish in December!

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

Nice report and a good "blue collar" trip........I'd take a 53 fish mixed bag any day......snagem' in December and what a nice bonus.......

[Vince Fusco]

Sounds like a fun day, Jim! I too was stuck at work, but was lucky enough to spend a good share of the day working up on the roof. 72 and sunny. Not bad for the first day of December. 

[Jim Gronaw]

Yes, Vince...good to hear from you again!

Like I said...not the biggest size structure for these fish, but I just wanted a bend in the rod after our recent record cold snap and skim ice conditions that have now left the region. Cold here for a few days, then to moderate and eek into the low 50's for a few days next week. Might try a different pond that has bigger gills in it next week.

[Jim Gronaw]

Dec 3...challenging conditions to say the least...starting with 38 degree water after a day of wet snow and sleet. Went to one of my favorite winter gill spots and had to cope with submerged, tough stalks of dying primrose vegetation. Most fish were down in the stalks about 3 to 4 feet, depending where you were. Needed 2 pound line to detect the strikes and 1/200th oz TM shad dart heads and 1/100th oz round heads tipped with tiny worm pieces. Here is the look of the primrose dying off...fish were at the base of where the stalks descended to the bottom...

Couldn't use heavier line because you couldn't detect the strikes. The brown stalks you see at the bottom of the photo, on the shore, extend to about 15 to 20 feet, lying on the bottom. Fish were in there. Several big fish got off, but totaled 24 gills and 2 bass, most were dinks, but got a half dozen from 8 to 10.25 inches.

Fish again were shallow. Most at 3 feet. I am thinking about rigging an 11 foot crappie pole to 'dabble' in the primrose stalks for the next effort here.

The day ended perfectly with this 'walk off' 10.25 inch gill as the final, and biggest fish, of the day. Long range weather calls for warmer than normal December for the Mason Dixon region, so I am hoping I can figure these guys out a little better and not lose quite so many the next time.

[Steve Wilson]

   Thanx Jim..... great report with the pics and details.......nice job and fish.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Good old red worm!
Thanks Jim

[carl hendrix]

look at all of these extra nice ones!!  congrats to ya Jim!!