By Chris Erwin
They are only a few things in life that give me more joy than reeling in a big fish or skimming across the water just after sunrise when the water is slick as glass and the mist is rising like some mystical enchanted dream. I envision monster fish lurking just below the surface…
When I remember being a kid, I will never forget the people in my life that put the first fishing rod in my hands. They directed me in catching some fat, thick bluegills! That feeling of the fight, seeing the bobber dance across the water then plunging out of sight as I leaned back and felt the fish kicking and fighting, thrilled me to no end. I pulled them out of the water, onto the grass, where I felt like dancing up and down the bank. That memory has never faded from my thoughts to this day.
It was a gift those adults gave me! They took the time to take me and provide me with equipment and instructed me on how to catch fish. You can give this gift this year. You can change a life! You may think I’m being dramatic but I promise you it changed my life. I’m sure no one could tell it that day but inside I found something that I couldn’t wait to do again. Now all these years later I still want to do it all again. However, there is a difference today: I find that watching a kid hook his first fish is more of a thrill for me than I’m sure it might be for them. To see that excitement in their face is worth more than money. It’s priceless.
Why I am bringing this up now? Because the bluegill spawn is coming! It’s the easiest time to put kids on fish without waiting a long time for them to have success. Mark this down, it never changes from year to year, Bluegills spawn in the largest numbers five days before the full moon when the water temperature makes it into the high 60s. Unless we have crazy weather that should be around the 14th of May this year.
They will be active five days before the full moon until about five days after the full moon. That spans over about two weekends this year and I hope you will take a kid fishing.
Tip: To find nesting sites try to find old roadbeds, points, humps, flats and creek heads where sand and hard bottoms are the rule. Bluegills make dinner plate or larger impressions on the bottom. They also like to nest near some kind of structure like a log, boulders or stumps. At times, you can find as many as 50 nests on one flat. These fish will be aggressive and easy to catch.
When fishing with kids, red worms, night crawlers, wax worms or crickets are among the best baits to use. Once a kid becomes more experienced, then it’s time to move to jigs, poppers and flies. These require better casting ability. I have found using live bait is best for beginners. Bring hand towels and soap as you may need to wash up.
Use light rods with spin-cast reels to avoid backlashes and keep the line size to 6-pound test. Use gold Aberdeen hooks, which are softer and will often bend making it easier to free snags. Keep hooks, bobbers and split shots handy. If you’re in a boat, make sure they keep their floatation devices on.
My last suggestion is to bring your camera. You will want to take a lot of pictures. I promise the photos will become cherished memories in time.
Till next time, make some memories and take a kid fishing!
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